Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes.

6:30 A.M. - Breakfast

7:00 A.M. - Shower/Get ready

8:00 A.M. - School

3:00 P.M. - Homework

4:00 P.M. - Relax

5:00 P.M. - Start on Dinner

6:00 P.M. - Eat Dinner

6:30 P.M. - Clean up

7:00 P.M. - Read/Watch Something

10:00 P.M. - Try to Sleep

11:00 P.M. - Pretend to Sleep

12:00 A.M. - Check Messages and Time

1:00 A.M. - Lay There With my Thoughts

2:00 A.M. - Blink In and Out of Sleep

3:00 A.M. - Sleep

4:00 A.M. - Wake Up

5:00 A.M - Check Messages Again.

5:10 A.M - Put Makeup on my Face to Cover the Dark Circles. Again.

6:30 A.M. - Breakfast

I'm in first period Chemistry, trying to stay awake as Mr. Corrin explains our lesson.

I look around and half the female population of class is on their phone, completely ignoring Mr. Corrin. The boys have fallen asleep or are making paper airplanes under their desks.

They all came prepared for this lesson, I did not. I would take out my phone, but I don't have energy to do anything but sit here. I would sleep, but I can't. Maybe in two days I will pass out from exhaustion. Then I can get some rest.

Whenever I do get sleep, I always cherish it. I love sleep. It comes with vivid dreams and things that are so much better than my real life.

What I would give to stay in my dreams.

It doesn't matter how long I close my eyes, sleep never comes.

I pick at my nails and hide behind my waves of hair. I survey my class, envious of their ability to go about doing normal things teenagers do, without being plagued by lethargy. The only one who seems to be paying attention is the new kid.

I haven't noticed him until now. Mr. Corrin doesn't introduce new students. He didn't introduce me six months ago, why should that change for any others?

With the sleeves of my oversized sweater I rub my face and sit up. I push back my dirty blonde curls to get a better view of him. I sit in the middle row and I'm second to the back. He is the second in the front on the left row.

The bell rings.

Finally.

I get up sluggishly, but still surprisingly fast. I just want to get out of here.

I head to English. The one class I actually enjoy. Ms. Donatella is the best. She is young and wild. Her blonde hair is always tied up in a bright jungle style bandana and she insists we call her by her first name.

I push the door to the classroom open and I literally drop into my chair. I rub at my face again trying to make out what the chalk board says.

"Young men’s love then lies, not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes."

I roll my eyes. Ms. Donnatella is the biggest romantic I know.

Someone sits in the chair next to me. No one ever does, so I know I must look and see who it is.

It's the new kid from Chemistry. Figures.

"Hi, I'm Audric." He says.

"Everah." I say back. Then I fold my arms on the desk and nestle my head between them. Maybe he will leave me alone.

Out of the corner of my eye I can see he wants to say something more, but he doesn't. Thank the stars.

"Good morning class!" Ms. Donnatella says. "As I'm sure you have guessed from the board, we will be continuing our discussion on Shakespeare.

Her voice fades out, until . . . "Everah?"

I look up, a bit startled. "What?" I can tell my tone is confused, because she gives me the look all teachers do when they know you haven't been paying attention.

"She asked you if you believe in love at first sight." Audric whispers.

"Oh, no. I don't. I believe you can be attracted to someone and be intrigued, but I don't believe that you can fall head over heels for them without having gotten to know them first." Ms. Donnatella nods, and I glance at Audric. "Thank you." I whisper back.

"Of course. Um, if you don't mind me asking, are you alright?"

No one has ever asked me that before. "I— I'm fine. I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

"Oh."

We continue our discussion, Ms. Donnatella obviously arguing in favor of love at first sight.

When the bell rings I head to the cafeteria. Audric follows me. If he decides to try and befriend me, I will have to engage in conversation. I would rather drag myself through these monotonous days talking to no one. I have my schedule, I want to stick to it.

"Is it alright if I sit here?" He asks, motioning to the empty chair beside mine.

"I guess so." I mumble.

"People aren't very friendly here." He says, unwrapping a turkey sandwich.

I don't eat, instead I bring my knees up to my chest and hug them. I toy with the rip in my jeans as I answer him. "I know. I've been here for a few months and I think three people have said hi and that was it."

"I wasn't just talking about everyone else." He raises an eyebrow.

This surprises me. Does he mean . . . I'm not friendly? "Sorry," I say, not even remotely apologetic. "I slept hardly at all last night."

"It's alright, I suppose." Audric takes a bite of his sandwich, chews, and swallows. "I can't expect you to become my best friend or something in the first five minutes of knowing you."

"No, You can't."

He picks at his food while I stare at the center of the table.

"So, you don't eat, and you don't sleep. Do you try and avoid breathing too?" He jokes. Audric knows it's a serious thing, but for some reason he kids about it.

I puff out my cheeks mimicking holding my breath. He laughs aloud and it makes me smile. He has a beautiful laugh.

"Where did you move from?"

"Afton, Wyoming," He says. "The heat here in Florida is a big change from up north."

"I can imagine."

The conversation comes to a halt again. I look at his eyes. They are a sparkling blue compared to his dark hair.

"You have intense eyes." I offer. I hate the pauses in conversations, so I always try to fill them, but I am slightly mollified at what came out.

Like I was by his statement about me not being friendly, he seems surprised also. "Your hair is comely." He compliments back.

I want to laugh but I hold it in. "Comely?"

"Beautiful is too cliché for you." Audric smiles and looks down at his sandwich, then up at me again.

"This conversation took an interesting turn."

"I'm not the one driving it." He sips his water.

"A man of metaphors?" I raise an eyebrow. Suddenly I'm not tired, or is he just distracting me from my fatigue?

When lunch ends and I head to art, and the lethargy takes over my body again.

3:00 P.M. - Homework

5:30 P.M. - Relax

6:40 P.M. - Start on Dinner

7:10 P.M. - Eat Dinner

8:00 P.M. - Clean up

9:00 P.M. - Read/Watch Something

11:00 P.M. - Try to Sleep

11:30 P.M. - Pretend to Sleep

12:00 A.M. - Check Messages and Time

1:00 A.M. - Lay There With my Thoughts

It's 1:08 A.M. and the thing— or person I should say— that occupies my thoughts is Audric. He is awfully cute. With his straight jawline and blue eyes. Seriously. His eyes.

I swore to myself I would never be this kind of girl, but I guess it's all a matter of meeting the right guy.

This is ridiculous. I met Audric today.

He just made an impression. A very good one. I tell myself.

Audric, Audric, Audric.

My only sort-of friend.

We can be outcasts together.

The thing that confuses me most, is why he chose to talk to me. He was a talkative person with an alluring personality. He could talk to anyone. I am surprised none of the other girls have thrown themselves at him yet.

Yet.

For now he is all mine.

Ridiculous.

This is what happens when you don't get sleep, you find yourself thinking of things that will never happen. But if I do sleep, my mind will dream up things that will never happen.

The difference between thinking and dreaming is I can control my thoughts, dreams are out of hand, although they do reveal your desires.

I realize I said I liked dreams earlier. Now, I'm not so sure.

8:00 A.M. - School

I sigh at my lunch table as Audric sits down next to me. "So we're gonna make this lunch date a regular thing?" I ask.

Oh. My. Stars. Did I really just say that?

"I wouldn't call it a date, but you're the only person I find remotely interesting. Did you not sleep again?" He asks, noticing my dark circles.

"Insomnia." I say, blatantly, hoping to hide the embarrassment behind my factual tone.

"Oh." He eats his turkey sandwich, same as yesterday. "At least you're eating this time."

I nod. I had leftover meatballs from last night's dinner. It's the only thing my entire family likes, so we have it all too often. "Just not breathing." I smile and hold my breath for five seconds, again.

He grins . . . and takes one of my meatballs. "Hey!"

"Did you make these?" Audric asks, his mouth full.

I bob my head shyly.

"Very good." And he reaches for another and I swat his hand away. "Hey, I know an Italian place a few blocks from my house. We should try it sometime."

I'm a bit taken aback, but it seems we both surprise each other. "Yeah," I say. "I think I would like that."

6:30 A.M. - Breakfast

7:00 A.M. - Shower/Get ready

8:00 A.M. - School

3:00 P.M. - Homework

4:00 P.M. - Get ready to go to Dinner

5:00 P.M. - Meet Audric

5:30 P.M. - Eat Dinner

6:30 P.M. - Talk

8:00 P.M. - Stare intently at his mesmerizing eyes. I love his eyes.

8:30 P.M. - Come Home

8:31 P.M. - Endure my mother's nagging for details while trying to suppress a smile.

10:00 P.M. - Try to Sleep

11:00 P.M. - Think of Audric

12:00 A.M. - Check Messages to see if there are any from Audric

1:00 A.M. - Lay There With my Thoughts, most likely ones of Audric.

1:45 A.M. - Sleep

7:00 A.M. - Wake Up

Audric threw me off a bit when I first met him. My daily routine and schedule was interrupted. But . . . Now I think I'm glad for it. I was living the same monotonous day, over and over again. But last night when I closed my eyes, I fell asleep, and this morning when I woke up, I decided . . . I do like to dream.