Things Fall Apart: Chapter Six: One Direction and The Voice

Frey

If a simple thing like eating is difficult, you can't imagine being locked in a steel container on wheels for half an hour with these people. Seriously, it's ridiculous.

This is the time of day when I most seriously doubt whether Arinna is human or demon. It's not that she's pranky or mean or even rude. It's just that she talks. Non-stop.

"Frey-change-the-song-please-put-on-one-dir--"

"If you say 'One Direction,' I have the obligation as an American citizen to stop this car and sacrifice you to the Good Music gods," I growl, but by then she's already asking Juno to play ping pong after school.

"Ari, I can't," Juno says, bristling at the c-word. I'm surprised she even said it. Asteria and I exchange a look. Ari doesn't really understand the concept of blindness. Sometimes she forgets.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot," she says, sitting back in the seat. See?

Half an hour. Of that. And God forbid a song she does like comes on. I swear, I've heard "Let It Go," from Arinna on the way to school more times than I've actually gone to school.

Ah, finally, we're here. Meltdown Academy is located in the bright and sunny ghettos of downtown Atlanta. It sticks out like a preppy thumb. The school, first off, is circular. The halls are rounded, and in the center sits an enormous courtyard, the perfect make-out area, unless you're me. I swear, this building defies logic and science. The gym (a place I never visit), the auditorium (my home sweet home), the football field (my worst nightmare), and the other facilities are all outside the circle, at the back of the school. It's the weirdest damn building in the Deep South. I swear.

First order of the day is getting Juno to Emma, her little helper, which, for me, might as well be a Navy Seal mission. The girl has a problem, people. I mean, she's nice and all, but--

"Hi, Frey," drawls the Voice That Haunts My Dreams. I turn to face Emma Marian Fitzgerald. My deranged fan-girl.

"Don't you look positively dapper," she coos. So subtle. As a joke on the girls' wearing dresses, all the senior boys wear sweatpants on the first day of senior year. I look like a homeless person who dressed as a hobo for Halloween. I muster a smile in the face of death. Emma's brown eyes that match her skin dart from me to Juno to Asteria and back to me. I thank God Arinna is safe at the middle school, and not around to see this. I'd never hear the end of--

"Juno, class starts in fifteen minutes," the Voice says, breaking me from my thoughts. Out of the frying pan, into the fire.

"Frey, why don't you walk with us to my locker?" asks Juno, donning the Smile of the Demon Witch from Hell. Asteria, praise God, saves my ass.

"Frey and I have to do calc...somethings," she slurs, grabbing my arm and stumbling down the hallway, out of the line of fire. Emma waves, calling something I, blessedly, can't hear.

"Have I ever told you how much I--"

"Yeah, yeah," Asteria grumbles, holding her head, "Just get me the Advil in my purse."

A brother's work is never done.