I stared at my reflection in the mirror, questioning everything. Why was I doing all of this? The answer stared back at me, a reminder that I was doing it for myself.
People often thought it was because of some tragic story, but that wasn't true. I let out a frustrated sigh, turning off the tape recorder that had been capturing my thoughts.
The recording was a reminder of my motivations, driving me forward. I took a deep breath, preparing for the day ahead.
"Hey Maeve, come check it out!" my brother Steve called from the kitchen. "I made pancakes with maple syrup!"
I rolled my eyes good-naturedly. Steve always thought our situation would improve overnight, but I knew better. His relentless optimism was both admirable and exhausting.
"Morning, Steve," I replied, walking into the kitchen.
"Good morning, Maeve!" Steve chirped, flipping pancakes. "Why so happy?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I've got a job interview today!" Steve announced, beaming.
"At Shawralet's farm?" I asked, skeptical.
"Yeah, at 10 am," Steve confirmed.
I frowned. "It's going to be hard work."
Steve shrugged. "That's not my problem."
I sighed. "Just be prepared."
As we talked, a loud groaning sound came from the living room. I exchanged a worried glance with Steve.
"Is that Dad?" I asked.
Steve hesitated. "Let me check."
We rushed into the living room to find our father sprawled on the couch, vomiting.
"Steve, take him to the toilet," I instructed, trying to remain calm. "I'll clean up."
As Steve helped our father, I quickly cleaned the mess. Then, I changed into fresh clothes and checked my watch. I was running late.
I poked my head into the bathroom, where Steve was helping our father. "I'm going to school," I reminded Steve. "Please take care of Dad, and don't forget to lock up when you leave. Give the keys to Cynthia, okay?"
With that, I headed out the door, leaving the chaos behind.
As soon as I reached school, I saw that Headmaster Hastings was there. I moved forward, and there were more students. I asked a guy, "What's going on here?"
He replied, "Seems that Mr. Hastings won't let us in until after 9 am."
Another student chimed in with a sarcastic tone, "Or maybe he had a fight with his wife."
I shot back, "Do you really think that?"
I snapped, "Fuck off, you two."
Mr. Hastings announced, "From now on, no one will be allowed entry after 9 am. Strictly."
The students erupted in protest. "This is bullshit! Fuck off!"
Mr. Hastings shouted, "I said strictly!"
Everyone began to leave, but I went around to the back of the school. The guy and his friend followed me. He shouted to get my attention, "Hey, you!"
I turned to him and asked, "Want to sneak back into school?"
He looked at his friend and replied, "Yeah, sure."
We jumped over the school wall and landed in an abandoned toilet on the school campus. From there, we snuck back into school.
As we caught our breath, I asked the guy, "By the way, who are you?"
He introduced himself, "I'm Asher Hayes." Maeve was about to introduce herself when Asher's friend suddenly popped up and said, "I'm Isaac Thompson!" with a big smile. Then Isaac said, "You're Maeve Nightingale. We know you, and now you know us...." in a fast and excited tone.
Maeve, a well-known student at Aurora Gr. Academy, left the area and headed towards her locker. She opened it, grabbed her stuff, and sneaked into the classroom. However, Ms. Arien noticed her and said, "Maeve Nightingale, may I know why you're late?" in a questioning tone.
Maeve questioned her back, "Is there a rule about entering the class?" Ms. Arien replied, "Well, no, there isn't. Now, please take a seat." Maeve grabbed a seat in the back.