Unforgettable

I wake up to the sound of my dad pounding on my bedroom door. I jump out of bed, startled and now wide awake. It's only 5:30am. Why is he waking me up so early?

"Chloe!" He shouts at me, startling me once again and I go to open the door for him.

"What? Why are you waking me up so early?" I ask him, still confused by his presence in my bedroom door way.

"School! First day of school! Hop in the shower! Let's go, go, go!" He smiles shaking my shoulders as I laughed. He's always been this way. So encouraging and uplifting. I don't know what I'd do without him in my life.

"School doesn't start until 8:30, dad," I laughed, still amused by his enthusiastic, childish behavior.

"Well, I figured sense it's your first day of your senior year in high school, I would take you out for donuts and coffee?" He tilts his head and waits for my response in anticipation.

"Awe, you don't have to. I was just gonna eat some left over pizza from last night." I tell him as he frowns and shakes his head ferociously.

"No way! I insist! Hurry up, now. We're leaving the house in an hour." He informs me and I smile, kissing him on the cheek and then running to the bathroom in my room and shutting the door behind me.

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It only takes me a few minutes in the shower. I go over my schedule in my head over and over until I eventually remember it. I pad into my room once I'm finished and open the top drawer of my dresser. I grab a pair of my favorite white jeans, make my way into my closet and decide to wear my black and white, floral tank top with a peach colored cardigan and black sandals.

Pleased with my outfit, I walk back into my bathroom and plug my curling iron and hair dryer in. After drying my long, blonde hair, I take the curling iron and make small curls on the bottom. When I'm finished with my make up, consisting of only foundation, mascara, eyeliner, and blush. I make my way down the stairs, seeing my dad is already ready and waiting for me by the front door.

"Ready?" He asks me, a small smile etched onto his lips. "Yeah, let me just grab my bag," I say and grab my bag off the kitchen counter. I walk out the door behind him and close the door behind me and locking it.

It's still warm outside. The summer weather still hasn't seemed to fade, as the sun beats down hot on our backs. It probably won't get cooler until mid September or early October. I hop into the passengers seat and wait for my dad to jog around the front of the car and get in the drivers seat.

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On our way to the small donut shop, my dad softly plays my favorite album of Maroon 5 and we make small talk about my plans for the day. I'm really excited, actually. I can't wait to see my best friend and dance team members.

Once we arrive at the donut shop, my dad quickly hops out of the car and runs to my side, opening the door for me. I thank him and smile when he puts his arm around my shoulders as we walk into our favorite little donut shop.

I haven't been here in a while and I feel bad about it. I feel like it's the only way to make me closer to my mom. My dad and I have been going to this shop a lot ever sense my mom passed when I was eight. We would always come here in the mornings before church as a happy family and laugh about how my dad could never go a single day without getting a stain on his shirt, from either his outrageously humongous donut or his black coffee. I miss those days.

My dad and I keep the small talk over the donuts and coffee about what's going to go on with dance for the next few weeks. I tell him that we have practice every morning for the next week to get prepared for the back to school pep rally. I'm senior captain of my amazing dance team and I couldn't be happier. I just wish mom could've seen me. She would of been proud that I got the same position as her when she was on the team 20 years ago. My mom put me in dance when I was only 2 years old and it's been my passion ever sense.

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When we finish downing the rest of the coffee, I thank him for breakfast and we make our way out the front door and into the car. The car is burning hot and the leather seats make me feel as if I'm sitting on top of a stove. My dad turns the air on cool, all the way up, and it only takes about a minute for the car to be at a normal, soothing temperature.

As we drive down the road I've driven down probably a thousand times, I feel mixtures of emotions. I'm really excited because I'm finally a senior and I'm going to be a college student in only a year, but I'm also sad because it's my last year of high school. I'm so nervous and anxious as to what this year has in store for me.

We finally arrive at Branford and I take a deep breath before kissing my dad on the cheek and grabbing my bag from the car floorboard, making my way out the car. I stop in front of the school doors and look around me at my school. Taking a deep breath and smiling like a goofball, I open the doors enthusiastically and walk into my last year of high school.