Amanda

Awakening anxiety

As I slowly awaken, the sweet scent of a delicacy fills the air, teasing my senses.

"What's cooking?" I wonder, my eyes slowly opening to adjust to the bright light of their lamp.

"Yes, add that," I hear Nicole and chika discussing. What could they be doing?.

"Transfer those in."

"Okay, what of these ones?"

"Leave them, let's do this first."

I take in my surroundings, finding myself on the bed beside my mom, both of us snug under the blanket to ward off the chilly morning air.

I sit up, resting my back against the headboard, and rub my eyes gently.

Chika then turns to me, "You're awake," she says with a smile.

I yawn, "yeah." 

"Add that too," Nicole chimes in, and Chika turns back to whatever she was doing.

"Are you tired of sleeping?" Nicole asks, eyeing me with a hint of amusement.

"And that," she tells Chika.

I stretch, "nope. What's cooking?"

"We're making pepper roll."

I raise an eyebrow, "Isn't it too early for that?"

She chuckles, "This is university, Mandy. Nothing is too early."

I glance at Chika, who's busily working on something. "Aren't you guys tired?" 

Nicole nods, "We are, but we have to do this. Now, go back to bed. You've got exams today, rest your brain."

"Sleep, o!" Chika chimes in with a playful chuckle.

As I settle back into bed, I remember, "What about my phone? Are you done with it?"

"Yeah, it's fully charged, so don't worry. Just sleep."

I smile, feeling grateful that she kept her word.

With one last sniff of the aromatic air, I let sleep embrace me once more.

💤💤💤💤💤💤💤💤💤💤💤💤

As I slowly awaken, I feel a sudden rush of anxiety, washing over me like a cold shower. My stomach churns, feeling like I need to rush to the bathroom, and fear grips my heart.

I glance to the side of the bed, seeing my mom already up and rummaging through our bags. One of my sisters sits at the table, engrossed in something I can't quite see.

I sit up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "Good morning, Mom," I greet, my voice shaking slightly.

She turns to me, putting on a black sleeveless top and wrapper.

"Good morning, dear. You should get ready now so we can leave early." She doesn't look ready herself.

"Uhm chika?" I call out to the person at the table, unsure of who it actually is.

"It's Nicole o,"

"and she went to class early."

"What about your pepper roll?"I ask.

"She took it with her."

I sigh, feeling my anxiety spike. I rest my back on the bed headboard, trying to calm down.

The song "Control" by Zoe Wees echoes in my mind.

"Early in the morning I still get a little bit nervous.