[MONDAY]

I woke up with a headache for starters.

"Emma! Get up, you're going to be late!" On top of the headache, my mother's loud stern voice ringed my ears, disorienting me as I left my land of dreams.

Until next time Justin Bieber, until next time.

I opened my eyes with a unattractive yawn and found my mother standing by the open door with narrow eyes that split the air in half. My face scrunched up in confusion as I took in her choice of outfit.

I was about to ask about the outfit when it hit me. It was her work uniform, it was not Sunday and today was the day. Ten days since my parents' divorce got finalised, four days since we moved to Cape Town and most stomach turning event — the first day of school.

It's Monday already?

For the past few days, I've been having mixed feelings about this day. Some days when I thought about it, I got excited while other days I became a nervous wreck. How am I supposed to feel about this? No.

This is your chance to start over Emma. It's time to leave the past behind you, it's time to forget about your toxic relationship, your toxic friends and toxic life in Johannesburg. It is a chance to...

"Emma I swear on your grandmother's grave. If you don't get out of bed this instant, I'll drag you out by your hair." My mother warned and the frustrated frown on her face, says that she's not joking.

That's why I finally sat up with a loud over exaggerated groan.

"My life's the worst." I mumbled with a pout.

By the look on her face, she didn't find my dramatics at all charming or entertaining.

"Fine." I groaned throwing my head back onto the hard headboard.

I winced as my head hit the headboard a little too hard and it worsened my headache.

"How charming." My mother sarcastically complimented. "Emma, you'll be fine." She chuckled rolling her eyes.

It's easy for her to say, she isn't going to a new job at all. It's the same company, just a different branch with the same people she had online meetings with back in Johannesburg. I'm the one stepping into a new world entirely. Okay, maybe I'm being a bit dramatic — I had Olivia after all.

"Get up." She grunted her teeth frustratedly.

I gave her the 'please save me' bottom lip pout making her groan and slam the door shut after leaving my room.

Well fine then.

How hard could starting over and making new friends be?

Before getting up like I'm supposed to, I glanced around my new tiny bedroom, with a unpacked box still littering the hardwood floor — I'm still not strong enough to open that box.

When I finally made my way to the bathroom, the smell of bacon and eggs reminded me that I haven't eaten anything last night — this was probably the reason why my head felt clouded and slightly dizzy.

I hurriedly did my morning routine with a growling stomach and went back to my room with a towel around my thin frame. Back in my room, I scanned through my closet and decided not to go with the weather. My room was heated by the morning sun that shone right by my window but it didn't bother me as much as it would've. If I was still confident enough about my body to wear something short and cropped, I would've but not in this lifetime honey.

I found myself staring into the mirror when mother called saying that breakfast was ready. I ignored her while staring into the mirror with self pity at the figure that hardly seemed recognisable to me anymore — thin and pale, I should've eaten more and partied less back in Johannesburg. With locks of brown hair infuriated around my pale but clear face, with streaks of hair above my eyes which is supposed to be brows, all of this making a perfect little figure that is so unreal — probably surreal. I took my eyes off of my scrunched up face to scan my choice of outfit.

What a stylish way to hide my skinny figure. I'm a genius.

"Finally." My mother sighed with a disappointed look before planting a plate of bacon and eggs on the island in front of me. "Are you excited for your first day of school?" she asked sitting next to me on the bar stools.

"No." I muttered sternly.

"Your outfit. It's a change from your usual revealing outfits back in 10th grade. I'm impressed." She smiled proudly.

Back in Johannesburg, the friends I had all dressed to impress the opposite sex. They made me feel stupid for not doing the same so in 8th grade, I did. I dressed to impress, short skirts and cropped tops. It was how I got my ex boyfriend, it made me feel like it was the right thing to do. Until it wasn't.

"Well I don't want to scare away any new possible friends at the new school." I shrugged and it was the truth.

I made it my mission to attract better and truer friends than last time.

"Well if you don't want to be late, you better hurry up." She informed getting up and taking both our plates with her.

Sighing I got up and headed back to my room to brush my hair, teeth and add some make—up. I decided to let my brown waist length hair hang loose and only added some lip gloss and eye pencil. The eye pencil made my boring dark brown eyes look less boring against my pale skin. Thanks to lots and lots of water, my face is already clear so I didn't bother with foundation or any other make—up that most females would paint a better face on their original one with.