Awakened

Beep. Beep. Beep. My alarm clock sounds, waking me up. Great, time to get up and ready for school. I shut the alarm off, slide out of bed and drag my feet toward the bathroom to get ready. Whoop-Dee freaking do, just the place every kid likes to get up and go to every day for what seems like an eternity. And for what? It is not like school is going to help get me anywhere in life. There are so many people out there who never finished school and have gotten so far in life. But who am I kidding? My parents will never let me drop out. They do not understand the daily struggles of kids in today’s world. I’ve been getting the same speech all summer. ‘You’re a senior this year, so it’s almost over.’ “Amara?” I heard my mother call out. “I’m up, Mom,” I yelled as I shut the bathroom door behind me. “Okay well, your breakfast is ready,” she yells back. “Thanks, I’ll be right down.” With that said, I make my way to the sink, brush my teeth, and comb through my bedhead of long brown hair, then pull it back into a messy ponytail. When I feel good about my hair and makeup, I make my way back to my room and quickly get dressed. Nothing too fancy. I slip into a pink top, a pair of black leggings, and black flats. When I am ready, I take one last look at myself in the full-length mirror, in the corner of my room, then make my way downstairs. “Good morning, Amara,” my mother said to me as I entered. “Morning Mom,” I smiled in return. She, like me, has her light brown hair pulled back into a ponytail but hers is still messy as if she slept with it up like that. Her brown eyes look sleepy, and her dark circles are more prominent today. She never seems like she gets enough sleep these days. She looks permanently stuck in this zombie-like state. But if you ask her about it, she claims it is just her age starting to show. I do not believe that though. She is only forty-five and, other than her inert-looking eyes, she is gorgeous. There is more to it, causing her insomnia. I just do not know what it could be, and she is not exactly an open book either. “Morning Sweetheart,” my father says from behind me, making me jump in the process as he enters the kitchen. He is dressed up in a nice suit. He must have some important meeting today at the office. He even has his special blue tie on, and his blonde hair slicked back with some gel. He only does these extra steps when he has some important deal he is trying to make with a client. To be honest, I do not know much or care to understand what it is he actually does. However, one thing I am sure of is that he spends the majority of his day attending meetings where he talks about ways to spend money. “Morning Daren,” Mom beamed at him. “Morning Dad.” “Morning honey,” he smiles as he heads towards the coffee pot and pours himself a cup. “Ready for your first day back at school?” he wonders as he looks back at me with his blue eyes piercing through me. He is even more strict than my mother when it comes to the topic of school. He is always breathing down my neck about finishing. He never fails to mention I will be the first person on his family’s side to graduate. He used to push my brother Jack, but after he dropped out of school and moved away, all the attention was pushed onto me, and he has not let up since. “Yes,” I said with a half smile. “I’m pretty excited about this year, considering I’m a senior and all.” “Can’t wait to get it over with, I bet?” Mom chuckles. “I remember my senior year. It was fun, maybe a little too fun,” she says as she looks back at Dad and winks an eye. “Okay,” I gag. “I don’t need to know any details.” “Yes,” he chuckles. “You’d better stay out of trouble this last year of school.” “Dad, I haven’t gotten into trouble yet,” I stated. “Why would I start now?” He always acts like I am going to get myself in some kind of trouble. If I ever want to go anywhere, I get grilled with questions. I still have an early curfew if I do get to go out. So, even if I want to have fun, it does not last long. Most of the kids in my grade do not have a curfew, yet I have to be home by ten or my parents may kill me. “Just make sure,” he shrugs. “You never know with these kids nowadays. It is not so much you I am worried about; it is everyone else.” Honk. Hooonkkkk. A horn sounded from outside the window. I hope that this is my friend, here to save me from this conversation. “That must be Amanda,” Mom smiled. “Better get going before you are late for your first day back.” “Love you, Mom. Love you, Dad,” I said as I headed for the kitchen door. “And do not worry, Dad. I know how to take care of myself.” “Love you too,” they both replied. When I make it outside, there Amanda is, as always, sitting in the driveway in her white punch buggy. She is jamming out to her music like a crazy person. I do not know how she can be so cheery in the early morning. I can not even jump out of bed and start my day off like that and yet, there she is head-banging her long blonde hair around like she has been partying all night. I wonder if she ever gets any sleep. She does not ever look sleep deprived though. Her green eyes have no bags under them… EVER… and her porcelain skin is always flawless. “Hey crazy girl,” I said as I finally got into her car. “Hey,” she says as she turns down her music. I am so glad she did. I am not as fond of loud music as she seems to be at this point in the morning. I find it more annoying than anything. Don’t get me wrong, if I was out at a party that would be different, but when I’m in a confined space like this, it’s not for me. Music just does not sound as good in a small car compared to at home or, even better yet, at a concert. “So, guess what I just found out,” she smiles as she pulls out of my driveway and takes off like a mad woman. She has always been a crazy driver, but I have grown accustomed to it. I barely notice that she is always, at least, going twenty miles over the speed limit or aggressively swerving around people that are going too slow for her. “I don’t know,” I shrug. “What?” “Oh, come on, you’re not even going to try and guess?” she says as she pushes out her bottom lip to pout. “You know I hate guessing games,” I rolled my eyes. “It’s like you don’t even know me.” “It was worth a shot.” She laughs. “Mark is having a party at his house tonight,” she adds and shrieks with excitement. “Agh,” I gagged. “It has been a whole summer and you still like him? You have not found someone else to drool over yet?” “Uh hello, he is beautiful,” she says as she practically melts into her chair. “I could just dive right into his mocha-colored skin and his beautiful bright green eyes. He is gorgeous and has large muscles. Don’t even get me started on his muscles. I could just-,” “All right, all right, I don’t want to throw up all over your car,” I frowned as I interrupted her. “I still don’t get it though. He just looks and acts like a stuck-up jerk. How could you have feelings for a guy like that?” “I don’t see that,” she explains. “I see someone who is gentle and sweet.” “Are we talking about the same person?” I asked, breaking out into laughter. “Have you not seen the way he treats half the kids in our class? He can be a major jerk when he wants to be, and it doesn’t even seem to faze him. He makes it seem like it is some sort of sport he’s playing.” I shake my head with disgust, then make my voice deeper to act out something I can imagine him saying. ‘Who can I torment today and how many laughs can I get out of my friends.’ “Most of those kids deserve it,” she says, defending him. All I can do is laugh for a second but then I collect myself. “Oh yeah, because all those so-called ‘nerds’ in class need wedgies just because, or all those girls in drama class need to get made fun of because they have braces and small boobs. The kids on the debate team-.” “Okay, I get it,” she interrupts. “I get it, but that does not mean he does not have some good on the inside too. Now let’s just stop talking about him. Please say you will go with me to the party tonight.” “I don’t know, Amanda,” I said as I shrugged. “I am not a partier, you know that. Besides, I do not think my parents would want me to go. We have school tomorrow and it’s only our first day back.” “Oh, come on,” she pouts. Her pouting has always gotten to me since we were little kids and I swear she knows it. As we get older, her pouting skills just keep getting better and better. I try to fight it, but she just keeps pushing until I eventually give in. She knows how to play me so well. But I try to fight it, as going is the last thing I want. “I don’t think I can,” I said as I shook my head. I’d much rather be doing anything else. I really do not like this crush of hers. He is an enormous inconvenience and a waste of space in my opinion. “Pleaseeeeeee!!” she pleads as her bottom lip pushes out even more. “Augh, fine,” I huffed with annoyance. “But I am going to have to ask my parents. If I do go, I am not going to have fun, and I do not want to see Mark.” “Yay, thank you so much,” she shrieks with excitement. “I promise we WILL have fun.” “Sure, sure.” The first day of school goes by smoothly. I find all my new classes just fine. The day is spent mostly meeting the new teachers and listening to what they have planned for our senior year. Amanda is only in one of my classes, Geometry. We sit together and mostly chat throughout the whole period. And of course, she has to talk about the party throughout the entire class. Surprise, surprise.