"We have taken the wrong turn mom!" Talia screeched. Once again, being part of the Adams family doesn't do have any mercy on your eardrums. My mother, Dorothea Adams to be precise, shouts back at Talia my sister who in turn bangs on the GPS expecting it to work.
"This time it's your fault, Ali!"
"How the fuck is it my fault Talia?" I accuse back. I'm trying not to get so wound up right now, we are about five minutes away from campus, and another ten before I throw myself out of the car if everyone doesn't stop screaming.
"Language..." Mom grits her teeth, Talia springs her brassy hair to face me. Despite her being twenty-three years of age, five years older than me she still acts like a child. I love her to pieces.
"It's your college we are going to, it's automatically your fault." Talia sticks her blue tongue at me, her breath close smells of blue raspberry.
"I don't understand how you can eat those things, Talia, they are so bad for you!" Mom scolds her, despite Talia having an eighteen-month baby, a fiancée who is a dick but her dick.
"You should have seen Red eat one of these, her cute little face scrunches up- "
"You fed MY granddaughter that crap? What did Niko say about that?" Mom demands as she turns left. Mom adores Niko, Talia's high school sweetheart. I don't like him. His stupid mustache, his fucked-up politics, his touchy hands at every thanksgiving. Talia sees it. I just know every since Red came, she overlooks it to keep the peace.
"Alison!" Mom calls again
"We are here," Talia announces. I look above to see the fuss, and my my, what a fuss. Bustling crowds fill fields. Stands for everyone with a banner draped across the front. Women handing out whistles and leaflets
"Ahh, I remember my first year at college" Talia exhales. She was a second-year dropout. Mom was angry when she found out T was pregnant, but when she found out it was Niko's, Mom found an apartment for them to rent instantly, just down the road from our house. They haven't left since.
"Ali! God, what is wrong with you today!" Mom opens the back door, rolling brown eyes. I smooth my cottage thrifted core dress that was probably from someone's dead grandmas closet down my thighs and step out of the car. It was only five dollars. Talia appears with a ginormous trolley and starts dumping my shit from the trunk. I feel frozen to the gum littered ground. Everything feels mushy.
Talia leads us up from the car to the elevator and finally to my dorm as if time and physical objects wasn't a problem. Despite probably damaging school property, we make it to the room.
"Ms Adams?" Squeaky voice echoes in the busy corridor. All three of our heads signal to the door, where a man in a deshelled looking suit stumbles from the bust outside into safety.
"Alison Ad-Adams...?" He stutters looking between me and Talia, that must have boosted her ego a little.
"That's me." I pathetically wave my hand across to the balding man, yet the lack of hair, his smile is warming and genuinely true.
"Good afternoon! I'm one of the many chancellors you will meet this semester, my name is Professor Davidson, but everyone calls me Davey." His stance bounces, addressing all of us in his stance. Sweat beads from his forehead.
"Nice to meet you sir" I smile politely back, not knowing if a handshake is appropriate or not. I decide no.
We stand in anticipation and a pretty awkward emotive exchange for a beat.
"Oh, sorry um." He rubs his forehead as he recounts and recovers himself, I'm trying to hold a giggle in, so I look at my white trainer pumps for some inkling gossip. Breaking news, there is still nothing.
