Mylo

Chapter 1

I awake to my alarm going off, 6am on the dot. I groan and roll over, feeling no will to get out of bed as I run through today's possible happenings in my head, none of them positive in the slightest. I sigh and sit up, silencing my alarm, trudging to the bathroom as I force myself to get ready. I shower quickly and towel off, flinching as I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror; I look weak and pale, sickly and tired. I sigh, resisting the urge to shatter the mirror to pieces as I get dressed and silently walk out of the bathroom. I pack my homework into my backpack and sling it over my shoulder as I silently walk out of my room and down the stairs, taking care not to make any noise so as not to wake my father. I sigh heavily, remembering his fit of rage from last night; He'd been drunk again and yelled at me for my abysmal grades, telling me I'll never be anything but a filthy janitor if I don't put in more effort, before striking me and knocking me to the ground, bellowing for me to get out of his face and go to my room. I tear up at the memory, but quickly brush it off, putting my shoes on and walking out the door for school.

I arrive at school early, completely skipping the breakfast line as I'm not hungry and don't feel like eating anyways, and head directly to class, sitting sullenly in my seat and waiting for the teacher to arrive. A few other students are sitting at their tables or grouped together chattering, but I pay them no mind, lost in my own thoughts.

I rerun all the memories of my father's abuse and peer's bullying like broken records, something I find myself doing quite often. I sigh heavily, laying my head on my desk, wanting it all to go away. I just want it to stop; to stop hurting, to stop happening, I just want it all to disappear. 'No, I just want to disappear', I think to myself. A pleasant thought, isn't it? To think if you disappeared the world would become a better place. I feel tears well up in my eyes, but I will them away, my head still laid down on my desk. I focus on my breathing, trying to keep a steady rhythm and keep my rising emotions at bay.

The teacher walks in a few minutes late and starts class, and I take my head off my desk, looking tiredly at the teacher as they run through attendance. Suddenly, a blonde boy I don't recognise bursts in through the door, panting.

"Sorry I'm late, I couldn't find the classroom!" The boy says in between pants, adjusting himself and catching his breath. The teacher and class look up at him, and he gives a smile so bright it looks like it could blind someone.

"Ah, yes, you must be Nicholas, the new student." The teacher says cheerily.

"I go by Niko, but yeah, that's me!" the boy says cheerily, still smiling from ear to ear. The class starts whispering among themselves, and I overhear them whispering things like 'He's hot!', 'I wonder where he's from?', 'I hope he's single!', and 'Oh, he's definitely gonna become popular real quick'. I roll my eyes at the statements, dismissing them. 'Just another popular boy to bully me. Fantastic.' I think to myself, groaning quietly.

"Alright, I'll get you marked in the system, while you can choose a seat; We don't have assigned seats in this class." The teacher replies happily, smiling. The boy, Niko, grins and gives her a thumbs up, sitting in a seat in the front.

The teacher starts the class, giving students the usual morning rundown of the school's upcoming events, any changes to the school, things to keep in mind, and any other typical homeroom topics to discuss. I watch the presentation through half-lidded eyes, nodding off.

"Mylo, no sleeping in class." The teacher says sternly from the front. I jolt upright, turning red in the face from embarrassment. The class snickers at the teacher catching me dozing off, and I sink in my seat. Niko looks over, too, but he isn't laughing with the rest of the class; He's looking at me with a look of sympathy. I glare at Niko, and he looks at me in shock before turning around in his seat awkwardly, his back to me as he faces the board. The class quiets down and the teacher continues the homeroom announcements, but I can no longer pay attention.

I sit there, fuming and suffocating in a cloud of my own anger, guilt, and embarrassment. I sit in a purple froth, crossing my arms and glaring daggers into my desk, the teacher's words falling on deaf ears. 'Why am I so useless?', 'Why can't I just be normal? None of the other kids fall asleep in class and get called out in front of everyone.', 'What's wrong with me?'; Questions rage through my head like the black plague, making the chokehold my froth has on me even tighter. I feel my chest start rising and falling more rapidly as my eyes burn from withheld tears. I focus what little energy I have on my breathing, and manage to calm myself without letting any of the tears at the dams of my eyes spill.

The teacher finishes morning announcements and tells the class they have freetime until the bell rings, walking fluidly to her desk and sitting down gracefully. The other students go back to their phones or chattering amongst themselves, while I sit silently in my seat, exhausted and staring absentmindedly at my desk. My mind is completely blank, too tired to form a coherent thought despite it still being early morning. I sigh heavily and happen to glance at my arm, fully covered by the sleeve of my hoodie. I hold my arm under my desk and just barely roll up my sleeve, looking tiredly at the many scars and cuts littering my wrist. I gently graze my finger over the wounds in various stages of healing, wincing at the stinging pain it brings forth. I sigh and tug my sleeve back down, my mind filling with questions yet again.

The bell rings, making me flinch as it violently tears me from my racing thoughts. I sigh as I get up, slinging my backpack lazily over my shoulder as I walk to the door. 'Well, it's only morning and today has been great so far. I wonder what other pleasant surprises await me' I think sarcastically to myself as I trudge out the door, keeping my head down as I make my way to my next class.