The Quiet One

Chapter 1: First Day 1/2

I stared at myself in the mirror. I smiled once, but it wasn't good enough, so I tried again with a different smile that still only brought disappointment. Maybe I didn't need to worry about my smile. I adjusted my blue-jean skirt, brushing off the little pieces of lint that had fallen upon it earlier. I stretched down my crop top, feeling unusually nude from not being use to even mildly revealing clothing.

"Relax. You look beautiful and you'll be just fine." Chuckled a voice coming from behind me. I continued to inspect every part of myself through the mirror as Candy popped out her head from behind me.

"It's just not... me. I don't know if I can do this." I sighed while tugging on my shirt even more. I adjusted my curls, which did not want to stay in place. If only I could've been blessed with the luxury of easy to deal with straight here. Instead I have a lineage of many ethnicities that leaves me having a skin tone that's too light to be black but too dark to be white. I don't even know what I am.

"Just be confident. You're the one who said you wanted to change things up a bit, Alyson. You've changed, and now you've just got to make it through part two, keeping it up."  She smiles brightly bringing a warm feeling over me, letting loose all the tension throughout my body. "See, now you look even better and less stressed. I guess it can go without saying that I told you so." She laughs deceitfully as I can't help but laugh too.

"Shut up know-it-all." I laugh before hearing footsteps approach my door. "Go! Quick!" I whisper in a panicked way at Candy, while she begins to vanish into thin air. My mom knocks then enters my room.

"Who were you talking to Alyson?" She glances around the room with confusion.

"Um, Siri. I was just, uh, j-just asking how long it, uh would take to wal-walk to the sssschool." My stuttering kicks in. It's not that the problem decided to stop by whenever I was lying. Matter of fact, the only time when I don't stutter is whenever I'm angry or talking to Candy.

"Oh don't be silly, you don't have to walk. Your uncle Julian will be taking you, and by car of course. He'll be here soon."

"N-No! Why uncle Julian? Can't you t-take me?" I almost get too loud and aggravated but I slow down and try to breathe.

"No, didn't I tell you my new position as manager starts today? I don't have time to make any stops on the way. I don't know what bothers you about him so much anyway. Seems like you use to love him even more than you loved me, but I'll see you later Hun. Buh-bye." She leaves without letting me get another word in. I begin to tear up just a little bit at the thought of being stuck in a car with my uncle every morning for the next four years of my life. Maybe I should really find out how long it takes to walk.

*Ding Dong*

The doorbell sounds and I wipe away any remaining water from my eyes, and fan them for assurance. "I'll see you later, Candy." I smile then go to the door. There he is tall, dark hair, the same grin plastered across his face as always. The same old black leather jacket accompanied by a plain black shirt and dark blue jeans. His faded beard and 'stache combo fit the look he was going for well.

"Are you going to stand there and stare at me or are you going to let me in?" His easy-going British accent pierces through the dreaded silence. A wave of fear and old instincts lead me to lock the screen door that still separated us.

"You c-can wait out th-th-there. I'll only be a minute to g-get my shoes and book bag, bag." I scold him down as he makes a facial gesture as if he's innocent. Like I'm the one making a big deal over nothing. But, it's not nothing and I can never let it go. Ever. He laughs amused at my behavior, while I go to get my things. I walk out the house locking the door behind me, and walk straight past him without eye contact, and make my way into his car. I continue to refuse to look at him, but I can just hear him laughing as he comes into the car too.