MIME (book one of MIME)

Chapter Ten

Cry Baby tossed and turned.
She couldn't fall asleep.
She just wanted to shut her eyes for a while.
She was on the side that made her face Blurryface.
She looked at him and saw that he wasn't sleeping either.
His eyes were looking at the ceiling.

"Can't sleep?"
Cry Baby says.
Blurryface looks over at her.
"No."
His eyes go back to the ceiling.
"What's wrong?"
She asks.
Blurryface rubs his temple.
She could hear him sigh.
"I don't know."
He grinds his teeth.
"You can tell me if you want."
Cry Baby scoots closer to him.
"I'm just lost."
He tells her.
His head turns to her.
"How're you lost?"
Cry Baby finds his hand under the covers and holds it.

"I don't know who I am anymore."

Cry Baby frowns at his sad words.

"I know what you're talking about."

Blurryface looks into her eyes.

"How?"

"I know you aren't just this Blurryface you say you are."

Blurryface narrows his eyebrows in confusion.

"How do you know?"

"I had a dream."

"Tell me about it, please."

"You told me your real name. It's Tyler. You say your name is Blurryface because that's how you personalize your insecurities."

Blurryface doesn't respond.
He just looks around the room in shock.
That Cry Baby would actually know that.

"But it's okay. My real name isn't Cry Baby."

Their eyes meet again.

"What is it?"
He asks.

"It's Melanie."

Blurryface nods and licks his dry lips.

"I like that name a lot, actually."

"Tyler is definitely a better name than Melanie."

"They're totally different."

"I know."

Cry Baby giggled.

"Just be who you want to be. I'll still love you."

They stopped talking and closed their eyes.
They both snuggled up with each other.
All of their problems were swooped away.
They felt safe with each other.
Blurryface held Cry Baby close to his chest.
He couldn't tell if it was love.
But he wanted to stay with her forever.
To take care of her.

Cry Baby and all of the other kids that went to her school had to transfer to a new one.
The rules were more strict.
You had assigned seats at lunch.
Assigned seats in every class.
You wore special uniforms.
Girls always had to wear ponytails if their hair was long.
The windows had bars on them.
Desks were nailed into the floor.
If you interrupted anyone at the wrong time, you'd be given detention.
If you are somewhere in the school you aren't supposed to be in, you get detention.
The rules were stressful.
Very.
If you were caught bullying someone you'd be suspended from school for a whole week.
The school literally wants you to be "perfect".