BALBOA

Brain dead, I hobbled through the door. I was a zombie: no brain functions were working, no thoughts raced through my brain. I vaguely noticed the car, vaguely noticed my siblings. I was a member of the horde of the Morning Undead.

"Almost out of time!" my mom exclaimed, stepping on the gas. Out of another life, I remembered the school clock was minutes behind ours. The car rolled to a stop, I stepped on the wet grass. I waited in the middle school until the bell rang, and then I rushed to the high school. Unfortunately, the AC was cranked up to the max. I was a member of the horde of the Morning Undead.

Lethargically, I picked up my pencil and started the first problem. I shivered, my wet hair freezing to my scalp like a  drip of water on a cold winter day. The weather here is anything but winter. I finished the next problem, I continued to the next. I was a member of the horde of the Morning Undead.

"Borrow me a pencil, will ya?" someone asked, I reached for my spare, still half asleep, and handed it to him. "Lend me a pencil" I muttered, "lend me a pencil."  I sat back up and finished another problem. Almost done. I was a member of the horde of the Morning Undead.

"Only a few minutes to go," I muttered to myself. I finished the last few problems and stuffed my books into my bag, staring at the clock, willing it to change its digital face, anticipating the bell ringing. When it did, I returned to the middle school. I was a member of the horde of the Morning Undead.

As I passed through the door, the second bell rang, but I had a good excuse, so I went to the office for a pass. I coolly stated my name and my next class. I headed up the stairs, my zombie-ism forgotten. I was a member of the horde of the Morning Undead no longer.