In Difference (Open Novella Contest 2019!)

CHAPTER THREE

Stranger

"Taylor."

"No. Stay away."

"Taylor."

"Please. Help me..."

"Taylor!" I spring up from my bed, dripping with sweat and completely out of breath as the voice of my mother reaches my room. My heart is pounding, like it is about to leap out of my chest, as my eyes slowly adjust so my surrounding becomes clear, and so does my pounding headache.

"Argh." I fall back down to my pillow without a second to process why Mum was yelling at me. My hand is on my head like holding it will help.

I roll over onto my left side and notice a single cup of water rests on my nightstand, along with my peach coloured lamp. I slowly sit up and begin to search around the top drawer of my nightstand to gets some medicine for this constant ache that makes my head feel like it is going to explode.

I smell the water to see if it is old before I take a sip and swallow my tablet. 

With my elbow being my main support to me sitting up, I glance at my white simple desk to see my untouched pieces of homework that is due on Monday, and my several school textbooks I was meant to read. I already know that I will not be doing anything until Sunday night, tomorrow night before it is due.

I begin to stretch, my eyes begin to be drawn to my window on my right and the blinding light spilling through my lace curtains.

I like my room because of the large window that covers most of my wall on the right side, which allows my room to have the best light in the house. Even though I like the light, I still have a thin lace curtain that constantly covers the window to stop creeps looking in. My nightstand on my right is where my phone charges and is when I noticed something wasn't right.

I pick my phone quickly, ripping it off its charging dock.

Monday, April 16th reads in white letters.

"Taylor. I have been calling you for the last 10 minutes." Mum opens the door into my room, all dressed in her black and green work uniform, with her dark brown hair tied into a messy bun. "Oh my gosh." Mum suddenly gasps.

"What?" I completely sit up and move over to the side of my bed where I sit and stare at her shocked expression. She always over exaggerates. 

"Okay, that's it. I am never letting you out again! Never on a Saturday or a Sunday or any day! You are grounded for life!" She shouts, I still don't understand. "I have told you time and time again that I want you to have a fantastic future, and I know you study hard and I just thought you deserved a bit more freedom but no-" She continues to ramble at my door.

"Mum stop! What are you talking about!" I begin to get mad as she walks up to me, and puts her hand on the right side of my face and turns me towards the mirror on my dresser, located on the wall in front of my bed.

I can clearly see my own reflection in the mirror, me wearing my loose printed tee, and my bed for some reason made neatly as I must have slept on top of my blankets. I then see my hair in a loose hair tie but...

"Oh my gosh!" I say as I jump up, and rush to the mirror.

I pull my hair tie out as long blonde hair falls from my bun. My chocolate hair is vanilla. 

My heart completely stops. I felt as if I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at my reflection so close as if my hair colour was only different because of the way I was looking at my hair.

"What did you do?" Mum asks in a somewhat sarcastic way.

Mum has always been against dying hair because my grandmother is. And unfortunately, my strict grandma is the only way I can afford to go to a school that isn't below the state average in academics. I also have a pet peeve about dying hair.