Chapter 01

~Matilda~

I stirred on my side of the bed blinking a few times before opening my eyes. Yawning tiredly I stretched a bit before picking up my infinix hot 8 phone. It was a few minute to 6 and I knew the alarm clock was going to ring in 3, 2,

"Beep beep beep beep beep" I heard it ring immediately just after my countdown.

"Urgh, shut up, I'm awake already you stupid alarm." I groaned. And yell at the inanimate objects called an alarm clock.

I hated the fact that my beauty sleep always had to be interrupted, thanks to the stupid technological device. Who the hell invented it anyway? Probably some lowlife loser who didn't have anything better to do.

I was going through my WhatsApp stories while gathering momentum to get out of bed, reluctantly. And my mom shouted.

"Matilda Aderonkeeee!! Get your lazy ass out of bed!! Breakfast isn't going to make it selfff!!!"

"Coming mommm!!" I yelled back, finally getting out of bed and heading for the only bathrooms we have in the hallway with my towel.

On getting to the bathroom. I made sure to knock at least trice just to be sure the place was vacant. Trust me, you don't want to know what I wish I could unsee if I didn't knock.

Once I was sure the coast was clear, I finally entered the bathroom to do my business. Thirty minutes later, I rushed out of the bathroom and back to the room I shared with my little sister. Looking at her, sleeping peacefully on her side of the bed that we share, made me wish I was a child again.

I checked the time on the alarm clock that woke me up this morning, and my eye almost popped out of its socket. I couldn't believe it was nearly 6:00 am and I needed to be in school by seven if I was going to make it in time for the prefectship inauguration. Quickly, I woke my little sister up as subtle as possible, whispering sweet words into her ears just to get her to open her eyes.

Thankfully it worked. She opened her eyes slowly, a huge smile gracing her face as she did. She mumbled a 'good morning' to me in her half awake half asleep states. To get her fully awake and out of bed, I did the one thing she despised and enjoyed at the same time. I tickled her, and within seconds she was out of bed and running towards the bathroom.

Once she was out of the room, I focused on myself. I was drying myself of all the droplets of water on my body. Moving as fast as I could, I applied my pears baby lotion, wore my multicolored undies before putting on my school uniform. While I was busy adjusting myself in my senior school uniform, my younger sister Melody walked in shivering.

"Hey Melody, you good?" I asked.

"Theee wwwater... It's cold." She said, shivering.

"Awwwwn, sorry about that. C'mon, I'll get your school uniform, we don't want to be late for school."

While she was busy dressing up, I busied myself with my hair, styling my knotless braids into a ponytail. I left a few to fall free on my face. I applied a little bit of brown powder to brighten my face, a little bronzer, and blush for more colour, not wanting to leave my lips bare. I used my signature maroon coloured lip gloss. See, just because we are 5, living in a 3 bedroom flat and sharing the same bathroom, doesn't mean we are poor.

Moving on, I looked myself over one more time before attending to my sister, who was having trouble wearing her shoes. Once I have helped her with hers, I quickly wore mine, which was a black wedge canvas. I grabbed both our bags, sprayed perfme on both of us before we headed out of our room, heading straight for the sitting room.

We greeted our parents, who both worked at Radisson Hotel. We weren't a million dollars rich, but we certainly weren't poor either.

"Finally! I thought you were never going to come out of that room of yours." My mother complained after we greeted them, but dad just nodded his head in acknowledgment of our greeting.

My dad is more of the quiet type, and that makes me wonder how he even woed my mom. While mom on the other hand, is the description of a chatterbox always talking but rarely gets to the point. Without her, the whole house will be unbearably quiet, that's why I try as much as I can to enjoy her company.

Leaving the sitting room, I make my way to the kitchen to get breakfast ready. To my utmost surprise, I meet my elder brother Miguel serving breakfast already. I was too surprised to say a thing; I just stared at his back view. As if sensing my presence, he spoke while setting the food on the small dining table we have in the kitchen.

"Well, if it isn't my little sister Matilda. Are you going to just stand there, or you're going to help out?" He said.

Jotting back to reality, I came to his side, helping him to set the food on the table. Seconds later, we were all sitting having a quiet breakfast until my dad, for the first time, broke the silence.

"Ehem, kids..." He coughed. "Your mother and I have found a new place of work. We would now be working at a new hotel. It's called the Broken Heart Galla. I would like you all to attend its opening party this weekend."

See what I mean by a man of few words? If it were mom who made the announcement, I would miss my inauguration. Speaking of which, if I don't take out the dishes now, I'll be running late. Before I could open my mouth to say a word, my elder brother Miguel beat me to it.

"Whao dad, that's huge. So we are moving from grass to grace? Man, that is good news! Congratulations Mom and Dad, I am so happy for you." Miguel said.

My brother, who is in his third year studying mechanical engineering at the University of California, has all my mom's features; caramel light skin, big brown eye pink lips, and a slightly pointed nose with a slim figure. While I, on the other hand, combined my dad's features with mom. That's why I have a sharp jawline,milk-chocolate brown skin, dull brown eyes, and slightly full and plump lips. My little sister looks exactly like my dad, the only difference is that she isn't as quiet as him.

"Congratulations, daddy and mummy."

Melody squealed our ears off, and I took it as an opportunity to leave but not before I mumbled my congratulations. I packed the plate to take care of the dishes while my little sister followed after me with the rest. It was 6:30 am, and I had precisely 30 mins left to wash the plate and be in school immediately after.

Once I have cleared the dinner table, I went back to the kitchen sink to start, but my brother's voice stopped me.

"What are you doing? It's 6:30 already, c'mon, get yourself to school." He said.

"But the dishes, you already--" I tried to speak.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of it. I'll be home for another two weeks, so it's on me. Now go." He insisted.

"Awwwwn, thanks Miguel, you're the best."

With that, I hugged him tightly before exiting the kitchen and reappearing in the sitting room. I picked up my school bags, and so did my little sister Melody, who was watching my every move. We bade our parents good bye, got out of the house, and headed for our garage. On getting there, I picked up the car keys to my Dad's Grey Porsche - told you we are not poor, and no, we didn't steal the car either.

Driving out of the garage, I packed safely in the driveway beside our house. I helped my sister get into the backseat of the passenger's side before hopping back into the driver's side, adjusting the head mirror. I smirked at her, and she said.

"Next stop, Wesley Academy, here we come!"

"You got It, Melody!"

I chuckled at her excitement, she was officially about to start Junior secondary school 1 (J.S.S.1) at Wesley Academy, and I was about to begin my last year in secondary school. Putting the car in drive, i zoomed off, heading straight for our school. I made sure to take all the possible shortcuts in other to avoid traffic.