Scottish Gold (An Outsiders Fic)

Chapter 7: Study Time

Vikki's POV

Waking up to the sun filling my room when I forgot to close my blinds will never cease to annoy me. By the time I get up to close them though, I usually cannot fall back asleep so instead I get to begin my day at the ass-crack of dawn.

Sunday was pretty uneventful. Even though we didn't have plans to get out of the house, Karen said that we always had to still get ready for the day and get dressed. Back home, I knew a lot of kids who did that but my parents didn't really care. I am still getting used to getting dressed and putting on makeup on a Sunday when I have no plans. I'm fine with it, because that's a popular household rule.

At home, Sunday is the day of religion. We would attend mass together, rest, and fast. Some families do their fasting on Fridays, but my family taught us that our weekly fasting is on Sundays. When we came to the states, we told Clint and Karen what we usually do on Sundays but we were fine with not attending mass, and getting into the groove of American traditions. We discussed this choice with our parents and on the flight over. We were not abandoning our beliefs, but we do not want to be set in our Scottish ways. One Sunday tradition we decided to keep was fasting. If we didn't fast on Sundays, what other day would we do it? Karen and Clint have gotten really good about introducing American foods into our diet without forcing it, and helping us find close alternatives to our favorite Scottish foods. I feel more and more American every day. Clint and Karen were informed of our choice of fasting on Sundays, which they respect. We told them it was fine if we see them eat, but they still respectfully do their eating away from us.

I didn't really mind fasting, but I always tried my best not to make Cookie annoyed on fasting days. She already wasn't in the best of moods most days, but Sundays were a whole other story. I once saw her punch a boy simply because he waved a waffle in her face. He was a Christian boy whose family didn't do fasting like our Catholic one. Nobody told him of Cookie's temper and he thought it was funny to tease her. I shook my head at the memory. Clint, one time, called Cookie "one tough Cookie" when she accidentally cut her finger while helping Karen with dinner. She didn't shed a tear or even wince. If she were in Scotland or alone, she would have sworn but Karen has gotten on our arse about swearing. My sister never let people see her pain, and she was damn good at it.

We both ended up spending most of the day with our heads in textbooks except for that night when we lit a candle, did our prayers, read a passage from our gospel. Then, Gracie and I went back to our homework and Cookie stayed kneeling in front of the candle and doing her rosary. It was something our mother had her do to repent her sins. Ma may love her granddaughter very much and Cookie as well, but she still sees the act that created Gracie as sinful due to the fact that Cookie was so young and it was out of wedlock. Honestly, our Sunday wasn't much different from the ones we had at home save for the dressing. It all felt so normal, we didn't really know that it was "odd" until we came here to the states. I would feel incomplete if we did nothing on Sundays.

Sunday slowly slipped into Monday, and I was actually looking forward to going to school. The classes are fun, and I like seeing my new friends at school. Of course, I miss my friends back at home, but I liked starting fresh. I woke up a little earlier than usual and got dressed in my favorite green a-line dress that Ma had helped me pick out at the shops and my matching Mary Jane's. After curling the ends of my hair, I checked my reflection in the mirror and applied a light layer of makeup. Mascara is my favorite product, and I like to make my lashes as long as possible. A lot of Americans wear really heavy makeup and bright colors like blue or green, and I am not a fan of that. Cookie has been experimenting with the darker and bolder colors, but she has only been wearing that around the house. I think she pulls it off well, but I also think that she is nervous to wear it out in public. Makeup has always been a stranger to us, because in our Catholic school, no one was allowed to wear makeup. Not even nailpolish. We had lots of rules, such as our hair had to be neatly groomed, Cookie got into trouble for her curly mop lots of times. We could wear one earring per lobe, but no other jewelry unless it was a cross necklace, and we were not even allowed to wear perfume. I do not miss those rules and regulations. Anyways, this newfound freedom of expression has us both excited, and nervous.