Hope Hopkins
This Tuesday couldn't have been any better, I was freezing cold, yet my mom won't put off the car AC. She says it's automatic, connected to the wipers or something. She just said something about keeping her eyes fixed on the road. My mum, Catherine Hopkins, is an FBI agent, the most masculine woman I've ever met. According to her best colleague, Dr. Hans, I take a lot after her. I'm also an athlete, even though I don't have the right built yet. Come on, I'm still fifteen. But her face, and mine, maybe if I didn't look so much like her, I'd have a little memory of how my dad looked like. He isn't dead, I have just seen him ever after the divorce. That was a decade ago. My mum hadn't been the best mum, but she's the best detective the country has. I, as her daughter, most times suffer from her dominating and threatening personality, obviously gotten through her job.
But one thing I know is that she cares about me. And I can trust her with my life if I like. We barely have the time to talk, but she tried to spend some time with me when the opportunity arrives. And that, I appreciate so much.
She's just an old junkie occasionally. It's raining heavily, and I asked her to put off the AC, yet she ignored me.
Annoying!
"Mum, I'm cold." I whispered the umpteenth time.
"You said that before. And I've explained. Come on Hope. "She winced. "There's a jacket at the back seat, put it on for now."
Finally!
I took her black coat in the back seat and wore it on mine. Finally, I had time to think about school. Yesterday, I had the worst day of my life. I wished I could convince my mum to change my school. That Shiara girl and the pompous guy who took the post away from me. All my plans got destroyed right before my eyes.
"What's with the gloominess today? First it's the weather, then you?"
My mum suddenly said. I didn't know how to respond, so I just kept quiet.
"Hope, are you still cold?"
"No, I'm just…" I trailed off, not finding the right words. "I want to be someone else, mum."
"What do you mean?" She said, her eyes still fixed on the wheels and my eyes, well…
"I would like to be popular. I would rather not be an introvert anymore. I don't like the way I am, and I seriously wish to change it. It's distressing, I feel like I'm not living."
"Why?"
She questions a lot. Occupational disability.
"There's this girl in my school. Shiara Watson? Do you know her?"
She shook her head.
"We're probably the only two in this world who doesn't. She's a celebrity. She has a driving license. Mum, she has her car. She has millions of followers and thousands of them in our school…"
"So…"
"I wanna…" I paused. "I want to be known too… I want to exist, mum. I've always been a low life here in school. I want to have that life. I want to have a car."
My mum laughed. She rarely does that,, and I knew she laughed to make me feel comfortable.
"That's not all." I said, and she stopped. "I don't want to be a celebrity. I just want to demand respect too. That's all."
She was quiet, and I was dying for an answer.
"Aren't you going to say anything, mum?"
"I'm surprised. I thought you…"
"Didn't have a heart?" I interrupted.
I get it now. Because I'm the only daughter of the fiercest badasses' catcher in town, I should be numb to everything, even as a teenager?
"Are you trying to judge me, mum?"
"Come on, Hope, listen to me at least!" She almost yelled.
"I'm not judging. I'm just surprised that you chose today to talk to me about this. I know you've had this in mind for a long time."
I sighed.
"Well, I think you can get popular. In due time…"
"I want it sooner!"
"That wasn't a question." She chuckled.
"First, I'd say you should not compare yourself to any celebrity student because that will do not to help but break you. And your confidence, your esteem, is most essential. You're popular if you think you are. So, when you called yourself a low life. I was surprised…"
"You don't know how badly I was treated in junior high."
"And I've apologized times without numbers for that. I promise, I'll visit your school once in a while now. You just report any badass to me."
"I'm a senior now, mum. I don't need you in my school anymore. I want to attract respect by myself. "I groaned,
She went quiet again.
"I swear mum, I'm not trying to blame you for anything and I understand if you are not always around. That's why i want to be able to handle things myself. People call me geek. You know that's what I am. I want to change. You have any tips?"
"Okay, I've got one tip." She smiled at me thought the mirror . I smiled back, anticipating…
"Ordinary Self. Be your Ordinary self, hope. I'm certain that Ordinary Hope can handle so much than she knows about, and I respect her for about. If your peers don't see that, then they're probably too blind. Eventually, baby girl, you also will realize your worth and when you do. Trust me, you'll have all the respect in the world. For now, just ignore…"
"Sounds like my mom's success techniques." I said. I wasn't expecting that and wasn't accepting that, but we were already at the gate off my school and I have to cut the conversation short.
Tsk… Adults really never understands.
"You can say that again."
She gave me a goodbye kiss before I got down from the car.
"Be good!" She yelled behind me before pulling out of the lot. I love my mum, but she doesn't just get it most times.
I finally made up my mind to face school whichever way that day, so I turned around to leave.
And…
I stumbled on a bike's pedal and felt into hard flesh.
I'm not good at describing, but that's what it is.
When I finally summoned enough courage to look up, I saw that he, whoever it was that held me and wasn't willing to let go yet, had a helmet on, and I was only allowed the intoxicating view of his green eyes.
Pierce, penetrating and electrifying.
I'd die to keep this position… forever.