Caiti Takes The White House

Introduction

     Today was a day that was filled to the brim with anxiousness. I don't understand how I managed to get through the day as calm as I did. Everywhere I went I was greeted with encouraging terms such as "good luck," "I know he'll get it," & my personal favorite "my parents voted for Kimberly." Every teacher was giving me great words of encouragement to help ease my mind from the long night ahead.
Over the past several weeks, Washington High School was buzzing with the news of daddy running for President. Ever since the word got out that daddy had won the role as the 2016 Republican candidate, the subject wouldn't go away. I had become the talk of the school  & everyone wanted to know what my plans were if my father really did get office. I had plans alright, I just didn't want people to know them until they were executed.
The school bell rang at exactly 3 o'clock, the same time it did everyday, but this time it felt different. The sound of the bell meant that school was over & it was time to go home, but for me it meant that school is over & a new journey is just around the bend. My last period of the day was band class. Yes, I am a band nerd & will always be one. I packed up my clarinet & brought it along with all of my other notebooks. My principal instructed me to take home all of my materials including my textbooks so that I could still learn at home. For my safety, I would be schooled from home, receiving my assignments via email.
I was walking down the halls with all of my textbooks. All of the items that were in my locker were now crammed into my large pink backpack. I was leaving the high school for what could be the last time. I was walking with my best friend Angie. We finally had made it to the main hall the led out to the parking lot. To our surprise, all of my teachers were lining both sides of the hall to wish me good luck. They all cheered & smiled as we turned the corner. I handed all of my books to Angie who happily took them. I walked up to each one to be greeted with a hug & a good luck. I reached the end of the line & turned around to give one last wave. They began to all sing the "Kimberly for me" jingle as we headed out of the door.
Angie followed me to my car, a refurbished 1957 Chevy Bel Air. I opened the trunk & threw all of my books in the back. Angie & I hugged before we parted.
"Good luck girl," she whispered.
"Thanks! I will call you tonight!"
"Anytime!"
I loaded myself into my car & drove home. My house was about ten minutes away from school. It was a nice little drive that gave me time to relax. I was not going to get much relaxation tonight.    
The final votes were being counted for the 2016 election, which was coming to a close. The race was tight between my father Jack Kimberly (Republican) and Prichard Dixon (Democratic) We are all huddled together in the living room around the television. The group consisted of my mother, grandparents (on my Father's side), some of daddy's party supporters, & I, all of which were huddling around our little electric campfire. We were watching to see what the results were. On the screen was a map of the United States which displayed which party had won each state. Blue for Democratic & red for Republican.
The television suddenly flashed with the message of daddy winning California. We were all jumping for joy. I ran over to the phone in the hallway to call my best friend Angie to tell her of the news. After each state had been won, I would run & call her.
     "Hello!"
     "Hey Angie! It's Caiti! Are you watching?"
     "Yeah! Congrats on winning Cali!"
     "Thanks! We're getting closer and closer."
     "Yeah! I'm still cheering you on!"
     "Thanks! See you later. Bye!"
     "Bye Caiti!"
     Angie had always been my best friend; she was the first friend I made once I moved to my new school up in Virginia. She has always been there for me & vice versa. She has been super supportive of daddy's campaign.
     I walked away from the telephone to pace myself. I started to feel butterflies in my stomach & became anxious. I walked through the main hallway of the house; it was lined with my artwork, photographs of me & daddy, Wedgewood pottery, & paintings that I found interesting. I was feeling quite nervous, so I decided to listen to music. Music always soothes my soul anytime I'm stressed. So I walked over to the record player that was sitting at the end of the hall, took the record out of the sleeve, & put the needle down. The record was a request, made by me of course. It was a record of campaign songs for daddy. The first song on the album was the Kimberly version of Frank Sinatra's "High Hopes," a song that was re-written for JFK's 1960 campaign.
     Here are the lyrics just in case you were wanting to sing along.
     "Everyone is voting for Jack, cause he's got what all the rest lack
Everyone wants to back Jack
Jack is on the right track
Cause he's got high hopes, he's got high hopes
Twenty sixteen's the year for his high hopes
Come on and vote for Kimberly, vote for Kimberly, & we'll come out on top
Oops, there goes the opposition
Oops, there goes the opposition
Oops, there goes the opposition kerplop
K-i-m-b-e-r-l-y, Jack's the nation's favorite guy
Everyone wants to back Jack
Jack is on the right track
Cause he's got high hopes, he's got high hopes
Twenty sixteen's the year for his high hopes
Come on & vote for Kimberly, vote for Kimberly, keep America Strong
Kimberly, he just keeps rolling a-
Kimberly, he just keeps rolling a-
Kimberly, he just keeps rolling along
Vote for Kimberly"
     I walked up & down the hallway with my hands behind my back, pacing back & forth. The next song on the album was another JFK song that was used, again in his 1960 campaign.
     "Kimberly, Kimberly, Kimberly, Kimberly, Kimberly, Kimberly, Kim-berly for me!"
     I turned up the volume just enough to where you were able to hear it while watching the television. After pacing, I walked back into the living room to check the results. I have never felt so many different emotions at one time before. I was feeling: excited, nervous, anxious, worried, hopeful, happiness, & many more. This was a feeling that I would never forget.
     We watched for a few more hours. The election was a close one. I have never prayed so much in one day; I know I prayed at least 50 times. I wanted this election to rule in our favor more than anyone could imagine. The outcome would change the lives of many people, not just for the Kimberly family, but also the entire country. Everyone left but me and my grandparents. I had no choice of whether to leave or stay due to the election watching taking place at my house. It was around 11:30 pm; way past my bedtime. Yes, a 17-year-old can have a bedtime. I went upstairs to my bedroom, changed into my nightgown, took off my makeup, took out my contacts, & crawled into bed. This night was the night that I tossed & turned, anxiously awaiting the sun to rise. We would learn the results tomorrow. I finally relaxed & could feel my eyes begin to close. I then drifted off to sleep.