The book worm

1

I sigh as my eyes begin to burn.  I look over to see the sun slightly peak through my curtains and listened to the birds at my windowsill.
  "Good job Aja pulled another all-nighter " I whisper to myself, As my alarm clock reads 7:24am.
    I take a deep breath and remove my glasses from my face as I walk away from my desk and stretch.
  The house is quite but I didn't expect much noise from the two bedroom apartment that I share with my mother .

    I walk to my half- made bed and notice the envelope opened on my pillow .  I read it over and over thinking it was some type of joke but it's real , it's really real and I'm gonna be finishing collage at Stanford and I'm gonna be a doctor ,just like papa.     
     I grab the acceptance letter and place it next to the red picture frame of smiling faces I haven't seen in a long time.
    My father died when I was young and my mother works herself to the bone , I do the best I can and  I stay out of trouble ,  I get good grades I mean considering I graduated early with honors , and started my first two years of college online.
     As well as got a part time job just to make the load lighter on my mother .
   She's done so much since he passed that I don't want to burden her with the thought of college and tuition .
       
     I start picking up small things around my room and take a sip of the lukewarm green tea that I have at my bed side I feel like it's useless to try and sleep now but I've already completed the book I was reading and I don't wanna wake my mother Incase she's home , so I guess I'll do a little drawing until I get a little sleepy.
    I twist my class ring around and think about how these last few months in my small home town are gonna go and of course I have to find an apartment in California as well as a part time job .

                I pull my curls out of the bun that they are in and let them free as I rub my head, everything thing is happening so fast but it's not like I really have people to say goodbye to , I sit on my bed and ponder .

           Through middle school and high school I went to a predominantly white schools and no one wanted to be friends with the black girl that had a 5.0 gpa , it doesn't help that I basically have a photographic memory. School was always easy and nobody liked a know it all , even if I really tried not to be snobbish or anything, but people didn't like that I got all the answers right and didn't wanna help them cheat , it never felt right to me to cheat so I refused .   I close my eyes and lean on my wall.

  I look at my alarm clock again 8:30am.

I shrug and leave my bed room and head down the hall to the kitchen, our apartment is fairly big on the inside I guess you could say . My room is further from the living room and front door because my mom wanted to be front and center if there was ever a break in which I'm glad has never happened because who knows what would occur.

  I grab one of the many Red Bull's I keep in the back of the fridge as well as the mango slices, seems like a healthy enough breakfast.
    I let out a yawn and sit at the table. I wondered how my mom would take the news that I'm moving out. Would she be happy , sad , would she want me to just finish college online or maybe even Instate. I didn't wanna live here forever I wanted to get out here and do my part for society.
       I hear keys jingle and hushed laughter.  My brow wrinkled.
I grab my drink and walk around the corner separating the kitchen from the living room.   My mother is always so busy that I would never expect her to bring home some guy in the middle of the night .
     I open the door for her and the laughter stops .

"Hey mom? " I say the confusion clear in my voice .  This is very unlike her I think to myself.

"Hey kiddo I wasn't expecting you to be up " she laughs .
     Her words are slightly slurred but if you didn't know her you would never know she's drunk.

I nod my head slowly as she lets herself in but as the guy that I've never met tries to follow I hold my qhand out to him.
   " And you are" I ask politely .  My hand slightly shaking as I look up at him.

He clears his throat and shakes my hand " My name is Matthew Wilmington , I'm a friend and business partner of your mother ." 
      I take him in his blond hair is a mess and his shirt and tie are wrinkled, he smells of whiskey and onion rings . I huff at the smell.
His face says late forties but he looks in ok shape .   I'm not getting an off vibe from him but the day has just begun.
  I let him in and direct him to the couch, I'm not gonna let him drive drunk , I offer him coffee or a pain relief to help the hangover but my mother has already crashed on the couch with him in her arms.
It's odd to see my mother in such a vulnerable state , and it's even odder to see her give affection to anyone especially a man.

" oh no don't worry Aja it's not like he's a strange man you don't know " I sigh sometimes I feel like I'm the mom in this relationship.
I take her shoes and her blazer from her person and put them in her room. Then I whipped the makeup from her face as I've done many times before.
My mother is a district attorney she often works long hours and odd days, But I know she is best at what she does and she's helped a lot of people.
I've become accustomed to taking care of her and making sure she's ok mentally and physically.
I smile as I place the blanket over the two human bodies on the couch.
I look to the microwave clock and figured I should get ready for work so I'm not rushing later.
I work at a small  library, it's quite ,the people are friendly and I get first dibs on any new book that might come in so I'm not complaining.
I shower , brush my teeth , and fluff out my hair, I throw on a tan button down shirt with some of my favorite mom jeans and my basic vans, as well as my glasses .
The library doesn't really have a dress code so I dress in what I wish.
Maybe I'll ask if I can work in Stanford's library part time after I address my classes.
       I don't wanna over work myself though.

  I grab my long board from the corner of my room as well as my phone and keys and I'm off.
   I leave a note on the refrigerator door and a bottle of pain medication explaining when I'll be back and what we need to talk about for the up coming months.
      I don't know but I feel like things can only get better from here , I'm finally gonna reach my dreams and maybe even make a change in the world.
.                  .                .