Stockholm

05

Marybeth

7:20 am, Monday, August 1st, 2018

Today is the first day of my Junior year.

I have woken up 10 minutes late. How am I supposed to get ready in 20 minutes?! I stumble out of my bed and run to my bathroom. I look at myself in the mirror. My hair looks like a bird's nest and my eyebags are hella dark. I should've returned earlier from the party, I mean it was Jace's party how could I even?! It was Jace's coming out party disguised as the end of summer party. He had decorated the whole house and backyard with rainbow coloured decorations and dyed his hair all the colours of the rainbow. Jace is a wee bit extra. Who am I kidding? He is very extra but that's what I love about him. I still curse myself for my carelessness. I brush my teeth, comb my hair, spray some dry shampoo and apply a lot of concealer under my eyes. I see Darlene peeping inside.

"Are you ready yet sweetheart?"

"No, not yet sorry I woke up ten minutes late"

"Oh that's fine sweetheart, I'll inform the driver"

"That would be very nice" I smile at her.

Darlene has been my nanny, butler and even my mother figure almost all my life. I don't remember my mother. I don't even think she's alive but well everyone tells me she is and that she loves me. Well, doesn't that sound like bullshit? If she did love us she wouldn't have disappeared, leaving behind a 6 and 7 year old. Darlene has given me care and love to masquerade the absence of a mother in my life. I dont know how I'd ever live without her. I check the time on my watch. 7:35. I wear my ironed uniform as fast as possible and run downstairs to the table where my breakfast awaits me. I stuff my mouth with whatever is on the table and gulp down a glass of apple juice and run. I have more than enough time to eat patiently and reach school early, but I rush so I won't have to sit on the ten-seater table all alone. 

My father has been too invested in his job ever since my mom went. Guess it's his way of coping but it's unfair for me and Jace. Everyone in school thinks we have everything we could ever ask for and it's true but one thing we don't have is a mother and a father who spends time with us. I get in the car waiting outside for me.

"Good Morning Miguel!" I greet the driver. 

"Good Morning Marybeth," he says with his thick Mexican accent.

I take out my phone from my pocket and put in my airpods. I play my usual playlist on shuffle. I don't remember falling asleep but I was awakened by Miguel knocking on the window. I look out the window to find Miguel's face pressed on the glass. My heart literally skipped a beat. I try to get rid of my grogginess, take out my airpods and keep them back in my bag and Miguel opens the door for me. I step out of the car and find Tessa at her usual spot with her Starbucks, waiting for me. 

"Heyy! Good Morning!" Tessa says while aggressively hugging me. 

"Good Morning!" I say still groggy, hugging her back.

"Yesterday was amazing, your brother has the best parties ever."

"and the messiest ones" I yawn 

"Gosh, when did you even sleep?!"

"We didn't finish cleaning up until 4 am"

"What about the cleaners?!"

"They go home at 10 every night," I sigh. 

"Oh yeah that makes sense," Tessa says 

Tessa Mcauly has been my best friend since nursery. We met before nursery I guess? That's what her father said, that my father and he were the closest of friends since highschool but I'm sure he's not only my father's friend but also has to protect my father. My classmates told me that my father was running in the election for mayor. I did expect him to not tell us but I didn't expect to find out from my classmates, now they see me as a spoilt brat who doesn't know how she's getting her 3 meals. Her father is the deputy police chief of Grand Ridge, which I found extremely fascinating when I was small. Her father used to tell us a lot of stories, stories of some cases he had solved. I thought of him as a superhero saving the day. Naive little me. I smile at the thought.