While I'm Here

Chapter 1: Surprise At Breakfast

Beep. Beep. Beep.

I groan as lift my arm from under my pillow. I allow my arm to flail as I refuse to open my eyes and guide it to my phone to shut off the alarm. Still feeling around my nightstand, I finally get a firm grasp on my phone. I pull it towards my face, and strain my eyes by opening them and exposing them to the dim, yet blinding, morning light. I click the home button and halt the repetitive piano riff that wakes me every morning. I'm starting to get sick of it. But I won't have to hear it again for a while.

It brings me joy to remind myself that today is the last day of my middle school life. I am so ready for a long break from learning. Being able to wake up at any time of the day is what excites me the most. Not to mention getting to stay in bed even after I've awoken. A growing 14 year old should not have to force herself to get up so early in the morning. It's just inhumane.

Nevertheless, I gracefully leave my warm and comfortable bed sheets and slip into my bunny slippers as I walk towards my closet. And by graceful, I mean zombie-like. Complete with the messy, tangled hair, walking with a tired limp, and moaning as if I were dying.

On my way to my closet I pass by my full-length mirror. I take one glance at my reflection and cringe. I imagine that everyone feels ugly in the mornings, with droopy eyes and drool dried against the side of their cheek. It reminds me to first head to the bathroom to wash my face.

As I walk through the doorway to the personal bathroom I'm fortunate enough to have, I trip and almost fall on the cold tile floor. I steady myself by grabbing onto the marble counter. I fix the blue carpet in front of the sink and then turn on the faucet. I wet my washcloth that rests alongside the sink and add some soap.

The dreadful feeling of exhaustion is slightly washed away as my face becomes clean. There is something so soothing about the water that relaxes me and makes me less tired at the same time. The scent of the soap is very pleasant and puts me in a good mood as I dry my face.

Heading back to my closet, I notice clothes laid out on my bed. I become very curious and take a closer look. A gorgeous maroon t-shirt with a picture of a cat and a pair of new shorts stand before me. My mother must have gotten me special clothes for the last day of school.

I lock my bedroom door and pick up my new clothes. I exchange my pajama shirt and sweatpants with today's outfit. Both the t-shirt and shorts make me feel colder than before. I want to grab my jacket, but I know it must be near 90 degrees outside. I hear my stomach rumbling and I feel ready for breakfast. A good bowl of cereal and a glass of milk would be great right now. But before heading downstairs to the kitchen, I search underneath my bed for some shoes and trade my slippers for my brown flip-flops.

I step out of my room and approach the staircase. To my surprise, the scent of bacon fills the air. I smile with glee as I remember the special Last Day Of School Breakfast my mom makes for me every year. It always features chocolate chip pancakes, strawberries, blueberries, hash browns, banana, toast with jam, orange juice, and bacon of course. My favorite part is being able to spend time with my mom in the morning, as she has usually left for work already. It's unfortunate that Dad is still in Iraq and is missing this. Right now it's just my mom, Olive, and I.

Olive is my beautiful Persian cat. She is fluffy and white, almost like a cloud. She often blends in with the carpet in the living room and just lays there. There have been a few more days than we'd like to admit that we thought we lost her, when in reality, she was just relaxing in the living room. And most of the time, she acts more like a dog than a cat. She's pretty active and very friendly. I always enjoy having her near.

As I walk down the stairs, Olive comes and brushes up against my legs. I bend down to pet her for a moment, and then continue into the kitchen. The table that sits near the bay window has food piled on top. It all looks so appetizing, I can barely keep myself from immediately running to the table and starting without my mom.

"Good morning, Claire," Mom says with a huge grin on her face. Her skin seems to glow in the sunlight beaming in. Her favorite apron with a beautiful floral pattern is tied around her neck and back with a few jelly stains splattered across the front.

"Morning Mom," I say as I notice her buttering some whole wheat bread. This confuses me because Dad is the only one who eats whole wheat.

Mom hasn't stopped smiling and I know something is up. Impatiently, I ask, "What's going on here?"

She looks up again and says, "We have a surprise for you!"

"We?"

Suddenly I hear heavy footsteps behind me. "SURPRISE!" I turn around to see my father dressed in his US Army uniform. He is carrying a huge teddy bear and some flowers. I run up and give a hug and he squeezes me back.

"I've missed you, Claire!" he exclaims.

"I've missed you too, Dad." I see Olive perched on the countertop and she seems just as excited to see Dad as I am.

"Let's eat!" Mom says. We all sit at the table and say grace.