Chapter three, we’ve finally made it, the final level inching closer towards completion,
Barely holding onto that proverbial rope, it’s cracked and fraying while palms are bleeding,
Prepping for that final boss, taking care of its minions first,
Trials, assessments and exams galore, a carefree life exists no more,
Outside those gates, learning the inner workings behind the driver’s seat,
Been at it for one year already, locked on towards those red Ps,
Life at home base remains stable, though chipping on the surface,
Unsure if it’s wear and tear or a slow-paced crumbling,
Tensions mounting, taking a wee bit longer to resolve, at times those glory years feel like mere hallucinations, might as well had never happened at all,
Can’t forget that day, another explosive row between them three, retreated to the sanctuary, teens shed tears only under the veil of privacy,
Feeling the heat from some of the relos, nothing like pressure to create diamonds,
It also busts pipes, bet they didn’t know it, that’s how your guy here be feeling it,
There’s also the retreat, lasted two days and one night in an idyllic setting to ‘find ourselves’, that’s the bullshit they’re preaching,
Didn’t quite go as planned, yours truly got a revelation instead, any semblance of acceptance pretty much gone and fucking dead,
Couldn’t even shower in peace, the trolls were frothing and let loose,
No deadly kinky prison shit in here, but literal mudslinging was put to malicious use,
Way to convince a guy that he’s alone, fuck it, so be it,
Won’t rattle y’alls cages anymore, I’ll gladly go off on my lonesome,
Can’t lie, some friendly folks remained, well-meaning and approachable, unlike the snakes that went right for the jugular,
Treated them in kind but stopped short of letting them in, never know if wolves are lurking within, gotta be wary of whom I be trustin’,
Don’t bother asking ‘bout girls, dating or anything of the sort, no time for any of that, not while tests, gen pop and expectations are on riding my back,
Not that they’re checking for your boy and the feeling was mutual, at this rate will probably fly the skies without a co-pilot, off to the great unknown alone,
Every waking moment between classes spent in the library, a refuge from the bullies and the politics,
Finding a safe haven between shelves, can’t remember the categories but one of them was music,
Flicking through pages until the chiming of the bell, before another onslaught of assessments and unwanted interactions, life on campus a special kind of hell,
Speaking of, they say there’s a place reserved for those that take matters into their own hands,
Never did plan on turning towards a permanent solution, but to say I ain’t ever thought about it would be lyin’ about it.