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I-Have-Insomnia-Because-I'm-Going-To-A-New-School-And-It's-Really-Preppy-Peach-Ice-Cream-Pie : Crush ice cream cones and mix them with melted butter to form a crust, but accidentally crush your own finger because you're tired. Make whipped ice cream out of peaches and heavy cream, because you don't have the energy to boil custard. Pour into the crust and place in the freezer. Have a mental breakdown while it's setting, because anxiety and insomnia don't go well together. Top with whipped cream from your mama's recipe because you're afraid of change. Consume with shaking hands no earlier than one in the morning.
For the first time in her life, Lulu woke up at six in the morning.
Willingly.
Granted, she'd always been a high achiever, so waking up early should've been normal for her. Except, it really wasn't. Lulu was a loud and proud night owl; she never went to bed before midnight, no matter what. And Jenna's tendency to sleep in was just one of the many traits she'd passed down to her daughter.
But the night before her first day of Rosewood prep, Lulu could barely sleep. She woke up a lot during the night; her anxious brain had been working a mile a minute, despite the comforting talk with her mama last night. She couldn't stop overthinking, worrying that she might not be smart enough for her classmates or maybe they'll look down at her since she was merely a scholarship kid. At one point, she was awake long enough to bake a whole pie; it was sitting in the fridge, ready to be consumed in the morning. Her mama always said that her tendency to overthink was definitely something she'd picked up from Jim or Dawn. She couldn't help agreeing.
At some point in the early morning, after she'd been up for a good half-hour just staring at the ceiling, Lulu finally muttered a "Screw this" and dragged herself out of bed. She brushed her teeth, pulled her hair into a low ponytail, and made her way to the kitchen for the one thing she knew for sure was a requirement today; coffee.
She tried her best to be silent as she turned on the coffee machine and filled up the biggest mug they owned, so she could add some milk and sugar and still get a proper dose of caffeine. She was sipping her coffee at the kitchen table when Jim walked in, a little blurry-eyed but awake nonetheless. He kind of did a double take when he saw Lulu.
"What are you doing up?" he asked, surprised.
Lulu took another sip of her drink. "Couldn't sleep." She shrugged. Jim looked down at the mug in her hands.
"You really shouldn’t be drinking that much coffee, you know." He said, lecturing but still as gentle as ever. "It stunts your growth."
Lulu rolled her eyes. "Have you seen my mom? I'm already 5'3. I don't think I have much growth left."
"Yeah, okay, fair enough."
Lulu finished her caffeine-monstrosity and went to her room to get ready. She pulled on her uniform, put her new earrings in, and did her hair in a simple braid; her usual go-to. She looked at herself in the mirror, wearing the plaid skirt and the fancy blazer, and she felt like this was what she'd always been meant to wear. She also felt like she couldn't recognize herself.
To summarize, she felt really weird.
She was looking at herself in the mirror, adjusting her shirt collar and pulling her skirt down, when Jenna walked in and literally gasped.
"Look at you, private school girl." She said proudly, walking over to Lulu and hugging her from behind. Lulu kept on looking at herself.
"I'm not sure I like it." she said, frowning.
"What do you mean?" Jenna asked, letting go of her daughter to inspect her uniform. "Does it fit bad?"
"No…" Lulu said, tilting her head at her own reflection, "Just a little… strange, I guess. I'm not used to it."
"You'll love it eventually." Jenna said, her voice definite. "I promise."
Milo called her at around seven thirty, when she was just done getting ready and was reading a book to pass the time. She marked it with a bookmark and answered.
"Hey, prep girl." Milo greeted her through the phone, making her roll her eyes.
"Are you going to keep calling me that forever?" she asked.
"Unless you want me to call you something else."
"Yes, please."
There was silence on the other end of the line as he thought for a moment. "Preppy kid?" he offered.
"No."
"Prepster?"
"I will actually hang up on you." Lulu threatened, but she couldn't help the snort leaving her lips. He was such a dork sometimes.
"Fine, fine, I'll stop." Milo said, and she could hear him grinning through the phone. "So?" he started. "Excited for today?"
"Yeah." Lulu said, making sure her voice sounded thrilled and not like she was about to start hyperventilating.
Milo saw right through her. "That bad?"
"Not that bad." She said, and it wasn't true at all. "Just… a little nervous, is all."
"Were you stress baking last night?" Lulu thought back to the First-Day-Anxiety-French-Silk-Pie resting in her fridge.
"No…?" she lied. Milo tutted like he was disappointed.
"You're slipping, Hunterson." He said, and she could practically hear his mocking headshake. "At least try to lie."
"Screw you." she said through a laugh.
They talked for a little while, until Jenna came knocking on her door saying they had to leave. She promised she'd drive Lulu to school herself today, despite her busy schedule, so Lulu hurried to collect her bag and follow her mom to the door. Jim looked a little moved as he said goodbye.
"This is it, Luli." He said as he stood next to the girls at the door. "This is your Rory Gilmore moment."
Jenna furrowed her brows. "It's weird that you know what that means."
Jim narrowed his eyes at her. "It's weird that you don't know what it means." He said, and then gave Lulu his Knock some sense into your mother, will you? look. It made Lulu chuckle.
"He's right, mama." She said, nodding at Jim. Jenna tutted.
"I don't like when you guys gang up on me." She shook her head. Lulu and Jim shrugged.
The drive to school was relatively quiet, with music playing from the radio and Jenna occasionally trying to start a conversation, but it was clear Lulu was in her own world as she looked out of the window at the open road and twirled her heart pendant between her fingers. When they got to the school, though, Lulu let out a strangled gasp.
The school was big. Like, the size of half their town. Three huge buildings stood in the midst of a giant yard, everything covered in plants and ivy dripping down the multiple floors of each building. There was so much greenery Lulu was half-convinced they'd accidentally driven into a forest. That is, until she saw the insane number of kids walking around, all wearing a uniform identical to hers.
"Wow." Jenna breathed as she took in the school.
"Wow." Lulu agreed, looking out the window before turning to her mom with wide eyes.
"I don't think I can do this." She squeaked, her voice panicked.
"Yes, you can." Jenna insisted, placing a hand on Lulu's shoulder. "I'll come get you at three, okay?"
Lulu nodded. She gave her mom a hug and got out of the car, heart beating. She turned back around to see Jenna giving her a gentle smile, and she took a deep breath. She could do this. Lulu walked further into the school, looking around, until she felt someone crash into her.
"Watch it!" The person, a boy around a foot taller than her, snarked. He sped away on a skateboard before she could even apologize. Or face-plant into a nearby bush and disappear forever.
Oh, she so couldn't do this.