Over Again by Kiana Orange

Chapter 4

I fixed my frizzy hair into a high pony-tail since it didn't feel like cooperating today. Hell, I didn't feel like cooperating on my first day of school in a different country.

Dad let us settle in our new military home for about 2 weeks. While everyone was settling into the house, I was trying to settle into this town.

Right after Dad told me the big news, I immediately looked up this Holmes Chapel town and this Cheshire county. It looked legit, in my opinion. Some part of me felt good to be apart of this small community instead of living in a big place like ATL.

"Jasmine," said dad as he opened the door to my almost unpacked room. "Would you mind helping your sister with her hair? You know I was never good as your mother when it came to hair-"

"Yeah, I'll do it." I said. I followed him out of my room with my brush still in my hand and walked down the narrow hall to Vanessa's room. I opened up the door to find her looking into her mirror that was attached to her small vanity.

"Good morning, Princess Vanessa." I greeted. She smiled at me as I stood behind her and started working on her hair.

"Mommy used to do my hair.." She first said. I tried not to focus on her words and continued to brush.

"What do you think happened to her?" She soon asked while I slightly teased her hair to make it a bit more frizzy.

"I'm not sure, but you know what she told me before she left? She told me, Marcus, Isaac, Eric, DJ, and Daddy that we take the best care of you and never stop loving you." I answered. She said nothing.

I finished her hair off by braiding two of her front hairs and pinning one of them to the back of her head.

"Now, you look beautiful." I told her. She turned around and smiled at me once again before she stood on her chair and wrapped me into a hug.

"Thank you, Jazzy." she whispered into my ear. I smiled in return and placed a kiss to her forehead.

"C'mon, the day care people are gonna be wondering where you are if we don't go downstairs." I said. She hopped off of the chair and dashed out of the room. I then followed her downstairs to the kitchen where everyone ate breakfast. I took a spot beside Eric where he, along with everyone else, ate their breakfast in silence.

"Isaac, Jasmine, I need you to pick up Vanessa on your way home from school today, alright?" Dad ordered. Isaac and I nodded. "You guys should head out now. Eric, DJ, go grab your bikes. Marcus take Vanessa down to cdc." Dad advised.

We six of us quickly finished eating, then said our goodbyes before we all went our separate ways. Unfortunately, the military wouldn't let us keep the second car unless someone other than Dad knew how to drive outside of the U.S, so while Eric and DJ rode their bikes, Isaac and I had to walk to school.

"Why do you think Dad's being so strict ever since we moved here?" Isaac asked me as another car drove past us. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Probably because he's just trying to settle into our new household. Or probably because he's trying to adjust to working late at night. Or maybe because he's trying to adapt to taking care of his six kids who are trying to live their lives after their mother died almost a year ago!" I suddenly snapped. He said nothing.

It had been over 8 months since Sam's death, and it was tough trying to mention her without breaking down. But somehow I managed to fix the sentences I gave when I did talk about her. Like, instead of saying she 'died', I fixed it to she 'left'. Or instead of accepting condolences, I fixed them to accepting compliments. It was an odd coping mechanism, but if it made me feel positive and helped me forget, then it was good enough for me.