Revival

3. At a Moment's Notice

~~At a Moment's Notice~~

St. Peters' Preparatory School was stunning.

Stella glared at the giant brownstone on the corner of Midtown from her Dad's company car. The school stood like a fortress of sanded brick with cream stone windowsills, lintels, and the gigantic row of steps that led up to the school's street entrance.

Yemi pulled into the designated parking lot at the back of the school. The back of the school wasn't as impressive as the front, but it still had a prestigious air about it as students and teachers milled in and out of the school from under the red awning through the frosted glass double doors.

This was all so intimidating, Stella thought taking in the grand High School Building, and the crush of teenagers in the same blue blazer with St. Peter's gold emblem of a dove in flight with an olive leaf in its beak. They also wore the same pleated skirts or slacks, and a crisp white shirt Stella wore begrudgingly. The kids were separated into their cliques, and Stella was reminded of her school in London with a nauseating turn of her stomach.

She started to wish that her Dad dropped her off for school this morning. She loved Yemi, but she'd already spent the last few days dealing with Stella's attitude and her patience was running thin. 

"But Mum," Stella whined, leaning against the back of the passenger seat. Between her "first-day" anxiety, exhaustion from being up late doing her hair, and the fact that she was still trying to get accustomed to sitting on the left side of the car, her grip on her rucksack strap was excruciating and her wrist was already sore from using her hairband as a slingshot all morning, "I've only been on this continent for three days. Don't you think I need more time to adapt?"

"I'm already dropping and picking you up from school, Stella. You're only going to be in school," Yemi said tiredly resting her head against the headrest, "And you're resilient, Stella, we all know this. You'll adjust in no time."

"But all of this was so last minute," she said defeatedly, glancing out the window again. Everybody was all so interwoven and fit together perfectly, laughing at each other's inside jokes and gossiping about things she didn't know about. How could she possibly fit in and "adjust," when it seemed like there was hardly any space for her? "I don't think I'm ready," she admitted, swallowing hard. Her eyes stung with nervous tears, and she swore internally, blinking fast, and avoiding her mother's gaze.

"You have nothing to worry about," Yemi crooned reassuringly. She reached out to stroke the back of her neck affectionately and rearranged some of her fresh curls out of her face. Yemi and Stella stayed up till almost two AM trying to get Stella's hair ready for school after her braids were effectively ruined after she was knocked into a fountain by a terrible cyclist. After taking down her braids, her mother lathered her hair with sweet-smelling hair products and cornrowed and decorated the side of her hair with gold rings leaving the rest tied into an afro puff, "You're a beautiful, wonderful girl. You can be ready for anything you want to be."

Stella wasn't so sure. She hardly fit in back in London. She was screwed in the friends' department.

Yemi muttered something untoward in Yoruba, dropping her hand and raising her voice, "Estelle," she said in a firm voice, "Don't make me have to embarrass the both of us today."

Stella looked at her mother betrayed, but when she saw that Yemi wasn't budging, she scowled, looking away. "I'm going, alright," she muttered mutinously, pulling open the door without another word, ignoring her mother's objections, "I'll see you later then."

"I love you!" Yemi yelled through the car window as Stella shut the car door. Stella tried to hide her cringe as she turned back to offer a smile back at her, as she blew kisses at her. She could be angry, but she couldn't ignore her mother like that for anything. Her father probably would have been no different, but at least it would have taken her longer to wear him out.