𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗚𝗘𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟, incoming fic

prologue,

                    FRESHMAN YEAR was something that Mikayla Holloway wasn't looking forward to throughout her entire summer. 

The chatters of her peers at youth summer camp echoed in her mind, tales of awkward encounters and overwhelming situations they had faced when they were in their freshman year made her panic even more. While the media painted high school as a thrilling adventure, Mikayla felt more like a ship lost at sea, drifted in a world where she'd soon be the youngest amongst a sea of older and more experienced students.

The thought of trading her status as being in the oldest class group in middle school for the unfamiliar territory of being the youngest made her stomach churned. She envisioned herself navigating the crowded corridors, dwarfed by towering seniors with their laughter ringing in her ears.

Her father, Andrew Holloway, tried to offer solace through biblical stories, drawing parallels that only tangled her thoughts further. At times, his comparisons felt like riddles, leaving her more confused than comforted.

Meanwhile, her mother, Naomi, attempted to reassure her with the promise of her older sister, Rebecca as a guiding light. But the idea of relying on Rebecca felt more like a curse than a blessing. Mikayla imagined her older sister's teasing, the playful jabs that would only grow her frustration towards her even more. She just longed for the quiet safety of her own space instead.

Sometimes, Mikayla wished she could press pause in her life and just lingered in the blissful ignorance of summer a little bit longer. The chaos of family preparations for her freshman year felt like a whirlwind and she couldn't shake the feeling that she was stepping into a world where she'd have to fight to find her place.

Nestled in her twin sized bed, the soft blue pastel sheets enveloped her like a cozy cloud. Mikayla was in a peaceful slumber, her dark curly hair splayed across the pillow with a small smile spread across her face, hinting at sweet dreams. 

Suddenly, the tranquility was shattered by the familiar sound of her sister, Rebecca, standing above her. "Mikayla. . ." She sweetly teased yet  earned a groan of annoyance from Mikayla, who buried her face deeper into her pillow, wishing to drift back into her dreams. "MIKAYLA!" The sudden volume jolted the young girl awake.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she shot an exasperated look. "What?" She mumbled.

Rebecca stood there with a playful smirk, clearly enjoying the chaos of waking her sister. "Why are you still asleep, Mom and Dad have been calling you for an hour. You're about to be last for your first day in high school."

"WHAT?" Mikayla's heart raced as she looked over at her digital clock that was placed on her nightstand to read that it was 8.30AM before realization hit her that she had overslept!

"Wait—how did that happen?" She thought aloud. For years, Mikayla created a strict routine that planned out her entire week, so she didn't understand how she could have missed setting up her alarm clock last night.

Maybe it was because she was so worried about starting high school that she just forgot.

Rebecca was already dressed and had her gaze fixated on her phone screen. "You already missed the bus and Mom's waiting for you outside the car, she said if you don't come out in 5, she'll be leaving without you!" She exited out of the room.

Hopping out of bed, Mikayla scrambled through her closet, throwing on a random assortment of clothes—a pink slightly oversized shirt, grey denim jeans and mismatched socks. With no time to spare, she dashed down the stairs, her bare feet slapping against the cool wood.

In the kitchen, she swung opened the pantry's door and reached for the cereal box. Deciding to take a shortcut, she poured it directly into her mouth, the crunchy flakes tumbling down her throat. Milo followed, splashing a bit over her chin and dripping down her newly bought shirt.

With a mouthful of Fruit Loops, she grabbed her toothbrush, shoving it in her mouth while simultaneously attempting to tie the laces of her sneakers. She hopped around the kitchen, a whirlwind of chaos and determination but her balance faltered making her tumble to the ground with a soft thud. "Ow. . ." She whispered.

Just then, Andrew, bursted into the kitchen, sporting in his pajamas and wielded a plunger that he grabbed from the bathroom like a weapon as his eyes alarmingly widened. "What are you doing?!" He shouted, mistaking his daughter for an intruder.

Mikayla scrambled back onto her feet as she tried to explain through her half chewed breakfast. "I'm getting ready for school!" But as she turned to glance out the kitchen window, the darkness outside hit her like a wave; it was pitch black. 

Her father's incredulous look formed into his usual deadpanned expression. "Mikayla, you are aware that school doesn't start until next week and definitely not at 3AM. You violated my eight hours of precious sleep, you do know that these eight hours are the only time where I can finally be left alone—"

His sentence was interrupted by a shout that echoed from upstairs, unmistakably her mother's voice as she was awakened by the commotion caused by Mikayla alongside Levi running into her room and tried to pull her out of bed. 

"Levi, it's fine—no, I wanna sleep!" Naomi pleaded as she tried to explain to her youngest that it was only Mikayla and that it wasn't some random guy that broke into their home.

Andrew whistled, grabbing his daughter's attention again. "What's going on?"

Mikayla clinched her brows. "Rebecca was the one who woke me up, she told me that we have school—she changed my alarm clock!" She told.

Herself, Andrew, Naomi and Levi quietly tiptoed into Rebecca's room to find the teenage girl sprawled across her bed while fast asleep.

"But it was Rebecca who told me it was school today! She's the one who changed the alarm clock!" She desperately explained but her words hung in the air.

Naomi rolled her eyes, her patience was thinning as all she wanted to do was head back to bed. "Goodnight, Mikayla." She replied, her tone a mix of weariness and impatience. Andrew exchanged a glance with Naomi before following her out of the room, leaving the three siblings alone.

Levi shook his head in disappointment, a silent judgment etched on his young face before he too slipped away, leaving Mikayla alone in the older girl's room. With a groan of frustration, she turned on her heel and headed off to bed.

As the white wooden door clicked shut behind her, a small smirk crept onto Rebecca's lips, a silent acknowledgement of her plan being a total success.

authors note. thanks for reading! totally did not got this idea from the opening scene of the diary of a wimpy kid movie. . .