Brisa was woken by her alarm. Again. Sighing, she slowly rolled out of bed, hit the floor face first with a thud, and stood, only to be stopped by a pounding headache and a small fit of dizziness, collapsing back onto her bed, where an enormous wave of anxiety swept over her. It’s Monday. She forced herself to her feet with a groan, and then the tears started. She wiped them away and tottered over to her closet, picking out a white blouse, dark brown belt, and navy blue skirt before getting in the shower and blasting the hot water as if she wanted to burn away the memory of yesterday. Finally thoroughly steamed and a bit scorched, she got out and got dressed numbly, brushing and leaving her wet auburn hair down when she saw the clock and was told by her screaming brain that she didn’t have time to braid it. Pulling on her shoes, grabbing her backpack and hoverboard and heading downstairs, she stopped at the silence that permeated the house. Stepping around the corner into the living room, she stopped at the sight of her parents sitting on the couch, her dad’s arms around her mom, Mikki sobbing quietly into his shoulder. Brisa had told them both the news last night, and her mom had taken it hard. Brisa, who had stayed up until 3 o’clock in the morning staring at the key and thinking about nothing, had heard her mom sleep-floating two or three times throughout the night. She returned to the kitchen and left a note for her parents explaining where she was even though it was obvious and that she loved them. Then she stepped out onto the street, not hungry in the slightest, and got on her hoverboard, heading reluctantly towards school, the key bumping against her from the bottom of her pocket.
