The Georgia Rule

Chapter Five

“If you don’t get up this instant I’m dragging you out of the house in your pyjamas”

My mother’s calm voice lulled me out of my slumber with a distinct sense of déjà vu. Carefully peeling my eyes open, I forced them to adjust to the harsh artificial lighting of my room while wiping the sleep out of my eyes.

Usually, my mother would not have been bothered with my unusual sleeping schedules, because she was always assured that I would be up before the crack of dawn to begin my morning routine. Recent events however, proved to wreak havoc upon my strategically planned bedtime timetable.

Each night before bed, I would count and re-count the number of hours of sleep I would be able to obtain before I had to wake up in the morning, always ensuring to squeeze in at least five hours. Ever since the breakup however, I had been over-sleeping in a sense. My sleeping schedule that was so mechanically planned out had been thrown out of whack and sent spiralling down the drain.

Both my mother and father had taken it upon themselves to pull me out of my slumber for the necessary meals that I barely ate, however yesterday my mother had decided that enough was enough. It was only wishful thinking to assume that she would leave me be and allow me to wallow in self-pity for much longer.

I lethargically sat up and rested against the wooden headboard as my eyes lazily drunk in the appearance of my mom. Her blonde hair was pulled neatly into a ballerina bun, with her glasses tucked securely into her coat pocket. The dark circles that were becoming prominent beneath her eyes were camouflaged under concealer that mimicked her skin tone to a T, successfully adding a youthful glowing mask to the aging skin beneath. Her eyes were clear and focused and she had officially stepped into her professional attire for the gruesome work day ahead.

With one hand cocked on her hip, she studied my features as I had done hers. She carefully scrutinized every last detail of my exhausted state, from my crumpled attire to the raw pinkness of my skin from the previous day’s activities. Her eyes softened slightly, as she dropped her professional persona and engulfed me into a tight embrace.

I melted into the arms of my mother, grateful for her warmth and love. My mind still heavily ridden with drowsiness dulled my senses and nearly caused me to miss my mother’s words of comfort. She mumbled into my hair, and I had to pull away slightly to hear.

“You have thirty minutes to get ready for school darling” she lulled, as if coaxing me to sleep. My mind took a few moments to process her words, which in fact, were not words of comfort.

“What do you mean mom? I’m not going to school” I opposed, hastily scrambling out of her embrace. I pulled the comforters securely around my body as if to protect me from her carefully planned argument.

“This isn’t up for discussion honey. I called the school and informed them that your ‘stomach bug’ had gone and that you’d received clearing from a doctor to return”

“But mom-”

“I said it wasn’t up for discussion Georgia. I’m sorry but I’m not going to lie to the school any longer, plus you’re missing out on school work during the most vital year of your education” she rebutted.

My shoulders sagged in defeat as I knew fully well that I was fighting a losing battle. “I’m not ready” I broke, tears pooling beneath my lids. I closed my eyes and tilted my head towards the ceiling, willing my tears to return to their rightful places.

I was tired of crying, tired of trying not to cry and ironically, tired of sleeping, but still, I tried one last time, “It’s Friday, please, just give me one more day” I begged.