"Rasheeda Lancaster, if I hear this phone vibrate and ring one more time me you gone square up right here and now!" Who is making all that noise and it's only 8 AM. I laugh at my sassy and always funny tough loving roommate, Jasmine Frost. Sleepily I groan and practically punch my iPhone stop button to cease my alarm. Now why in the hell would I agree to taking a 9 AM class on a Friday and I just pulled an all nighter thanks to my old and grumpy professor who never seems to sleep.
I sit up in my twin bed decorated with nothing but red and white flowers. The sun is starting to peek through the curtains and my room divider is in front of me to keep me from seeing my nosy roommate all night long. Yeah I get it when you think room divider you think of those in the nail salons as if it's a part of Chinese history or something, I may be Blasian (Black + Asian) but only the GOAT upstairs will ever know.
As I get in the shower Jasmine gets to caking on the phone which doesn't make me pay her no mind. That's all I need huh a man in my life well technically just a homie to kick it with. I scowl at my mini me inside my head. I just need the water to distract me and put me at ease as I've been through what seems like a hell of a time for junior year. You mean to tell me I got to go through one more year at this trashy because of professors university for Undergrad? Don't get me wrong AlphaView University is supposed to have an alumni base of 1,000,000 strong – yet you don't see any of the alumni until its time for homecoming. We can't even have decent housing which is why I'm stuck in this rat trap that overcharges for room and board - don't make them no difference. I guess as long as they get the money from Financial Aid or Federal government then that's all that matters. I'm supposed to get the FAITH Scholarship that's meant to cover 70% of my tuition, but they don't tell you it gets cut if you're going to a private university. They might as well even say they do represent Atlanta where rent for an apartment is now ¾ of the cost of living almost $2,000 plus dollars especially in a gentrified densely populated Black community where Whites try to move in close to the city like bad grass that knows its up to no good. I wasn't even supposed to be here – I was supposed to be at Tuskegee University after my social studies teacher inspired me so much to go. It was truly the heart, pride and marvel of the South. However, after I took the ACT/SAT ten times combined and five of which was on an Advance Placement waiver I guess it wasn't good enough. Besides, if I couldn't get in by scoring a 21 then I guess Tuskegee isn't the place for me. Tuskegee in a way put me out and AlphaView took me in when I was determined to not go to a PWI as a start to college. I wouldn't care if I was the last Black chick on earth, my momma would never forgive me. Despite the fact she did go to one and was intimidated every day.
The surge of cold brought me back to reality. Of course Jasmine finds this as the perfect time to run sink water while I'm in the tub. She definitely lives up to her last name because she is cool, but when she's pissed at somebody for anything I swear she would be an icicle – that girl becomes cold hearted and ice cold. If she could be like anybody at this moment she would be like Eva from Eva's Bayou. I hear her as she says "Get out of the damn tub! You been drowning yourself in water long enough". I roll my eyes at her and note the time on the clock for 8:15 and I still have time to go to the café before class. I rinse off, wrap the towel around myself and rush to my side of the room and move quickly to pick out my clothes. "Girl you just can't help yourself can you?" "What? You know I'm just looking out for my roommate – things have been crazy around here".
I turn as I'm putting on my jacket and see her pouty face, damn she's such a drama queen but that's my best friend and my roommate. We've been kicking it ever since the start of freshman year when we partied with our neighboring university for all men, Kappaside College, as part of the school's tradition. "Sheeda, you're worrying me girl". What is she talking about? "You know you screamed in your sleep last night, thought maybe you were having a nightmare or something".
YOU ARE READING
Confessions of an Invisible Woman
Genel KurguRasheeda Lancaster is a "rose" - one who is so strong that also comes with a side of thorns. To the eye she's a college student that is just trying to establish her career, but inside she faces so much more and she ends up going down a path she wish...
