Thunder rumbled in the distance, and George sighed. He'd just spent the better part of the night trying to sleep despite the pain in his abdomen, but he knew it was all but impossible once a thunderstorm began. The digital clock on his nightstand glowed through the darkness, beckoning him to check it. Three a.m. was later than he would have guessed. "Two entire hours," he thought. "A new record." Thunder rumbled again, cl...

George feigned illness to get out of gym class so that he could start working on Farah's piece. He spent all period on the top row of the bleachers, flanking the basketball court, scribbling on his tablet in a flurry of creativity. In truth, this wasn't the first time Farah was the subject of his art, but those were hidden away on sketch pads deep in his closet. Even though Farah's sketches were far more tame than the one...

The rising sun's light brightened George's attic bedroom, filling the space with a pleasant warmth. His alarm had not yet sounded, but George was finally awake after what had to be at least ten uninterrupted hours of sleep. Feeling more rested and refreshed than ever, he tightened his blanket and relished the coziness for several minutes, enjoying the new and exciting feeling of well-being. His thoughts drifted to the fan...

Stafford Regional was abuzz with the usual morning activity. Teachers and students parked in their respective parking lots, while the rest were dropped off by the fleet of buses arriving from every corner of the region. Since it was a sunny day, many students were still loitering outside, soaking up the rays or sneaking a drag off their vapes. There were the typical cliques one might expect: the jocks, the nerds, the dram...

Continued from Part 1... He ran through the halls until he found a bathroom on the other side of the school, shut the door, and leaned his weight against it. The Genie’s sparkling pink cloud floated around him before gently coalescing into her human form. Her bubbly demeanor was gone, replaced with a soft, remorseful expression. “I’m sorry for displeasing you, Master,” she said with a formality George found disturbing. Ge...

Chapter 6 - The PowerThe bell rang after what felt like an eternity, and George breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright, let's get out of here. My brain can't take any more tangents." "Master, what was all that? I didn't understand any of it." "I hear ya. My theory is that they just make this shit up to mess with me," said George sarcastically. "Though I'll admit it, calculus is easier to pay attention to when you're not in p...