[DimHalo]

I'm not that great of a writer. But all my stuff that I like most is 2 to 3 pages long. This is my favorite of the shorter ones. Wrote it in high school. Enjoy.

The Car Ride
I was running late as usual. I hurried to finish getting dressed, grabbed a pop tart and my books, and ran out the door. Following close behind me were my four younger siblings and my mother was not far behind them.

“SLAM, SLAM, SLAM!”

One, two, three. The sliding door slammed shut, my mother’s door slammed shut, my door slammed shut. As the engine revved up something else inside me revved up.

“CHEMISTRY!”

It was one of those feelings you get when you realize that there was something you had forgotten and it could mean everything to you, or your grades. Everything inside you sinks and at the same time everything goes into complete chaos. As the van turned the corner, so did my stomach.

“Hurry, hurry.”

Mom had to speed up to get on the high way and I had to hurry and figure out what I was going to do. It was thirty minutes and counting until my chemistry quiz and I had not studied a bit.

I pulled the chemistry book out and made a desperate effort to memorize twenty-five elements and their atomic numbers. As I did this, my mother was arguing with the nine year-old over why one does not spit on people on the playground.

I remember thinking how futile all this seemed. “Carbon. C. Twelve.” That was all that mattered. “Why does she have to constantly talk? Does she ever stop?” This was all I could think about my mother. It did not matter how gross it is to spit. “Hydrogen. H. One.”

The van slowly decelerated to get off the highway but my nerves did not. “Today after I pick you up from school we can go to the store and look for some new clothes for winter.” “This is what she’s thinking of at a time like this! None of that matters right now!” I just wanted her to leave me alone. Once again, I remember thinking that if she could just be quiet for a little while I could get lost in the chart and do well on the quiz.

“In study mode, huh?” That is what my mother always thought when she realized that I was not listening to her. “Trying to get ahead of everyone else?” A reluctant mmhmm came from between my pursed lips. It is bad to lie but what would she think if she knew that I was not the study demon I appeared to be. “I will leave you alone then.” One of those knots in my stomach loosened a little, a little.

The van pulled up to the front of my school. I grabbed my book bag. Said a quick “Bye Mom,” and ran inside. I had forgotten about my siblings sitting in the back of the van. I got inside as quick as the masses of worriless teenagers would permit. Down the steps to the basement. With each one I learned a new element. I got to my seat with ten minutes to spare. “Extra review time. Nitrogen. N. Fourteen.”

The rest of the class rushed in. Scrambling for their seats. I looked around to see if anyone else looked like they had not studied. They all looked like they did not care, as if a silly little quiz did not matter much. “How can they possibly not care?”

“Put your notes away.” The teacher was commenting to the whole class but I was the only one with my notes out. “Take one and pass the rest back.” This was the typical procedure, but I did not feel like I did before any other quiz or test.

I did not really need to worry much. I got a ninety-nine percent. I missed the symbol for gold. I never could keep gold and silver straight. My little cram session on the way to school taught me something really important. If you freak out enough, chances are, you will remember what you study better. I still wish my mother would leave me alone in the car.