Daisy

"Don't talk to strangers or any men"

She has told herself "just five more minutes" way too many times more than necessary. Yet she just can't get out of her small, yet comfortable, bed.

The only thing that gets her up is the reminder that today is the last day of school.

Last day of junior year.

Thank the Lord. She thinks to herself as she gets ready.

It was like a living hell.

There was so much homework and her teachers would get on her last nerve.

She knew she should've been homeschooled.

While she gets ready, she frowns at herself through the mirror.

She's always had a disliking towards her freckles.

They seemed to make her look younger, well her age, and she didn't like that. Not one bit.

She didn't want the older guys to think she's some little girl who can't be taken seriously.

No, Daisy wanted to be the mature, young woman she's aspired to be.

She huffs at her freckles yet makes no move to cover them up.

Last day of school, she reminds herself.

She hops downstairs to see her mother humming in the kitchen to the latest Elvis song.

Her mother hears Daisy's tiny footsteps and greets her happily, "Sweetie, last day of school! Aren't you excited?", her mother gushes.

Daisy sighs happily, "Very much, mother. I can't wait to sleep longer".

Her mother laughs in response and hands her a banana to eat.

"You better get going, don't want to late".

Daisy huffs as she sneakily grabs her roller skates from the closet, hopefully her mother won't see.

"Now young lady, where do you think you're going with those skates?", her mother has a daring look with an eyebrow raised.

"U-uh", and crap, Daisy can't let her mom find out about her new job at the diner, she's only been to training and today was going to be her first real work day.

Daisy immediately comes up with a lie, "Was just going to go bootin' with Courtney later. Hope you didn't mind".

Her mother squints at her daughter as if trying to read her from behind her pointed glasses then waves her off. "I suppose that's fine. Just don't forget what I told you-"

"Don't talk to strangers or any men", Daisy recites the saying for what seems like the millionth time.

"Great", she smiles before blowing her only daughter a kiss followed by the sound of a door being shut.

Daisy walks outside, her once-white chucks tapping against the sidewalk. She waits on the curb to see if Tommy, the paper boy, has passed by yet.

Daisy suddenly realizes he's near when she hears a faint whistle from behind her.

"Daisy, my baby, you are looking mighty fine today", Tommy winks and hands her the newspaper.

"Thanks, same to you", she responds, yet doesn't mean it. Tommy always wears the same cap and blue shirt.

"I heard you got yourself a job, I love my women who work", Tommy says from on top of his bicycle.

Daisy looks up with a distasteful glare, "You pig, how did you find out?", she tossed the newspaper, after looking through it, in her mother's garden.