Author's spiel : Every comment is my new favorite from y'all! I laugh too hard when my notifications update, some also make me think... so you might see your plot ideas in the remaining chapters...
Happy reading from the beaches of Aruba!
•EDITED•
Zahra's POV
There are few things that I am certain of in this life, things that no one could challenge or take away from me even on my worst day. You'd probably guess the healthy state of my curls, determination to finish college, or even my ability to hold onto the individuality I fought so hard to get.
Case in point, you would be wrong.
The truth is I knew my parents would always hold some disdain for me as their youngest failure of a daughter. Consequently, they would never stop comparing me to the idea they still desperately held onto of what I should be. Of what they'd tried to mold me into since I could talk.
Above all else, I'm completely certain that coming to the twentieth annual Joseph barbecue with all the members of my dad's side of the family, in short, would be a disaster.
I knew they'd stick their nose in my business and ask everything under the sun about my life outside of the education I'd been pursuing the last four years. Then my aunts definitely would ask me about a man in my life and I surely couldn't say I'd jumped his bones and dipped the next day.
It would be entertaining to say the least but in no way sensible or dignified to Ines Joseph who would never let me hear the end of it. She'd probably remind me of that low moment on my deathbed if she outlived me, dad, and my older siblings.
So yes, for all the reasons I've disclosed and the ones I wished it could forget, I should've absolutely told my big sisters Sabryna and Gisele to go to hell when they asked me if I'd already booked my flight home for the event. Of course my stunning siblings didn't have the first idea of the bad times I'd had with our parents and were confused as to why I was fighting so hard against their wishes.
Golden girls in their own rights, Sab and Zel were always the more popular of the daughters of Ines and Calvin Joseph and I was all but plain next to them. Never treated lesser or put down by either of them but I just never stood out. Not in anything really, outside of my academics and volunteer work whereas they had it all.
Cheerleaders, mathematician co-presidents, and pageant winners in their own rights. Sabryna and Gisele even made time to volunteer at the boys and girls club by our house where they were the sweetest most loved volunteers in the whole organization. In my parents' eyes, I was lackluster next to my sisters and I never grew out of it. Never had the chance to be who I wanted to be until I graduated high school early to start college as early as possible.
This was all I could think as I twirled my fingers around the cord of my charger and chewed on my bottom lip anxiously.
"I don't think I'm coming, you guys. I have a lot of work to catch up on and going home won't finish any of it in time."
Even that sounded like bullshit to me and I knew they agreed when I heard two synchronized huffs from the other line. Sabryna, as per usual, led their rebuttal over Gisele.
"Zaza, you are the smartest person in the world, way smarter than us both but that doesn't mean you aren't deserving of a break. Come hang with us please!!"
Gisele cut in before I could argue further.
"Yea, please? It's so much more boring without you here, sis! Malik and Grant are being more annoying than usual in your absence and aren't letting up anytime soon. We all miss you like crazy, superstar!"
YOU ARE READING
Noah's Lifeline
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