CPR

1

"And then she realized that a fresh start was hers for the taking, that she could be the woman she's always seen on the distant horizon—her future self. One step at a time. Starting today."

Aaliyah - Atlanta, GA
It was about six in the morning and I listened to the birds chirping as I was in a deep meditation. I felt the breeze from the cracked window hit my soft brown skin as the heat from the sun followed.

As I kept my eyes closed I felt in my body how deep in I was and this was my goal every time. This is how I liked to start and end my day. I took a few deep breaths before removing myself from the trance and standing up.

I walked over to my window and closed it noticing little kids getting on the school bus. As I continued to look I seen a mom running towards her son giving him his lunch. I smiled as I locked the window and shut my blinds.

I grabbed my phone connecting it to my speaker and danced around in my kitchen as Rain on me by Ashanti played. I pulled out the needed ingredients for my smoothie and started cutting up fruit.

As I sung along to the music it was interrupted by an incoming call. I wiped off my hands and picked up my phone not checking to see who it was first.

"Hello?" I said going back to my fruit.

"Yoo baby sis wassup?" I heard echo through my phone.

"Good morning Ian." I said laughing.

"Whatchu doing today?" He asked.

"I have a class in two hours so I'm making breakfast right now. I think you should be asleep seeing as though it's three in the morning in Cali." I said throwing all the cut up fruit in the blender.

"If I sleep then I'm not making money so I'll sleep when there's no money to be made. I see you're busy so I'll get to the point. I need you to be my assistant please?" He said in a pleading voice.

"Ian I can't just up and leave Atlanta I have a house here, a job, and I'm in school." I said pouring juice into the blender.

"What are you in school for again?" He asked.

"Nursing we've been over this before." I said rolling my eyes. 

"Yeah that shits boring! Come work for me and I guarantee you'll be making six figures by the end of next year." He said with a tone that sounded like he thought he won.

"How about I give you an answer by the end of the day?" I said putting ice in the blender.

"Fine but just know I'm not backing down." He said.

"Okay I gotta go." I said hanging up and pressing the pulse button on the blender.

I poured my smoothie in my to go cup and proceeded to finish getting my things together for class.

I was only nineteen going on twenty and I lived by myself. I was still trying to figure out the world but one thing I do know is six figures is a lot of money for a nineteen year old.

All of my friends moved to La to chase their dreams and all of them are somewhat successful now or on their way. I was scared of taking risk, I didn't like crowded places, and I sold myself short by settling. That's why I'm here in Atlanta and haven't followed my friends and my brother. This is a perfect opportunity to start fresh but it just seems a little too perfect.
                                        •••

I unlocked my door to my apartment taking my shoes off and dropped my bag off at the door. I sat on my couch and decided to give my best friend a call.

"She's alive! I haven't heard from you in three weeks what the hell." My friend Ivy said.

"Hey I'm sorry I've just been busy trust me I would call you if I wasn't." I laughed.

"So girl what's up?" She said and I imagined her smiling through the phone.

"Ian offered me a job again." I said looking down at my nails.

"And are you going to take it?" She questioned.

"I don't know Ivy...it's just I have a lot going on here and I've finally settled. I don't want to just up and leave and have to restart." I said.

"Aaliyah that's exactly what you need! You need to restart and you need to be in a new place with new people. If you keep selling yourself short you'll never reach your full potential." She said and I kept quiet.

When my mom and dad got divorced my brother and I were both young. My mom became the struggling single mom and my dad ultimately became the dad with broken promises to his children.

We moved from to Georgia because that's where my mothers family lived and we haven't seen our dad since. As soon as my brother became old enough he moved to California and started doing well for himself at only nineteen.

Now three years later I'm his age he was when he left and he's already made his first couple million and I'm a struggling student in debt.

"Aaliyah you still there?" Ivy asked.

"Yeah I'm still here." I said sighing.

"Look all I'm saying is take the opportunity because you deserve more. I have a spare room here in my condo you can stay in until you get on your feet. I'm pretty sure those other knuckle head friends of ours will be happy to see you too." She said.

"Okay thanks for the talk." I smiled.

"I love you girl let me know what you decide." She said.

"I love you too." I said and hung up.

I walked out on my balcony and started thinking about everything Ivy said. I looked at the dark sky and started to think. I was selling myself short and I did deserve a fresh start. I mean I was more stressed out here than I made myself think I was. My life also wasn't completely together as others may think. What do I have to lose?

I smiled and closed my balcony door locking it. I picked up my phone off of my coffee table and tapped Ian's contact. I hesitated a little bit before tapping the call button. I put the phone up to my ear and I was met with Ian's voicemail.

"Hey Ian this is your sister...I think I'm going to take you up on that offer. Call me back when you can." I smiled and hung up.

                                        •••
First chapter! What do you guys think??

I'm excited to start this because it's going to be completely different from Harlem Lovin'. Some topics may reoccur but the plot will be different.