Keep Working-- By Kaleigh West

I always keep working.

Staying up until 3:00 a.m. seemed like a good idea at the time. Yet after hitting snooze too many times, you realize that you have to leave in ten minutes. You hastily brush your teeth, throw on some clothes, and run out the door, skipping breakfast.

"It doesn't matter, I can get through until lunch."

I need energy, but I'll keep working.

While on the bus, you remember that you have a biology quiz first period, and that you forgot to study. You rip out your notes from your folder and skim through them for five minutes before getting distracted by the snow whipping by the window. Before you know it, you're at school, and you've barely studied.

"It's fine, I skimmed through everything."

I need more time, but I'll keep working.

When you read the first question of your quiz, you panic. Grasping for bits of information, you guess through half of it. 

"Why didn't I know any of the answers?"

I told you I needed more time.

As fourth period rolls around, your stomach won't stop growling.

"I'll be okay, there's only 40 minutes until lunch."

You need to eat, but I'll keep working.

After finishing your turkey sandwich and chugging a bottle of water, you feel refreshed. Yet at the same time, you begin to regret only getting three hours of sleep again. In fact, you realize that you've only slept for about six hours total over the last four nights. 

"It's okay, tomorrow is Friday, and I can sleep in this weekend."

I need you to go to sleep, but I'll keep working.

After a long day of school, you come home and collapse on your couch. You neglect to start your homework, as you just spent the last seven hours working. Besides, you have to leave for dance in two hours and eat dinner before then, and that won't leave enough time to finish everything.

"I'll do it when I get home at 9:00. If I need to stay up late again, I can do it. I've been doing it all week and I've been doing okay."

"Okay" is not good enough. Start it now, even if you can't finish it all at once. I really need sleep tonight, but for now, I'll keep working.

Rehearsal runs late, so you get home at 9:45. You pull homework from five different classes. As soon as you realize how much you have to do, you break down. Sobbing, you contemplate what would happen if you just didn't do any of it. Then the anxiety kicks in.

"If I don't do all of this, I'll be seen as a slacker. I'll get zeros. I'll fail my tests. My parents will--"

That's it.

You collapse onto your bed and fall into a deep sleep.

I had to do it.

Now that I finally have time, I can repair myself. Now that I finally have the time, I can finally help you. I keep working

You jerk awake to the sound of your alarm, all of your homework still spread out across the floor.

"How did I fall asleep? Why did I fall asleep?"

Because I needed to make sure that I could keep working.

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This was inspired by what I've been learning about in my Human Body Systems class. I think it's crazy how much the brain can do, especially when we don't treat it as well as we should.

*The experiences described in this story are loosely based off of real events but are dramatized*