Just Because
Chapter One
By Mija

"Geneva Watson, for the last time, wake up! You'll be late for school!" my mother screamed, a tint of frustration lacing her voice. "Don't make me come up there!"

I drew the covers over my head. This is not happening, no, definitely not. This has got to be some kind of warped, twisted parallel universe where adolescents like me are being subjected to another year of torture and cruel punishment.

I felt a hand grab my left leg. The intruder pulled, almost dragging me out of bed. Hanging on to the headboard for dear life, I gasped, desperately. "No, no, for the love of God, no!" I wagged my legs frantically. "I'm too young to die! I'm too young!"

I don't care if I'm going to get split in half, I am not, and I repeat, not, going back to that asylum they call school. I am not.

I felt the strong grip on my leg loosen, and then disappear. I am once again triumph ---

"You cretin!" I shrieked, flailing my arms blindly, hoping to catch my assailant. My eyes adjusted to the sudden and blinding light, my brother's figure finally coming to sight. "You jerk! Do you have some sort of chemical imbalance or are you just naturally impaired?" My brother, Garrett, has decided that the most effective way to wake me up was to dowse me with ice-cold water.

He snorted. "And so the battle of wits begin. You know, I thought that your sarcastic quips are turned to off during the wee hours of the morning. Apparently, I'm wrong," he said, giving me his sweetest smile.

I chucked a pillow at him, and buried myself deeper into the cavern my blanket has created. "Go. Away." I love my brother, really I do, but when he's in his overly hyper mood, I'll pull out the shotgun myself. I don't know why he's like this. I'm guessing he already had his morning cappuccino – or in this case, seven.

"Ooh, such a witty reply from the ice queen herself. Is that the best you can do? Usually, you can shoot and maim in two seconds. My dear sister, I am still standing."

I made a loud guttural noise. I am not in the mood for this. Can't he see that I'm mourning here? Goodbye luminous sun, goodbye green and healthy trees, goodbye good life. Goodbye sweet, sweet, sweet summer. Goodbye. Hello vapid cheerleaders. Hello inflated jocks. Hello only-interested-in-my-summer-and-holiday-pay teachers. Hello cafeteria food, which by every definition, suck and blow. Hello obtuse subhuman beings whose only career choice is that of a crash test dummy. Hello end of happy days.

I sighed and stood up abruptly. Thinking of what is to come frightens and severely irritates me at the same time. I brushed past my brother, then turned, "For your information, this is certainly not a battle of wits. I do not wage war with an unarmed person. It's just so unethical, don't you think?" I raced to the bathroom before he could reply. I'm not even out of the house yet, and the god of pounding headaches has already visited me.

Oh, this is really going to be a great year.