#theyeargap

Part One - Aurora Chapman ~ Chapter One (Paragraph 1)

I’m already awake when my alarm goes off. I only got a few hours of sleep. I don’t know why I am so excited. It’s not like this is the first time I have gone to school. Maybe it’s because it’s my first day of year six. I only turned 12 a few weeks ago, but it still feels like year five. I heave my chest and shoulders upright staring out the window and can see the egg yolk sun beaming through the grime on my blinds. I can tell it’s around 7 o’clock, and I glance at the neatly stacked and folded pile of clothes sitting at the end of my bed. Sight still in the clutches of nights’ glue, I hesitantly rubbed the darkness away from my eyes. Slowly and begrudgingly, I drag my body out of bed, landing with a light thump on the carpeted floor. I stare at my clothes again. Eventually, I find it in myself to walk over to them, snatch them up and start getting dressed into my stupid, itchy school uniform. The dress always feels like it’s too long for me. Then again… I don’t see why it really matters. Strolling into the bathroom, all my mother’s make-up confronts me. Should I? There aren’t many boys in my school, let alone ones worth impressing. Besides, people (one person) already tell me I’m so pretty I don’t need makeup. A little wouldn’t hurt though, right? Maybe some mascara… to bring my eyes out. But… God that would look so out of place. Black eyelashes with my blonde hair? It’ll look like honey on burnt toast. Mascara doesn’t suit me anyway. What were you thinking, Aura? Put the bottle down. I scold myself, placing the small tube back on the bathroom counter. Instead, I just brush my teeth and try to manage the mess that sits on my head. My hair always looks totally unacceptable in the morning, as my usual silky locks are turned into a bird’s nest overnight. Which is awful, since my hair is the most attractive thing about me. I like standing in the early morning sunlight and flicking my head back, watching the small curls dance around each other, the darker streaks blend with the lighter ones, light flickering around my head. It makes me sound self-absorbed, but it’s just mesmerizing to watch. Now, as I glance out the small bathroom window, I can feel the flecks of golden sunshine warming my skin. I know later in the day, it’s going to be much too hot for me to handle. There is nothing I love more than those bright and pleasant summer mornings, yet nothing I despise more than those sweltering thick afternoons. Kind of ironic, huh?  That’s pretty much what everyday is here in Townsville.