PARALLEL REALITIES

IV

ADORAMI POV

I am peacefully asleep with my blanket, a.k.a. my bae. Just a romantic little sight. Me huddled up in my bae's warmth. Living the life. On a peaceful morning. When all hell breaks loose. Curtains are drawn. Vocal cords are endangered. Chappals are flourished. Worst of all, 2 tiny girls who looked dangerously hype and 2 equally excited women try to shake me awake, ripping off my precious blanket. I startle and sit up straight, knocking over two rotten eg- I mean, two tiny people off my bed. Oh well. Karma's a bitch. I groggily look over the side of my bed, to see who they are. I have to squint to look at them, because my glasses were about an arm's length away. I consider reaching for them. Nah, too much work, I think. So I just stick to almost squinting till my eyes permanently stick in a line.

"It's me and Katsu, IQ 200," Jennie groans, rubbing her right elbow, with what i assume is a frown. So much for waking me up. Mamma and Auntie laugh a little before sobering up at the sight of an annoyed Katsumi getting up. She stomps her foot in trusfration. Jennie copies her, before suddenly screeching about how today was prom. Oh, wow, no one cares, I want to say. But apparently four females who tried to wake me up do. I sigh, mentally preparing for the hours of torture prepared for my poor little soul. I hate social events for no reason.

They first drag me out of my fluffy soft bed into the huge bathroom attached to my room. They then shove me hard into the bath. Fortunately for my poor bedclothes, it is empty. I glare at Mamma, who shoved me the hardest. She motions to the others to quickly clear out.

"Jennie, darling-" I roll my eyes "-how 'bout you do your thang in the bath I've set up for you upstairs?" Mamma coos. I am DisGuTEd. Jennie kisses her cheek at smirks at me before walking out. Katsu and Auntie follow suit.

"Aren't you leaving too?" I turn to ask my now-sighing mother.

"I don't really trust you on not damaging your skin more trying to take a simple bath, Ariah." I hiss at her, for both trusting me so much and for using my Indian name. No one really uses that name anymore. My friends don't know about it, and Auntie and Katsumi know it hurts me. I try to swallow the lump forming in my throat, like every time I do when she uses the name. My Paati had chosen the name for me. Saying that it was God's will that required it to be. Well I'm not really pleased by what her God's will wants, because it requires my Paati to watch over me from heaven.

Mamma must have noticed the tear the slips down my cheek, because she quickly says, "Take it off now gurl. Just take it off." pointing to my bedclothes.

"Of course not when your here!" I blush furiously, gripping my robe, burning redder by the second. Secretly, I was kinda grateful she said that. I hate crying in front of people. While me and my mom might seem to be as similar as salt and sugar in general to people who don't know us, we're actually pretty similar. We understand each other so well, without speaking, and so know how to flip the others mood faster than anyone else. Except for maybe Auntie. But of course, she grew up with Mamma, since they are sisters, but yeah.

"I'm a master baby with this stuff. Take it off now gurl, just take it off. I can help you set the party off. Turn on the taps now baby, just turn on the taps. Imma make make your hair shine in a way its never shone. Gon' make your body great form lady~" Mamma sings. She's weird. 

"Mamma I'm turning 17! NO!"

"YAH LEE ARIAH ADORAMI! I GAVE BIRTH TO YOU OK! YOU DIDN'T EXACTLY COME OUT DRESSED, YOU KNOW! I BATHED YOU TILL YOU WERE 7!" she huffs impatiently.

Today will be a long day.