It was finally the first day at school. Excitement buzzed in the Seaview
Neighbourhood. Most of the families residing in the obscenely large houses had children who were in high school, and you could feel all the dread mixed with thrill of the first day rolling around once more.

     Grade 12: A big deal to parents, and the part where teenageers can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Finally.

     Grade 11: Second to last year, hardest year of them all for everyone.

     Grade 10: Just another long, boring year.

     Grade 9: The very start to the adventure of high school. A big deal to parents, and the part where newly graduated middle schoolers sign on to four years of absolute hell.

     The first day of school doesn't always mean a lot to everyone, but for the majority of Seaview today did. Today marked the beginning of the end and the students made sure everyone knew it. There was a buzz in the streets, teenagers woohooing and calling to each other out windows. Parents tried to keep their children calm to no avail. Excitement was contagious in their kids and soon enough they just gave up.

     The opposite was happening in the MacDonald household as Meredith quietly curled her hair. This was the first time she was doing her hair herself. This was the first time she had to choose what to wear herself. This was the first first day of school without her mother. She wasn't entirely sure how to do this by herself, and she hated herself for that. She hated the fact that she missed her mother, who had passed away this past August in a freak accident. Everyone in Meredith's family had cried at the funeral, except for Meredith. She thought, good riddance as they buried her. She had thought that she was finally free, but this was the most enslaved she had ever felt. Enslaved by her mother's memory, enslaved by the pressure to follow her mother's footsteps. As her Uncle Sal had said, "Don't worry, kid. She'll always be with you." That was the last thing she wanted. She wanted to forget her mother, forget her rules and live her own life. Unfortunately, it seemed that Meredith would be snared in her mother's claws even after death.

     She sighed and unplugged the curling iron, setting it down on the counter. She opened the drawer of the vanity to her left and pulled out her mother's favourite shade of lipstick. Her mother had slathered her lips in it everyday for the past ten years. She twirled the small stick between her fingers, thinking. What if she just didn't wear it? What if she threw it back in that drawer and never opened it ever again? Meredith sighed and popped the cap off, leaning into the mirror as she applied the sweet cherry pigment to her lips. She smooshed her lips together before slipping the lipstick back into the vanity. She finished up her look by curling her eyelashes, topping them off with mascara. She then stood and stared at her reflection, and it was like she could see her mother staring back at her. She was the only living evidence of that woman, and it showed in her features. She had the same fine, dirty blonde hair, the same rounded chin, the same icy blue gaze, the same everything.

     Meredith left the bathroom, rounding the corner into her bedroom. The bubble-gum pink walls looked magenta in the darkened room as her curtains were drawn closed. She quickly grabbed her backpack from her bed, opening it to make sure she had all of the required materials for the day. Check. She flipped her wrist to check the beige watch on her wrist. She had but ten minutes to spare before Uncle Sal would pull into the driveway. He'd told her on the phone last night that she wouldn't be riding the bus and that he'd be picking her up this morning. She didn't argue or mention the fact that she had her license and her own car with it. Afterall, she wasn't used to pointing things out or objecting, but rather just going with the flow. She sighed and sat down on the sofa in front of the window in the sun room, the itchy fabric reaching her even through her black tights. It was a tradition now, that on every first day of school Meredith were to wear a grey, plaid skirt with the blackest of tights, and a similarly dark headband or bow in her hair. Her mother always chose what shirt she should wear with the skirt, and now that she was gone Meredith had to make that decision for herself. So, she picked a plain white collared blouse and a boring, grey sweater to fit overtop of the blouse. Colour, other than red, wasn't something Meredith's mother ever approved of. Their house was made up of shades of white, black, and grey; save for Meredith's bubblegum room. Every now and then her mother would bring in shades of gold at christmas to brighten up the mood. Her life had always been so cut and dry, so black and white, so boring. Meredith had hoped that after her mother's death that she would be able to loosen up, liven her sad existence, but over time she realized that would not happen.

     So lost in her thoughts, Meredith didn't even hear Uncle Sal pull into the drive. She nearly flew from where she sat when he honked the horn, her heart racing. Shaking her head, she stood up, shouldered her bag and locked the door behind her as she left. Her shiny black shoes crunched overtop of leaves that she had yet to rake and acorns that had fallen from the big Oak tree that stretched above her house. She smiled at her uncle and went to go around the car to the passenger side when he waved her over to his open window, "Come here!"

     Confused, she approached his window and leaned in. He had Kid Rock blaring through his speakers, and there was a burning cigarette left haphazardly in the console. His sunglasses were perched on the top of his curly mop of a head. Uncle Sal was completely different from his sister, and unlike her, he loved his life. He didn't care what people thought of his hair or his smoking problem, he lived the way he wanted damn all who tried to intervene. She watched as he smiled and flicked the sound down, Kid Rock's voice becoming but a murmur.

     "So, I can't give you a ride to school, but I can drop you off at the bus stop down the street?" He asked her, scanning her face. "Are you sure ya going to school and not the church?"

     He chuckled a little at his own words while he waited for her response. "Yeah that's fine, Uncle Sal."

     He nodded to the passenger seat, "Well, get in then. Don't want ya to miss ya bus."

     Meredith scurried to her side and clambered inside his smelly car with her bag. There was garbage at her feet and she tried not to make a face. It wasn't that Uncle Sal was below her... he was just different from her and her mother. They were practically polar opposites, Meredith had known this since she was a little girl. I mean, it's not rocket science to tell that these two were nothing alike. She glanced at her Uncle as he turned the music back up to full blast. She sighed as she leaned back against the smooth, brown leather seats as he pulled to a stop. There was a small group of kids her age huddled together to their right. She recognized one of the girls as Kaya Sparks. She had known Kaya since elementary school, but had never really talked to her.She knew that the black girl was a track star and would probably get a scholarship. As she unbuckled her seatbelt, she noticed a new face. He looked like he knew Kaya but something was off about him as she watched them. He was handsome enough, but too tan to have lived here for very long. She was transfixed by this boy when Uncle Sal nudged her shoulder, "Go on, Mer."

     "Oh right." She blushed and slipped out of the car. She righted her skirt and tucked her loose strands behind her ears. She walked over to the group of other teens and threw a smile towards Kaya. When the girl didn't return her gesture she sighed and turned her back to them all, watching her uncle desert her with a zoom.

     Kaya rolled her eyes at the girl. Little Miss Meredith MacDonald had just smiled at her. Funny how that could ever happen in her entire lifetime. She glanced to Kenneth who raised his hands to sign when she just shook her head. She probably wouldn't even be able to understand him anyways. She thought her dad was absolutely crazy for thinking she could ever learn ASL, and then SSL, and THEN to have Kenneth come live with them? Insane. The man was actually deranged, she was sure of it. It wasn't so much Kenneth than it was his... disability. She hated herself for thinking it, but it was true. It was difficult being around him, because she usually forgot that he couldn't hear anything and it was incredibly frustrating. She couldn't even begin to understand how he felt about not being able to hear, but maybe he never knew what hearing was like. She didn't know his story.

     As the bus approached, Kaya sighed with relief. Once they got to school she'd be rid of Kenneth, which sounded mean but she didn't want to have the responsibility of translating everything for him. She would probably translate wrong anyways, so it was just best for everyone if he went with the others in the program. The big, yellow bus flashed its lights as the doors opened and Kaya rushed to be the first onboard. She took the very last seat, number 24 and stuck her earbuds in, choosing to ignore Kenneth's confusion. She leaned her head against the window and let herself be taken to another world through the music blasting into her ears. She watched as the houses and trees blurred together as she rushed passed them on her way to the final year. 

//AN//

So this took a while and for that I'm very sorry, however it is quite longer than the past chapters which begs the question:

Would you prefer lengthier chapters at a slower rate or shorter chapters at a faster rate?

I'd love to hear your feedback and see votes! Thanks!

P.S 

This chapter was dedicated to user @smiling_still_trying   because they're the first person to comment on this story! Thank you very very much!