School

"authors note: contains spanish; translation in brackets (if you don't want to read the spanish just read the brackets)"

'I feel like i just finished high school and now i can't even get a job...

what's so wrong with the way i dress and look!

the one time i decide to dress girly for an interview.. AND IT BACKFIRES ON ME!' (stomps and flops on computer chair)

"Uggh! its so frustrating!"

(yanks at hair)

(hurried footsteps)

"¿¡que paso!?"[what happened?]

(my mom rushed in with her messy hair with a spatula covered in egg in hand)

"nada ama... no mas estoy frustrada...!"[nothing mom... I'm just frustrated...]

"¡ah pues mija! qualletita te miras mas bonita! ¿no estes de gritos okay?"[oh well daughter! being quiet makes you look prettier! dont be yelling okay?]

'ugh does she always have to say that...i wasn't being that loud was i?'

(i twirled in my chair as she rushed back into the kitchen in a huff. her flipflops smacking and popping on the floor as she went)

"what am i supposed to do now?...im the only one still living at home...my twins already off to college and my sister is off with her kid...not to mention my older brothers who has like three jobs already..."

I slammed my head into my desk and thought for awhile... 'maybe there's a scholarship i could take! then maybe i could go to a college far off and get a job easier..'

i turned on my computer and typed away looking for just about anything

(scrolls down list of scholarships)

'wow most of these are for single parents... not really me there...'

As i kept scrolled an ad popped up

(land JC Recourse)

"whats this?"

i clicked the link and a government boarding school website popped up

<Join LJCR and start a new career free!>

'this had to be a scam!'

as i continued reading the more it sounded right for me. the government school offered housing dorms, on site career choices, free events, training, and so much more!

'what do i have to loose! it's free and it doesn't hurt to give the forms a try'

I filled out an application and starting prepping ideas of what i might want to study while I'm there... well that is if i get accepted or if its even real!

—--------------------------------------------------

The next day i was so antsy.

'I wasn't even able to sleep! i mean this would be great if its real! i really want to move out of here its soooo stuffy and I'm tired of the annoying neighbors who keep coming over like they are part of the family or something like whyyyyyyy.....'

i grabbed a black sweater dress out of the closet with some black leggings and hare haven steel toed decker boots. wrapped up my hair in neon green stretch lace and walked out of the room for breakfast.

As i walked down the hall i found my mom in a classic cotton floral night dress sorting through photo albums and picture frames.

"¿porque estas sortiando por las photos horrita ama?" [why are you sorting through the photos right now mom?]

I sat down next to her on the arm rest of the red velvet couch and grabbed a photos off the coffee table. (smack)

"¡¿que miras, sintada en el braso del colchon ah?! ¡vajase de ayi niña mal educada!" [what are you looking at; sitting on the armrest eh?! get off girl badly educated!]

"i was only asking you a question jeez mom...slippers hurt too you know"

I rubbed my forehead softly. and sat down on the couch across.

"so why are you sorting through the photos mom?"

she looked up at me and showed me an old picture and two different colored frames.

"I wanted to decorate the walls before your uncles and aunts come over next week with your cousins. so which frame do you like?"

I looked at the photo and jumped.

"mom?! whyyyy... you're not planning to put that up! oh mom pleassseee dont!"

The picture had me as a six year old with a shaven head, huge green striped hoodie meant for winter weather and the fact i towered over the other kids....

'just no... i look like a huge boy! uggghhh!'

"es mi casa, yo hago lo que quero." [its my house i do what i want.]

"Ama!...."

she kicked me out of the room into the kitchen and told me to cook and get out of the way.

‐-----------------------------------------------------------

I went into the kitchen exhausted and aggravated.

'geez lou eeeze! why can't i get a break around this house...you'd think now that i wasn't 17 anymore that she'd be a little easier on me...'

i went into the fridge and pulled out my favorite pork buns i love buying from the little oriental down the road and popped them into the microwave instead of steaming them.