1 A Normal Guy in an Abnormal Town

My name is Philip. I'm six foot one. I have dark brown hair, green eyes, and you could say I'm a normal high school student. Well, except for the fact that I live in a small urban town called Millswill. And Millswill isn't just your average town. It's a town in the middle of nowhere. At first, that might not sound like a bad thing, but this town has some secrets hidden under its thick layer of glossy paint.

For starters, there is only one road leading out of town, and I've only left like five times in my whole life. I've always felt this odd feeling when looking at the surrounding mountains, like the world outside was bigger than my world in here.

But that's not even the beginning of it, the most glaring abnormality in this town is the huge pitch-black factory that sits between the two valley mountains. On the outside, the factory looks like a plain black rectangular square, that expands ten stories high, with no extending appendages or windows, but on the inside, it has all these machines and contraptions.

I like looking at the factory as I walk to school every day, but it just feels odd to me. Most to all the men in the town work there, and I don't really know why. They just get up in the morning and leave for the factory. It's nice since my dad gets paid and we don't have to worry about him losing his job, but it also makes me feel bad about my own future decisions since I don't plan to work in the factory. Instead, I plan to make music and leave this small town.

Anyway, this is the story about my life growing up in a strange town, trying to make my dreams a reality. I go to school like normal, I have a normal friend named Mike, I have a normal family, I have normal hobbies, normal crushes, a normal life. I am just a normal person, and nothing abnormal is ever going to happen to me...

We'll not yet...

---

At seven o'clock I woke up and got ready for school. I got dressed in my usual school uniform, which just equates to a white t-shirt, a striped black tie, and some plain black slim-fit pants. Then I got all my things, dumped them in my bag, and jumped out the door. But before I could even take one step down the street my mom stopped me.

"Wait, Philip?! Don't forget your lunch!"

She ran up to the door and tossed my brown paper bag lunch across the steps. I leaned forward catching it with one hand.

"Thanks, mom."

My mother is the most amazing person in my entire life. She runs and owns a record store down the road and to me is the only person in this town who actually knows what good music is. Why do you think I love music so much, it's all because of her.

Anyway, before I started walking to school, I pulled out my iPod and plugged in my old Panasonic headphones. These things are really old, and I think they're on their last leg, but whatever, they still work so that's all that matters.

---

After ten minutes of walking, I eventually reached the first stop on my daily walk to school. The long bridge that leads off into the large lake that sits around the valley. Sometimes I like to stop here and stare off into the reflecting sun, but I'm late today so I'm gonna skip it-

"Yo, Philip, where you heading to?" asked a familiar voice behind me.

I turned around as a convertible Chevrolet Corvair slowly drove past. Inside were three students from my class.

The big guy driving in the front who just called me out is named Grant. He's a tough muscle-built feller, but underneath he has a good heart and is very friendly with me.

Next to him was his girlfriend, Mindy. She's nice and has beautiful hair, that's really all about her.

But moving onto the third person in the back, the girl in the back, in the back... Now she's someone I'm more familiar with. She's... Well, how do I put this... She's my crush. Sophia's her name... She's stunning. Her eyes and hair are a matching pair of brown hazel, with a face perfectly symmetrical on all fronts. I'd say she's the perfect girl in our entire school and off the charts beautiful in every way.

Sometimes I like to think I have a chance with her, but in reality, I don't. Unlike her, I rate about a seven on the hot list. And that's me being generous. But we do have some stuff in common. We used to be good friends back in grade school, and she used to come over to my house all the time. Now though, I'm pretty sure she's forgotten about me.

"Hey guys," I waved back, trying to act all suave and cool.

"Yo wanna hop in?" asked Grant as he pointed to the empty seat in the back next to Sophia.

"Ummm," I went over my choices. Either I say yes and get to sit next to Sophia for about a five minute ride, or I walk for about another twenty minutes... Of course, I'm gonna say yes!

"Yeah, I'm running late, so might as well, hahaha," I walked over and jumped into the back seat.

Sophia turned to me as I turned to her. She did a small little wave, like she was saying hi, but not really.

I did the same wave back.

Grant pressed on the gas and drove down the street.

Mindy turned around in her seat, "so Philip, who do you like? We were just talking about it with Sophi."

I scratched my face nervously, "who I like... Who do I like...? I don't know? No one."

Grant giggled, Mindy turned blank. I turned to Sophia, she was just staring straight, no emotion.

Mindy started up the conversation again, "but you can't not like someone, right? Everyone likes someone. Right Granty?"

"Yeah."

I looked off at the sun as it reflected against the flat clear blue lake.

"No, I don't think so... Well... I..."

Should I just say yes and get this over with... Yeah, why not, everyone likes someone. It's not like something bad.

"Sure... Sure yeah, I like someone."

"But who do you like?" asked Mindy again.

Grant stared at me through the rearview mirror, "Phil, just tell us who you like, it's not that hard."

I turned to Sophia again, her face was still straight as an arrow, like she wanted no part in this conversation.

"I... No-no-no, I can't."

"Why is it too embarrassing?" taunted Mindy.

"No, I... I just can't."

Grant slowed down the car, and turned around in his seat "really, cause when we asked Sophia she told us who she liked-"

Smack!

Sophia jumped up in her seat smacking Grant against the head, "don't say that! You idiot!"

Grant chuckled. Mindy laughed. I turned dead serious.

Wait... Wait-wait-wait... Did he just say that Sophia likes someone? She's never liked anyone before! In all our time at school, for all the years I've known her, for all the years I've liked her, I have never seen her once go out with someone, let alone like someone romantically.

"Wait Sophia who do you like?" I asked back, trying to get the scoop before this conversation turned cringy.

She looked away embarrassed, "I can't say."

She just looked away?! What? Does she not trust me enough to tell me? No way... Don't tell me... Don't tell me she likes... She likes Mike! She won't tell me because she thinks I will tell Mike... Nah, that's too unbelievable. Mike's a bit... He's what you would call eccentric... But then... Who does she like? Everyone else in our grade is dating, and Mike and I are the only hot ones left. If I do say so myself.

I looked into her light hazel eyes. She looked back at me. Staring with her cute soft face. I started to blush. She started to blush.

I turned to Mindy and Grant who both turned away silently as they noticed Sophia's looks. I then turned back to Sophia who was still staring straight at me.

Don't tell me... Don't tell me... She likes... Me?

I asked again, "Sophia? Who do you like?"

She blushed even harder, "I... I... I... I can't!"

"Why?"

"Because... You know the guy I like..."

Grant smashed his head into the steering wheel. Mindy smacked her hand against her forehead. I turned to both of them oblivious. I turned back to Sophia. I looked at her face. Her cute look. Her puffed-out red cheeks.

What did she just say? What did she just say?

"Sorry say that again?" I asked.

"You know... The guy I like."

No no no... That can't be right. No no no... Did she really just say that. No no no. That must be a miss understanding... Don't tell me she likes... The only guy I know. the only guy still single in our grade. My only real friend... MIKE!!!

---

When we got to school the first thing I did was run up to Mike.

I grabbed him by the shoulders, my face in a balling cry, "what did you do!!!"

She shrugged me off quickly and walked over to his locker, "huh? Bro, chill. What's got you crying on me?"

Mike was a redhead. He also liked to wear red beenies. He also really likes space. Not open space, like rooms and being away from people. I meant outer space. The sky and stuff. And when I mean he likes space, I actually mean, he adores it. So much so that his entire locker, backpack, and phone case, are all covered head to toe in stickers of stars and the moon.

"Dude, how did you get her to like you?!" I asked again, my face balling out in a simple miss understanding.

"Again bro, I have no clue what you mean?"

"Sophia!"

He looked at me as I fell to my knees, overexaggerating.

"Wait-wait-wait..." He paused and started to giggle, "you think I stole your girl?"

"Well she's not my girl, but yeah!"

He grabbed his books out of his locker and headed toward the classroom, "hahahahaha! Sure bro, sure. You know she likes you, right?"

I followed, "dude, I'm telling you she doesn't like me. Whenever I'm around her she always just has this blank face, like I'm boring her to death."

"You've said that for like three years now. After you got rejected by Aubrey, you've been oftly reluctant to shoot your shot, with her."

"I'm not reluctant. And I didn't get rejected."

"Sorry, not rejected. You were a pussy."

He laughed as I turned pissed.

"Ok, I'm not a pussy either, dude. That's just..."

He stopped and leaned up against a row of lockers. A big grinning smile on his face.

"Fine bro, fine. I'll believe you once the sky falls. No scratch that. I'll believe you once the world ends."

I stepped one foot into the classroom as Mike got off of the lockers, "I'm telling the truth. She said it on the way to school today."

We entered the classroom and sat down in our regular seats. And for the rest of the day, everything went back to normal. We joked around a bit, did our school work, played a couple of games, hung out after school. And ever since that morning, all I've thought about was her. All I've thought about was that sentence she said to me. About how to get her to like me. To notice me.

And maybe that would have been it. Maybe that would have been the end of my quest for Sophia. Maybe after that day, I would have built up the courage to ask her out. Maybe she would have said yes. And nothing abnormal would ever happen to me. Maybe my life would have just gone back to normal. I would have a family, fall in love, break up again. Have kids, get a job at the factory, forget about music, about leaving this town. Grow old. Fall in love, break up again. Have a family. Forget it all again.

And then maybe if I had just forgotten about it. If I had just stayed asleep that night, then maybe the sky would have never fallen.