An Exhaustive Search

Valedictorian

There was this guy.
He woke up every morning,
Ready to seize the day,
To achieve his greatest dreams.

At school,
He set himself apart
From his fellow students,
Aiming to become a valedictorian.

At clubs and sports events,
People looked up to him,
They saw him as the leader,
All awaiting his orders.

His dedication didn't stop there,
Even during the weekends,
He pushed himself to great lengths,
Hoping to leave his mark in the world.

A self-driven individual he was,
Receiving praise everywhere,
Even authority bowed before him,
Including his own parents.

He had the perfect life,
He was the heart of envy,
There was no questioning it,
Or was there?

Under all that pride
Lied a stressed soul,
Battered faster than
It could recover.

Every night,
He wanted to plant himself
In bed and close his eyes,
But he couldn't until midnight.

Busier than the average kid,
He swallowed gallons of coffee,
Swallowed sugary treats for sustenance,
And strained himself past his limits.

Expectations were high for him,
From friends, family, teachers,
All the way down to strangers,
A life that wasn't even his.

Whenever he was at bed,
He was paralyzed, unable
To move even the tiniest muscle,
Where he slept, hoping to never wake.

Sleep was his refuge,
He learned to control his dreams,
Establishing an alternate reality
He could go to every night.

There was this guy.
He woke up every morning,
Forcing himself out of bed,
Wishing he could pause time.