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Melanie sat impatiently on the stool in front of her mother, kicking her feet back and forth-back and forth.
"Hold still and look straight." Melanie's mother instructed as she forced her daughters head straight with the handful of chestnut brown hair she was currently braiding.
The clock in the corner ticked by slowly. The dust floating in a ray of sunlight from the living room window settled even slower. And her mom braided her head even slower than that. Melanie was sure at this rate she would miss school and her spelling test, which wouldn't be such a horrible thing. Except for the fact that she'd be sitting on this stool all day, that was a horrible thought and Melanie let out an exasperated breath, slumping her shoulders in the process.
"I said to sit still." Her mother snapped whipping her head up straight with a stiff tug of her hair. "There. Finished. Now grab your bag you are going to have to run to school in order to not be late."
Melanie did not hide her enthusiasm to be free of the stool and her mom's grasp as she hopped down and ran for her bag by the couch. Just as she was about to reach the front door her mom hollered after her. "Don't forget your breakfast." She said tossing her, her usual round golden breakfast.
The town streets were empty as most kids were already at school and the parents at work. Melanie ran until she was no longer in her mom's view and then slowed to a walk. She bit into her golden breakfast, trying to lick and slurp up all the juices. Melanie was a firm believer in what her mom always said, eating one a day kept the doctor away, and she HATED doctors. So like a good little girl Melanie never missed an ounce of her daily breakfast.
As Melanie neared the school she neared the end of her breakfast.
"Whatchya doing?" Simon a boy in Melanie's class asked as he ran up along side her.
"Eating my breakfast." Melanie rolled her eyes, wasn't it obvious. "Why are you late?"
"Took longer to feed the chickens than normal, you?"
"Mom braided my hair really slow."
Simon fell behind in step to admire her braid and let out a low whistle. "Sure is pretty, though." Then he ran to walk side by side with Melanie again. "Hey can I have a bite, I didn't get breakfast?"
Exasperated Melanie handed her classmate her breakfast and watched him take a bite. His face squished up in disgust and he spat out the food onto the ground.
"Ew. Gross," Simon wiped his mouth clean with his sleeve. "Why on earth are you eating an onion?"
"Mama always says eating one a day keeps the doctor away." Shrugged Melanie before grabbing back her breakfast and finishing it on her way to school.
