My Country Paradise

Chapter 1: Meet Me

No one knows my name. No one seems to even notice I exist-but I do. My name is Alli Owens. I have thin dirty blond hair that hangs at my shoulders. My hair isn't perfect like everyone else's-it's short and choppy. Not to mention I'm slightly over-weight, I don't play any sports, and I'm just straight out self-conscious. Welcome to my life. What I didn't know was that it was all about to change.

My alarm clock rang out like a dying buzzard, shaking me unwillingly from my slumber. It was 6:15- too early. The only thing that convinced me to get up was that it was the last day of school. Meaning it was my last day of misery.

"Alli! Are you up and ready for your last day of high school?" My mother, a middle-aged, social woman with thin hair like mine called from down the stairs.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I grumbled in reply. I swung my feet over my queen sized bed and dragged myself to the bathroom. Slipping into the shower, I thought about the day ahead of me. It would probably consist of me walking around with my head down, and smiling away like I was so happy to be there. And truthfully, I wasn't. I had grown sick of trying to please everyone. All I really wanted to please now was God. I had given up on this world. I shook myself back into reality and finished getting ready for school. I wore a t-shirt and worn tennis shoes that I was embarrassed about, but their seemed to be nothing I could do about it. I jogged down the stairs to be greeted by my hyper younger sister, Joy. The freckle-faced eighth grader was just like her mother-social. She looked at me speculatively through large hazel eyes.

"You're wearing that on your last day of school?"

"Yeah, what's the big occasion?" I asked as I shrugged my shoulders and quickly grabbed a banana. Way to raise my self-confidence. I waved Joy over to the door.

"Come on, we're going to be late to my last day of school," I said sarcastically and she rolled her eyes. I opened the door and she marched out ahead of me.

"When it's my last day of high school it's going to be so much more special than yours." I groaned and hurried her into the car, my small Honda.

"Enough about your glory days, Joy."

"Whatever."

A few minutes later, after I had dropped Joy off at the middle school, I pulled into the Norman High School parking lot.

"Here we go." I sighed, quickly finishing up my half eaten banana. I turned off the car and slowly got out, hauling my large backpack out of the back seat. Heading towards the entrance, I watched as best friends gossiped in tight circles, and couples held hands lovingly. If anyone neared me, I quickly looked down unable to hold anyone's gaze. How could it be that I was so shy here, but so not shy at home?

The rest of my day passed uneventfully. I came home, greeted by my oldest sister, Alyssa, a sophomore in college. She had short brown smooth hair with cute hazel eyes, just like mine and Joy's.

"How was your last day of high school?" she asked in mock excitement. I slipped my backpack off my shoulders and looked at Alyssa.

"Fine," I shrugged. Joy came in the door after me.

"Guess what? My day was great! We had a yearbook party and everyone signed mine," she waved the yearbook in front of our faces, revealing the scribbles of at least a hundred kid's names. I merely gazed at them and then headed to the kitchen where my mom was busy baking something. The aroma wafted through the air towards me.

"What are you making?" I asked curiously. My Mom wasn't much of a baker so there must be some occasion.

"Well," she said slowly, catching my full attention, "You're going to spending the summer at your aunts and she'll be coming by to pick you all up." My eyes widened in surprise. The whole summer?

"Why are you just now telling me about this Mom?" I nearly growled. She looked at me innocently.

"I thought you would happy." I gave her a last annoyed glance before heading up to my room to pack. This was ridiculous. I had never been to my aunts before and wasn't exactly excited about going now. Aunt Darcy lived out in the middle of no where! Was she trying to isolate us? I stuffed nearly all my summer wardrobe into my suitcase, grabbing other necessities along the way. This was going to be one eventful summer. Boy, did I have no idea.