Daily Routine (Story)

Inspired by some random guy I saw sitting outside of R***** one day who looked mysterious and intriguing.

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“Every day it’s the same thing,” I thought to myself as I was sitting down in class hearing the teacher talk endlessly. “Catch your breath every once in a while, would you?!”

I wanted something new in my life. I complained every day because everything was the same every day and all the complaining didn’t help my situation of trying to get on a fresh start. No that made it even worse. Complaining was basically part of my daily schedule.

“And remember class…” the teacher started and as he said the next words I could already hear them in my head. “Do your homework, or else you will face the consequences.”

I groaned as I left the classroom, hoping that my daily routine would be ruined by something bizarre.

“In five seconds my friends will walk up to me and I will say hi and we will talk about school,” I said in my head and all of that happened. It was so boring having to go through the same monotonous sequence each day. I could literally tell you what I was about to do before I do because I never try to do anything different.

Then my friend reminded me of the most wonderful thing that was going to happen to my life and I forgot because of my stupid repeating life!

“Remember, Kasey, we’re going to go to the arcade after school,” my friends said. To me that was absolutely everything! Something different! It wasn’t the same wake up, shower, go to school, go home, eat, do homework, sleep. But this time there was something in between go home and that was go to arcade. Finally, something new.

“I almost forgot,” I said, but I didn’t sound as enthusiastic as I would hope to be.

“Good thing I reminded you!” my friend said smirking at me like I was stupid. What I cared about now was making it through lunch and the next two periods afterwards.

I didn’t pay attention during class, because I thought of all the interesting things I would do and maybe just maybe I’d get to do more things like this in the future. It was a big dream though, mostly all the students who go to school with me live the same repetitive life making it hard for any of us to actually do something. No dating, no get-togethers, no extracurricular activities that weren’t part of school. There wasn’t anything for us and those rare moments like this one are something to be savored. You have to experience it to the best of your ability or it is an experience wasted and you can’t do anything about it afterwards.

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          When my last period ended, I literally jumped out of my seat and ran out the door nearly tripping the down the stairs to my death. I probably wouldn’t have minded tripping down the stairs, because then at least I’d go to the hospital which wouldn’t be part of my usual daily schedule.

          I finally reached my friends who were looking at me like I didn’t get out enough. I suspected the look on my face was probably creepy and uncalled for.

          “You really need to get out more,” one of my friends said. She was blonde. I really didn’t know her name, I just identified her as the blonde and that was that. None of us are really on a first name basis.

          We finally got to the arcade and the moment we stepped in and saw all the flashing lights, I nearly burst of excitement.

          We went to exchange our dollars for quarters at the front and almost immediately, I took notice to the guy exchanging the money. He looked mysterious and even a little sad.

          “Hey, what’s wrong?” I asked him and I wasn’t really thinking of what came out my mouth more like what the situation at hand was and what I would normally do in a similar situation.

          He looked at me almost a little startled that I would approach him so boldly with a question like that and then he handed me my quarters and walked away to places unknown as the next guy came up to start his shift.

          “Kasey, why would you ask someone that?” the blonde asked.

          “Well, I don’t really know. I just felt I had to ask,” I said. “How old do you think he was?”

          “How old do you—Did you like him?!” my friend asked. This was not the blonde, this was my friend since 9^th grade. The blonde was not really my friend, she was more of an acquaintance, but I treated her like a friend.

          “Well, he was interesting,” I said to put it casually.

          “Interesting, yeah sure. That’s what they all say,” my friend said. “Well, if only we could get out more then maybe you’d have a chance with him, but do you really think people like us can go out with people from outside of school. It’s hard as is to get someone from school, so imagine outside of school. They would never understand.”

          “Or maybe they would and you’re just underestimating what someone who doesn’t go to school with us can do,” I countered.

          “I can’t wait for the day that’s true,” she replied.

          “Watch, it’ll happen,” I said and I walked off to find him.

          I could hear the chimes of the arcade games as I walked past kids screaming “I won! I won!” and then hearing people my age laugh and say “Oh, my gosh, you’re so stupid!” but they knew they were having a good time.

          Then I saw him sitting down with his phone in his hand. His hair was covering his face, which made him even more intriguing. I didn’t know whether I should approach him or not, but I felt the urge to say something to him. I still wondered why he was so gloomy. It is the expression you have on your face that may be the first impression you have on a person. This is a great example of that.

          I’m sure by then he felt me staring at him, because he looked up and scowled at me. “What’s your problem?”

          “Nothing, what’s yours?” I asked.

          “Can’t you mind your own business?” he asked.

          “Not really,” I said wittily.

          “What do you want from me?” he asked aggressively.

          “I just want to know what’s bugging you,” I explained.

          “Want to know what’s bugging me? YOU!” he yelled.

          “What’s your name?” I asked just to make him a little bit madder but not mad enough for him to walk out on me.

          “Jake,” he said muttering curse words under his breath.

          “Oh, wow, those are some great compliments,” I said. “Could you stop saying them and tell me all your problems instead?”

          “Are you just some freak who enjoys watching other people suffer?” he asked.

“No, not at all,” I said. “I’m trying to help you. I want to know what’s hidden inside that broken heart.”

“One, it isn’t broken and two, you will never know,” he said.

“I suppose if you don’t want to tell me Jake, then I can’t force you to tell me,” I said.

“Yeah,” he said. “Now can you go?”

“Sure,” I said walking in the other direction but in my head I wanted to stay there and just observe him as though he were an animal in a zoo.

“So what did he do?” my friends asked.

“Nothing,” I said. “He didn’t tell me anything.”

“Really?” the blonde asked. “Well, it was pretty obvious in the first place.”

“Yeah,” I said. “It was nice talking to someone of the opposite gender out of school for once though. You guys should take this as an opportunity to mingle if even it’s only for today.”

“Hahaha, and make this become a fragment of my imagination! No way! I’d rather not do it at all, then to yearn for it every day,” the blonde stated.

“Don’t look right now,” my friend said, “But that guy is coming over here and I think it’s quite obvious he’s coming for you.”

“Umm, okay,” I said.

“Hey, you asked me for my name, but you never gave me yours,” he said.

“It’s Kasey,” I said. “With a K.”

“Yeah,” he said.

“Okay,” I said. “Want to tell me why you’re sad now.”

“I’m not sad, I just have a lot of pain in my heart that’s all,” he said. “Life is a painful experience and so everyone should strive to have the face that I have right now.”

“There’s something more to it. I believe your face looks like that every day, but I also believe something happened to you today,” I said.

He looked at me like I had hit the nail on the head. “How old are you?”

“How old are you?” I asked him.

“Twenty!” he said getting irritated. You could see it in his face that he didn’t like that I was able to read his emotions so easily.

“Sixteen!” I said.

“Wow, four year age difference, dude,” the blonde said. I forgot my friends were still there with us too.

“Anyways, what really happened?” I asked him.

“Nothing, actually. Everyone goes through things that they never want to experience again and really you will never know.”

“But I’ve been working all day to figure this out!” I said. “And I know it’s crazy, but I feel like maybe I could help you.”

“No, you can’t and even if you could I wouldn’t want your help,” he said. “So just get lost.”

I frowned. “Word of advice Jake: It’s easy to live the same life every day, but if you try something different maybe just maybe it will all work out.”

“Are you some kind of clairvoyant?!” he said angrily. “Get lost!”

“So you suffer the same pain I suffer or maybe you take what I say in a different way. Like you said, I will never know, but at least I know you suffer.”

I began to lead my friends out the door when suddenly he asked, “When will I see you again?”

I stopped where I was and turned around, “I’ll add you into my daily schedule.”