ALLISON'S POV:
As I entered my room, I took a sigh of relief thinking that I'd sleep in that queen size bed with all possible awkward styles and I three myself on the bed. As I looked at the ceiling and thought about what Rylee said, I realized that may be she was right somewhere and may be schools and colleges does matter and affects the person's future but I stood on my grounds that talent plays the major role in success. Sometimes someone belonging to the most popular school or college is not successful either. It all depends on how one pursue his or her talents and use them to earn something in life. But what Rylee said is also right. Sometimes, the well-known companies do consider people belonging to top notch schools and colleges and it happens all over the world. I breathed heavily and thought about King Allen whether it would be the right decision to take the opportunity and leave my friends and family behind. I was confused, nervous and scared. I was confused because I couldn't figure out if my decision was right. I was nervous because I it was going to be new place for me and meeting new people and getting to know them makes me nervous. I was scared because thinking about the students belonging to upper class families made me assume ideas that they might be very up to date in everything and they would be ultra-modern and sophisticated which would made me think low of me because I thought I might have to live like them to be one of them and to live like them it is very important to have a lot of money which I didn't have. I rubbed my forehead and tried to think straight but couldn't. Just then my phone rang and I jumped up to sit straight.
I saw it was Jane, my high school friend, on the phone.
"Hey…J" I picked up the call in excitement.
"Hi… Ally…" Jane said in excitement.
"Why weren't you picking up your phone?" She asked anxiously.
"Were you calling before?" I asked her.
"Yes…" She said and I moved the phone away from my ear to check and she was right. She did call five times.
"I am so sorry…" I said and rubbed my forehead. "I was with Rylee" I added.
"Oh so you made a best friend so quickly?" She said resentfully.
"No, J… She is not my best friend. I mean she is very nice and good to me but she is just my roommate and she does not even study in King Allen" I informed her.
"Oh…" Jane said and after a pause added, "You know Ally… It's been a day since I have not seen you and I am already missing you"
"I miss you too, J" I said distressfully.
"But you shouldn't Ally… You should study and work hard and get into King Allen College" She said.
"Okay now you are going to talk like my mum, huh?" I asked and rolled my eyes.
She laughed and added, "Okay I am sorry… But at least you should make some friends there. It will keep you mentally healthy"
"I know, J… But, you know I can't make friends so easily" I said regretfully.
"I know, Ally. But now you have to push yourself to new experiences" Jane said.
"J…" I started.
"Look, I know it's difficult for you and I know you are not ready to do this. But Ally, you were not ready to go to Louisiana either and to King Allen but you did, right and you pushed yourself for your mother but now that you are there, you need to push yourself for your own self and for no one else. You need to make friends, go out with them, have fun with them and study too" Jane said. She was right but it wasn't easy for me.
"I know, J… I know you are right" I said and sighed. "I'll try…" I added.
"I know you will and it will take time… Any way leave this topic… Tell me how's Louisiana? Did you try any of the Cajun or Creole foods?" She asked excitedly.
"J… It's been a day since I am here. I have not gone out. Also I am in Maneville. It's a small town in Louisiana. " I said to her.
"Well let's start with Maneville then… How's everything there?" She asked.
"I – I don't know… I am not liking it here" I said resentfully.
"Why?" She asked anxiously.
"The sun light's too intense here and the people… Jeez they are pervert" I said and Jane started laughing.
"Oh my god… You have an encounter with a pervert?" She laughed and added.
"Stop laughing… Yeah it was the mail man… He's a pervert" I said bitterly.
She chuckled and added, "What did he do?"
"Okay I was in a towel…" I started and began to laugh hard. "Listen before you ask me why… Let me tell you… I got out of shower in a towel and ran downstairs to get my clothes from the box and then this mail man came and I had to attend to the door because Rylee was at school so he kind of stared at me and then asked me I needed anything. Pervert. Bastard!" I said bitterly and Jane couldn't hold her laugh.
"Okay enough, J…" I said resentfully.
"Okay, I am sorry…" She said and controlled her laugh.
"I am totally pissed" I said in frustration.
"Ally… You need to bear all this. You are strong and I know you can… You will come across different personalities in the new school and you will need to accept them as they are…" She said and before I could say anything, she added, "And not compare anyone with people in Hattiesburg or at St. Teresa"
I sighed and huffed.
"But how am I going to be one of them? I can't wear expensive clothes or I don't have a modern lifestyle" I said distressfully.
"But that's not necessary, Ally… You need to be yourself. You don't need to become one of them. You just be yourself and the ones who would find you interesting in your own way, will definitely get impressed from you and the others… if they mock you. Let them… Don't take it to your heart, okay?" Jane said. Jane is a therapist of mine more than a friend. She is always guiding me the best way like no one ever can and not even my mum and that is why we are friends since childhood and that is why I love her the most.
"Fine…" I said and sighed.
"Any way, tomorrow is your first day at King Allen, right?" She asked me.
"Yes…" I said nervously.
"So… What are you going to wear? What are your plans for tomorrow?" She asked excitedly.
"I – I don't know what I am going to wear. Guess, I'll just wear something and about the plans… I have no plans yet" I said.
"What do you mean you will wear something? You need to look good" She said.
"Whoa… You just told me I need to be myself. I don't need to become one of them and now you are suggesting me to wear something good?" I asked her in shock.
"Not good… You need to look good. I mean don't wear something expensive. But wear some nice outfit from your wardrobe" She justified.
"Fine… I'll see something" I said and sighed.
"Great… I will hang up now. Talk to you later" Jane said.
"Yeah sure, bye…" I said.
"Bye, good luck for tomorrow, girl" Jane said.
"Thanks" I said and smiled and hung up the call. I breathed heavily and looked at my wardrobe and thought about what Jane was saying regarding my outfit for tomorrow. I walked over to the wardrobe and opened it to see some clothes hanging. I am not very fond of shopping may be because of the shortage of money or something. I always used to repeat my clothes often in the school and no one actually noticed or judged me on that because there were many students who used to repeat their outfits so I wasn't the odd one out. I looked at the limited clothes my wardrobe had and thought for a while.
"I can't decide right now…" I said and sighed and threw myself on the bed to go to sleep.
The next morning, the scorching sun annoyed me again. I groaned and placed my hand on my eyes, blocking the sunlight but then realized that I shouldn't block the sunlight as I had to get up and go to school. My eyes swung wide open and I jumped up on the bed and immediately glanced at my bedside clock which showed it was 8 am in the morning. I took a sigh of relief as I was on time to wake up. I looked outside the window and narrowed my eyes as the sunlight struck my face.
"This…" I said in frustration and added, "I have to draw the curtains before sleeping or else this will kill me"
I stretched my hands fully and yawned. Lazily, I got up from my bed and walked slowly to the bathroom. After getting a good warm shower, I got out of the bathroom again in a towel but I smiled knowing that my clothes were there in the room and I didn't have to go down and face some pervert. I opened my wardrobe and looked at the limited clothes hanging there, once again. Looking at those clothes, I wondered whether which one of them would qualify as the nice dressing. I rubbed my forehead and took out some of my tops to see if anything would work for the first.
"I can't do this…" I cried in frustration and frantically took out a skinny blue jeans and paired it with a pink floral smocked peplum top. I looked at it for a while and then decided to go with it. Getting dressed, I held my hair up and thought about it whether to tie them in a ponytail or a bun but thinking none of that would work for me, I eventually left them open and loose on my shoulders.
"This is who I am…" I said resentfully while looking at myself in the mirror. "I don't care what others think of me" I added and sighed. I threw some of the books in a bag which I had been using since 4 years and picked it up immediately to get downstairs and eat Riley's breakfast.
"Hey…" I said as I climbed down the stairs and saw Riley in the kitchen.
"Hey" She greeted while looking at thing she was cooking.
I walked towards her while speaking, "You didn't have to do this seriously. You also have to get to school, right?"
"Yeah but today is your first day, Allison and I want to give something to you to be positive about. My delicious breakfast" She said and giggled.
I chuckled and said, "Thanks a lot"
"What are you cooking by the way?" I asked curiously and tried to look at it.
"Pancakes" She said excitedly.
"Oh I love them…" I said tenderly and jumped up in excitement.
"That's great…" She said and immediately carried the plate on the small dining table. I excitedly sat down and started adoring how delicious it was looking.
She topped the pancakes with a handsome amount of honey and started, "Let's give it a try and tell me if it lacks anything"
I took a bite, chewed with my eyes closed and swallowed after which I added, "Oh my… You have magic in your hands, Rylee… It's delish"
She chuckled and brought her plate of pancakes to eat with me. I ate the pancakes hurriedly as they were extremely delicious and I couldn't hold myself.
"Thank you so much Rylee for this amazing breakfast. I owe you a lot" I said and stood up from the chair.
"You are most welcome" She said and smiled. "Also… I love that top of yours" She added.
I looked at it and added, "Really? Thanks"
"Yes… And good luck to you. You got this" Rylee said and gave me a thumbs up.
"Thanks…" I said, smiled and walked away while hanging my bag on the back.
As I got out of the door and walked towards the right, I saw some cars passing by me. I guessed they were the students of King Allen. I walked briskly for about ten minutes and finally saw a board with an arrow that showed King Allen was on the right. I paced up and reached at the school's main gate and as my eyes moved up to see the school, my jaw dropped open…