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I wake up to jazz music blaring through the radio.
Cassidy is sitting at her desk rhythmically tapping her foot to the beat.
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"Ugh Cassidy!" I groan peeling the damp covers off my sticky face.
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Cassidy continues on like she doesn't hear me.
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"CASS!" I yell catching her attention.
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"What Hay?" Cass says.
She pushes the button on the old radio a bit to hard.
The button cracks under the weight of her finger.
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"Don't you have any decency it's 5 in the morning." I am not a morning person at all.
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"You're the one who decided to sign up for extra school during the summer." Cass says turning back to her drawing on the desk.
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"It's not school, it's a writing program."
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"Sounds like school to me."
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"Just get out of my room so I can get ready."
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"Can I take the radio?"
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"No, you have a radio." I say rubbing the sleep out of my eyes and sitting up.
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"Yours is better." Cass whines back
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"That's because I know how to take care of my stuff." I grab her shoulder and begin pushing her to the door.
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"I know how to take care of my stuff." Cass turns at the door jam and crosses her arm.
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"Okay, get out Cass." I push a curl hanging in her face back into the bun on the top of her head.
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Cassidy is only seven but she's going on 17.
She's the only sibling who actually enjoys hanging out with me, despite how much i push her away. It's now 5:25 and I'm going to be late for my first day. I grab some clothes from the hamper and ball them up in my towel as I run to the bathroom. Remi walks out of the restroom with her phone in hand.
She dosent even notice me as I slip past her and lock the door. I strip off my clothes and hop in the shower before it even has a chance to warm up.I scrub my arms with the soapy rag and watch the murky water run down the rusted drain. After I dry off on slip on black legging, a knee length jean skirt, and a yellow t-shirt that probably belonged to one of my Remi long ago. In a household of 6 children, clothes get pretty mixed up. I wipe the condensation from the mirror and look at myself. I rub oil all over my face to keep it from being dry. I place my hands on my face and scrunch up my puffy cheeks. My tangled hair is reaching out to me in the mirror. Checking the time, I decide to put my hair all under a beanie despite it being the middle of July in Hawaii. I make a promise to myself to detangle my hair tonight. The stairs squeak as I rush down them. Our house is an old wooden house that we have lived in sense i was born. The outside of our home is painted yellow and the floors are a faded brown. We have two floors and six bedrooms. All of our rooms are upstairs except for my parents room.
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“Mom!”
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“Dad!”
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I call our into the kitchen. When no one answers I assume they left and took the twins worth them to the store. It’s no surprise where I am going, I take this class every summer. Kaleo is going to watch Cassidy while I am out.
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I slip on my sandals and I am out the door. The wind blows hard and threatens to lift my shirt, but is held down by my bag.
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The palm trees in my neighbors yard sway side to side. Dad had been trying to grow a palm tree in our backyard since the twins were born, but it has not gotten past three feet tall. No one in the family really likes to take care of it.
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When i get to the end pic my driveway I walk on the sidewalk that leads to the library.
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I have a huge family. Remi is my parents first born daughter who is twenty-two. Then there is my older brother Kaleo (Kuh-lee-Oh) who is twenty. Next is me Halia (Hu-lee-Uh), and i am eighteen. Then there’s the twins, Kane and Bane, who are twelve. Lastly, there is Cassidy who is seven. We make up the Mahelona family.
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Our parents met here in Honolulu when my dad was on vacation. They got married three months later when they found out they were pregnant with Remi.
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I see the library up ahead so i pick up my pace. I’m hoping when i publish my novel, I will have enough money to buy a car. I actually enjoy walking though.
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“Authors Anonymous.” The sign reads as i slip through the double doors. This class is not accredited. Credits for college don’t matter to me. Ever since i graduated high school a few months ago, I have focused all my attention on finishing my book. I have been writing this book since this time last year. My days consist of nonstop writing and research. I have to hurry and finish it. So, i sign up for this class to help me with my journey of publishing my book.
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It’s 6:45 am when i walk through the door of the writing class. The class is held in a conference room in the back of the library. Mr. Wallace teaches the class. He’s a very old man and we are not even sure if he’s ever written a book, but he’s all we got here in Honolulu.
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I take the seat in the second row, second seat from the back. The start to fill in before Mr. Wallace lumps in. I watch the sweat roll down the front of his steaming cup of coffee.
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“Well look at the turn-out this year!” Mr. Wallace says looking around the room.
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I maybe see about fourteen people.
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Mr. Wallace is a slender, dark-skinned Hawaiian man. His hair hangs in white curls the frame his round face. His skin is damaged from many years in the hot sun. He wears grey pants with a blue shirt the looks like the ones you see many of the tourist wearing.
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“Let’s call roll.” Mr. Wallace says pulling down his glasses and looking at a list of names types in large print.
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He begins calling names.
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“Cali Beamer.” He calls. A young Italian girl raises her hand. She cowers back after noticing the attention on her.
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Names continue to be called, in no particular order.
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“Halia Mahelona.” I raise my hand at the sound of my name.
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“My start student!” Mr. Wallace says with a smile.
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I smile back.
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“..and...kai?” Mr. Wallace looks around the room.
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“That’s me.” A voice says behind me.
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I turn around in my seat.
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The young man behind me looks around nineteen years of age. He is obviously not Hawaiian with his right coily hair that sticks straight up. His skin is the color of Mr. Wallace’s coffee when he forgets he’s put one too many creamers. His nose is wide and his lips are full. He is wearing dark clothes and his countenance is reserved.
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I had watched everyone come in the class, but he must have slipped by. He must be new to town, because I have never seen him in school. Or maybe he’s much older than i thought.
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“No last name?” Mr. Wallace ask
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“It’s just kai.” He responds back
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“Okay...just Kai. Welcome to Authors Anonymous. Let’s get started!”
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The first thing we do is a get to know me exercise. We have to describe ourselves in three words. I says passionate and determined. We do this every year and i always say the same thing. I have not yet come up with a third adjective.
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For the next exercise we we tell what our favorite poem is. I say a poem called “Hopeless.” By Rebecca Hinning.
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“Kai?” Mr Wallace ask reading from the list of names.
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Mr. Wallace searches around the room until his eyes find him.
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“I dont have one.” Kai replies playing with the zipper on his jacket.
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“Who comes to a writing class and doesn’t have a favorite poem!” I think
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“I just never found on that stood out to me.” Kai shrugs.
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At first I’m scared that i actually said that aloud. I quickly realize that Mr. Wallace has asked when i wasn’t paying attention.
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“Alright folks, our thirty minutes are up. Any questions before we depart?” Mr. Wallace says packing up his things.
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I raise my hand before i know what i am about to say.
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“Yes Miss Mahelona?” Mr. Wallace saysnot even looking up.
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“Will we be actually writing net class?” I aay not trying to be rude. I just don’t have much time to finish my book.
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I hear someone scoff behind me.
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“Halia, always so hasty aren’t you. Don’t rush life sweet girl.” Mr. Wallace pats me on the head with his free hand as he exits the room.
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