~RIANNA~
"Stop yelling at me and stop forcing me to eat what I don't want to." My voice could be heard from the top of the stairs as she hurried after me.
My mother was exhibiting her annoying traits as usual. It angered me entirely and I wondered why she decided to spend her day off at home. She could have stayed, loitering at her damn office, which had after all come to be a second home to her. It would have been a much more better option for me.
"But you should eat something before you go to school. You are getting skinnier, sweetheart, and I can see that skin wrinkling like that of an old hag. I am in my fifty's and even I look better than that." Her nose wrinkled in what could be interpreted as disgust.
"No I shouldn't and I don't have to." I growled as silently as I could. Yelling really felt good to do and I wished I could shout or maybe hurl something at the wall. Anything. A better option would throwing a rock at my mother's head. She meant well, I supposed—in her weird, subtly belittling way. But I didn't need her policing my life or affairs. I'd had enough of that in my early teen years. I was twenty-one now, and not interested in her BS perspective on life.
In her cashmere sweater and matching beige pants, my mother positioned herself on my path, blocking my access to the door. "Are you being rude to me, baby?" Her hands were perched akimbo on her waist. I nearly rolled my eyes out loud at the false picture of sternness. As expected, her eyes were telling a different story. They were watery, and I knew I had to end this soon.
Sighing, I reassured her of the opposite. I wasn't going to let her throw a tantrum when I was already running late. "I am not, mum. You should know by now that I don't like pancakes."
"But—"
I cut around her, rushing away as quickly as possible. "Talk to you later. I got classes in the morning today."
"Okay then. Bye honey. Don't forget lunch. You've got to fill those bones in and keep that skin fresh."
"Whatever." I said, slamming the door closed with a sigh. I had truly experienced plenty enough of her ranting for a day or maybe a year to be completely honest.
My mother and I seldom got along. There had to be a law of the universe that stated our personalities could never coexist at the same time. I never saw her as a child when she was hard pursuing money, and had few fond memories of her treating me as her daughter.
She didn't once miss an opportunity to comment on my weight, though. And for some reason, I could vividly remember how much she loved and slogged over her favourite son. Bryce. He was the only one she made time to take care of.
As I trudged down the porch, I shoved my anger to the dark side of my mind and terribly hoped that by the time I was back home, my progenitress would be done with the theatrical performance she was starring in as a caring mother or whatever she was trying to be.
The awkward truth remained that it was absolutely cringeworthy when she faked her affection towards me. I preferred her as the always working, ever busy mum not a stay-at-home, somewhat caring and nagging mum. Not that she even did it right.
Fishing my phone out of my pocket, I texted Colette. I could daydream that she was ready to go to class, but deep down I knew she was going to be late as usual, missing the marking of those present, and credit towards that five percent participation mark.
"Hey where are you?" I texted. No reply. I was so going to kill this child. If only I could decide not to go to classes with her. But we had a deal and I had to keep to my side of our agreement.
"Coco? Text me right now." I left a voicemail, yanked open my car door and got in. She really was going to get it from me.
My wristwatch told me the time was 8:35am and class started at 9:00am. We had 25mins left. Not forgetting that it took 10mins for a normal driver and 20mins for people like me to get to school. To be completely honest, if I could, I would avoid driving for the rest of my life.
I checked my phone to see that she still hadn't texted me. This dumb b*tch was still sleeping. I stepped on the accelerator and the car sped onto the road.
Her car was still parked on her driveway as I pulled up close. Somehow, I had driven faster than I had ever done in my life and was still feeling pretty shaken about it.
I walked to the door and without bothering to ring the bell, typed in the code. Colette lived alone; in a way one could say so. Her parents were always on business trips or holidays in other countries and they never had the time to stay home with her. Her only brother was also away, off in a college out of the province (which was kind of a good thing for me). Don't ask why.
Colette didn't at all feel the need to lodge any complaints as she was absolutely enjoying her freedom to the fullest—going out for late night parties (often sleeping at strangers' houses), having countless sleepovers that I always went to, and bringing different guys home (that none knew anything about until she was dumping them. The girl was a boss of her own.
She had let me know uncountable times how much she loved that her parents were always on trips. It seemed like a blessing to her. I was certain she couldn't even imagine her life without her parents owning a big company and leaving the house in her care.
Past the weird-looking and unbelievably expensive painting of Pablo Picasso, Colette's room stood lonely and obviously occupied. I could tell from the closed door.
"Colette!" I burst in only to catch her laying on her tummy on the bed. "Get up you lazy duck." I hit her with a pillow. She groaned and tossed, ruffling the blankets yet not making any efforts to get up.
"It hurts, it hurts so f***ing much." She said dropping her hand in between her thighs; still lying down. I rolled my eyes at her. Like I didn't tell her to open up her legs for any sexy guy she met every single night. Worse of all, she was obsessed with Black guys who had huge d**ks, which to me was scary. The after effects of the great nights were however evident in the painful mornings.
I tried waking her up again, but she resumed her chain of groaning, which was starting to piss me off.
"Shut the f*** up!" I snapped, over her whiny noises. "No one asked you to go for another guy with a huge tool. Did they? So get up and let's go to classes. I don't wanna be freaking late."
She raised her head and rolled over on her back. Then peeking at me through half closed eyelids, she asked. "Do we even have classes today?"
"That's it." I glared at her and dragged her off the bed and pushed her into the bathroom while she walked like a waddling penguin. "We have less than twenty minutes left. Hurry up." I urged her while she moved more sluggishly than a snail.
Just kill me right now. I thought, ten minutes gone as she pulled on her clothes ploddingly. I walked over to her and tugged the shirt down. It was just taking too much darned time.
In a minute, we were out of the house and hurrying to my car. "Are you gonna drive?" I asked her.
"Did I tell you my vagina's hurting like hell?" I rolled my eyes at her. I didn't know why she chose to be so annoying today.
"Yeah whatever. We were gonna be late anyway."
We both arrived late at school. As expected. Our tutor eyed us suspiciously but said nothing. She hardly uttered a word about anyone. Professors didn't care if you came to classes, if you took notes or if you learnt anything. That was your business—your own cup of tea; the grades you got ultimately did the talking.
Colette and I exchanged a look as soon as we caught sight of a dirty-brown haired guy coming our way. Xander.
"Hi Xander!" Colette called out cheerily. I glared at her, as she knew just how and who Xander was but she still encouraged him over. Maybe just to piss me off.
"Hi Coco! Hi Ri." He said to Colette and I respectively. He looked good today in a black shirt with gold designs on them that brought out his bright amber eyes. He also wore a black trouser that was both loose and tight at the same time. I really didn't understand how that made any sense.
You might have wondered why my reluctance was quite at a peak about seeing Xander or having him over here with us. Well here's a brief rundown of our history.
Xander was the closest nerd of a friend I had. He was very intellectual and also good-looking. I, for one, especially adored the two dimples on his face that only surfaced when he smiled. They made him cuter than the average guy.
He also had a big, nice heart (for those seeking an attribute not so superficial).
Good essay right?
It'd been to my dismay that Xander had secreted the biggest crush on me for the longest time. Sadly, I only liked him as a friend and had to turn him down when he summoned the courage to ask me out. Of course, I'm no monster. I let him down easy. But now it was a little awkward for me. Unfortunately not for him.
"What's up?" He gave me a wink and I found myself saying 'ew'. Colette kicked my shin underneath the table and I clamped my mouth shut. It wasn't my fault that winking was such an ugly thing to do. It honestly creeped me out.
"Let's just focus on the lectures." Colette advised and I humphed in reply.
Class was luckily over before I knew it and as usual I ended up paying very little attention. I waved goodbye to Colette, then moseyed slowly to the lecture hall for another class while typing away on my phone, feeling totally drained.
In the middle of my keyboard clacking, a hard body bumped into me and I felt a hot liquid spilling all over my body, most especially my blouse.
Oh God, not the blouse.
"Can you please watch where you are going?" the culprit stationed in front of me said.
I stared down at outfit for a long time, taking in the damage done to one of my favourite pink blouses. I had paid hundreds of dollars for my high-fashion brand top, yet the perpetrator of the crime had the audacity to tell me what to do.
Who the f*** did he think he was? Talking oh so rudely to the queen herself (that was me by the way). Was it obvious that I had an alter ego for my egotistical side? I couldn't help but boil and heat up with rage as I stared longer at my blouse.
"Who the heck was this guy?" I mumbled under my breath.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Rianna, freaking Ledgers." I replied, lifting my head to glare up at him. "And you are?"