"do something today that your future self will thank you for"

⋆✧⋆✧⋆

He lifts me up and places me on the bed. I open my legs and face him, staring into his green eyes. He starts to unbutton his shirt, achingly slow.

"RING" My phone goes off.

I wake up from my dream barely able to process what just happened and I look to where the annoying ass noise is coming from. A picture of me and my mom on my high school graduation day pops up on the screen. My mother is calling me. My mother just woke me up. My mother just woke me up from a dream about the only person on my current kill list. I resist the urge to crawl into a hole and die of embarrassment. Partly from having the dream in the first place and because it was my mom of all people to interrupt it.

"Hey mom," I answer once I compose myself.

"Hey, Delly-doo!" She replies, using the nickname my family has tortured me with since I was probably 2 years old.

"You know it's only 9:13, I could've used those extra 17 minutes of sleep." I say, trying not to think too deeply about the fact that part of me wanted that dream to continue.

"Sorry sweetie, your dad and I went to Costco and picked up a few things for you and Jemma. Your brother is on his way to drop them off right now."

I decided to go to a school 30 minutes away from my home. The same school my brother attends. Which means I see my family all the time, even though I moved out 2 years ago. Some people probably think that my decision is insane. University, pure freedom, the best years of your life. But honestly, I love my family, and it would probably just stress me out to be far from them.

"What's up fuckers?" Chase screams from the front door.

"Oh god" I mutter "Ok, I'm gonna go, mom. Chase just got here with the food. Thanks for everything. I love you, and tell dad I say hi."

"Bye honey, will do. And I'll see you, Jemma, and your brother this weekend, right?"

"Mhm," I confirm. We have dinner all together at home as often as possible. It keeps us close and i'd be dumb to say no to my parent's cooking.

Chase walks into my room, throwing a giant bag of marshmallows at my head. He gives mom and quick hello and I hang up my phone.

"Wheres Jemma?" He asks, earning a surprised look from me.

"I'm right here dimwit. Miss me that much you had to bring us groceries as an excuse?" Jemma quips back.

I roll my eyes, already annoyed with their banter.

"Don't flatter yourself, blondie, mom asked for me to drop this off." My brother replies, earning a quick elbow from my best friend.

"Alright, I'm gonna head to campus for football practice," Chase begins, placing the groceries on my bed. "Do any of you need a drive?" He finishes.

"No thanks, I'm going to take a shower and eat first, but Jemma could probably use one." I explain, referring to the fact that she has a report due and needs a book from the library. I swear, If that girl didn't have me, she'd be flunking every course. She's smart as a cookie but can't remember shit.

Jemma rolls her eyes but agrees, and I'm left on my own.

⋆✧⋆✧⋆

I spend my morning showering, eating breakfast, and getting some extra studying in. After a few hours of boring myself with my civil law textbook, I decide to take a walk to campus and get a smoothie. I know it's dumb to buy one on campus considering they're basically the same price as a fucking car, but they're so good. A strawberry banana mix with chocolate chips blended in. People think it's weird, but whatever, more for me.

As a brave the outdoors, hating every second of being in public, I make it to the smoothie shop. I place my order and wait for my cup of heaven.

'Start tutoring today! Pick from any of these topics and make quick money' I read an ad taped to the wall.

I take a picture of the application information, grab my smoothie, and take a seat on the bench outside.

I quickly come to the conclusion I made a bad decision. A cold smoothie, on a late fall day, in Canada. Before my hands fall off and I drop dead from hypothermia, I text Chase.

Luckily my brother is a fast responder,

After explaining where I am, my brother saves me from my near-death experience, and we pick up Jemma from the library in the process.

We spend the rest of the night at my house. We make pasta for dinner and my best friend and brother decide to test the ounce of friendship they have by playing a competitive game of Go Fish. Yes, I meant what I said. Go fish. They're idiots, but the two of them have been playing since they were 6 years old. I wish I was joking when I say they have a 13 year tally of all the games won. Leaving the Go Fish Experts to their own dumb devices, I decide to sign up to be a tutor.

Two jobs and studying to become a lawyer. Crazy, I know. The way I look at it, tutoring is just being paid to study. My psychology teacher in grade 11 taught me the best way to study something was to teach someone it. The protégé effect it's called. So if I just teach someone a subject I need to study, it's easy money.

I don't necessarily need the money. My parents help whenever I need, but my decision to move off campus was my own. When I decided that, my parents told me Jemma and I should pay. We didn't have to but they said it would be good experience. So we both have jobs and we pay for most of the rent. Luckily, my parents being who they are, help us out and they force Chase to chip in as well. My brother doesn't live in a dorm either, but he lives in a football house with a few other players on the team. One of the kids he rooms with is filthy rich so his parents pay for it all.

I fill in the tutoring application giving them my name, grade average, and contact information. I select psychology, one of my best classes, and decide I'm done for the day. I say goodnight to the two buffoons downstairs and the second my head hits my pillow, I'm out. Thankfully making it through the whole night without it happening.

⋆✧⋆✧⋆

You guys don't know what it means to me that you're reading this book. I appreciate you all and I hope your day or night (because I know some of you are watching this in the middle of the night) is great!

Question of the chapter: Do you have a pet, if so, what's their name?

Stay safe and healthy everyone :)