I glance at her for a brief second. She’s sitting on the edge of my bed, her long, brown hair is curled to perfection and her makeup is already done. I can’t let her down, not looking like that. Plus, I don’t want to get back in that bed and risk another dream.
“Fine, give me about thirty minutes and I’ll be ready, okay?”
“Cool, I’ll let the guys know.”
“Guys?” I question.
“Yeah, Rodney and his friends.”
I smirk, shaking my head, and retreat into the bathroom. It doesn’t take me but a few minutes to flat iron my hair leaving it long and down. Then I apply a little make up and head into my closet. Fuck it, I go for comfort, putting on a pair of black leggings with a soft, thin, gray, long-sleeved t-shirt and ankle boots.
Grabbing my purse, I throw on a matching beanie and pull my long, blonde hair over my shoulders. Upon entering the living room, Aubrey is in a black dress with hot pink heels. She’s so Jersey.
“Ready?” I ask.
“Yup,” she responds hopping off of one of our bar stools.
“You’re driving,” I remind her, shrugging my coat on.
It’s not long ’til we are pulling into the lot of Pat’s, a local Jersey bar. Aubrey’s phone beeps with a new text message. “They’re here,” she responds and we head inside.
As much as I bitch about breakfast with my parents, it’s actually nice to eat with them. Plus, my mom’s cooking is really the best. Thinking about some of my friends and the shitty parents they have, I really got damn lucky with mine. Hopping into my Audi, I cruise across town. College has been an experience, that’s for sure.
I’m not really one of the popular girls, but everyone knows who my brother is and that makes me known. It’s not a bad thing; I’m proud as hell of him. What I go through is nothing compared to what he experiences. I mean, the guy’s been on TV being interviewed and playing games.
Compared to me and my simple life, I’ve got it easy. I love photography and go to one of the best schools for it. Plus, it lets me stay in New Jersey. Stopping at a stoplight, I text Anna, one of my good friends and also one of the smartest ones. Hey, girl, do you have my biology homework?
She texts right back. Have I ever let you down, Kins?
Very true, I do owe you. See you soon.
It’s not that I don’t want to do the homework. It’s that I can’t. Some of that shit just hasn’t clicked. I don’t know if I have ADD or what my problem is. The doctors say everything is fine with me, but I struggle with certain things. For me, I found it easier to pay Anna. It’s really a win-win – she gets extra money which my parents have a ton of and I get my homework done.
Parking in the first spot I see, I hop out, bearing the cold weather. There’s no one inside, but it is November and this winter has been brutal already. Once I’m inside, I don’t waste even a second congregating or mingling with the other students, that’s not me. I stick to myself heading to my first and favorite class – Photography. With my notebook in hand, I sit down waiting to see what our next assignment is going to be. Our teacher, Mr. Snell, is the best, a world-renowned photographer that’s traveled the world photographing some of the most famous faces. I hope one day my dream of taking pictures for a living will come true. On the wall is a large 16x20 photo of a vacant house that I took. I can’t help, but stare remembering how I took the photo from the front door looking through the house. I pressed my lens up against the glass and got a perfect view through the front room, dining room, right to the back door. I then altered the photo to look black and white and vintage. Mr. Snell loved it, too, and that’s why it’s on the wall. I really couldn’t be happier with the outcome.
As the class waits for Mr. Snell, I realize the bell has already rung and some of the students are talking about where he is. It’s not like him to be late. Then all of our attention is diverted from waiting to a young, light-haired man that walks in, stopping in front and writing his name on the board. Through his messy writing, I can barely read the name, Anthony.
“Sorry to keep you all waiting. My name is Anthony. If you prefer a prefix, please call me Mr. Anthony. Questions?”
Everyone including me, shakes their head staring at the gorgeous man. “I believe Mr. Snell had a family emergency, so he’ll be out for a week or so, but I assure you that we’ll have fun and learn a lot about each other while he is gone.” As he speaks the last sentence, he looks right at me, our eyes connecting. His presence so strong, it makes my heart race a million miles a minute.
“Three shots of tequila and three Coronas.” Both Kohan and Trenton look at me. “What? You guys do realize that I have to pay you fuckers back for dragging me here.”
“Whatever. You agreed to come. Don’t be a little bitch about it.”
The bartender pours our shots and we all lift our glasses, holding them high. “To the future, may it not shit on you like the past.” I speak my mind like I always have and smack my shot on the bar before knocking it back.