Date: Mon, 13 May 2002 22:32:33 EDT
From: Maxus56@go.com
Subject: Its All in the Mind 2

Disclaimer: The following story is fiction and is not intended to imply
anything about the true sexuality of the celebrities mentioned or any
personal knowledge about their private lives.  (This story is also the
original work of the author and the story belongs to Maxus56@go.com)

AN: This chapter is light on dialogue and heavy on detail.  I'm trying to
build the basis of the character as well as leading up to the bulk of the
story.


       The screech of the alarm clocked sounded.  My hand swiftly landed on
the button silencing the menacing machine.  I was already awake; as usual
around 1:00am I shot up from my bed and was forced to sit there until
morning.  It was something that was happening since I was in 8th grade.  My
mother had sent me to several doctors and even one psychiatrist to see if
there was some reason that I couldn't sleep well. We tried pills, tapes and
even meditation.  Finally When I was 16; I had had enough.  Waking up after
only 1 hour of sleep was annoying but by now the doctors and the pills were
just as annoying. The specialist we went to the last time finally came up
with something new after I had a scan of my brain tissue.  The scan had
found a small abnormality in the section of the brain that was responsible
for our sleep habits.  This was the reason for my odd sleeping habit.  And
in the end after some cross checking it was found that it wasn't the only
case of such an abnormality.  In this case my brain would reawaken itself
after about and hour of rest.  We even found some cases of and opposite
nature.  People would sleep for large amounts of time only to awaken for
short periods in some cases.

       As I said I was done with all this, what 16 year old wants to boast
the fact that not only does he see a psychiatrist on a regular basis but
that he sees a team of them as well as doctors.  In the end my mother left
it to me. The only savoring factor in all this was that I was rested after
just that one hour.  I wasn't really losing sleep; just the time I'd sleep
was shorter than normal. So I decided that since it wasn't really harming
me there was no problem.  It was mid way through my sophomore year that I
discovered the big and possibly fatal side to my syndrome. I had been
getting up and using that time after I awoke to exercise more often or
watch TV.  Eventually I learned the hard way that for about four days at a
time; I could go with only 1 hour of sleep, but on the fifth day if I had
been doing extra things. I would be in big trouble.

	Ok...here's where it gets a little more confusing but bare with me
it's all relevant to helping you understand.  Imagine your daily cycle as a
balanced equation.

This equation needs to be balanced at all times to help you function
throughout the day.

My equation though seemingly unbalanced still works out for me.

Your body needs food and rest, we all know this.  You take care of food by
eating so that's covered.  Rest is where if gets complicated.  Simply put
you have to let your body rest or it will rest for you. Confused?  Your
brain is the engineering room of your body needs as certain amount of rest
in order to recharge. In other words you can't get out more energy than
rest you put in.  Now, I know people only sleep like 8 hours and there good
to go for the rest of the day. But bare with me and realize that your brain
doesn't have to sleep 12 hours for you to stay awake 12 hours. So that out
of the way; I'm sure any of you who have tried the notorious all nighter,
know that your drained the next day.

Some of you have never been able to accomplish this.  Whether you give your
brain the time it needs to rest our simply fall out it going to rest. And
that's exactly what happens to me but times 4.  Think of that time you and
your friends stayed up on Friday night watching movies and joking around.
Now remember how you felt in the morning.

Now try going to school, gym class, track practice, 2 jobs and
exercising...for four days.

In case your not getting it, plan and simple on that fifth day If I don't
sleep and stay in bed to rest I'll fall out the second my brain runs out of
energy.  No matter what I'm doing or where I am.  In the 10th grade I
collapsed in the showers after gym class. And once again while mowing the
lawn.  As you can gather; from my nearly drowning laying face down in the
shower and the chance to losing a limb laying next to a lawnmower with
automatic wheels.  It can be fatal if I don't let myself rest.

	Now to top all that off and make it even worse.  I won't wake up
until I had about 10 hours of sleep...no matter what.  My mother though I
had died on the front lawn that day.  She shook me, she screamed, she
slapped me and called for help.  It didn't occur to her until after all
that to check my pulse. Oh...and the only way for me to rest is to lie in
bed and relax.  Even though I'm not asleep my body seems to recharge if I
lie still. Ok back to the story if you're still with me.



	I swung my feet out of bed and made my way across the room.  Soon
after binging on my short trek I hit the ground with a thud.  I had tripped
over my shoes that I left in the middle of the floor.  I eventually reached
the light switch and turned on the light. I looked down on to my cluttered
floor and grabbed the same pair of sweats and put them on.  I moved through
the house quietly my parents would still be asleep at this time.

I made my way into the living room and popped in my workout tape.  Since it
was aerobics I didn't bother to wear a shirt as I planed to sweat. For
almost 30 minutes I kicked and punched, jumped and hoped, while watching my
tape. By this time it was nearly 5:30am.  So I quickly returned to my room.
As I entered the lower heading towards my room I could hear movement in my
parent's room.  Breathing heavily I walked slowly into my room and grabbed
a towel from my closet.  I made my way past my parent's room into the
bathroom, then closed the door behind me and started the shower.  As I
waited for the water to adjust I stared into my reflection.  It was
something I did every day; Like a ritual.  This was the moment when I
mentally prepared myself for the day.  Sometimes I'd stand in front of the
mirror for almost Ten minutes just staring at myself.  I stood back and
pulled of the sweat pants and stepped into the shower.

The water was stingingly hot as I liked it, and as I opened the shower door
steam rolled out and enveloped the room.  I walked back towards the counter
and wiped away the steam from the mirror.  I looked my self over once more.

	To describe myself is something I don't like doing and truthfully
it's something I have trouble doing.  I'm about 5'10 and weight 195lbs.
Most of that weight is packed into muscle mass and height.  I have a nice
frame, like a swimmers build. I have blonde hair that's dirty blonde from
bright blonde when I want it to be.  I use special stuff to make it darker.
Now to give you a visual on my facial build is harder for me to do.  Kim
says I look like the guy from Disney's "Brink"; Erik Von Detten, and my
mother has often compared me to the young man that played in all those "Air
Bud" movies; Kevin Zegers.  I don't see it...but that's what I'm
told. Through out the year my hair is an array of colors from brown to
blonde, red to black.  I change it constantly.  At the moments it's a mix
of dark blonde and light blonde streaks.  It comes just past my ears in on
the sides and to my neck in the back.  Kim is constantly calling my cutie
or hottie, which I'll admit is flattering but lost on me.

	I finished in the bathroom a few minutes earlier and after a couple
other morning duties and tasks I was out the door.  I drove to school which
took all of 10 minutes.

I sat in the car for a few minutes and listened to a few songs.  I waved at
people as they walked past my car and smiled at teachers just arriving.  As
the first bell rang I took a deep breath and got out of my car. As I moved
towards the doors to school I released a sigh.

Please send Comments, Question and suggestion (good or bad) to:
Maxus56@go.com

Feedback is the only outside reward/payment I get for my writing.

I know I haven't worked any celebrities into the story yet but I personally
dislike stories where the characters magically just bump into celebrities
or their crushes.  And I haven't decided which celebrate/boy-band to have
the character encounter with. I have a few ideas.  Suggestions
please!!!!!!!