Chapter 1 ‘Que sera, sera’
Quinn Dyer.
‘A plain name for a plain girl.’
I silently said to myself. Running my hand through my mousy wavy hair, I let out a heavy sigh.
Growing up in a family of beautiful people, I always felt insecure of how I looked. My sister Jade and brother Paul shared the same family signature bright green eyes. Whereas I, inherited my great grandmothers light brown eyes.
It is my favorite feature about myself. But even my eyes could not help the rest of my plain face. With round cheeks and small button nose, I always referred to myself as the Walmart version of Mila Kunis.
Damn. At this point, I didn’t even care about it anymore. Throwing on a white tank top and jeans, I grabbed my bag and joined the loud commotion going on downstairs.
“I asked for it first! You complete ass!” My sister Jade has always been the drama queen. And the drama today, is about who took the last piece of bacon.
“If you weren’t so busy talking smack about your ‘friends’ you would have noticed that I grabbed it way before you asked” My brother Paul practically slapped back, air-quoting the friends part.
Jade was not happy with his remark, so she drew her chair back quite dramatically and left the breakfast table.
At this point, my parents looked fed up.
“Good morning everyone” I said with a small chuckle.
“Hi honey, how did you sleep? What time are you leaving to settle in your dorm?” My mum asked while walking towards the coffee pot. She poured me a cup and walked back gracefully and placed the coffee cup in front on me.
My mother is a beautiful person, inside and out. Although she tried her best to treat all of us equally and fairly, it was obvious she had a favorite. Growing as a pageant queen, having won 13 crowns both locally and internationally, my mom was of some sort a ‘celebrity’. She was praised and adored every time she left the house.
Of course, I did not let her know about what I had heard. If I’m being honest, it did not come as a shock. She showed favoritism in minor things, but still obvious to me.
“I’m good mom. I should leave here just after breakfast, so I have time to familiarize myself with the campus and other students as well.” I said while plopping a piece of pancake in my mouth.
My best friend Daisy and I got accepted at Yale University. With a 4.0 GPA, I had a few choices to choose from. And ever since I was little, I always wanted to be a writer. And Yale, automatically was on top of my college lists because of their great English programme.
But I would be lying if I said my dad did not have any role to play in my wanting to go to Yale given the fact that he graduated there himself.
Delicious coffee aroma and pancakes filled my senses. My papa makes the best pancakes in the whole world. And I’m not even exaggerating.
He grew up without any siblings and was often by himself and his nanny. His parents were doctors, and barely had time to raise him.
His nanny was a 54 year old sweet lady, and he learned most of his life skills from her. Including this breathtaking piece of fluffy clouds melting on my tongue.
“That’s great, sweets.” Papa said while looking at me adoringly.
I am the last child, so automatically my dad is overprotective of me. He calls me ‘Sunset eyes’. I used the feel like the most beautiful girl whenever he called me that, but since puberty hit, insecurities came. It became worse when I started getting bullied in high school.
‘How does it feel being the ugly duckling in the family?’ ‘Why do you look like that?’ ‘Are you adopted, or just unlucky?’
I never told my parents what I went through for most of my teenage years. I did not want to disappoint my mom and anger my dad.
My best friend Daisy stood by me and defended me as much as she could. But there was so much her 5”1 little self could do.
Unlike me, Daisy Frey has the most gorgeous shade of blonde hair I had ever seen. And it complimented her bright baby blue eyes so well. Her bubbly personality made her my favorite person to be around. She’s the type of friend to hype you up so good, you forget all your insecurities and life problems.
I feel beyond lucky every time I think of how we first became acquainted. That day, Daisy was so courageous and strong, I vowed we would always be friends. I was shoved to the ground during recess by one of the schools bully, Max. I was not taught to be a fighter. Dad thought I would never need to, because he would always protect me. So instead, he molded me into a softie. ‘Spread all the love you can, the world needs it.’ He used to say.
Being a lover, did not prepare me for what would happen when I started school. And that’s how I met Daisy. Her small fist collided with Max’s jaw that day. And I will never forget the sickening crack I heard soon after. Anxiety left me as soon as I noticed it was not her hand that cracked, but Max’s jaw as he fell on the ground cradling his face.
And that day, was the last day Max ever bothered me. But that did not stop the bullying as soon as I started high school and puberty hit.
Daisy is more than a best friend to me. She’s my sister. And whoever ends up marrying her, will be luckiest man in the entire world.
After plopping the last piece of pancake in my mouth, I gave dad a kiss on the cheeks and went back up to my room. I stared at the mess on my bed and internally groaned. I started packing soon after, wasting no time.
~~
After calling Daisy to check up on her, I asked her if she was done packing so we could head out. An hour later, she was parked in my driveway and honking like a maniac.
“Yale here we come, bitches!” She practically yelled on top of her lungs.
“Hell yeah!” I said matching her energy. Daisy wore a yellow sundress, stopping just above her knees and white converse shoes to match.
I changed from the white tank top and jeans, to a small blue crop top, high waisted jean pants and white shoes. My hair was in loose waves on my back, stopping just below my waist. I could not bother with doing my makeup, so I settled with some mascara and clear lipgloss.
We put my suitcases and boxes in her white Range Rover that was gifted to her for her 16th birthday.
Daisy was an only child, so she was often spoiled. Her parents inherited a lot of properties from their parents, so to say they were ‘rich’ was an understatement.
I got in the passenger seat and hooked up my Bluetooth with the speakers and blasted ‘Teenage dream by Katy Perry’.
The whole way we sang to my awesome playlist and within 4 hours we were outside of the Yale University.
‘A plain name for a plain girl.’
I silently said to myself. Running my hand through my mousy wavy hair, I let out a heavy sigh.
Growing up in a family of beautiful people, I always felt insecure of how I looked. My sister Jade and brother Paul shared the same family signature bright green eyes. Whereas I, inherited my great grandmothers light brown eyes.
It is my favorite feature about myself. But even my eyes could not help the rest of my plain face. With round cheeks and small button nose, I always referred to myself as the Walmart version of Mila Kunis.
Damn. At this point, I didn’t even care about it anymore. Throwing on a white tank top and jeans, I grabbed my bag and joined the loud commotion going on downstairs.
“I asked for it first! You complete ass!” My sister Jade has always been the drama queen. And the drama today, is about who took the last piece of bacon.
“If you weren’t so busy talking smack about your ‘friends’ you would have noticed that I grabbed it way before you asked” My brother Paul practically slapped back, air-quoting the friends part.
Jade was not happy with his remark, so she drew her chair back quite dramatically and left the breakfast table.
At this point, my parents looked fed up.
“Good morning everyone” I said with a small chuckle.
“Hi honey, how did you sleep? What time are you leaving to settle in your dorm?” My mum asked while walking towards the coffee pot. She poured me a cup and walked back gracefully and placed the coffee cup in front on me.
My mother is a beautiful person, inside and out. Although she tried her best to treat all of us equally and fairly, it was obvious she had a favorite. Growing as a pageant queen, having won 13 crowns both locally and internationally, my mom was of some sort a ‘celebrity’. She was praised and adored every time she left the house.
Of course, I did not let her know about what I had heard. If I’m being honest, it did not come as a shock. She showed favoritism in minor things, but still obvious to me.
“I’m good mom. I should leave here just after breakfast, so I have time to familiarize myself with the campus and other students as well.” I said while plopping a piece of pancake in my mouth.
My best friend Daisy and I got accepted at Yale University. With a 4.0 GPA, I had a few choices to choose from. And ever since I was little, I always wanted to be a writer. And Yale, automatically was on top of my college lists because of their great English programme.
But I would be lying if I said my dad did not have any role to play in my wanting to go to Yale given the fact that he graduated there himself.
Delicious coffee aroma and pancakes filled my senses. My papa makes the best pancakes in the whole world. And I’m not even exaggerating.
He grew up without any siblings and was often by himself and his nanny. His parents were doctors, and barely had time to raise him.
His nanny was a 54 year old sweet lady, and he learned most of his life skills from her. Including this breathtaking piece of fluffy clouds melting on my tongue.
“That’s great, sweets.” Papa said while looking at me adoringly.
I am the last child, so automatically my dad is overprotective of me. He calls me ‘Sunset eyes’. I used the feel like the most beautiful girl whenever he called me that, but since puberty hit, insecurities came. It became worse when I started getting bullied in high school.
‘How does it feel being the ugly duckling in the family?’ ‘Why do you look like that?’ ‘Are you adopted, or just unlucky?’
I never told my parents what I went through for most of my teenage years. I did not want to disappoint my mom and anger my dad.
My best friend Daisy stood by me and defended me as much as she could. But there was so much her 5”1 little self could do.
Unlike me, Daisy Frey has the most gorgeous shade of blonde hair I had ever seen. And it complimented her bright baby blue eyes so well. Her bubbly personality made her my favorite person to be around. She’s the type of friend to hype you up so good, you forget all your insecurities and life problems.
I feel beyond lucky every time I think of how we first became acquainted. That day, Daisy was so courageous and strong, I vowed we would always be friends. I was shoved to the ground during recess by one of the schools bully, Max. I was not taught to be a fighter. Dad thought I would never need to, because he would always protect me. So instead, he molded me into a softie. ‘Spread all the love you can, the world needs it.’ He used to say.
Being a lover, did not prepare me for what would happen when I started school. And that’s how I met Daisy. Her small fist collided with Max’s jaw that day. And I will never forget the sickening crack I heard soon after. Anxiety left me as soon as I noticed it was not her hand that cracked, but Max’s jaw as he fell on the ground cradling his face.
And that day, was the last day Max ever bothered me. But that did not stop the bullying as soon as I started high school and puberty hit.
Daisy is more than a best friend to me. She’s my sister. And whoever ends up marrying her, will be luckiest man in the entire world.
After plopping the last piece of pancake in my mouth, I gave dad a kiss on the cheeks and went back up to my room. I stared at the mess on my bed and internally groaned. I started packing soon after, wasting no time.
~~
After calling Daisy to check up on her, I asked her if she was done packing so we could head out. An hour later, she was parked in my driveway and honking like a maniac.
“Yale here we come, bitches!” She practically yelled on top of her lungs.
“Hell yeah!” I said matching her energy. Daisy wore a yellow sundress, stopping just above her knees and white converse shoes to match.
I changed from the white tank top and jeans, to a small blue crop top, high waisted jean pants and white shoes. My hair was in loose waves on my back, stopping just below my waist. I could not bother with doing my makeup, so I settled with some mascara and clear lipgloss.
We put my suitcases and boxes in her white Range Rover that was gifted to her for her 16th birthday.
Daisy was an only child, so she was often spoiled. Her parents inherited a lot of properties from their parents, so to say they were ‘rich’ was an understatement.
I got in the passenger seat and hooked up my Bluetooth with the speakers and blasted ‘Teenage dream by Katy Perry’.
The whole way we sang to my awesome playlist and within 4 hours we were outside of the Yale University.
