Totally Opposites

Chapter 6: It's Taking Over My Mind

Wren's POV:

I'm back in my room with the lamp lights on. I couldn't go to sleep.

Every time I close my eyes for even a second, I get small tidbits of Mom. It's like she's trying to tell me something.

So, I'm up, and sitting on one of the couches in the library, unable to go to sleep.

I can barely go to sleep anyday, but I thought since I cannot go to sleep because of the stupid bracelet, I'd take a closer look at it again.

It's almost 2:00 am, and everybody's sleeping. Or everybody's supposed to be sleeping, but I can guarantee you that Evelyn is still awake making herself food and talking to her friends on the phone. Again. Like she always is.

I turn the beaded bracelet over and over again, for hours and hours, hoping to find something, which I don't – until my alarm for 7:15 rings and my eye finally catches something. But I have to run to my bed as I hear footsteps outside my room door, growing louder and louder with each step as it nears.

I quickly turn the lamps off and get settled into bed as the door starts opening.

"Wren?" My father asks. "Wake up, you're going to school today."

I mumble "But–"

"No buts. Get dressed and meet me downstairs for breakfast." He walks back to the door. "And you're not the only one who's dealing with your mother's death. The others are too and they're going to school like everything's normal."

"But nothing is normal." I sit up, clutching a pillow. "Mom just dies. She was healthy, Dad, and she's suddenly dead?"

I feel tears pricking my eyes as I stare up at the ceiling.

"That's what you think. Wren, she was diagnosed with cancer again a couple weeks ago. She didn't want to tell you or the kids. She didn't even tell me, the only way I knew was when the doctor told me her cause of death."

"But she was healthy just last week, Dad." My voice cracks.

"I guess she was just acting then. For our sake." He closes the door as he steps out of my room. "You better be out of that bed and getting ready when I come back to check on you later. If you're not, I will drag you to school in your pajamas so help me Wren."

"OK OK, I get it" I roll my eyes. "I'm going to school today."

I get dressed. Thinking about the bracelet.

I walk downstairs to the kitchen. Thinking about the bracelet.

I eat. Thinking about the bracelet.

I'm in the car. Thinking about the bracelet.

I'm in class. Thinking about the bracelet.

It's like the bracelet is stuck in my head so much that I can't even focus on my work.

It's bracelet bracelet bracelet everywhere. That stupid bracelet is overtaking my brain, and I'm sick of it! I guess my mind is just focused on that thing I found on the bracelet when my alarm rang and dad came to wake me up.

It's lunch right now, so maybe I can go home, grab the bracelet, and check it through again.

Damn it, I don't have a license. Wait, my house isn't far from here, I can just walk. I have to be quick though, so nobody notices I'm gone. And by nobody I mean Charlotte.

Charlotte and I are friends, we have each other's back, but if she finds out I have Mother's bracelet, she will freak out and ask to tag along with whatever I'm doing with it.

We do get into fights but we have a bond that absolutely no one can break. We've been friends since I was 4, and yes she might be two years older than me and she might be my sister, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends.

But sometimes I feel like we're drifting apart.

I think that's only because I'm back in my depressive episode again. I get those at least once a month and they last for 3 weeks so I'm only ever happy once a week of every month. So that's exciting.

I get home and unlock the front door to my house. Dad's car isn't here so he's probably at work. Thank god, I can get the bracelet easily. But I have to be quick, he comes home for lunch.

I close the door behind me and quickly make my way downstairs to my room, in a hurry to find the bracelet. Damn it, I can't find it! I don't remember where I put it last.

These are the side effects of not having enough sleep. Not remembering important information. I search around my nightstand. Not there. My bed. Not there. The small library.

Not the– wait! I see it, it's on the couch. I lunge for it just as I hear the front door opening and let out a small gasp. Dad's home. I've gotta get back to school before he catches me. And rapidly as well.