Speech |a.f.i au|

0.2

Rene

I decided against getting on the bus and call my mom, begging her to pick me up. My head is still throbbing and being on a bus full of loud teenagers would not cease the ache. I wait inside and look out the window for my mom's car.

Normally, I would wait outside so it was more convenient for her but the temperatures were near below freezing, I was not interested in frostbite.

...

I sat in my room, working on my advanced placement psychology homework that would be due in a few days. Currently, we were studying Sensation and Perception, which was chapter six. My text book rested on my lap as I continued to write about the Signal Detection Theory.

My phone buzzes and I quickly throw my textbook and notebook off my lap, retrieving my cell phone from my nightstand.

I open my messages to see that I was put into a group chat by Abbey. In the group chat were Abbey, myself, Luke and Madi.

Abbey: Hello :) this is a group chat for the new members of the speech and debate team.

Luke: just bc we agree to one meeting doesn't mean we're a team

Abbey: stfu luke. anyways! the meeting is on Friday, directly after school!

Luke: will there be food?

Madi: dear god

Abbey: yes, hemmings. there will be food.

Shaking my head, I decide not to reply and put my phone back on the nightstand. I grab my notebook and shove it into my B day backpack, along with my Spanish homework and my creative writing class materials. 

I exit out of my room and into the bathroom, opening the mirror and retrieving my medications. I fill up a paper cup with water and lay the three orange bottles out on the counters, unscrewing each one slowly. I pop the three pills into my mouth and chase them down with water. Discarding the cup, I decided to quickly brush my teeth and wash my face to get it over with.

After I finish putting away my medications, I exit the bathroom and go to my mom's room, to make sure she was okay.

Since my father was deployed a couple of days ago, my mom has been out of her normal state of mind. She had taken off from work, using her vacation time to pull herself together and make a plan so the house would function normally.

"Hey, mama," I say, light tapping her opened door with my knuckles. She looked up from her bed and straight at me, a small smile playing at her lips.

"Hi princess," my mom says, waving me in. Her body is curled into her sheets with tissues lying around. Her cheeks had streaks of mascara and her eyes carried bright purple bags underneath of them. Her arms spread wide, inviting me for a hug that I gladly accepted.

My mom is the strongest woman I know. She has been through hell, but she's always been extremely tough and independent-- that's what my dad always told me he loved about mom. They were happy together and still are, I've always appreciated having a family that got along, but with my father being in the military, it's not the easiest situation; financially and relationship wise. 

"I love you baby." she tells me, kissing the top of my head.

"I love you, mama," I reply, squeezing her a bit tighter before releasing her.

"Did you eat dinner?" Mom asks and I nod my head. She had bought two six-inch sandwiches from Subway, along with a twelve pack of Cherry Coca-Cola and a bag of baked potato chips before she picked me up from school.