I went to my second elective class—choir. It was the second-worst class I had, after orchestra. We split up into our teams. My team was the worst, made up of all the loners and weirdos in the class. I knew I wasn't a weirdo, but I was a loner—at least in this class. I was kind of the leader of our five-person group. I told everyone what to do, directed them, and took charge of everything. After school, I went to my room. It was a normal size. I had a queen-sized bed, a walk-in closet, and a black work table. My mom's computer, which I borrowed, was to the side of the table. The rest of the table was a mess of notebooks, old worksheets, and unfinished assignments. I took off my clothes and turned on the shower. Standing in front of the mirror, I stared at my thighs, then my stomach. I sucked it in, then let it out. I stared at my breasts.
"Why are they so small?" I muttered under my breath.
"Chinwe, why are you wasting water?" my mom called from downstairs.
"Just waiting for the warm water," I responded back.
After I finished my shower, I put on the clothes I had already set out for the ride.
"james, Jason, are you done?" my mom yelled at my two younger brothers.
"Yes!" James yelled back.
I walked over to my mirror and picked up my foundation. I grabbed the blender and dabbed it into the brown shade. The color was lighter than my skin, just the way I liked it. I applied the concealer over every imperfection on my face, every pimple.I hated everything about myself. My lips were too big, my nose too small. I had large brown eyes that almost looked black. My mom used to say I had cat eyes, but I never believed her. My nose wasn't quite pointed, but it wasn't flat either. I had a beauty mark on the left side of my cheek. My lashes were okay, but I wished they were longer, I had a double chin forming that I quickly pushed down. I sighed and finished my makeup. Then, I grabbed my backpack filled with clothes and my phone, and I closed the door to my room behind me.
I grabbed my headphones from my backpack and headed to the car. I connected them to my phone and started listening to music as we drove. The ride in our Ford Expedition felt long. I had three siblings—two little brothers and a baby sister who was almost 11 months old. My mom sat in the second row, keeping an eye on my little sister while I sat up front.
My first little brother was three years younger than me. He was nine. His skin was a shade or two lighter than mine, with dark brown eyes that weren't the almost black kind, just normal brown. His hair was tight and curly, mostly black but with a few hints of brown in it. His nose and eyes were small, just like my mom's.
My other little brother was five, about to turn six in a month. His skin was light, but it was getting darker from the Colorado heat. He had brown hair and eyes, the same shade as my mom's.
My little sister, at just ten months, had eyes that were deep, almost blue-black, similar to mine. Her eyes were big, and her nose was tiny. Her lips were full, especially for a baby, and her hair was tight and curly like the rest of us. She had the lightest skin in the family.
"Chinwe, put down your headphones and pay attention to your surroundings," my dad said, his voice firm but not unkind.
"Yes, sir," I replied, setting my headphones down and looking out the window.
After the ride
"Chinwe, stop lazing around and come help right now."
I got up almost as quickly as I laid down
"Yes ma what do you want me to do."
"Are you stupid or something, go get me Chioma's wipes and diapers right now." My mother yelled
"O zugo, O zugo," my dad called out in our native language, meaning "enough."
I rushed to get the diapers and wipes and handed them to my mother. She snatched them from my hands. I stood there, waiting for her to yell at me to do something else when she finally said,
"You can go."
I nodded quietly and left. When I got back, my brothers were already jumping on the bed. I claimed one bed for myself and told them to jump on the other one. I stripped off my clothes and turned on the shower. Then, I grabbed my pajamas and skincare products from my bag, setting them on the sink counter. After that, I closed the door behind me.