Project: P.A.R.E.N.T.S.

Chapter5: Different

ALEX

Ding-a-Diiiiing!

The yellow doors slid open before me and as I stepped inside, I was greeted upon by a familiar figure. A cheeky smile was plastered on her face as her dark curls were tied up in a bun. As I reached the top step, the door began to close behind me. The scent of honey and coffee filled the air. It felt so relaxing. Like it was one of those rainy days where you'd just stay inside and read a novel.

"Good Morning, Sugar! How are you?" She beamed. Joe a.k.a. Joanna Brooks the bus driver of Blue Rose Academy... Well one of the bus drivers of blue rose. There was always something serene about her. She's the older sister of Gwen and Wren Brooks. Their family owns the local diner at the far east of town. Gwen takes care of the family business there. In my first day of school, Joe was kind enough to bring me to their diner and Gwen gave me a free meal. Their kindness is extraordinary. It's like they treated me as family even though I had just met them that day. They made me feel welcome. Joe even insisted on touring me around town after class. I've never had experienced that kind of feeling before. Well mostly because my mother's friends are usually... Well... Nosey. Wren, on the other hand, I never met him yet. I've only heard of him from Joe's stories.

"Oh my! You're looking quite... Different today. But a good kind of different!" She continued, a slight change in her tone as if it were forced. Knowing Joe, She probably noticed the layered caked hell unleashed upon my face and tried to be polite. Ugh. Mom.

I cringed my nose in disagreement. "Now, now... Don't be like that. With all that frowning you'd look like a dried up raisin! Do you want to look like a dried up raisin?"

"...N-no?"

"Now, honey listen here. Ain't nobody want a stale dried up raisin! It'd be best to be plum and juicy! Now that there's an eye catcher." She continued. I felt my frown worsen as my eye twitched. Noticing the torture she had brought upon my ears, She let out a wide hearty laugh. "Just kidding! Lighten up a little, sugar."

"Ooookaaaay...?"

"Good! Now turn that frown upside down! Here... Have one of my muffins." She picked up the box of freshly baked goods in front of her. Each of the goodies looked so good and you could see the effort to make them at first glance. That aside, I couldn't help but catch and appreciate Joe's features. The young rays of early morning sunlight glowed upon her hazel skin through the glass windows. Her eyes shone like blue diamonds. They looked so beautiful.

"Morning, Joe." I sighed and smiled. I took a peek at the box and grabbed a chocolate crisp muffin. It smelled so good. "Thanks! I'm starving. Did Gwen make these?"

"Mhmm... You haven't tried her famous lemon cream crepe yet! Next time, I'll take you to the good o'l diner and-- Oh honey, Do you need a moist napkin for your... Uhh..." She stopped at a near stoplight that had turned bright red and gestured at her face. I placed a few fingers on my cheek which was covered in chocolate smears. I quickly glanced at the driver's mirror and saw that the chocolate had mixed through the foundation. I was quite unsure if this was a good thing or not. Knowing the awful taste foundation alone had, it'd be best to not experiment and taste chocolate covered make-up.

"Uhm... May I have one, please?"

"Sure thing, sweetheart. There's a pack of moist napkins in my bag, right under my seat. First pocket at the right." Joe gestured through the air with her finger. "Y'know what... Take the entire pack. For emergencies." She added after taking a second peek through the mirror.

"Thanks. You're a life saver." I pulled the duffel bag from below and took the small mint green plastic ziplac. I took one napkin and began to wipe on my face. A grin escaped my face as I see the foundation coming off as well. You truly are a life saver, Joe. I thought to myself.

After settling down a few seats behind her, I rolled on my side and sighed. Staring back at me through the window was my reflection. My face was all cleaned up of make-up, yet the presence of dark circles beneath my eyes were still there. Perhaps I shouldn't have erased the concealer. Sigh.

Well, It wasn't my fault that I couldn't seem to sleep at all. Mother was up all night screaming into the phone. Fern, my mother's "best friend" calls every night with information and gossips about my professors. Don't ask. Oh! And by screaming, I meant loud high-pitched cackling. Hey, Don't look at me like that. It's pretty much the same thing!

Okay fine... I'm overreacting, a little. A LITTLE. But on another note... Getting up early was the best thing to do, knowing I had to dodge people staring at me wearing this... Thing. I glanced down and groaned at the sight of frills on the skirt. Ah! But that's the least of my problems... I seriously hope mom wouldn't put make-up on me everyday.

It felt so horrible.

"You okay there, sugarplum?"

I shivered at the flashback of mother's long sharp nails striking my cheeks as I struggled to get away from all those chemicals she placed on my face. "That woman would've clawed my eyes out if I wasn't careful! I don't really understand why girls put make-up on anyways. Why is it even a thing?! It felt like a thousand pounds on my face!"

"Aw, I understand ya honey. Believe me, Gwen used to put mama's lipstick on me. When Mama found out that it broke into pieces, she gave us one heck of a whoopin'! But the next day she gave Gwen a little make-up kit. You know, those for kiddies to play models with. And it was one heck of a nightmare!"

After the long yet entertaining bus ride, I couldn't help but feel a bit more relaxed. It's as if all my anger and frustration has drifted away. I actually felt... good. "Thanks, Joe!" I waved as she closed the door. I watched the yellow vehicle fade into the golden, silent streets. "She's truly a stress reliever." I muttered with a grin before turning to the big marbled steps. A sigh escaped my lips and I began to move towards the entrance.

I stepped into the silent hallway and tugged on to my skirt. It felt so breezy with this damned thing! "Here we go again..." I muttered under my breath as I walked down the halls. Okay. This is too quiet. I mean... I've always walked around at this time in school but... Something is definitely wrong. The thin hairs on the back of my neck began to stand up. I quickly turned around only to find--

"MMMPH!"

A huge sack was placed on my head and a couple of hands began to carry me away, restraining my every movement. Within a few moments of struggling, I couldn't seem to find much air. My vision begins to blur as my muffling screams began to grow weaker. I have... To stay... Awake.

-

Tap!

Tap!

Tap!

The sound echoed in my ears. My back begins to hurt. I looked around and found my hands taped to the back of the chair. "What the- Where am I?!" My eyes began to grow wider as I heard snickering behind me. How long was I unconscious?! I felt a warm breath trailing down my neck, with the sweet scent of raspberry.

"Good morning, Alexandra. Had a good sleep?"

I turned to my right to see the figure. There she was, with her piercing red lips and her despicable khaki eyes. Sitting on the desk table was a similar figure, except her movements were a bit more graceful. "So you're the little lamb who's entered our den." She grinned and hopped of the table.

Aubrey and Cassie Summers, I thought.

"Let's play a game." They cackled.

-----A/N-----
Nuuu! Sorry for the late update guys! I was kind of busy with college life...
;_;
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Sorry if it's a bit short and crazy...