+sleep/strike+, [open]

[Danny Dawson]

Danny sat at his usual table. textbooks lay open around him, cluttering the space and leaving little room for food. He was alone, seeing as how none of his usual crowd had ventured into the cafeteria yet, but that was how he wanted it. Between basketball practice and the debate club he actively participated in (not to mention all the time he spent with Illyanna), his homework had been piling up secretly all the while, and he hadn't realized it until Mr. Collins announced that the science project he was supposed to be working on was due next Monday. In exactly less than two days.

Naturally, Danny did what anyone in his position would do. He panicked. The assignment had been given weeks ago, and since he insisted on the quality in his work, Danny had been cramming in insane amounts of information with every waking second he had- he only had eyes for atoms and diagrams concerning molecular structure. And so focused was he that he had stumbled in to the cafeteria 30 minutes before everyone else.

He managed to ignore the odd looks and glares he received from the workers and had stumbled over to his table, his precious data and binders practically falling from his hands. At least it had been quiet. Working studiously, Danny had meant to get food, but was so distracted he had forgotten. He couldn't even remember whether or not he had slept the night before so it was a wonder he was fully dressed and put-together at all.

Weary eyes traveled over the same line twice, though Danny hardly noticed. Sleep was starting to sound really good, but it was only 5, and not to mention a friday night. He needed to concentrate. He had no excuse for sleep, but still, his lids began to slide shut until they had closed completely. His head fell to the messy table with a loud bang, and he started snoring immediately. He should have known better than to have left his room at all...

[Jenera Johnson]

Jen had just finished her homework for the weekend, in her room. It was one of her strategy so she could have the whole weekend to do something else. She couldn't stand doing homework while all the other were having fun all around the school. Anyways, Jenera wasn't a hard worker when she had some days off. Her mind was totally thinking about doing something else then being intelligent. You have to know that Jenera is the kind of girl always looking for good times and laughing even if every one is crying around her. She sort of covers herself with that hilarious side so she is not touched by sad things­... It's not always a good thing and she knows it.


The teen had been walking for a while, looking for something fun to do when she decided that she was actually hungry. Jen changed ideas a lot of times in very short laps of time. You have to be careful with that because all sorts of ideas can be made in that brain. Walking in the hallways, Jen was singing out loud, not even minding the presence of other students. She was almost dancing, again... During weekends, Jen would actually dress differently. She would let out all of her creativity. Today, she was wearing long striped black and green socks with her skirt. Her sleeves were rolled up, showing long gloves also striped with black and green colors. Her green stripped hair weren’t even brushed correctly.


Jenera entered the cafeteria, looking if there was good stuff left in the food dispenser. There was a chocolate cake left and some weird sandwiches... Jen took the cake and went to the counter to buy a cup of milk. Looking around her to see where she could have a seat, she spotted her super Danny, sleeping on a table surrounded by all sorts of books. She smiled and walk to him, sitting silently. The young girl looked at him for a while and started to tear open her cake’s wrapping, taking her time and making as much noise as she could. Danny would wake up, eventually. How could he sleep a friday afternoon?

[Danny Dawson]

Rustling. That's all Danny could hear in his half-conscious dream world. The rustling of plastic or possibly paper bags filled his ears until he was standing in the middle of the cafeteria, in nothing but a pair of striped boxer shorts, surrounded by paper and plastic bags alike. And they were glaring at him. Most of them were gathered around his feet, looking up at him menacingly as if he were a giant intruding upon their sacred land, but they weren't only around his feet- they were everywhere. Sitting at the tables, perched up on the windows, cluttering the counters...

Danny felt a surge of panic beat through his veins, but he stood his ground, waiting for the army of bags to make the first move. His eyes darted between them, not daring to so much as breathe. There was murder in their eyes, and their rustling could only mean serious business. And then, a large plastic bag sitting on top of the nearest table (he must have been the leader), shouted at the top of his lungs, 'GET HIM!' All at once, the bags sprung on Danny, shouting things like 'CHARGE!' and 'DOWN WITH THE GIANT!'

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Danny yelled, his head shooting up and eyes opening.

He blinked slowly, looking around the cafeteria. It was dead silent, and there wasn't a bag in sight- paper or plastic. His face drained of color, and he lowered his head to avoid the curious looks of everyone else in the room. It wasn't until he felt brave enough to look up again, that he realized someone else was sitting at the table.

"Hi Jen," he muttered, shuffling his papers in a manner that could only be described as embarrassed. Things like this never happened to him. This was the type of thing that happened to Alexia or even Jen, but never Danny Dawson.

[Jenera Johnson]

Jen Frowned and smiled. At the same time. Her stratagem worked. She learned somewhere that the environnement of people could have effects on their sleep. So, she wanted to verify the truth of that statement. She looked at Danny’s torn expression, still asleep. But he seemed to have a hard time. The young girl could see his eyes rolling faster under his eyelids. She leaned forward to see his face closer when he abruptly woke up, screaming a endless ''NO''. Jenera started cackling at first but end up laughing out loud. She caught her breath after she stopped and looked at her perfect friend. At least, he was not perfect at that very moment.

-'' Wow! That was pretty funny! Actually, I never saw you have a nightmare like that!... ''

She exclaimed herself. Jen didn't see Danny’s face but didn't kid herself with the idea that he was glad that someone saw him in an imperfect moment. Even though the person was her. She took off the plastic wrapping from the chocolate cake and put it away carelessly. It actually landed on one of Danny’s book. Obviously! Jenera didn't pay any attention to it and started to eat her piece of cake looking weirdly at all the books surrounding her friend.

-''What are you doing? Weekend is starting, you're not supposed to work... Unless you are behind your work... '' she added, suspiciously.

It wasn't in his habits to be late. But her, however, everyone thought that she was always late. But NO! She maybe seemed to be always late, but she was in time with her work. Surprisingly, would say some people. Actually, it was one of the many side of her personality that she liked a lot. Jen continued to eat her cake and to drink her milk while looking at him. He was definitely not normal today. She could say bye bye to her funny plans with him, today.

[Danny Dawson]

'' Wow! That was pretty funny! Actually, I never saw you have a nightmare like that!... ''

Danny felt the color rushing to his cheeks, and he was positive that any onlooker might have thought a three-year-old had taken a Brick Red crayola and hastily scribbled all over his face. It wasn't like him to get flustered like this, but the idea that he was in a crowded room of people who had probably bore witness to his episode (however brief) was unbearable to him. He might as well start writing a story to send in to Seventeen for the Embarrassing Moments section.

He lowered his head and flipped through his papers intently. He couldn't blame Jenera for laughing, and it wasn't as it he would have felt any better had she patted him on the back and expressed her sympathies for his public humiliation. In all honesty, it would be all but forgotten by the next day, and any ordinary person would have comforted themselves with this notion, but Danny just couldn't. It might have been the lack of sleep, but this wasn't something he was going to be able to let go for a long time. He might even seek counseling.

"I am. I don't know how it happened either- well, that's not true. I've been...slacking," he said, pronouncing the word carefully as though he had never used it before in his life, and didn't want to be laughed at for saying it wrong.

He went on to clear his throat, and preferred to make eye contact with the table rather than his best friend. No doubt such a statement as that would be grounds for her to shriek 'OMG! YOU? BEHIND IN YOUR WORK? THE GREAT DANNY DAWSON? BEHIND!?' all the while pointing an accusing finger in his face. Well maybe nothing so theatrical, but with Jenera it was always better to be prepared for the worst. He had learned that lesson.

[Jenera Johnson]

Jen didn’t say anything while Danny spoke. As her friend finished, her mouth was hanging open, crumbs of cake still on her tongue. She couldn’t believe it. Her Dannypouh was slacking the machine, and for no reasons! That was not normal. Something had happened somewhere. The young women closed her mouth slowly then got up brusquely, making a book fell down. In one way, she was surprised of him, but in another, she was happy. Yes, Happy! Danny had finally a human behaviour. He had a defect! An enormous smile appeared on Jen’s face. Slowly, she took a deep breath and started to sing loudly, while dancing stupidly, naturally;

''-Danny is behind his work! Danny is behind his work!...''

She knew she was doing the shame of her friend, but Jen thought that she had to benefit of this occasion, which might never come back! Danny would surely never be late after today. Still singing and dancing, she was approaching the young man on the other side of the table. Now behind him, she stopped her loud melody and gave him a huge hug from behind. With a smile on her face, she kissed him on the cheek.

''- You know Danny… It’s okay to be late sometimes. It’s human. Normal. And it makes me really happy to see that you are normal too. I love you even though you’re late in your work!'' she said with a reassuring voice.

Jen squeezed him a little more after what she gave him a giant kiss on top of his head. After straighten up, the girl made a disgust face.

''- Geese, Danny! How much gel do you put in your hair!? It’s all sticky!'' she added, rubbing her lips and nose from the glue. Yes, she loved the person he was. Even though sometimes he exaggerated his obsession to be perfect…