Just Listen

Chapter 4

"Mom! I'm going to be late for school!" I cried, zipping up my brown leather boots over my black leggings. I fluffed my white scarf and adjusted my light brown jacket.

I waited for my mom to grab her phone to take about a million pictures of her 'baby growing up'.

"Okay, okay," she said rounding the corner. "Just let me pull up my nifty camera app."

I rolled my eyes at her use her iphone excitedly and brought forward my freshly crisp curls so they laid perfectly on my shoulders.

"Alright, smile!"

The flash went off and I started for the door to the garage where I'd climb into my new car my dad had gotten for my seventieth birthday last year. It was a red Skoda Octavia with heated seats and a bluetooth pairing ability.

"Wait sweetie, you forgot your breakfast in the kitchen. It's your favorite! Blueberry pancakes with raspberry syrup."

More calories.

"Oh that's okay Mom, I'm in a hurry," I told her looking at the time. My first period started in ten minutes. "I don't have enough time, but save it for me tomorrow!"

What she didn't know was that I purposely took forever to get ready and came down late to skip breakfast. Besides, I was going to have a salad for lunch today and that's already too many calories for the day.

I moved up to her and kissed her on a cheek, leaving a light pink gloss stain. She wiped it off and made a face like a kid would if their mom left a kiss smudge on them.

"Okay Mom, I love you!"

"Bye Hun! Don't think too hard," she teased.

I winked back at her and opened the garage door, hopping in my car. It was too early in the season to turn on the butt warmer, but that was always my favorite part; feeling the seat vibrate and warm up.

I loved the thought of sitting in front of a fire and keeping warm with a nice hot cup of tea, a blanket, and a good book that I couldn't put down.
I immediately paired my phone to my car, turning on my favorite band, Twenty One Pilots.
On my way to school, I sang along to some of the songs. I felt like the words really spoke who I was.

I just wanna stay in the sun where I find, I know, it's hard sometimes.

Life seems twenty times harder, nowadays. I've realized my attitude may not have been the best this past week but I was ready for today. I was ready to change my personality and be more positive. No, I didn't have the change in heart because I wanted to actually be a better person, but because when I looked in the mirror today, I saw someone actually skinny and I've be thrilled ever since.

Today, I would become someone new and happier.
I promised myself this and turned up the music louder, drowning myself in the words.

Yeah, I think about the end just way too much, but it's fun to fantasize.

As I pulled into the parking lot for Oakland High School, I turned to the left and parked in my usual spot from the past years.

I remembered how I used to skip class sometimes and hang around here, in my car, reading or watching netflix on my phone. And the best part, was that I never got caught or marked absent because my pre-calc teacher was old and didn't take attendance.

Putting my car into park, I climbed out and put my keys in my purse.
As I walked to the front of the school, everyone was socializing with their friends and some were passing a soccer ball back and forth. Only a few stopped to wave at me or to stare. I crossed the field to 'our' table and found Stella talking with some girls, she was wearing a long baggy dark red dress with some identical boots and straight auburn hair. It was kind of sad that my only close friend was Stella, but I still had acquaintances; I just didn't want to become closer to them because I don't trust people easily.