บท 1: Chapter 1.
Maybe if we tell people the brain is an app, they'll start using it.
I'd like to see myself as brainy, but there are times when I put the spoon into the dustbin and place the actual trash in the sink. That wouldn't be much of a surprise if you've known me for a long period of time. The thing is, no matter how much I'm being crowned the Queen of awkwardness, I still managed to also get crowned Prom Queen during the last prom instead of Alexa Stratham.
Who is Alexa Stratham?
That's not the point.
I have bigger problems.
Senior year went by fast this year, and as I had previously planned, I didn't make the most of it. Another year of high school wasted. College could make up for it but that's still months away from now. I topped my last exams, so candidate scholarships barreled out from different angles I never expected.
I chose PreLaw, definitely not because my Pops asked me to, but I've also chosen Theater. The University of Albuquerque offers me both. That's where I'm going to be attending this fall.
I happened to turn the big 'eighteen' hours ago and it's like I was expecting my body to transform overnight into my own ordained body type since adulthood had started, but my scrawny self stared back at me in the bathroom mirror last night. In the glass, fogged from my shower, my skin looked pale as usual. As I subconsciously laid a hand on my breasts, long fingers and short trimmed nails became visible.
My arms still looked a little thin. There didn't seem to be any excess flab at my waist or hips. At about five-four, I wish I was taller. A unicorn-shaped tattoo laid at the side of my butt. It was crazy at first, exposing that particular part of the human anatomy to some needle-wielding stranger but at last, peer pressure conquered it all.
I groan when I feel a hand nudge my shoulders and cocoon the sheets closer to my body. It's a Saturday and I need my quality sleep, I haven't been getting those in the past couple of days. According to study, sleep helps your brain to forge new connections and helps memory retention plus without enough sleep, your brain and body systems won't function normally. No wonder my brain keeps telling me to do weird stuff these few days.
"Wake up you lobster!" Comes a voice beside me before I feel something hit me hard across the face, jolting me out of my dreamless slumber. My eyes fly open on instinct, staring at my kid sister wide-eyed.
"Did you just hit me in the face?" My gaze falls to the object dangling in her grip. "With a slab of raw meat?"
"Quit whining," Mabel rolls her grey colored eyes which are similar to mine and holds her phone to my face. "Simone wants you on the phone."
I snatch the cell phone from her hand and bring it to my ear.
"Why don't you ever pick up your phone?!" My best friend's shrilling voice pierces through my eardrums and I shift the phone a little farther from my ear.
"Could you like, talk without screaming? I'm not deaf."
"I just want to ask one question," She says, suddenly sounding calm. "You're not just waking up, are you?"
"Is there a problem with that?"
"We're supposed to be at the airport an hour ago you lunatic!" I stumble over my bed and fall on my butt at the realization and shock that I forgot about our trip to Hawaii. We've planned this whole thing four years ago, how could I forget at the very last minute? Our flight leaves at 11 am and I cuss under my breath when I see my alarm clock strike 10:15.
"I'm driving over to your house right now. Get ready in five or the crew's going to leave us." She says and hangs up.
"You screwed up again, didn't you?"
"Just get out." I shove Mabel out of my room and try to focus on getting ready under five minutes. I can't blow this up, Simone would murder me. She's been dreaming about this day since I came up with the idea of doing something fun when we're done with high school, like going on a trip on our own with the rest of the school. We've been to various school trips but why is this one different? One thing is clear, we the students sponsored the whole thing plus there's no teacher chaperoning us. We're adults now. We can handle ourselves, or so we think.
I'm glad I already had my luggage packed last night. Maybe I saw this whole thing coming that's why I already got my things done early. I didn't want to leave behind a single thing, especially not the neck-chain now resting by the side zip of my bag. I take it everywhere I go with me like it's a part of my own body.
I stand in front of my mirror to style my hair after I dash in and out of the bathroom. I don't have enough time to wash my hair, so I cover it in hairspray. I'm wearing a denim mini skirt and a yellow crop top that exposes the lower part of my belly.
I grab my makeup kit and about putting on the eyeliner when my sister yells my name, making me smudge my makeup.
"Allie! You're going to be late. What are you waiting for? Christmas?"
Kid sisters are the worst I tell you. If your parents ever have a new baby girl, put her in a box and ship her to China before she turns fifteen.
I drag my traveller's bag down the stairs and reach out for the door when I hear my Mom's voice behind me.
"You're leaving already?" I turn around to face my Mom standing in the kitchen. "At least give me a hug before you go."
"Tell me why I'm not allowed to come to this trip again?" Mabel asks as I rush over to envelope Mom in a hug.
"Sophomores aren't allowed. It's strictly Seniors, Capiche?"
"But... But..." She goes silent for a minute. "Yeah, that makes sense."
"Bye Mom!" I reach out for the door when I hear her call me again.
"Wait, have breakfast before you leave."
I hear Simone's car horn outside the house as I carry the whole bowl of beef soup with me, watching as Mom and Mabel exchange weird looks.
Simone brings out her head from the window of the white Mustang when I'm outside on the porch. "Move your butt!"
It's not even afternoon yet and I'm already feeling sweaty and sticky from the scalding sun battering down my back. One of the main reasons why I hate summer.
I scurry into the backseat of the car and notice Simone's not the one in the driver's seat, but her brother.
"When did Zach get back from college?" I ask.
"Last night," Simone answers. "Says he's not used to the cafeteria's food."
"Why is he such a wimp?"
"I know right?"
"Hey! I'm sitting right here." We both stick out our tongues at him as he shakes his head in defeat.
Despite being siblings, Zach and Simone share no resemblance in common, because of course, they both got adopted by two Moms. I first found out their family relationship years ago and blanked out for a bit, trying to figure out how two vaginas got to reproduce children. I thought I had been lied to my whole life.
"What's that on your hand?" Simone points to the bowl of beef soup between my hands.
"It's my breakfast. Big surprise," I roll my eyes and dig into the soup. The rest of the car ride is filled with nonstop banter from me and Zach after I mistakenly spilt soup in his new car.
Someone had to tell the guy the stain can easily be removed if I lick it off the car seat hard enough, but he says he doesn't want my saliva anywhere his car, so the banter went on and on until he stops abruptly in front of the airport.
"And stay away from my sister while I'm gone," I say and slam the door shut when I'm out of the car with my luggage. "She's five years younger than you. Don't be a paedophile."
"Come on, age is just a number."
"And jail is just a room."
I feel someone drag my ears towards the entrance of the airport and I yelp. "Leave my dumb brother alone. We're late."
"ATTENTION ALL PASSENGERS BOARDING FLIGHT 666 FROM FORT MYERS TO HAWAII, THE CHECK-IN COUNTER WOULD CLOSE IN TEN MINUTES."
We both sprint past the crowd of people roaming the airport when I bump into someone, which sends my handbag flying across the floor with my things scattered everywhere.
Oh crap.
"Watch where you're going," Says a deep voice as he bends too to pick up his stuff.
"We don't have time, hurry!" Simone's panicked voice makes me hastily shove everything into my bag and I get back on my feet to keep up with her strides.
"What the hell was that back there?"
"I bumped into some sicko..."
"There they are!" She points to our crew and drags me by the hand.
"We are going to be late, where's Allie and Simone?" We hear Cory groan.
"Allie and Simone reporting!" Both of us say at the same time as I place my hands on my knees to catch my breath from all that running.
"You guys are an hour late," Cory says and runs a hand through his dark hair in frustration. Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to my all-time crush, Cory Simpson. Not just my crush, he's every girl's but I got privileged to be noticed by him, but there's that stupid word called friend zone he decides to put me in. Cory's half Asian half American which makes him all the more wanted by hormonal teenage girls.
Is it just me or Asian guys who are exceptionally hot? I can feel my cheeks heating up from his mere gaze. He's staring me down and I'm grinning widely at him, ignoring stink eyes I'm getting from girls I recognize from English Literature class.
"There's beef crumb hanging from your teeth," Cory says which earns a lot of snickers from his fangirls. He tears his gaze from me and walks over to meet the rest of the guys.
"You didn't tell me there was beef in my teeth!" I snap at Simone and fetch for a floss inside my bag.
"It wasn't so noticeable until you had to grin that hard."
"Wait..." I spot a familiar brunette walk up to Cory and runs her hand down his chest.
"Who in the Lord's name invited Alexa Stratham?"
You might have guessed who Alexa is. My rival since middle school. The little flirt stole my boyfriend when we were twelve and now she's after Cory.
"Probably Cory. She follows him everywhere he goes, like flies when they see rotten food." Simone concludes. "Will you be okay with her coming along?"
Even if I'm not, there's absolutely nothing I can do but watch her ogle at Cory. I plan to have the best summer spent in Hawaii and no one's going to piss me off, not even a certain dumb brunette.
"I have just one thing to say," A small smile makes its way to my lips. "Simone, let's go to Hawaii."
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