As We Reach The Stars

Introduction/Chapter 1

"Lexi, sweetheart its time to wake up. Baby come on you know that you shouldn't be late to school." No matter how much I said, this kid never could wake up.

As i stared at her face i remember yet again how much i love my daughter. "Alexandra ok stop playing now, time to get up." She stirred in her bed. Finally, I thought to myself. "Sarah said she would take you to school if you want, but you can't make her late", as I said that, she quickly got up and started wobbling toward the bathroom.

I headed towards the kitchen in order to start packing her lunch that I had prepared last night. "mom", she said in a whiny voice. "Yes, sweetheart." I said in a mimicking way. She pouted at my gesture. The door opened and at the same time came Sarah's voice, "Claire, it's me. Is alexandra ready?"

Alexandra started hurrying knowing that Sarah would threaten her with never picking her up again if she made her late. Lexi was 5. She attended school while I was at work then she had ballet after school. She could never keep up with anything except her ballet practice bag. It was the only thing that I never had to worry about forgetting.

I went back to the living room and saw Sarah on the couch. "Good morning", she said while searching through her bag. "Morning",I said. "What are you looking for? Let me guess. You forgot your camera lens again. " She sighed then whispered sarcastically,"yes claire don't i always?"

As I laughed, lexi came into the living room. She was all dressed and her hair was down but already brushed. Yes although my daughter was difficult to wake up but once she was up, she was up.''You ready pumpkin", Sarah asked in a lovely voice. Hearing Sarah call lexi pumpkin reminds me of when we first met.

I met Sarah when I had first enrolled lexi at ballet school. It was a very fancy school that had a lot of arts in their program. The was extremely gorgeous and beautiful. The parents as well as the kids had to have an ID badge in order to enter the building.

Sarah is a professional photographer. She was in charge of all the media for the school and anything having to do with pictures. I remember her exact words when she saw Alexandra. "Oh my god your hair is so beautiful pumpkin those eyes...it's like the camera is begging for them." You would think she would have said that to all the kids but no the way she said it that day its as if she was talking to the sunset with all her heart. After she was done she started talking to me and since then we became best friends.

As she started getting up she asked me, "Is your work schedule this week from 9 to 4?"

"yes thankfully i will have the weekend off to attend alexandra's performance Sunday."

I worked at a cafe owned by some rich lady. Only the manager in charge knew her. Lucio, which was the manager's name, always was kind and thoughtful of my schedule since he knew of my daughter. I started working there after I graduated high school.

I knew there was no way I could attend college after I had my daughter. It was a lot of money and if you don't know babies are not cheap. "let's go pumpkin." Sarah got up and grabbed alexandra's little hand. As they headed towards the door I said," bye baby i love you take care i'll see you in the afternoon."

As soon as I saw the car drive away I went back inside and grabbed my keys. I locked the door and walked down the small steps in front of my door. I started driving towards the cafe. As i was driving on my way there i started to remember how it all started.

I was a junior soon to be a senior what was I supposed to say, no? It was a graduation party and its not like I was a crazy girl that was going to get pass-out drunk. All I wanted was a night out so when i started my senior year I could be cool or at least known.