Harry Potter rushes by me screaming, “Hermione! Cast a protection spell around Mr. Wallace!”

I fumble for my wand, adrenaline igniting my veins like a line of lit gunpowder. I look to Mr. Wallace noticing how pale his skin looks. Mrs. Paul arrives to save the day, however, bringing the faint principal some OJ.

Then the steady repetition of a harps strumming pulls me from my chaotic dream.

“That was a weird dream! Damsel in distress, Mr. Wallace, and only Harry Potter and I, apparently Hermione Granger, the only wizards left to save him! Why do I dream such things?” I toss my head back and forth as I stretch, wishing for only five more minutes of sleep.

“Okay,” I sigh out in a half-yawn half-exhale. “Set the alarm for just five more minutes. I’ll look and feel better rested if I do! And I don’t want to even THINK about that stupid geometry exam today…Or my English presentation…”

Will I actually obtain enough sleep with those five extra minutes? Am I going to wake up, dewy-skinned and feeling ready to take on the day after obtaining those five, glorious, extra minutes?

Of course not.

But, I brainwash my mind into believing this lie every, single morning for the next three years of high school.

Come senior year, I find the beauty in napping. (Oh, Napping, you shall always hold some small shred of my heart.) I continue this trend of convincing myself those five extra minutes in the morning, those five extra minutes after an hour and a half long nap, are going to benefit my writing, my studying, my required reading, etc. I reach the point where I am so rested I’m tired. I’m tired all the time.

Who knew you could get too much sleep, huh?

My mom starts to get on my case about grades, a constant rapid-fire of questions daily: “What homework do you have tonight? Did you eat your lunch? What time did you leave the house for school today? I never see you doing homework, why’s this?”

I deal with her questions and her want to implement stress in my life with my favorite weapon- sleep.

True even to this very day, (I have just recently awoken from an hour long nap in avoidance of writing this very paper) sleep aides me always in dealing with and avoiding things I wish not to do.

Whatever the reason for avoiding a situation may be, sleep- just an extra five minutes- helps solve all worries, complaints, and stress.