Roots

Roots - Chapter 1

Chapter One

The Assignment

88 Years Later

Good morning all you early birds, it's time to rise and shine to the hottest radio station in the Carolinas. Today is going to be another hot one, as the summer season is just around the corner, with a high of ninety-seven with a humidity of ninety-eight.

I pulled my arm back underneath my warm covers as I turned over in the bed after shutting off my alarm clock, attempting to sleep a little longer. Thinking in my mind, Okay just five more minutes, and then I have to get up or I'm going to be late, five more minutes that's not too much to ask for. As I closed my eyes to try to get back to the amazing dream that I was having of me becoming prom queen, something that had never in my life happened, however that's what made the dream so much sweeter.  Despite me having great friends, a girl like me, the school's second in line of becoming valedictorian wasn't ever in a million years going to be voted prom queen, at least not outside of the movies.

"Lisa, are you awake yet? We're leaving in thirty minutes!" I heard my mother calling from the bottom of the stairs.

"Mom, I'm not going to school today, I'm sick." I tried to lie to her, even providing the couple of fake coughs, really not wanting to go to school today.

"Lisa, you are not sick, now come on get up. If I have to come up there and check on you then you are grounded. Now move!" She said in her already stressed voice.

I didn't see why I needed to go to school today. It wasn't like I never went, in fact out of all twelve years of school from K-12 I've only missed one day, and that was when both my grandmother and grandfather had passed away when I was in third grade. Besides, it's also not really going to affect my grades at all if I miss a test or a quiz or even anything. I had straight A's. Okay that's a lie, I had all A's and one B, and the B was in stupid World History.

I just didn't see why we needed to know about World History when I am perfectly fine with living in America. Yet, here I was a senior in high school in the next to last month of the semester. I had already planned on where I was going to in the fall which was the University of Southern California. I wanted to get away from here as much as possible, to be able to live out a care-free life. Sure, the school was one of the best in North America, which was probably the only reason why my mother bought the whole idea, but the real reason that I choose it was because it was on the opposite side of the country and no one was going to tell me when to study or give me grief about not being disciplined. In fact, I pretty much plan on partying and slacking off the entire first semester, at least enjoying not being expected to make all A's for once in my life.

"Lisa, ten minutes!" My mom called from downstairs.

Crap! I'm so going to be late; I thought as I swung my covers off and jumped out of bed heading for my clothes and the bathroom.

Ugh, today was going to be another hot and humid spring day. Which I don't even think you can call it spring when it's as hot as summer, but that's just my opinion. As I looked in the mirror, to decide if I even wanted to put on my makeup all I could see was a young, girl with deep blue eyes, the hair the color of dark auburn, the creamy light tan skin from laying out all the time, and the lips that held many secrets of the longings I desired, I wasn't the ugliest girl in school, but I was certainly not the prettiest, at least not in my opinion. I took a deep breath, as I was preparing myself for today, okay only eight hours and then I can be free of boredom; I coached myself.

"Lisa, we need to leave now. Come on." My mom said impatiently.

"Coming!" I quickly shouted back.  I quickly ran the brush through my hair before grabbing my book-bag and rushing down the stairs and out the door to our gold and red minivan.