I woke up to the sunlight hitting my face from the beaming window beside my bed. “Great I didn’t even close the blinds…” I looked around my room the same but also different- With my clothes and meaningful things packed away into two suitcases it seemed almost unfamiliar to me. I stared for awhile at various places in my room where piles of clothing used to lay. After that I turned my head to my desk looking at the neatly folded clothes I had left out for today. “Okay Leggings, Hoodie, Necklace, And Bracelet.” A sigh of relief washed over me once I saw my mom hadn’t replaced anything. 

After I was dressed I groggily made my way to the bathroom. I opened my cabinet to grab out my toothpaste and toothbrush, scrubbing each tooth individually and brushing my tongue before spitting and looking up into the mirror. For a moment I paused, A face looking back at me I’ve never been able to recognize even though it’s my own. Teal hair with my roots barely showing through, a mess with strands sticking up and my bangs nearly covering my eyes. Pale skin nearly white in the sunlight hitting a portion of my face,neck, and arm. Piercings trailing up my ears and a tongue piercing in desperate need of a rinse after the scrubbing it had just received. 

“What are you doing Jamie?” My younger brother giggled as he watched me stare at myself with my tongue sticking out. “Oh Nothing Micky, just checking my piercing is all. Have you had your breakfast yet?” I stared at him thinking of the fact I wouldn’t see him until my winter break in nearly three months… “Yeah! Mom sent me up to get you.” He stared at me with big brown eyes and his face scrunched as I ruffled his brown hair. “Got it well I’m gonna rinse and I’ll be down, but let her know I’m not all that hungry.” In all the excitement of this morning with attempting to recognize my surroundings I had forgotten about breakfast and went straight to brush my teeth… “Got it!” The ten year old then ran down the stairs and yelled for mom in the kitchen to let her know I wouldn’t be eating. 

I smiled as I watched him scurry back up the steps and into his room giving me a thumbs up before closing the door. After that I turned back and rinsed my mouth with water before walking out of the bathroom and down the stairs to the kitchen. “Morning mom” I said working my way halfway through a yawn. “Morning, how did you sleep? Are you excited?!” She grinned at me butter knife in hand half buttering a piece of toast. “Yes mom I’m very excited” I said while staring at my dad at the very end of the table. “Morning dad, aren’t you usually at work by now?” I now openly displayed a shocked expression on my face warranting an answer from my mom. “Your dad called in for today he wanted to be here to show you off.” As she said this she nudged at him getting him to look up from the crossword puzzle. “Oh! Your up.” He stared at me with a half grin on his face. 

When it came to my dad I never knew if I was more annoyed or excited to see him. While my mom would stay at home he was often away for work. “Yep I’m up, so what’s the name of this place I’m getting shipped off to?” I asked attempting not to roll my eyes at the thought that he hadn’t even heard me earlier. “Good question! Well now that your leaving today I suppose it’s only fair we tell you.” My parents then looked at each-other sharing what to me seemed like menacing grins. “Finwell academy! Brace went there and it’s a WONDERFUL school!” With these words leaving my mothers lips my eyes widened more than I thought possible to the point that I could feel them bulging out of my head.

“EXCUSE ME?!?! Did I hear that right… PLEASE tell me your kidding?” I looked at my parents who both were now very much attentive. “No sweetie we’re serious!” My mom said and next my dad chimes in “it’ll be great! A New Thing for you! Make some friends join in activities and be more independent.” He said with a grin reaching from ear to ear. “Brace went there and he did so well maybe you can do the same.” This was the second time my older brother had been mentioned…and of course I knew because for years I’d been in his shadow of “talent” and “knowledge” chasing after this ideal figure and standard of someone or some-THING I didn’t want to be… “Fine, what time are we leaving? Is there a bus drop off or something?” I asked while grabbing an apple and biting into it in bitter disappointment before setting it back down.