Attracting Trouble

Chapter 3: Grab Some Popcorn

To make a long story short, I did not sleep last night. In fact, I find it hard to get myself out of bed this morning. The thought occurs to just pull all those blankets over my head and call it a day, but that's not an option.

The only thing that can make it worse is-

"Jessa!" I hear her voice before I see her. Tori doesn't knock before barging into my bedroom, her phone clutched in her hand. She walks over to me and shoves the phone in my face which reveals the picture I had just seen last night.

I push her hand away from me and grumble under my breath. Of course she'd be happy to show me.

I guess now would be the time to explain that my family doesn't know what happened between us. They just know that one day he was here and the next he was at military school. No more, no less.

"I'm well aware, Tori. Thanks for reminding me." I push myself out of bed with the energy I have. Tori rolls her eyes at me as she spreads herself over my bed.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready to, ya know, head back to college?" I ask as I hunt for some clothes to wear.

"The semester doesn't start until, like, late September, Jessa," Tori says, not looking away from her phone. "Or something like that."

"That's what I was afraid of," I say to myself.

I remember the day she finally left for college. I thought that since both of them were off living different lives, I'd be in the clear to live my own as well. That hasn't happened. Every chance they get, Sydney and Tori are home, bugging the crap out of me.

You'd think it'd be the other way around since I'm the youngest. Sydney being 21 and Tori on her way to 20, all they know how to do is succeed, never fail. Not that it's a bad thing, but as someone once told me, what's the fun in that?

It's no lie that I don't academically succeed like my two sisters. I receive B's where they earn A's. I receive a good enough where the get a great job! My teachers don't hesitate to reminisce with me the good times they had in class with my sisters. How smart and prepared they always were...

I can't help it if I always forget my pencil or my notebook. It's not in my nature to be prepared for life to the full extent.

I've also been told I'm not as "lady-like", as my mother likes to remind me of.

I grab my cheerleading bag and notice that the mustang horse printed on the side of the bag is practically staring into my soul with those dark eyes and angry face. The bag is stuffed with two pom-poms that I still have from last year.

I leave my room and choose to ignore a still chatty Tori lying on my bed. Mom is fixing a bagel when I step into the kitchen.

"Good morning," she greets as she spreads cream cheese over the bagel. I grumble in response. Mornings are not my thing, therefore replying with "Good morning" is not an option.

She sits the bagel on a paper towel and slides it across the counter to me. I give her a small smile.

"Thanks, Mom." I shove half the bagel into my mouth to get rid of the hunger I'm feeling. I never ate anything last night. Mom watches me in slight disgust – I say slight because she's getting used to it slowly.

"Really, Jessa?" She asks and I giggle. "Were you raised in a barn?"

"I wish," I tell her. She shakes her head at me and continues what she's doing.

Dad waltz's into the kitchen a moment later with a smile on his face. "Morning, ladies." He kisses Mom before taking a seat beside me on a bar stool. I smile at him as he ruffles my hair. I make a note to fix it before going out in the public.