Taraji and Fantasia are high school students, working through finishing high school, and preparing themselves for adulthood. Even through the trial they go through, they manage to make it back to each other.
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"Wakey wakey, babygirl," is the first thing I hear when my eyes flutter open. "Come on Tasia, first day, let's go, get up." My mother is standing over me with the clothes she set out for me on the dresser. "Fantasia!"
"Alright mommy, I'm getting up. Can I have a second?" I asked, hoping she would give me a little more time until I fully had to get myself up. I didn't feel like arguing with her this morning, not on my first day. I'm already anxious enough as is with this being my very first day at a new school, in a new city, and in a new state. I want to start the day off as peaceful and as calm as I possibly can. I'm not exactly wanting to hear her yell at me at...6:00 in the morning. Shit, I do have to get up.
"Get up, Fantasia, I fixed your lunch. Now go get up and do something before you make everybody late." With that, I got out of bed. The very first thing I did before getting myself ready was pray. I prayed that today would at least be slightly good to me. I'm not asking for kings and queens to come and make me royalty, just that I can get through the entire day without hating everybody there. I stopped right before I entered my bathroom, and kneeled to the floor. I put my hands together and began.
Heavenly Father, I come to you in need of guidance for today. I don't know what you have planned for me, but I will always trust you and the challenges you put me through. Lord please reach out and push me in the direction you need me to go. I pray that you make this day successful for my family members, as well as everyone I am going to meet today. I love you, and in Jesus's name I pray, amen.
I got myself up and started to get my morning going.
I entered the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. Once I finished scrubbing my face, I looked at myself, and began giving myself words of encouragement. To set myself up for a good day, I have to feel good.
***
After I finished getting everything done, I went downstairs meeting my brother and mother in the kitchen. "Tai Tai!" My brother greeted me with a hug. "Mornin Rico." I responded. I let go and walked to my mother over the sink. Only she would wake up this early in the morning and already start cleaning.
"Ma, you didn't want to make Rico do his chore he "forgot" to do last night." I walked behind her with a hug. She leaned the hug into blowing me a kiss. "It's alright," she started, "he had practice last night until 9, so I let him off for last night. I was too tired to do it, and I didn't want you to start bickering with him if I made you do it."
"Whatttt, but when I had rehearsal until 10-" I started to recall the late rehearsal I had last Thursday when she told me, "no matter the time of night, [I] still have to do [my] civil duties as a member of this household." "Nooooo no no, miss ma'am," she went into a low whisper, "you know Rico can't do his chores correctly even if somebody is standing over him telling him how to do it."
"Mama!" Rico called out.
My mother started laughing hard then. "Oh, it's time to go. Tasia, go grab your lunch off the counter baby." I walked over to the counter near the sink grabbing my lunch bag and a bottle of water. I would eat the school lunch, but I'm starting this new no meat thing. We eat fish on Fridays, but that's about all the meat that I get in a week.
