Broken Glasses [Ongoing]

Chapter Eleven: We Don't Have To

"You're like the thing that makes the universe explode. Into the colors of a world I've never known."

[Song: "Kaleidoscope" - A Great Big World]

[I know the chapter looks long but it's only because of all of the art and videos]

I'll be trying a new type of chapter format! I think it would very fitting for this particular chapter.

There will be ONE song attached to this chapter. When you come up to it and can play the song, start playing it and read the chapter along with the lyrics. You can also listen to the song first and familiarize yourself with the lyrics. The lyrics are important. It's only a small part of the song, but I felt was important to the scene. I got the idea from Webtoons when they have songs available to be played as you read.

I hope you have fun!

RECAP:

The four main characters are still suspended from school for a week. Bennett and Naomi are best buds now. Were Declan and Jordan always best buds? Who knows. Anyway, let's see how the rest of the week will go!

Trigger Warning: Sexual harassment, Depiction of sickness

~

It's official. Middle school sucks.

Sniffling to myself, I gripped the hem of my shirt. My school uniform of a light blue polo and khaki capris had an orange juice stain. My backpack had stupid insults written in pen that I have to either scrub out or find some way to draw over it.

I can't join any of the afterschool clubs. Sports were out of the question and the fact that it was on the table in the first place was hilarious. All of the volunteer clubs had my bullies there and I don't want to go anywhere to any events with them. Even the book club and anime club wouldn't accept me because they're worried they'll get more bullied if I was a member.

I could just stay at home but I wanted to at least have some volunteer work. Then I could get into a good high school that no one in my stupid middle school would go to. I don't care if the school sucked as long as no one I know would be there.

Someone suddenly walked in front of me into a building, making me stop in surprise. Out of curiosity, I looked at the building I was in front of and saw it held a sign that read MOSAIC Multicultural Center.

There was an outside bulletin board that held colorful flyers to advertise different events and resources. One was a poster that showed there was a workshop to help people get jobs with resume building and practice interviews. There was a flyer advertising an annual heritage musical event in a month. But what caught my eye was one flyer cut and drawn to look like a book to showcase a book club for all ages.

Giving the bulletin board a final look, I walked into the building. 

Humming to the song being sung in the random Steven Universe episode I was watching, I ate another spoonful of my açaí bowl. Originally from Brazil then adopted in Hawaii and Southern California, the antioxidant-packed açaí berry was the base of a smoothie bowl with toppings of fruit and other sweet but healthy treats. Before my mom went to work, she bought us açaí bowls so I'd have something for breakfast. She got my usual order that had fruits of pineapples, strawberries, mangos, blueberries as well as toppings of cacao nibs, coconut shaving, almonds, cashew butter, granola, and sunflower seeds. If something is healthy, it shouldn't taste so sweet, but I'm taking it.