AN UNEXPECTED PATH

"V, c'mon. Get up! We're gonna be late if you don't hurry up, we should be there already."

I wake up listening to these words. At least I think that I'm already awake. Could it possibly be that it's just a dream? Unfortunately and against all my hopes, my subconscious tells me that it is, in fact, time to wake up. This is probably the part of the day i hate the most. Leaving my bed. I mean, inside it it's so warm and cozy, i could definitely spend my entire day here. Leaving my bed, however, means being cold. And unconfortable. And having to face life, when all I wanted was to spend one more minute there.

That means, of course, that my #1 wish during the rest of the day is to get back in bed. You can imagine how distressing of a process this is for me.

"Hey, V. Did you hear what i said? We're gonna be LATE! It's our first day of school, could you please make an effort?"

That voice. Again.

I eventually give in and slowly open my eyes. Once they're fully opened, I'm surprised to see my best friend Benny standing beside me. Her words finally get to me. I just sit in my bed, unable to move. It's the first day of school. Suddenly, i feel every emotion at once. I'm nervous, tense. Hundreds of memories from past years start running through my head. But then i snap back to reality, and my lack of sleep makes it even harder for me to stay awake.

(This is the moment when I deeply regret going to bed late last night, but still know that it will probably happen again).

I look briefly in the mirror. I'm not surprised to see that my face shows clear evidence of the not nearly enough hours of sleep i got last night. My dark circles are so heavy that my whole expression turns darker, sadder. Honestly, I'm not fond of the way they look, but I also don't bother to cover them with make up.

(To me, make-up is just a waste of money and time. I've never really had the patience for it. The only thing i don't mind wearing from time to time is lipstick. Probably because it's the most practical and you don't have to be an expert to put it on).

I feel no energy at all as I practically drag myself to the bathroom so that i can get ready. Each one of my movements is very slow and well-thought-out. I feel like sleeping took the last bit of energy I had instead of giving me more.

As I'm in the bathroom, which is (thankfully) right next to my room, i head straight for a quick shower. The warm water is extremely soothing, relaxing my muscles as it poures down my skin. As soon as I'm done, I place a towel over my body and get back to my room so that I can get dressed.

I throw a quick look in the mirror, and for a moment the intense green of my eyes takes the spotlight from my dark circles. That makes me smile. Turns out my day isn't starting in such an awful way.

I go through my closet to try and pick something to wear, but a familiar voice stops me.

" I've already chosen your outfit. Hope you don't mind."

Of course I don't mind. It even makes me happier that I don't have to worry about that anymore, especially considering i take forever to choose what to wear.

When i turn around, I see Benny again. But not as blurry as i did before. I hug her and say good morning. The outfit she chose for me was spot on. Some simple blue jeans, just the way i like them, paired with a grey T-shirt with the typical cliché quote on the front. I remember I bought it the last time we went to the mall together. I hadn't used it yet. Not because i don't like it, but maybe because i had never found the right occasion to do so.

I guess this is it.

After I get dressed, I run to the kitchen and quickly grab a pack of cookies to eat on the way. Sadly, there's no time for more.