Change Your Life

Chapter One: Orientation

Aaliyah

"AALIYAH AVANI DAY, IF YOU DON'T GET YO BEHIND DOWN THESE GODDAMN STEPS RIGHT NOW!"

I rolled over and checked my phone.

9:45

Who the fuck starts orientation at 10:15 in the morning any goddamn way?

"GIRL!"

"IM COMING MA!"

Always yelling for no good reason, shit.

I grabbed my green YOU MATTER hoodie and a random pair of black jeans out of one of the many boxes scattered around my room.

I ain't even finished unpacking and she yelling and shit. I'm over all of this shit before it even begins.

I grabbed my high top Vans and made my way to my bathroom. I changed out of my paint-stained tank top and shorts and looked at myself in the mirror.

No time for makeup, don't feel like sending her ass into a frenzy and what the hell am I gonna do with my hair?

I brushed my teeth and threw on my shoes. I sprayed a water and aloe vera mixture in my hair to make it look decent and put on moisturizer before making my way down stairs.

"Hey Syd, how'd you sleep?" My very pregnant older sister, Sammy asked.

"Decent, then I was barked at to get up. What did I say about calling me Syd?" I said grabbing bacon off of her plate and kissing my growing nephew.

"As long as you take forty-five minutes to do a simple task, she can and will call you Syd." My mom said passing my dad a plate.

"Hey pumpkin, how much more unpacking do you have to do? I'm sorry I couldn't help you put your bed together, we were helping Sam get situated in the basement." My dad said kissing my forehead.

"A lot. Can I bring my art stuff in now, I don't want it to dry out in my car."

"You better not get none of that stuff on my carpet."

YoU bEtTeR nOt GeT nOnE oF tHaT sTuFf On My CaRpEt. I can't help but to mock her, she's so damn annoying sometimes.

My dad nudges me before giggling with me.

"What the hell is that on your pants Avani?"

I look down at them and see the red and pink roses I painted on them before we left Savannah.

"Paint?"

She glared at me and I sighed. I hate being the outcast sometimes; But Sammy on the other hand, is my mother's wet fucking dream.

Twenty-five, engaged to a hardworking man who is building their house from the ground up in Bankhead, with her PhD. in obstetrics and gynecology (following after my mother of course), graduated from high school with honors on her 17th birthday, and graduated top of her class at Columbia.

Then you have me, the crackhead dreamer, writer, artist, and all around country girl. Going on 18, despises everything that has to do with school, decent grades (but definitely not good enough to graduate early, let alone get into Columbia), free spirit, tomboy, and pretty much the exact opposite of my older sister.

"Leave her alone Ameil. She's just going to orientation."

Before she could say anything else, a knock on the door saved my life. It was Sammy's fiancé, Zach.

"Good morning y'all, I brought coffee & your tea. Oh, and Max is outside waiting on you Vani." I hugged him, thanking him and made my way to the door.