On Leave, Chapter Eight: Sleeping in Class

I remember that day. I was sitting in class taking notes, and then a sleepy feeling came over me. I had stayed up the night before practicing for my big gig that I didn’t have time to sleep. I remember taking notes, writing things down about Les Preludes, trying to pay attention as Professor Jones played the ancient recording. And then I remember opening my eyes and having a piece of paper sit at my feet.

“That’s the class notes,” he told me. “Pick it up.”

I did. And every day after that I walked sleep-deprived into the 8 am class, wondering why I was so tired.

I remember every morning at breakfast I would have this tea. It had a moon and some stars on the packaging, but I didn’t mind because I wanted to calm my nerves. Somehow being around other people makes me nervous. So I drank the tea.

“I wouldn’t drink that if I were you,” Sharon said one day.

“Why?”

“Read the packaging.”

I saw the package said Sleepy-Time tea. Damn you, Bigelow.

After that I started drinking just plain water and it really helped. I stopped sleeping and started paying attention more.