"Emma, wake up!!" Mom called after my alarm rang like five times, and I hesitated to even turn it down.
"Ughh, could you just let me sleep?" I mumbled angrily.
"You're gonna be late for your shift!" she called out.
It dawned on me. I sprang up to look at the time. "Holy Christ, 7:30!! My shift starts at eight—I can't be late the third time this week!!"
I sprang up and ran to the bathroom. I started brushing my teeth while playing Shine Bright Like a Diamond on my phone.
"Won't lie, that woman raised me. Who else will I be talking about? It's Rihanna! She's like the queen of music."
I rushed to take my bath after singing the song word for word—I always do that. Then I quickly applied lotion and deodorant.
"Clothes, clothes, clothes," I hummed.
After enough searching, I decided to go with my black T-shirt that says Don't mess with me and a pair of baggy jeans. For shoes—just slides.
No time to curl my hair, so I just dried it with a towel. "Not so girly, I know."
Oh, and I'm Emma Mason. I attend NYU in the finance and accounting department. I really love to calculate—that's the only other thing I love besides devouring mountains of food. Emma's a brunette, 5'3, pale-skinned, and got nice curves for her age.
I sped out of my room and stopped when something delicious filled the house with its charismatic aroma. I could recognize my mom's cookies anywhere—not just any cookies, grandma's favorite recipe.
"Good morning, Mom," I greeted with a huge smile plastered on my face. For a second, my cheeks started to hurt.
She laughed—that got her every time.
"Morning baby, hope you slept well?" she asked.
"Not exactly. I would have slept some more, but I have work and class to catch up with," I pouted with a fake frown. She laughed so warmly it filled my heart. Mom went through so much after Dad died. I try my best to make her laugh, even though I'm that girl who prefers to stay indoors all day watching romcoms and reading romance novels. Don't judge me—people are just too much.
"Hold on a sec, let me wrap some," Mom said.
I hummed and got my stuff from the room—books, phone, charger, and water bottle. "I can't forget to stay hydrated."
"Here, all set," Mom said.
"Thanks Mom, I love you," I said warmly.
"I love you too, boo boo bear. Be safe and good luck," she replied as we hugged goodbye.
I walked as fast as my feet could take me. I had my shift till 11 and class by 12:30. I had enough time, and besides, the coffee shop where I worked wasn't far from my school—it'd be a piece of cake.
In 20 minutes, I got there. Looking into my phone, it was 8:25. "You really outdid yourself this time, Emma," I muttered.
A voice jolted me from my thoughts—well, a scolding, I'd say.
"You can't be late and lazy. Get to work," my boss said.
"Oo, I'm sorry. Buenos días!" I replied. He's Spanish. I'm not too good, but at least I know the basics.
I chuckled inwardly. I dared not laugh at the situation I was in, unless I wanted to get fired. And who doesn't want to get fired? Not Emma. Okay, enough fooling around for now.
I took my place behind the stand, awaiting orders for the day.
Got it 😊 Here's your story neatly paragraphed and spaced like a proper novel draft, but still keeping that casual, chatty tone you used
I'd been serving coffee for a couple of hours, and when my shift came to an end, I couldn't be happier.
After a 20-minute walk, I arrived home and quickly got ready for my 12:30 class. Time was tight, so I sprinted to the bathroom to take a quick shower.
"Want you to make me feel like I'm the only girl in the world," I sang along to Rihanna's song. I love how she rocks.
A few minutes later, I finished my shower, putting on quite the singing show in the bathroom, hehehe.
As I dried my hair with a towel, I wrapped another towel around my chest, securing it snugly in place. After drying my hair for a while, I reminded myself to buy a more efficient blow dryer for next time.
After searching my closet, I decided on a black crop shirt, a white skirt, and some black boots, along with a tote bag. Oh, before I forget, I rushed to grab my white headband.
That's done and over with! I dashed out of my room like The Flash. After rearranging my bag, I had to double-check: book, pen, water bottle, gum, cash, and lip gloss. Even though I wanted to head to class straight from work, I was soaked with sweat—that's why I came home in the first place. I didn't want to smell like soured tuna.
Back to the present: "I think I'm good." With that, I headed out the door.
As I hurried outside, I felt a twinge of guilt for not being able to kiss my mom goodbye again. She was probably at her bakery shop, attending to customers. Mom is so hardworking—sometimes a little too much—but she always does it with a smile, which I absolutely love about her.
Enough chit chat, hehe… Back to the present. I arrived at the bus station.
The bus showed up 15 minutes later, and I hopped in, taking my seat as the driver fired up the engine.
Finally, I reached school just in time. I rushed into the classroom, the sound of chatter and rustling papers enveloping me. I slipped into my seat next to Regina, feeling a mix of relief and accomplishment for making it on time.
The fluorescent lights overhead cast a bright glow, illuminating the rows of students eagerly awaiting the start of the lecture. I took a deep breath, smoothed out my notes, and tried to focus.
"Hey, baby!" Regina blew me a kiss, greeting me with a huge smirk on her face.
"You're actually on time? Miracles do happen!" I teased.
"Shocking, right?" She teased back, and we both broke into giggles.
Did I mention it was a Monday? Probably not. Regina—Gina for short—is my best friend. She has red hair, tanned skin, and is at least 5'7". People called her "four eyes" because she wears glasses, obviously. Regina was there for me when my dad died, and we've been best friends since 8th grade. Her kindness brought us closer than ever.
Back to the present.
After a few minutes of chit chat, Professor Jane walked in.
"Good morning, Professor Jane," we all greeted in unison.
"Good morning, students! Hope you had a great weekend?" she asked.
"Yes, ma'am," some of us replied politely.
"Good," she said with a radiant smile. "Today, we're starting off with the importance of Cost Accounting."
"Emma," Professor Jane called, and I stood up, curious about why she had called me.
"Last week, we talked about the definition of Cost Accounting. Could you give us a quick reminder?" she asked.
"Yes, Professor Jane," I replied, my posture confident and my voice clear and steady. "Cost Accounting is a branch of accounting that focuses on measuring, analyzing, and reporting financial and non-financial information related to the costs of acquiring or using resources within an organization."
Professor Jane's face lit up with a warm smile as she said, "Very good, Emma!"
My face flushed with pride, and I smiled, feeling a sense of accomplishment.
"Well done!"
"Whatta go, girrrrllll!" Gina praised, while I chuckled lightly and winked at her.