"Mike. GET UP! Its 6:30!"
It was mom, she's acting feisty, did she say 6:30?! You bolted out of bed feeling as though you had just nodded off. Throwing on whatever you could find you bolted to the kitchen as your dad was standing up getting ready to leave. Seeing the coffee cup in his hand you were hit with a pang of jealousy. The stuff is so bitter and burning hot, you wished desperately you could stand the stuff. Especially on days like today when you could really use the boost. The thought seemed to fold in on itself in your brain, it hurt. It felt like the shape of it just didn't fit... not that that made any sense.
"Morning dad."
"Hey Mike, You're running late, feeling okay?"
You were already across the kitchen pulling a bowl from the cabinet and a spoon from the drawer. "Yeah, I just feel like I didn't get any sleep. I wish I liked coffee and drank it like you do."
He chuckled, "well, the pots full if you want..." You felt something in your head click into place. "Try to leave a cup for your mom. You going to be able to catch the bus?"
You pulled the cereal from the cabinet, "Yeah I'm hurrying. Thanks though." Understanding he was offering to drive you. You glanced up at him, trying to convey sincerity, instead feeling envious of how put together he was. Despite being 18 you were just starting to grow more than sideburns and a scraggly moustache. He however, just shaved and his face was permanently shadowed. You get confused for a sophomore when you're 2 months from graduating, meanwhile he tries to look younger and can't. 'I wish I had his facial hair.' You think bitterly.
"Alright, so long as you're sure."
"I should be fine thanks." He leaves as you set down your food supplies and go to the fridge for the milk. You feel something click in your brain.
You shovel food in as quickly as possible as your dad calls goodbye to your mom and you hear him pull out of the driveway. Dad's mug was sitting on the table, tastes change right? If any day was the day to push through it for the caffeine today was that day. You grabbed the mug and knocked back the black liquid chugging the remaining half cup. To your surprise, it wasn't half bad but it was cooler than it should be. You bounced up and refilled the cup from the pot, turning off the heating element and taking a cautionary sip, it was perfect, almost familiar. You couldn't chug it but you could get a few sips in.
The microwave now shows its 6:42, the bus is due by 6:48. Dropping your cereal bowl in the sink and giving it a quick rinse. you race to the bathroom. A quick pee and you shoved the toothbrush in your mouth with a glob of paste. Vigorously brushing you flushed and began washing your hands. dried them, spit, and rinsed your mouth.
"Hey Ma! You want coffee?" You called walking back to the kitchen and downing the cup that had a couple minutes to cool. You saw dad forgot his thermos. "No, its all yours." came mom's reply. You filled dad's thermos and took it yourself. Racing to get your shoes on, grab your bag, say bye, and run to the bus stop. By the time you got there the bus could be heard heading your way and a few seconds later you were sitting down.
Why would mom say its all mine? It must have been a joke you reasoned. She knows you don't drink coffee. Despite that, you took a few sips from the thermos and felt invigorated. By the time you got to school, your thermos was half gone and you were grateful for the coffee vending machine the school installed, trying to reduce the amount of sugar kids consume.
Unscrewing the lid you let the steam out and chugged what remained while you stood in line to get more. Your friend Jake, a junior, walked up to you, "I've tried but I don't know how you can stand that stuff."
You chuckle, "Yeah, my tastes must have just changed cause I don't mind it. I slept like shit and out of desperation tried it and found I didn't hate it this morning. It's the only thing that's going to get me through today."
"What do you mean? You've been chugging the stuff since before sophomore year."
"That's ridiculous, you must have had a weird dream." The comment sparked a vague memory of your dream with a weird entity.
He looked at you sideways but shrugged it off, not worth a fight. "You get your chemistry homework done? I didn't and need to copy some answers."
"Yeah," you made it to the front and got your coffee feeding a spare dollar into the machine and pulling out a quarter in change. You screwed on the lid knowing it will be too hot to drink till the middle of first period. You pulled your chemistry homework out and let him copy, confused by the coffee ring that appeared on the worksheet.
"Mind watching my stuff while I pee?" you asked, the coffee running through you as usua... hmm, that's a strange thought.
"Go for it."
You went to the bathroom and glanced at your reflection to make sure you don't have bed head, or leaning against the window on the bus ride head, but you were taken aback in utter shock as you instead had a heavily stubbled appearance forming a dark shadow covering your whole beard area, and your flimsy moustache was gone.
The shock lingered as you touched it, a strange mix of fear, confusion, and elation. How could Jake notice the coffee and not mention THIS. you wondered. Returning to Jake he was finishing up with the copying. "Hey man, forgot to ask, anything about me look different to you?"
Jake glanced up, "Not since yesterday." and immediately glanced at the clock and returned to copying.
"Huh, thanks." you could almost place something, feeling it nearly all made sense... but it didn't.