The Norm Games

Chapter 24: Let's talk about it

Josh's POV

If you went around and asked people what their favorite month was, I bet most people would say December, because who doesn't love free gifts?

October was my favorite month all my life. When I was a kid it was because I could dress up and no one would know that it was me behind the stars mask, or whatever superhero I choose to dress up as.

I always thought that it would always be my favorite month, but I guess that was my first mistake.

You think you know something well, but then out of where comes the devil in the disguise of life, and starts making your life a living hell, because that's what he does best.

If you hadn't already guessed it, my devil came on October first. It was a normal day, as far as I could tell. I woke up, did my morning routine, had a quick breakfast, and went to school, pretended I was listening during school, then right before my favorite part of the day, he arrived.

School had just ended and I was walking down the hall to the exit, when he spotted me and said, "Josh where do you think you're going?"

"Um... to the dump, where else?" I don't think I'll ever call Chloe and I's apartment home, cause my actual home is a beautiful apartment is Beverly Hills, and the crappy apartment that Chloe and I share? Definitely not beautiful or in Beverly Hills.

"Oh I don't know, maybe school?" E.T. Snorts sarcastically.

"Dude, I know you're getting at that age where you forgot stuff and all, so I'm gonna spell it out for you: School ended. See ya."

"I'd fight back, but I honestly don't have the time." He lets out an exhausted sigh, rubbing his eyes. "Here's the deal: you got this leadership class thingy that the directors thought all contestants should take, so do me a favor, and just go to the damn gym without arguing." E.T. Literally begs.

"Ok." I shrug and turn around towards the five hundred hallway.

I don't really know why I agreed so easily to E.T.'s request, maybe it was because the guy looked so stressed and tired, that even I felt bad for him?

"Thank you." He muttered to my back as I walked away.

********

"Thank you for joining us." The lady standing in the middle of a circle of students genially tells me when I walk in.

She's pretty in the older kinda way with long straight black hair reaching her back. Black sweat pants and a purple UNY hoodie cover her small body, giving her the relaxed vibe.

"Sure." Is my quick reply as I take a seat by Chloe.

"Alright! Thank you guys for coming here today. I'm Mrs. Snow, but feel free to call me Kylah. You're probably wondering what you're doing here, so I'll start there." She puff a breath of air, make her short bangs fly up and over her golden brown eyes."Some of you guys are having problems respecting your partners, which is not ok. You should always treat your partner with the respect you wish to be treated with. So-"

"Ya here that Milee? You gotta respect me." Justin smugly grins to Milee.

"Nooooo it means you have to respect me. By the way, 'gotta' is not a word." She actually air quotes the word, turning to the side of her seat to get in Justin's face.

"Ah yes, it is! And I already respect you, you just don't notice because you never return the favor." He replies, copying Milee's previous actions, and getting in her face so that now their faces are mare inches apart.

"That's almost laughable. Ha.Freaking. Ha." Milee tries going for the tough girl voice she does so well, but it actually ends up coming out breathy. Kinda like in those movies where the girl is so into the guy that her voice falters or something like that.

"Yo-"

"Thank you Justin and Milee for demonstrating the reason we are here today." Mrs. What's-her-name interjects, clapping her small hands loudly to get our attention back to her. "What just happened between Justin and Milee, happened because of the little respect they both have for each other. This can be a cause of too much stress. Stress can control your behavior towards other people, and that's why you're here. Today we are gonna work on getting rid of that stress by meditating." She pauses, probably to see if anyone has anything bad to say about her idea, but unsurprisingly no one says anything: women has one heck of a glare.

"Ok! Get with your partners, grab a mat," She points to a pile of colorful mats that are laying against a wall. "and spread out somewhere around the gym. I'll turn on the music and you guys just try to relax. Let the music be, and don't talk until I say you may." She finally finishes talking.

"Conner?" Chloe asks, after we grab our mat.

"Sure." I shove my hands in my cheap jeans and follow her to one of the gym's conners.

Meditating. Let's do this.

I plant my butt on my the rough rag known as a mat, and mediate, because that's what sitting down cross legged with your hands on your knees and your eyes closed is apparently.

"Do you think we should hum or something?" I quietly whisper to Chloe after a few minutes of the boring mediating.

"Huh?"

"You know, in movies they hum when they mediate? Should we be doing that?"

"Eh, I don't know. Guess if you feel like it." She shrugs.

Deciding that mediating is way to boring, I hum a few random songs before Mrs. Snow tells us to quietly talk and cut through anything that may be causing tension between us.

"JoshIwanttotalkaboutit." Chloe quickly blurts with her eyes still closed.

"Dunno what you just said."

She takes a deep breath in and says her words slower, "Josh, Let's talk about it."

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Question: When you read this story, do you imagine it in present day, or the future?

❤️, Livia

DF: Dec.10.16
DP: Jan.7.17
WC: 1,042