"I like my girls just like I like my Honey..."
Honey Castillo has always played it safe, focusing on her studies and sorority duties, until fate brings All-Star, Amor Wilson, into her life as a patient, forcing her to choose between keeping her prof...
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Honey's alarm chirped at exactly 5:15 AM, but her eyes were already open, staring at the ceiling of her apartment bedroom. The early morning light hadn't even begun to peek through her blush pink curtains, but that was nothing new. Fourth-year nursing students didn't have the luxury of sleeping in, especially not ones who maintained a 3.9 GPA while holding an executive position in Alpha Kappa Alpha.
"Bonnet check," she whispered to herself, running her fingers along the edges of her silk bonnet before swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Her roommate, Tayler, always teased her about this morning ritual, but Honey knew better than to risk her carefully maintained box braids getting frizzy. She'd spent too much time and money last weekend to let that happen.
The familiar scent of coffee already wafted through their apartment – Tayler must have set the timer last night. That girl might sleep like the dead, but she never forgot to prep the coffee maker. It was one of the many reasons they'd remained roommates since sophomore year.
Honey padded quietly to their shared bathroom, her USC Nursing sweatpants swishing softly against her ankles. The mirror reflected back a face that looked more awake than she felt – big brown eyes that her mama always said could charm the stars right out of the sky, high cheekbones she'd inherited from her Abuelita, and full lips that were currently pressed into a determined line. She had exactly forty-five minutes to get ready before she needed to head to the simulation lab.
As she went through her morning routine, Honey mentally reviewed her schedule for the day. Simulation lab from 7 AM to 10 AM, where they'd be practicing advanced cardiac life support scenarios. Then a quick change into her clinical whites for rounds at USC Keck Medical Center from 11 AM to 4 PM. After that, she had a two-hour break before the Alpha Kappa Alpha executive board meeting at 6:30 PM, where they'd be finalizing details for Saturday's party.
The party. Just thinking about it made her shoulders tense slightly as she applied her moisturizer. As Second Vice President, she was responsible for ensuring everything ran smoothly. It wasn't just any party – it was their chapter's annual scholarship fundraiser, and this year they were expecting several prominent alumni to attend.
"Girl, you're thinking so loud I can hear you from my room," Tayler's voice broke through her thoughts. Her roommate appeared in the bathroom doorway, her own bonnet slightly askew from sleep. "Please tell me you're not already stressing about Saturday."
Honey couldn't help but smile. "Good morning to you too, T. And I'm not stressing, I'm planning. There's a difference."
"Mhmm," Tayler hummed, unconvinced. "That's why you've been holding that moisturizer bottle without actually using it for the past minute?"
Caught, Honey finally squeezed some of the cream into her palm. "I just want everything to be perfect. You know how important this fundraiser is."
"And it will be perfect because you're in charge of it," Tayler assured her, stepping into the bathroom to start her own morning routine. "The chapter didn't give you that position for nothing."
