POPSTAR (BEING REVAMPED)

Chapter 26

"Listen, Maria, I've thought about it, and I'll allow you to go to school because you've been so extremely quiet all of yesterday even if I grounded you in a very harsh way." My mother's words flow into my ears as soon as I open my door to go to the bathroom. My hair is frizzled up and Caroline has left my bed like some creepy one-night-stand man whore.

My fingers only graze the bathroom door before I roll my eyes and turn to my mother, she definitely did make college classes a lot harder by letting me skip school and since I thought I wouldn't be going for a month, I subconsciously decided that I would simply skip doing the work if she was going to be this way. And even now that I'm hearing her change her mind, I don't know if I'll change mine.

I haven't felt this way ever and I know that my stupid science degree won't be worth it to me; a life like this is. A life where I can choose my path and aim for it just like Jayden did, inspired by the people around me, being with my best friend, and seeing the way both of our dreams unfold is what I know I truly want and deserve. but when my mother speaks again the bubble bursts, and I sink back into my harsh reality which is I'm living with my mother, I'm grounded for a month, I hate college and I know my singing career probably has no potential and on top of that, the only guy I've felt this way about is practically a child.

I stare at her, trying to somehow dig into my brain for something she could have just said, but she speaks for the third time, saving me the headache. "Well? what are you waiting for, it's eight am, and you're late to class." My mother speaks quickly and in a tone that lets me know she's not going to let me have long.

"Yeah," I say and nod before heading into my bedroom and grabbing my backpack, throwing on light jeans and a black hoodie.

I know that my walk to school usually takes thirty minutes and I let my mom know that Caroline will drive me but I know it's not true. She's long gone and I'm okay with skipping a class or two. I make my way far enough for my mother to see through the window before I take a sharp shortcut.

I walk down the street and when I'm way past Caroline's house I take a deep breath, feeling the fresh crisp air spring air all around me. I can't wait for summer to finally start but now that finals are coming up everything just seems so much more stressful, and waiting for summer just doesn't feel the same.

I watch as my black short converse make me down the street, who was I kidding? all of this isn't my life, the fancy stage, the L.A. club, all of that isn't me and I know that deep down but then why am I so attracted to that? or is it just Jayden and the singing part that I truly want? not everything else that comes with it.

I push my hair together into a ponytail before tying it up with a black scrunchie, making my way slowly down the large hill. I don't know where I'm going but I might as well do whatever I want today. I need time to think whether my mother understands that or not.

Without realizing it, being lost in my thoughts I've somehow made it to school and instead of heading to class, I head to the gym, unlock my personal locker and make my way into my gym clothes, blue with white stripes on the sides of the shorts and the straps of the sport's top.

My hair is tied up and my prop of a backpack is stuffed in the gym locker while I tie my white sports shoes, I definitely need to update my closet but that will have to come later; after I save enough money to rent something out; something that isn't a free room at my mother's second-floor apartment.

My phone vibrates and my pounding heart won't let me ignore it but thankfully it's just Caroline and not my mother,

Caroline: 'Where are you?'

Me: 'I had to skip. I have to think.'

Caroline knows exactly what that means; that will be on a run somewhere, sitting behind a tree or just breathing into my chaotic brain. Despite us not being in class together, we always see each other in the hall or during the ten to two-hour breaks in between classes.