Being a Banner [ 1 of JA ]

5

I was back in my apartment by seven-ish; I took a shower, then got into pajamas. As I lay in my bed, I scramble my brain, thinking about the last time I saw Dad. A week ago? A few days? It feels like he's never even been here.
Out of nowhere, lightning cracks from the outside. Jolting straight up, I feel my heart beat fast, and my nerves start getting jittery. Breathing in and out, I try to keep my heart rate down. I have a heart problem, where I can't have it beating like a drum, unless I want my heart to start hurting, and stop. Dad has never told me if he has this problem too. I should though, I really don't want to pass out and die out of the blue.

I lay back down, pulling the light blue covers over my shoulder, and staring at my teal colored wall.
"Thor what are you doing..." I mutter to myself. There was this one little thing Dad used to tell me during storms. I hated lightning storms. So Dad always told me it was the one God, Thor, greeting me in order to calm me down. I was never afraid of them again after I was seven. That's when it started.

The pitter-patter of my feet hitting the wooden floor of my apartment, accompanied the noise of rain hitting the windows, like bullets breaking glass.
"Daddy!" I cried, making my way into Dad's room. "Daddy!" Climbing up on the bed, I jerked the mattress, having Dad to get up and look at me.
"What's wrong?" He asked groggily, rubbing his eyes. I threw my arms around his torso, as his arms secured around me.
"The lightning," I told him. Dad leaned forward, looking out the window. "That's not lightning," he said. "That's a friend, Thor," I looked at him, bewildered.
"Who's Thor?" I asked. Dad smiled, brushing a strand of hair out of my face.
"He's a friend of ours," Dad explained, "He's saying hi." Lightning cracked, having the room to glow a light purple for a short second.
"A very loud one," I said, having Dad to chuckle. The lights went on and off, having me to hug Dad tighter.
"It's okay, it's okay," He soothed, brushing my hair, and starting to play with it. "Hey," Dad whispered. "You fall, I fall."
"What does that mean?" I asked, cringing in confusion.
Dad chuckled. "Lets put it this way," He said. "You, me, forever babe."
"You, me, forever dude." I replied.

Those were the days... Now they're gone.

*************

Tuesdays are crap for me. Gym is the first thing at school. The morning at home is the same as any day. Eat. Drink. Leave.
I didn't see Dad's coat on the rack, so we all know what that means. Already out the door and on the bus, a thought comes to mind. I've never actually been to Dad's lab, maybe I could surprise him after school! Well... Who knows, he might be busy and tired. Dad probably doesn't need a teenager in his business.

*************

I entered school and quickly made my way to the girls' bathroom, which connects to the auditorium. I enter in a bathroom stall, and then walk out in our blue gym uniforms, with our school logo on it. I have my hair in a low ponytail, which never happens often. Still with my grey beanie on, I take it off, and stuff it deep down into my gym bag, at the very bottom. I set my bag against the wall, just as I'm about to leave. Shannon and her 'friends' pass me before I could even move, and give me those, 'whatever' looks and roll their heavy mascara and eyeshadow eyes. I simply let them pass, and then head on out.

"Boys behind me, girls in front," My gym teacher, Ms. Bullock, says as the whole class stands in the middle of the gym. She points kids in the direction of whatever side of the gym we must take. Jax and Levi are one person apart, so they can be on the same team. They get on the left side, and I can tell they're praying for me to be on their team. Today, we're playing dodgeball. Yay. In the sixth grade, it's fun, but in high school, one hit and you're the Jocks' joke for the day. I'm almost near Ms. Bullock when I hear, "I hope we're on the same team!" I turn around to see a girl a little shorter than me with blonde hair. I know her, well, I've never really talked to her. She's Willa Vanderson, the smallest fifteen year-old in the whole school. I'm a year younger, and taller than her by an inch or two. She's a very sweet girl, but very insecure and shy. "Ah... You wouldn't want me, I stink at this game." I say. People like Willa are the kind I have no conversation starter with. We're opposites. I know about that whole, 'Opposites attract thing', but she just discovered The Hunger Games. Replying to me, Willa simply shrugged with a smile.