Rhea Scott was woken up by the sound of her annoying alarm. It was Monday morning again and also her first day at Waggoner High School, which was her fourth school since the year began. The door opened, and her father, Mr. Odin Scott, popped his head in.
"Rhea, don't you think you should get ready for school? Your sister has been waiting for you." He came into full view, staring at his daughter, who wasn't ready to leave the comfort of her bed yet. "Get your ass up, lazy girl," he teased.
Groaning slightly, Rhea dragged her body lazily out of bed and switched off the alarm.
"I should be ready in ten minutes," she said, picking her towel up. She made it to the bathroom door and stopped. "You don't have to come back, dad. I'll join you soon."
Rhea entered the bathroom and turned the shower on. Dropping her towel, she stepped under the shower, eyes closed.
How is she going to cope in her new school?
Rhea thought to herself as she used her long fingers to spread her long black hair apart, unconsciously.
Rhea knew how difficult this was going to be for her, unlike her sister, Celia, who had always fit in so easily.
Life has not been so unfair to Rhea. Not only did it take away from her, one of her most treasured gems, her Mother, but it also made her move from one school to another, which has been nothing but difficult for her.
It was just like yesterday.
She could remember vividly the feeling that engulfed her when her Mother, Edith, took her last breath.
"Mother..." Rhea cooed slightly.
Edith's death was not only a great loss to the family but also marked the beginning of a new life for them.
They had to move to a different place due to the nature of their Father's job and have been moving from one place to another since then. This would not have happened if their Mother was alive. They missed her so much; It's been over a year now and the pain of her death is still fresh in their hearts.
Rhea wiped away the tears dripping down her face and stepped out of the shower, wrapping the towel around her.
After getting ready for school, she carried her bag and went to join her sister and Father in the dining room. Celia was seated opposite their father, so Rhea decided it would be best if she sat beside him.
As silence engulfed them, Rhea's mind was occupied with the thought of how she would fit in once more. The tapping on the table jolted her out of her thoughts.
Rhea stared at Celia who had made the tap on the table.
Is anything the matter? Rhea wondered.
Celia glared at her. "You finally made it here, and you could not say hello to me. Huh?".
Rhea chuckled slightly. " I am so sorry, Celia. That skipped my mind."
" I know it did," Celia replied as she stood up to serve bacon and egg on a plate. She passed it to Rhea. "You should eat up fast. Or we might be late on our first day."
Rhea nodded but said nothing to Celia; silence invaded the room once more. All through the meal, Rhea had a lot going on in her mind. Attending a new school has always been a problem for her; she finds it difficult to adjust to a new environment, and people see her as a nerd whom they need to avoid as much as they can. It was different for Celia; she blends in so easily.
"Are you okay?" Celia asked.
She could tell that Rhea had been absent-minded and wondered what could be going on with her.
"I am fine," Rhea answered with a smile.
She couldn't let Celia worry about her like she had always done in the past. Rhea picked her plate up and stood up. "I guess I am done here."
"But you barely touched your food, Rea," Mr. Odin answered.
"That is because I do not have an appetite," Rhea mumbled.
Celia furrowed her brows. "Are you nervous, Rhea?"
That was the only way she could explain Rhea's reaction and loss of appetite.
Rhea shook her head quickly. "I am not nervous, Celia. I only lost my appetite."
Celia could tell Rhea was lying and she insisted, "You are nervous, Rhea. It's..."
"I will head to the kitchen now," Rhea cut her short and headed to the kitchen.
Celia stood up too. " I am done too, Dad."
Mr. Odin nodded but said nothing; he was worried about Rhea. He knew how difficult it had been for Rhea to fit into new schools, and he wished there was something he could do about it, but there was none. His work has been the reason for their moving and he must keep moving to survive and also take care of his daughters as he had promised his dead wife on her sick bed a year ago.
Rhea and Celia returned from the kitchen and picked up their bags.
"We are leaving, Dad," Celia said.
"Celia you should take good care of your sister," Mr. Odin said.
"I will try my best, dad." Celia smiled, holding Rhea's hand.
"You should take care of yourself too, Celia." Mr. Odin faced Rhea. "Rhea, are you going to be okay..."
"I am fine, Dad. You do not have to worry about me. I have Celia with me, remember?"
"But she will not always be with you? She won't be in your class."
"It doesn't matter dad, I will be fine."
Mr. Odin sighed. "You should head to school now."
Celia kissed their father goodbye while Rhea waved slightly.
"Bye, Dad," she mumbled.
"Bye, Rhea."
As Rhea and Celia left the house, Mr. Odin could not stop staring at the door. He was going to worry all through the day about Rhea, there was no doubt. He will need to worry about receiving news of her and getting into trouble.
He wished their mother was alive. Things would have been different.
Slowly, his mind drifted to the day his wife, Edith died; it was vivid in his mind.