Grabbing my black leather jacket, | slid on my tennis shoes and snatched my backpack on the way out of my
room. Never in my life did | find myself excited to go to school until | was so close to finishing. It was the best
birthday present a girl could have, finishing school The moment my feet hit the floor at the bottom of the stairs,
the chaos of my family consumed me. My younger siblings ran around screaming and yelling at each other. My
mother was busy making lunches in the kitchen while my father, James, finished preparing
two days before you turned eighteen.
breakfast.
It was a whirlwind of chaos, but I loved it.
It reminded| was real sometimes, and within the chaos surrounding me, | felt nothing but love. Even if the
majority of them got on my nerves half the time.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"Oh, Cassie." My mother smiled as she wiped her hands on a kitchen towel. "Can you doa huge favor on
your way htoday, please?"
Letting out a soft sigh, | pushed a smile onto my face. "Sure, what's up?"
"Can you just run by the pharmacy and pick up Tatum's medicine, please? It would be a huge help. He isn't
having the best day today, and | don't want to take him out. Not to mention everyone else is busy..." Tatum was
the youngest of my siblings at only nine, and unfortunately, last year was diagnosed with a rare condition that
quickly changed all of our lives. "Of course, Mom. No problem."
Tatum's eyes met mine as he rounded the corner into the kitchen, coughing. The dark swells under his eyes were
a huge contrast to his pale white skin, and every t| saw him, | prayed | had the power to change his fate.
"Cassie." He smiled as he wrapped his arms around my waist. "Are you leaving for school?"
"Yeah, buddy. I'll be ha little early today, though, since it's only a half day. Maybe when | get home, we can
climb into my bed and watch a movie. Does that sound good to you?" | asked, watching his eyes light up with
excitement. "Yes. | can't wait! We can watch the new dinosaur movie that cout."
Tatum continued to ramble, making my mom smile behind tired eyes. "Alright, sweetie. Cassie has to get going,
so why don't you go eat your breakfast daddy made, and then we can get you sorted for the day."
He didn't hesitate to do what he was
told, which made my mother happy because out of all her children, he
was the only one who never gave et
her any problems. Gazing around the room at everyone who was here, | tried to imagine what it would be like
once | went off to college.
| wouldn't have the continued chaos anymore. | wouldn't have dad's amazing breakfasts or even mom's
homemade lunches. The thought alone madewant to change my
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmof
mind, but pursuing mudre my
becoming a doctor wasn't
something | was willing to give up. Even if no one knew, that's what | wanted to do.
"Cass, con, Jesus Christ!" Pollux yelled from the front door, causingto cringe as | rolled my eyes.
"I'm coming. Galm down." My
grumbled response seemed to make
him simmer, and after grabbing a piece of foast from the counter, quickly followed him out the front door
towards his charcoal gray
. x
Po