It's Not Easy

Chapter 2

My heart brought back all those loving memories as I entered the only place which I loved the most in Chicago. Our small family house. The house which brought all the love together but expect for sometimes there was small complications going on between each other but they did not went for long and it didn't mean anything.

The house looked the same. The only thing that would make it look worse was, that mom's garden was all messed up. Maybe it's because cats came to live here. Mom do love her garden a lot and I think the first thing she is planning to do is clean up this mess and rebuild her garden.

When mom was back in Miami she used to brought flowers everyday but when we had to move she gave all of it to my grandma. To be honest I doesn't like gardening as a hobby but I do love roses in my mom's garden.

The neighborhood looked the same. It seems that they did not thought to upgrade the road. The houses are apart from each other and their gardens looks the same. Some families have built a small room next to thier house for themselves.

At that time I expected to see kids running on the road or riding bicycle but then I remember that it was still school hours.

A thought came to my mind if Mrs. Bellbrook is still alive. Mrs. Bellbrook was the oldest person in this small neighborhood. Nobody liked her that much because she was kind of a rude person who shouts for every single thing. Especially to kids who shouts in the road.

But I quite got on with her because mom went there every Saturday to help her with the garden stuffs, so I also goes there to give Mrs. Bellbrook's dog a little visit. It was a Labrador Retriever. Mrs. Bellbrook told me the she named him after his grandson's puppy. Diego was such a nice name to give him plus it makes him feel brave.

Apart from Mrs. Bellbrook there was things in this neighborhood which I adores. Every time when there is Halloween, those little kids run around asking for candy, so I sit on the porch with my basket full of candies waiting for them to come and get candies. In the meantime I also enjoys mine from the basket.

Things was really prodigious when I was at home. I share my stories with my parents, watch television, read a book and enjoys double layer chocolate cake. But at school it's the opposite. No one to share my stories with, no television, there's no suitable place to read a book and they do not give double layer chocolate cake at lunch.

I pushed my room's door. It opened with a creak noise. It looks really dusty and the wallpaper was spoiled. I opened the window permitting the sunlight to enter the room.

The room relight. I removed the large blankets over my desk. The desk was empty. Before it used to have a few books, a picture frame of the family next to the La Tour Eiffel, a pencil holder and some statues of babies with flowers.

This time I'm planning to make my room look even good-looking than it was before. Even though it's going to look beautiful no one is going to come and see it expect for my mom, dad and sometimes Mike comes when he needs to borrow something.

Then I removed the blanket on my bed and jumped to it. It feels really soft as before. It seems that the mattress did not loses its gentleness from the day I lelt this bed.

It was bizarre that I did not felt worn-out like mom and dad. Mike is on his way to meet his friends at the café. It was from yesterday that he was making plans to meet his friends.

I took the car keys from dad and decided to go and buy a café from the town. Dad got two cars. One is for dad and mom to use and the other is for me and Mike.

I drove slowly to the town. It looks the same way, expect for a one or two newly build buildings and repositioned ones.

Something just flashbacked into my mind as I remember an occurrence which happened making me disintegration my life for the first time.

It was the first week I moved to Chicago. Bethany and her friends were having coffee when I past to buy my own.

She disgraced me in front of the whole coffee shop calling me names like "thin sausage". I agreed that I was thin as that time but the thing is I could not believe was she was calling me names like this when one of her friend was thinner than me.

At that moment I felt really embarrassed. All I wanted to do was scream to death. I did not even looked back to take my coffee. I ran straight home tears dripping from my eyes. Luckily mom and dad was not at home at that moment so I cried me much I could until I felt headache.

At that time I was shy Syrah but now I'm not her anymore. I'm not going to let myself down like before. Now I'm new Chicago Syrah and I'm going to teach a lesson to all of those who disliked me for no reason.

I parked the car next to the street. As I entered the coffee shop, the usual smell of coffee entered my nose. There were a quantity of snacks and pastries displayed don the counter. This coffee shop was the best for me. They've got all I wanted including double layer chocolate cake.

I ordered a coffee with extra cream plus a double layer chocolate cake. What I comparable about this shop is that they deliver your order just in time and the staff are too friendly.

I took my order and sat on a small table in the corner of shop. The shop did not contained a number of guests. So the tables were quite empty and it was hushed in the shop. After school hours I often come here and sit on the same spot with a coffee doing my homework.

I drank the coffee and ate small bit by bit of the cake. It taste delicious as it was before. What I do like about the cake is they apply more chocolate cream than the cake.

I hurried with the drink because I don't wanted to get spotted at this moment. It's nearly time for school to end. Even though I don't want to get spotted, but I knew that at this moment news have been spread through that I came back. Thanks to Bethany for all of this.

After the coffee I went back home deciding to take a small nap before going out tonight for dinner. Mom planned that we should go out for dinner because she is feeling herself tired right now to cook. And above she did not wanted to go shopping to buy groceries and the kitchen also needed to be cleaned.

I layed on my bed looking at the ceiling when I remember that I've got my book in my bag to read. So I went downstairs again and took the book plus a small packet of juice from the fridge. Even though I drank the whole coffee send ate the whole piece of cake, I still feel thirsty and hungry. I did not ate anything when I was going to abroad to the plane cause I did not wanted to throw up.

I layed again on my bed and continue to read the book. It was a book I got from one of my friend's in Miami. She gave it to me two days before I was going to move hoping that I would remember her. I'm already in the middle of the book. It's quite interesting and the vocabularies are really useful.

It's at around three in the afternoon. I could hear kids playing and screaming. I wanted to go and look at them sitting on the porch but now I'm too lazy to wake up from my bed because I t feels too comfortable.

I sat there I read my book until five in the afternoon. I managed to finish ten more chapters. I must have done a great job. When I started reading books I read until I'm done with the book.

But there is a thing that at school we can't borrow more than two and that's not fair. There are students who really loves reading and they should give us this opportunity to take a number of books we want but we should return them in time.

I've still got one and half an hour to get ready to go out for dinner. I did not get the chance to sleep but I was happy to be able to finish reading at least more of the book.

Mom asked me get dressed, so I went to take a bath at around five thirty. Then I got dressed into a simple black dress and made myself look great with some makeup and pulled my hair into a high ponytail.

It was time for us to leave the house but we could not leave because Mike wasn't here yet. Mom called him several time but no respond.

"Stop panicking Collette. Maybe he'll be home afterwards." Dad said trying to calm mom. "He is a big boys now who knows if he already had dinner." Dad continued as he put on his coat. He had a point at that moment. Mike has been with his friends all this time and why could he stay without eating.

"We should go." Mom said finally taking her purse from the counter.

Dad took the driver's seat and mom took the passenger's seat, leaving me to sit at the back alone.

Our plan was to go to an Italian restaurant where they offer delicious pizza and spaghetti. Mom likes that place a lot but I don't because it's always busy and everybody goes there.

The car ride was silent. I could understand mom. The reason she is worrying because she doesn't want her son to end up like boys in Chicago. Boys in Chicago are rude and they do not show respect. It's also rare to find a nice boy.

Girls are also the same. They try to be bossier and something they think that those unpopular girls are their servants. I was happy that I did not end up in this place.

Arriving at the restaurant mom let out a loud gasp. She was staring at our own car in the parking lot which mike took before.

All this time he was enjoying with his friends that he could not answer mom's calls. You know sometimes when you hang out with friends you tend to forget that you do have a house to live.

I felt shock to see that Emily was there too. I could not stand watching at them laughing, drinking and eating. It felt so horrible to me.

I took a seat next to mom making sure that my back is to them. I did not care about any of this, but I could not look at my brother who was falling into danger. Sometimes I do feel sorry for him but he doesn't want to change and move on with his life in another way.

We ordered our dinner and in the meantime I went for a trivial walk near the lake next to the restaurant. In the afternoon they've got boat rides here and also pedaling swans. I never came here in the afternoon.

I feel the unfriendly breeze as I continue to walk and looking at the reflect of the moon in the lake. It looks so magnificent.

Soon we finished dinner. The service was perfect and we had chocolate mint ice cream am as dessert.

Mike did not wanted to go home with us. But mom dragged him saying that he did not had a rest and tomorrow is school. Finally he waved goodbye his friends and we went home.

It was such a great night to me even thought I did not like that place. And on my mind I was planning to come next to the lake at night to come and watch the stars and the movement of water.