Augusta rolled her eyes and sighed as she walked in on her mother's breathing for healing class. "This is what I get for coming home early and passing through an outdoor session," she grumbled.

Why did she have to lose her house keys on a Monday, and why the heck did people need to be taught how to breathe? Augusta avoided them and their field next door like the plague, but she could climb into her yard from there.

"Hi, August."

"How was school, sweetie?"

Different scantily clad people sprawled in all kinds of positions on the lawn called out to her in a cheerful chorus. Augusta kept walking and quickened her pace with mumbled, generic replies.

"Yeah. Fine. Great," she huffed.

As usual, Augusta said school was nice but it wasn't. One of the mean girls tripped her in the Chemistry lab, and she banged her arm on a stool when she fell. It still hurt like hell and she didn't want to wound her eyes with anyone's random junk or wobbly bits.

She overheard one of them talking about how kids grow so fast, and how she remembered when her kid was a high school senior too. "College bells are ringing. Augusta's gonna leave Roseview, Texas behind," the woman said.

Damn right, Augusta thought.

Augusta rushed upstairs to the bathroom, and checked the first aid box for an ointment to rub on her arm. She rolled her eyes again and pinched the bridge of her nose when she couldn't find one. There were jars of beeswax and honey but no freaking muscle rub. After pushing aside several pine, rose water and sandalwood scented bottles, she gave up.

"Ugh!" She stormed into her room and locked the door. No one ever stepped out of their boundaries, but she valued her privacy.

"It's just another Manic Monday," Augusta grumbled as she flung herself on the bed.

Her stomach grumbled in protest when she bounced on impact. It reminded her that she forgot to eat lunch after dodging a pack of cafeteria bullies. They were the kind of jerks who put 'brainiac' notes on her back and tipped her food trays. Before Augusta could step out to get something to eat, her only friend, Priyanka called her cell phone.

"Hello! Guess what?" Priyanka gushed as soon as Augusta responded.

"You won the lottery?"

"No."

"You're now on a reality show?"

"No."

"Damn it, Priya. Just tell me," Augusta groaned.

"Principal Morgan posted a notice about peer educator slots for brilliant students. Let's do it, he promised certificates and letters of recommendations for our college applications."

Augusta was silent. She wasn't much of a people person, but a boost to her Princeton application would be advantageous. Her grades were flawless, but the competition to get into an Ivy League university was insane.

That being said, it was Mechanical Engineering at Princeton or nothing for Augusta. She hoped going the extra mile in school would pay off.

"Say something, girl," Priyanka urged.

Augusta put her cell on speaker phone and changed out of her clothes as she responded. "Um, I don't know. I'll think about it."

"Err, about that-" Priyanka's voice trailed off.

Augusta froze mid step into her track pants. "What about it?" she asked.

"Mr Morgan might have, kinda said..."

"Spill it, Priyanka." Augusta only called her friend by her full name when she was getting on her nerves.

"Fine. I signed up for the program and he asked me to convince you to do it too."

Augusta put on a shirt and shrugged before making her way to the kitchen. "That's not a big deal. We're friends, Priya."

She washed her hands and said a short prayer of thanks when she looked out the window. The break dancing breathers were gone, and the perfectly trimmed grass and flower garden next door were spotless. A cool breeze laced with the scent of roses blew in.

"I know, but there's more," Priyanka added.

"What? An application fee?"

"No. Mr Morgan thinks you're the best person to tutor Pedro Milian. He said he'll talk to you about it officially tomorrow."

"Is this the part where you say, just kidding?" Augusta asked after swallowing a mouthful of pounded yam and egusi. A delicious home cooked meal was one of the few normal things guaranteed in her house.

Priyanka's response was simple but rushed. "No. I'm sorry, but I've gotta go. See you tomorrow."

The end call tone echoed in Augusta's ears and she groaned. What on Earth was Principal Morgan thinking? Pedro Milian, the Roseview High football star, was an arrogant himbo and a lost cause as far as she was concerned. Did Morgan expect her to turn water into wine? Or make the blind jock see?

Augusta tugged her shoulder length braids and looked at the ceiling, wondering how she would handle the situation. Her mom strolled in wearing a multicolored tie and dye gown, a flower crown and no shoes on her feet. She smelt like sunflowers and lavender.

"My dear, Nkechi," her mom cooed, calling her by her Igbo name. "Kedu?"

"I'm fine, Mom."

Her mom's smile was bright as the sun, and her dark skin was smooth and radiant. She carried her statuesque figure like a queen. Everyone said Augusta looked just like her mom, and for a split second Augusta despised the people who said so. She would never be as bold or beautiful.

"I can see you enjoyed your meal," her mom teased.

Augusta chuckled for the first time that day. She had not left a crumb on her plate, and would have eaten more if the football f-boy news had not stolen her appetite.

Her mom tilted her chin up and looked into her eyes. "Honey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You can't lie to me."

"Are those roses in your Afro, Mom? They're beautiful."

Her mom scoffed. "Nice try, Nkechi. Tell me what happened."

After a short internal debate, Augusta decided to tell her mom everything. She had nothing to lose. Her mother was here today, but would probably be gone at some camp or healing retreat tomorrow.

Her mom listened patiently and nodded once in a while as Augusta poured her heart out.

"Perhaps there's a higher purpose for all of this," her mom said. She held Augusta's hands in her own and squeezed them gently.

Augusta raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "I don't think so."

"You isolate yourself and bury your face in your books. Interacting with someone new will be good for you, Nkechi."

Contemplating the matter at hand, Augusta sighed and tapped her fingers on the table.

"Hanging out with a hot athlete should be fun," Augusta's mom joked. "That's how I met your dad," she added in a wistful voice.

"Mom! I never said he was hot."

Her mom grinned. "You're blushing."

Augusta gestured to her unimpressed face and deadpanned. "Blushing? Sure, mom."

"Perhaps you should try it and if you can't stand him after a while, tell your principal and quit. Simple." Augusta's mom raised her hands in surrender and backed away.

Almost nothing could change her stance. Augusta's mind was made up, but she decided not to protract the matter. She cast a glance around the kitchen. The rustic but modern, polished wood theme of the whole home gave way to an old fashioned, in built oven facing the window. The big, four bedroom house reflected the wealth of the Madueke's, Augusta's parents.

She would never understand why they walked away from fabulous careers on Wall Street and established an organic food business in Texas. Nevertheless, granola and fresh lentils were a hit and they were very successful.

"Sometimes what you least expect will take your breath away," her mom added with a wink.

"Mom!"

"Or in this case, should I say who?" She pecked Augusta on the cheek and rose from her stool beside the kitchen island. "I'll see you at dinner. I want to pluck some fruit in the garden."

Augusta nodded. "Let me help, I'm coming too."

"Don't worry. Get some rest," her mom replied as she walked away.

"Thanks, mom." Augusta grabbed an apple from a fruit basket on the table. "By the way, where's dad?"

Augusta's mom sighed. "He said he had to go somewhere. Maybe he'll be back with tofu burgers in the evening, dear."

"Yum!" Augusta squealed and clapped her hands, "They're delicious and I can't wait." She closed her eyes to resist an eye roll. Tofu burgers meant small talk, which always included questioning her if she was sure about 'unfeminine' Mechanical Engineering.

"Biko, please! Your sarcasm is unnecessary," her mom retorted.

Augusta went back to her room and watched a movie. She had already done her Maths and Biology assignments at school and had nothing else to do. Her eyes were fixed on the screen but her mind was far away. Senior year and her tree hugging, vegan slash hipster parents were enough to deal with. It was obvious, she didn't need anything more on her plate. If Augusta wanted more to do she'd get a pet. Under no condition did she need a jock as icing on an avoidable cake.

Principal Morgan was a considerate man, Augusta concluded. First thing in the morning, she would walk into his office and in a calm and polite voice say:

"Just like oil and water, f-boys and Augusta don't mix."