A Day in the Life

Of me.

A frantic beeping sound awakes me with a jolt. I tell my eyes to open, and after a few seconds, they comply. It's six o'clock.

Good morning.

I sling my hand out, aiming for the tiny sleep button on my alarm clock to silent the persistent screeching in my ear. I miss, hitting instead the radio button. Now an overtly cheerful voice squawks "-- and if you order in the next few minutes--" My patience thinning by the millisecond, my fingers curl into a fist as they punch another button. This time loud persistent drums from the CD player slips into the impromptu symphony.

I begin to sit up to vent my anger on the little machine that is begging to be killed at this point. I had less than a seconds warning -- a small whimper of excitement -- before I was through back onto the bed by two hefty paws. My face is promptly covered with kisses. Wet ones.

Good morning Finn.

My mutt continues to slobber all over my face until I shove him off, muttering derogatory things about wet, slobbery things. Namely, my dog's tongue.

Finally, I swing my legs out from under the warm covers and the cold air licks my feet and the bottoms of my legs that aren't covered in from my checkered green pajamas. I drag myself to my feet and shuffle and stumble my way over the clothes, books and pieces of paper that are trying to trip, snag, or otherwise trying to incapacitate me. When I finally reach the door, the orange yellow light of the hall slaps me in the face and I wince, squinting my eyes while they adjust.

I walk into the kitchen to the sounds of my mother going about her usual morning duties. She turns, her blank expression brightening into a smile. "Good morning Sophie!"

"Good morning, Mom." I make my way over to the cupboard and slide the Special Kay off the shelf. I grab a spoon and bowl and then fall onto a stool. As I munch broodingly on my cereal, NPR spouts out some terrible stories about people dying.

That sucks. Too early to care.

Finally, I shower. I think that's when I really wake up. The water splashes my face and sharpens my senses. I throw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, not caring what clothes I'm wearing. I mean, honestly. By the time I get that on and gather my school things, it's 6:55.

I kiss my mother, and yell a goodbye to my Dad. Then I'm outside, staring expectantly at the bend in the road. Five minutes later, I'm on a big yellow bus, speeding too fast through the wet green forest and wine vineyards filled with horses, cows, and elk, that has been my home my whole life. I'm silent on the bus trading off between staring off into space, contemplating the meaning of life, and reading the book carefully laid on my lap.

I arrive at school. I flash a smile and a thank you to my bus driver. I whip out my iPod and stick the earphones in my ears and turned it on shuffle. A song with a loud beat plays in my ear and my feet fall into step with the rhythm. I slide into the crowd of chattering students. I glance at them, not interested. Some girls twitter in front of me about the latest style.

I turn up the music to drown out their voices and walk swiftly to my locker. The rest of school passes in a blur of equations, songs, experiments, facts and... everything else. By the time it's over, I'm drained.

I enter my house at the end of the day, only to be prompted to leave to do the barn chores. Cool. I enter the barn, narrowly avoiding tripping on Piper, the barn cat. She drops a mouse at my feet and steps back, looking at me expectantly. Slightly disgusted, I reach down and pat her on the head. "Uh. Good girl."

I move in a pattern as I go through my barn chores. Horses: muck out, hay, grain, water. Cats: clean litter, give food, water. Guinea Pigs: hay, food, water. After a few other things done, I'm finished and I come home to the smell of dinner saturating the air. I eat, finish my homework, and fall into bed, slipping into the dark mystery of night...


A frantic beeping sound awakes me...