Counting Daze

By Kendrick Scar

In the small city of Drury Hill, locals are familiar with fellow townsfolk. Keian and his friends are in their senior year and are more than excited to start lives as adults. Unfortunately, the plan is on hold after the city has been wiped of its memory. Drury Hill is now undergoing new government rule by an unfamiliar authority and is now plann

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kendrick Scar
• Release date: Dec 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9780578816616

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C  O  U  N  T  I  N  G

D  A  Z  E

Kendrick Scar

01 | spring breakers

KEIAN GET IN THE CAR STUPID!

Adonis never fails to miss a beat when it comes to shopping. It's the last day of spring break and he's ready to blow his entire allowance. My friends will never grasp my love for loneliness, but if it wasn't for them popping up, I'd probably be texting them asking to hang out any minute. It's our year in high school, if you don't get your ass in the car, I'm dragging you by the ear lil' girl. Adonis leans over the passenger seat to open the door.

Just give me a second. I ran in the house to see my brother sitting watching his sports networks.

You leaving? Can I come with? looking at me while still side eyeing the TV screen.

Not this time around Avery. The unconcerned look on his face made my heart hurt. Only 4 years apart, he's a freshman in high school. However that 14 year old has the popularity of the jockeys in my grade. Him and I are complete opposites, but I guess that was for the better. I sometimes wonder if he feels the same. Guess we'll never know, call it pride, but I don't want to reopen wounds of the past.

I enter my room and start scavenging through the pile of clothes on the bed. I grab my navy blue sweatpants and a graphic tee. I never really cared about my appearance, I'll leave that to Adonis and my friends. I'll be back Avery! turning the corner, heading towards the door.

I'm telling mom he argued.

Oh really? I would hate for her to find out that you skipped school yesterday. He quickly looked down ashamed, I chuckled and closed the door behind me. The sun beaming in my eye, I jump in the car and we leave.

This is what you wear to the mall? Adonis studying my clothes. He knows I don't care, but still insists on being the fashion police. A constant thud bounces me out of my seat.

Just drive and worry about the cones you keep hitting. Adonis adjusts his car off the line division and blasts his favorite Beyonce album. I roll my eyes and put in my headphones to dilute the screeching of his vocal cords.

We pass over the crest, it's pretty much a mountain but all of the older generation of adults call it that. A wave of silence fills my ear suppressing the sound of music in my ear. I glimpse over to the crest. Where did it come from? How did it get there? Nobody seems to know but they just put it on the back burner. As if having one mountain in this flat city isn't weird enough. Adonis lowers the music and looks over to the crest.

Weird huh? I thought I was the only one who ever questioned that thing's existence. he continues to look at the crest and snaps his attention back on the road. How would they know to call it the crest to begin with? We reach the mall and Adonis dashes directly to the shoe store. I instead headed to the hair store, I needed some rubber bands for the fresh braids mom just did for me. Adonis footsteps echo throughout the empty mall. It's a shame to have such a nice mall that isn't used to its full capacity. With only 10 people operating this entire mall, it still runs as good as new.

I grab the rubber bands and head towards the store clerk. When I walk up to him, the awkward silence fills the area. I look at his blank stare, waiting to get a response, or at least a greeting. He shifts his body in the direction of the register and sticks his hand out towards me. I grip onto the bands tighter, this man hasn't said a word to me. Not that I expect customer service to be immaculate, but it's as if this man was robotic. He had no sense of expression, brain dead, but could function properly. I inch the rubber bands towards him and he looks at me. Like the eyes of roadkill, the blank stare in his eye sent chills down my spine. I break away from the gaze and look down at my feet. The sound of cash register keys play as I continue avoiding eye contact, refraining from shaking, he hands me the bag. Thank you. His monotonous tone makes me uneasy, I grab the bag and walk out of the store.

Adonis struts towards me with a bag from the shoe store. You okay? Something wrong? He looked concerned as he shifted his focus to the hair store.

New kicks? I change the subject and grab the bag.

Well, I wouldn't say kicks, but it's something I could stomp in. He takes the bag back and pulls out a pair of matte black

HEELS!? I double take as he holds them in front of me.

I... Listen, I know that this is a 'different' look pulled off with my fashions, but it's something I've always wanted to try. I just don't know how to hide these from my mom.

You'll be fine, good luck trying to keep your balance. I laugh and push him as he fumbles over his words and himself. He smiles and unlocks the car doors.

02 | home sweet home

We pull up to the curb outside my house and Adonis reaches over to hand me my bag. You got senioritis tomorrow?

I shake my head and walk towards the front door. I'll see you in the morning fool. When I open the door, I see Avery in the living room watching the latest sport updates. He looks at me with this smirk on his face and runs into my room. I chase after him to see what trick he has up his sleeve.

Hey boys, enough running around, you should be in your bed Avery. You have practice in the morning. Mom's voice travels faintly down the hall. Avery then turns and jumps on me.

Hey brudda! giggling, he continues to nudge his chin in my shoulder, he knows I hate it because it tickles me. I drift and reminisce on the days we did this on the regular. I love moments like this, they are always held close to my heart. Coming back to my senses, I break free from his headlock and push him off of me. We laugh and run into our mom's room. She's so calm, laying on her bed watching her favorite crime show.

What are you boys up to? we both look at each other and say nothing with smirks on our faces, almost symmetrical to another.

You didn't fight with your sisters when you were little? my brother asks her as he lies his head in between her lap. She freezes in a standstill, eyes locked in front of her scratching her head.

I actually don't remember if I did, but I do remember the day my sister got married. Oh how beautiful she looked in her purple dress. She smiles and wakes up from her minor daydream about the days. She jumps up out of bed and asks us if we're hungry. Ecstatic, we beat her to the kitchen as she makes our family favorite meal- beef stew. For a family of three, she sure knows how to make a feast. Every time it feels like the first experience I tried the dish. It's only been four minutes since we've been served and Avery is holding out his plate wiped clean by his tongue. Made sense why the dinner table was so quiet during the time being. I peek over to my mom and she is still in that daze that she was in on the bed.

You alright ma? I place my hand over hers to check if she's alright. She nods and grabs our plates and walks towards the sink to wash them. Avery and I both make our way to our bedrooms. I make a pit stop at the bathroom to turn the water on and let it warm up prior to getting in the shower.

The vibration from my phone buzzes the bed. I check my phone to see a game invite from Adonis and my friend, Seven. We always play the game before bed, but I just wasn't in the mood for it tonight. I grab a pair of underwear and turn the corner into the bathroom. I look in the mirror and graze goosebumps rising above my skin. My fingertips meet the scarred tissue on my shoulder and try to shake the faded memories of the fights, drunken nights, and arguments outside my door every night. The constant screaming and yelling throughout the house drove everyone mad, a little too mad. I was the only calm one and somehow I'm the one that was left with a scar that'll last a lifetime. I hop in the shower and still can't shake the thought of the man at the cash register earlier today. His eyes stared into my soul, so blank. Then again all people that look my way give me the creeps. I should really work on my social skills.

Walking into my room, I plop myself on the bed and stare at the ceiling. The door thuds as mom enters the room. She sits on the corner of my bed with this remorseful look on her face. I miss him so much, but I can't bring him back here, I just... I lean off my headboard and wrap my arms around her chest. Her tears seep through the seams off my shirt as she grips onto me.

You did what was best for us, don't ever blame yourself or think you've done wrong for putting yourself first. Besides, there are plenty of fine men out there for you to snatch up. I poke her cheek and she flinches with a smile.

My father worked for the government, he worked as hard as he played until the work out played him. He drove himself insane with his work, and over the course of two months, he lost it. He forgot how to come home to his family and when he did, he wasn't the man my mother fell in love with. It was scary to see the man who raised you turn into a monster. That was once someone I looked up to..

My mother loosens her grip and lifts her head. She looks just like Betty Boop sometimes, even on her worst days. Her hazel eyes shimmer like glass as the tears leave her eyes.

Thank you handsome. she adjusts herself and fixes her posture in the blink of an eye and traces her finger down my hair. Get some rest, you have school tomorrow. she gets up and closes the door behind her not looking back. I lay back on my pillow staring at the red-tinted ceiling once more. 11:26 on the clock beside me, the ceiling fades away into darkness. My 7 AM alarm wails as I hear scrambling outside my door. Avery at the kitchen table finishing his homework that's due first thing in the morning, kissing mom on the forehead, making sure we leave the house in one piece. I wash my face, brush my teeth and grab my favorite sweatpants. Avery rushing out the door to catch the bus at the end of the street, he walks up to me and frogs me in the arm.

See you after school jitt.

He goes to DH Academy for the athletically talented, basically a cyborg. Drury Hill High School isn't all that exciting, we have the typical mean girls, theater geeks, sport junkies, potheads and gamers. I fit along the silver lining of merely existing in that school and that's perfectly fine with me.

I kiss mom on the cheek and walk out the door to Seven and Adonis outside in the car waiting on me. Adonis wearing his new stompers. Wearing his favorite cartoon graphic tee, Seven waves at me as I open the car door. His beanie shadows over his face, only leaving his nose and mouth visible for everyone to see. It'll be a miracle to ever catch him wearing anything more revealing than that.

"Hey Keian, what happened last night? We were waiting for you, I didn't wanna call the