Do we truly know those we consider as our family?
This is the last year before the beginning of the rest of Cara and Mia lives!
Mia Carter still has one more year to spend on Angel Island before leaving, with her best friend, for Montreal to pursue...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
CHAPTER 1 - How can such a perfect day take such a macabre turn?
☼ ﹏﹏﹏
Mia - Tuesday, 7:03 AM
Today will be a perfect day.
The blue sky only confirms my intuition. I woke up before my alarm due to the sunlight filtering through the blinds that I forgot to close last night.
Instead of going back to sleep, I'm enjoying the peaceful calm that reigns in the house. I can hear my father getting out of bed and heading to the shower, while my mother, who worked late last night, continues to sleep.
Looking at my phone, I see messages from the Snapchat group with my friends getting ready for a meeting at the café near the high school. With Anna returning from vacation and Alison finishing her part-time job, it was time for a big reunion! This good news finally motivates me to get out of bed and take a shower.
I'm lucky to have half of the second floor to myself, including my own bathroom. Despite my parents' modest income, we don't lack comfort on the island.
I turn on my speaker before slipping under the warm water, as it plays "You Know It" by Colony House, and I enjoy the music and the water.
After getting out of the shower, I let the girls know that I'll be at the café in about half an hour, and they say they'll be there too.
I love it when everything goes perfectly.
I grab a light blue pair of pants, my favorite backless top, and the open-toe wedge shoes that the girls gave me for my last birthday. With my bag and phone in hand, I head towards the café.
The warm early September air welcomes me as I step out of my house. Here, on Angel State Island, the August weather lasts until mid-September, and I'm not complaining.
Summer remains my favorite season, tied with autumn, of course. I start the car and speed towards the café, listening to the music of Chase Atlantic. I forgot to mention, I live my life through music.
The warm air caresses my skin, and I can feel the vitamin seeping through my pores. I push open the glass door and make a grand entrance into the café, where the girls are already waiting for me at our usual table.
I greet them by hugging each one of them, starting with Anna, who spent the summer away from us, and then Alison, who has been busy with her full-time part-time job at the hospital where my mother works.
Cara and Heather both welcome me at the same time. We spent most of the summer together, getting in shape for our final year of high school.
We order our usual breakfast: a cold caramel coffee and some waffles to share. It's the best meal/breakfast/dinner ever. Anna, who looks happy today, asks us how our summer went. She often has mood swings due to her bipolar disorder, but she is also the most sensitive among us. Last year, we grew closer by choosing the same Law option. Cara responds while stretching, "Beach, tanning, and sleeping... on repeat! It was exhausting."
