50 Days of M

Day Zero

"Bronwyn," my mother called from the dining room. "Could you come here for a minute?"

I got up from my seat on the couch in the living room. I slowly navigated my way through the maze of boxes to get to the living room. I reached my mother, who was sitting at the dining room table. She had papers strewn everywhere, probably preparing for her new teaching job.

"Come here, honey," my mom motioned to the seat next to her. I walked over and sat down in the seat. "I know the move has been very hard on you, but I know you will have a great first day tomorrow at your new school."

I just nodded and started twirling my hair around my finger. It was starting to loose its red color. My blonde was clearly showing through.

"Is there anything you need for school tomorrow? We can run out and get some stuff from the drug store. It's open until nine o clock." My mother and I both glanced at the clock hanging from the wall. It was 6:30.

"I think I might need a couple more notebooks," I said. "I used a good deal of my notebooks throughout the school year, back in Ohio."

"Okay. Let's go." My mother grabbed her purse and pulled out her car keys. We made our way through the maze again and towards the front door.

We left the house and walked to the blue Toyota Corolla sitting in the drive way. I made my way into the passenger's seat, while my mom started the car.

"Do you know where the drug store is?" I asked my mother. She turned the corner and we came to another row of houses.

"Yes actually," she responded. "I just turned left so now I just have to turn another left and I'll be on the highway with the drug store."

I sighed. "Mom, you just made a right turn."

My mom was silent for a minute. Then she made a U-turn and just kept driving straight. She turned left at the other corner, and we came to the highway.

"See," my mother said as she made her turn on to the highway. "I'd be lost without you. You're my GPS."

We both laughed after we said that.

"Well your GPS could also use a change in hair color," I said.

"I think that would be okay."

I smiled to myself. At least I could start off the new school with a bang.

My mom pulled into the parking lot of the drug store and we filed out of the car.

"I'll go get your notebooks and you can look at the hair dye. I'll meet you over there, okay?" my mother informed me.

"Sounds like a plan." I smiled to my mother. She smiled back at me.

I knew times were tough now, so I would have to pick a hair color that would last. I walked into the store, heading towards the hair care products.

I reached the area I was looking for and found the hair dye. There more colors here than there were back in Ohio. 'You never know what you will find in Florida,' I thought to myself.

I looked through the rainbow array of colors, trying to find the right one to make an outstanding first impression that wouldn't break my mother's bank account. I might be a shy person at first, but my hair definitely doesn't show any sign of shyness.

"Did you find the color you want?" my mother asked me. I jumped in surprised I didn't expect her to be standing there so quickly. I turned around to face her. She was holding up nine notebooks. "They were buy one get two free. At one dollar a piece, I couldn't resist."