Chapter Two—B Is For Bad Hair Days

“Taylor! Get up! It’s time for school.”

My mom’s high pitched voice pierced through the fog of sleep. I ignored it thinking it was a dream. A few minutes later a huge pounding came upon my door, rattling me.

“Taylor! You had better be up by the time I get back here.”

When I heard her footsteps retreat out of the hall I slowly opened my eyes.

My purple curtains covered my windows which saved my eyes from the stinging bright light.

Leslie lay curled beside me unnerved by my mom’s ear-splitting yelling.

Yawning, I removed the blanket from around me and sat up. My purple pajama shirt stuck to my body as I walked to my closet. Opening it, another yawn made tears pop into my eyes.

I wanted to look really cute today, this being the first day of school and I’d already visualized it. A short pink skirt with those black nylons that Indy once said looked cute on me. A white boat neck sweater that showed my collarbone and just enough of my shoulders and white ballerina flats. My pink satchel would always accompany me.

I couldn’t wear off-the-shoulder tops because I had stretch marks on my shoulders. They were hideous, in my opinion and that stopped me from showing my shoulders, also contributing to my very low self-esteem.

After a quick shower, I put on my outfit and did a twirl for Leslie.

“So? What do you think?” I asked her.

She just opened one of her blue feline eyes, yawned and turned the other way to resume her sleep.

“Sure, ignore me. That’s what I get for talking to a cat.”

I stuck my tongue out at her then sat at my dresser to do the most stressful and annoying job in the world: combing my hair.

The first time I put I comb through it it got stuck and I had to pull it out. It came out alright, but it left a burning sensation on my scalp, tears in my eyes and a ball of hair as big as Leslie on my purple carpet.

I groaned and gave up combing it. Instead I tried to put it in one of those fishtail braids people on YouTube demonstrate. 

I looked at myself in the mirror and decided it didn’t look right. YouTubers never add might not look right on some people warning in their videos.

I loosened it and the sneaking suspicion I was running out of time crept in.

A few minutes later my mom confirmed it.

“Taylor Charlotte Crewman! You don’t own that school you know. Strutting in an hour late is bad karma on your first day. Get down here this instant!”

I groaned. A ponytail didn’t look right either, my hair was beginning to frizz from too much pulling and my entire scalp was on fire.

I didn’t want to be late so I grabbed the closest thing I could to cover my hair.

Why does bad luck love playing ping-pong with my life?

First day of school is supposed to be fun, but no, I’m experiencing a bad hair day which resulted in this ugly and funny-looking beanie with a pink bobble on top that looked like it belonged to a four-month-old being stuck on my head.

Resigning to my fate, I grabbed my bag and opened the door.

“Bye Leslie. Be a good kitty, OK? Mom’ll take you to Miss Brown later. Bye!”

I couldn’t leave Leslie on her own. The last time that happened, my pretty pink curtains didn’t live to tell the tale.

She meowed as I left my room.

Leslie was lucky. She didn’t have bad fur days, terrible people going to her school or an ugly face. In fact, she was quite adorable and everybody that meets her loves her. All she had to worry about was her next meal, who would scratch behind her ear and where that unfortunate doll that she tears to pieces little by little was hiding.

Great! Now I’m jealous of my cat!

I went down into the kitchen to find my mom in her pink bathrobe sipping some coffee from her favorite brown mug. She didn’t comb her hair so yellow strands stuck out at messy, awkward angles and she was still in her pajamas.

“You should’ve stayed up there,” she said as she lowered her mug. “Just because you’re seventeen and almost legally an adult means you won’t listen to me, right?”

“Oh come on mom. I was getting dressed.”

She scoffed and put a plate of buttered toast on my placemat. I put down my bag, sat on a stool and started munching the toast.

A few minutes later the smell of lavender made my head snap up from my plate.

My sister put her bag down on one of the chairs while her raised eyebrow asked what?

Adrianna was my younger sister. Well, little sister since I’m older than her with 5 good years, and I dislike her.

First of all, she’s way prettier than me. She had mom’s blue eyes, ruler-straight blonde hair and an envious slender body. Secondly, she had an ego the size of Russia. I get better grades than her but she won’t agree. Making me look small and petty when I bring it up. Thirdly and the worst of them all, she is popular. In her class, people actually want to be like her, gauging her next to the perfect student.

“Adrianna? Is that my jacket?”

She wore a yellow top above a white-washed pair of jeans and a denim jacket that looked suspiciously like the one I got in Florida. 

“Yeah. I found it lying around. Hope you don’t mind?”

She didn’t even wait for my approval before walking to the kitchen and taking some juice from the fridge.

“What? Of course I mind! It’s mine. Take it off.”

“No way. It matches my outfit.”

“Well it’s mine and I say take it off!”

“I say no way!”

“What is going on here?”

Mom walked into the dining room and surveyed both of us.

“She’s wearing my jacket mom. Tell her to take it off!”

Mom took a deep breath and turned to Adrianna.

“Adrianna, you know how protective your sister is of her stuff. I mean, she won’t even let me pet Leslie. You shouldn’t have worn it, and since it’s hers she has the right to tell you to take it off,” she turned to me, “Taylor, you shouldn’t be that mad that your own sister is wearing a jacket that’s been lying around. Besides we’re family. We should all share some things. Now, Adrianna, take off that jacket and Taylor, get up from there and hurry to school.” 

Mom left and Adrianna grumbled before following her. With a smug smile on my own face I carried my empty plate to the kitchen.

Mom was washing dishes like nothing just happened.

“Bye mom!”

“You should really learn how to share.”

“I know.”

I fell into her arms and the familiar scent of coffee and air freshener enveloped me.

I pulled out and she cupped my face with her slightly wet hands that reeked of detergent. She was a little taller and I had to look up at her.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to school with, a beanie. On your first day?” she looked horrified.

“Bad hair day.”

“I guess that’s what makes you Taylor.” she murmured, kissing my forehead. “Have a lovely day at school sweetie.”

“Thanks mom. When’s dad coming back?”

Due to all the work in Florida and without my mom to help, my dad wasn’t due to be home for another three weeks and I missed him.

She gave me a sad smile, indicating she was missing him too.

“Soon kiddo. Soon. Now hurry to school.”

“OK, I’m leaving. Please leave Leslie with Miss Brown. I’ll get her on my way back. Bye mom.”

I kissed her cheek while she muttered ‘you and your cat’.

Pulling my bag higher up my shoulder, I opened the front door.

The pleasant spring air and idyllic Kentucky countryside guided me to the hellhole that posed as a learning institution.