10 Feet Down (Original Version)

Chapter 4

My hands shake as I clasp my cross necklace around my neck and put on my class ring. I twist and turn in front of the small mirror that came with the dorm and make sure that my outfit looks good. It's the first day of classes and I need to make sure I make a good impression. "First impressions are everything." My father would always tell me. Father and mother always made sure that we appeared presentable in meeting people for the first time. As the pastor's daughter, I always make sure I make a good impressions and won't embarrass my parents.

I'm wearing one of my yellow floral maxi skirts with white flowers and a white lacey blouse that is tucked into the skirt. I'm also wearing my gold sandals that I bought this past summer on one of my rare trips to the outlet mall. I put on my gold watch I got for my past birthday and run my wooden brush through my hair one more time. I grab my strawberry chapstick and put a coat of it on my lips before grabbing my backpack and double checking that I have everything I need. Books. Check. Folders. Check. Calculator. Check. Pencil pouch. Check. Notebooks. Check. Laptop. Check.

Everything is where it's supposed to be so I grab a granola bar from one of my shelves and eat it while I wait for Samira. Turns out we have two classes together so we're gonna walk together and buy some breakfast before we go since class doesn't start until 8. Almost all of my classes are in the mornings except for one. I really like it because it gives me more time to do whatever errands and homework I need to do before it gets too late in the evening. Plus, I'm used to getting up early for school and church. I would always get up at least an hour before my parents so I could say my prayers and read my bible before breakfast at 8.

"Okay, I'm ready," Samira says and slings her black Nike book bag over her back. I stand up from the bed and grab my book bag and phone and walk out the door with her, double checking that the door is locked. There's a few girls and guys who are also leaving and some say hi to us as we all walk to the elevators. I'm not very good at small talk so I keep to myself and listen to Samira talk to one of the girls about where she got her sneakers at. Once we get off the elevator, Samira and I head straight to one of the small cafes to get breakfast. The air is very warm for being so early in the morning but there's a small breeze that blows my hair around. I hold my hair and my skirt end in my hand as we make our way into the cafe that immediately smells like tea and  hot coffee. I pat down all of my hair flyaways in the line and straighten out my skirt so everything is back in its rightly place.

I order an avocado toast breakfast with cherry tomatoes and feta cheese and a bottle of lemon water. I was pleasantly surprised when looking at this menu that there are actually some healthy things on it. I was never allowed to eat unhealthy foods for breakfast like pancakes and French toast, unless it was "organic." I don't know if I could bring myself to eat them anyways. Samira said that's probably going to change the further along the school year gets.

I eat my breakfast but my stomach is starting to get butterflies. I put down my fork before I finish eating and I can already hear my mother telling me to not waste any food and to keep on eating.