NOTE: Currently switching his book from 1st POV to 3rd POV. There'll definitely be some inconsistencies, especially as half of the chapter are edited and the other half not (essentially being my old writing style from late 2020 - early 2021).
The Fi...
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Chapter 2 - Start Off Your Day With a Healthy Dose of Bad Decisions
Thursday: Morning - Afternoon
America
America took his usual seat at the back of the bus, being careful not to slam into the seat at any point. It usually wasn't a big deal, but the other night he'd fallen down every single step, and it left him covered in bruises.
He was trying to be considerate, and not swear every five seconds, but it was getting awfully difficult. He was thankful he at least hadn't broken anything, though.
Why and how did he manage to fall down an entire flight of stairs, you ask? Phones. The devil to every teacher, the cure to the neverending boredom of class, and a quick distraction for those various moments in life of meaningless waiting.
Either way, he had been looking at his phone, and not the stairs. Also, very crucially, he hadn't taken his Adderall for the past week.
He could tell it wasn't helping, as for the past week he had been jumping out of his seat and shouting across the classroom like a madman. That might've been an exaggeration, but it didn't reassure him to any degree all the same.
"America? Earth to America!"
America jumped, and quickly looked to his left, though still mostly lost in thought. "Oh- hey, sorry."
Mexico sighed and lightly shook her head. "I'm fine, but if you don't feel like talking, just let me know."
"Sorry, sorry," America hastily replied. "I'll take my cue to leave."
He saluted Mexico, then scooched away to another seat. The guilt was pooling in his stomach, and he really didn't want to address it at the moment.
See, America didn't exactly have a very strong opinion surface level, but it was always tense beneath the surface. The two never had a great history, and even nowadays bitter feelings lingered beneath the surface. Of course, she had always kept up appearances, at least in public, but America never felt comfortable pretending to be all buddy-buddy with her.
He glanced around the bus to see if there was anyone more entertaining to talk to. His eyes landed on Brazil, and America quickly shimmied into a seat closer by. "Soo, how's it been Brazil?"
"Eh, nothing much other than the occasional misdemeanor." He flashed America a quick grin before continuing. "Avelino and Lina have been doing well."
"Without me?" America let out an exaggerated gasp, and held a hand to his chest. "How could you. I am so unbelievably hurt."
America then smiled and recorrected himself to be in a more normal pose. "Glad to know those little bastards are doing well, though. You have an unbelievable amount of patience, I swear."
