When the sun truly rose, he knew it. It hit him like a ton of bricks. Suddenly everything was more difficult. He felt so slow. It was like wading through a pool of molasses. Were he human, he would equate the feeling with extreme fatigue. It was very like feeling sleepy. His eyelids even began to droop as his body was attempting to shut down.<br/><br/>He was forced to wait for a spot to open  up at the bank of sinks in the large bathroom. His hair was rumpled after his eventful night and he refused to go to school ungroomed, despite his lack of interest in anything that cursed place had to offer him. He leaned against the door jam as he waited. Sighing, he struggled against the weight he'd become all too familiar with. He hadn't realized he'd started losing his grip against it until he felt the touch of a warm, living hand on his arm. He jerked into motion again. His eyes snapped open and his arm moved faster than the eye could blink, seizing the arm that had touched him. When he realized what had happened, seeing that it was only one of the other boys, he sighed.<br/><br/>"Sorry, Sticks..." he stepped out of the way, "Guess I'm a bit jumpy."<br/><br/>"I'll say..." the smaller boy wasn't bothered by the exchange, "Need to relax a bit, man... and sleep more."<br/><br/>He ignored the comment and took his turn at the mirror. He didn't linger there. He simply wet his hair at the sink, combed it into order, applied a small amount of gel, and neatly touseled the product into his hair. This done, he brushed his teeth quickly and left the bathroom. He was one of the last ready for school today. Somehow he just wasn't moving as fast as he normally did. When he emerged from the house, he scanned the area out of habit. His eyes missed nothing. he saw the squirrel in the tree across the street, noticed that the neighbors had hung a new number six over their door to replace the one that had fallen off a year before, and took note of the girl standing at the corner. He didn't recognize her, so he peered closer for a second, distracted by the sensual appeal of her ensemble. Few girls could pull of such beauty without sacrificing decency. She was lit by the rising sun, waiting patiently for a chance to cross the busy street.<br/><br/>He forgot what he'd been doing and stood on the porch, just watching her as the other boys all began walking down the walk for school. He could feel is chest rise and fall as he instinctively drew a breath, trying to catch her scent. Searching for a scent was the only reason he had to breathe. Of course, from this distance, he couldn't smell anything, but he found himself wanting to. He remained half concealed in the shadows of the porch, watching her as a wild animal would watch its prey.