Prologue

Summer 2018

Summer was finally nearly over, and as I took one last in the mirror, before leaving Grandma’s house, there was only one thing on my mind, college. 

It was the new beginning for some, but for me, it was everything. I would leave my high school paper behind and be in the big league. The college paper, the one thing that I’d dreamt of doing since I was a little girl. 

“If you stare at that mirror long enough, it’ll break,” Grandma winked as she stood behind me. I didn’t even realize that she was in the room. I’d decided to spend my last few weeks before moving with her; I told mom that she needed the company; it was a lie. Grandma was home all the time, and the truth be told, between my friends all getting ready for college and enjoying themselves. I was the only one around, and I was kind of lonely.

“No, I just need to change my hair color, maybe or even lose a few pounds. College is starting in two weeks, and I need people to take me more seriously.”

She laughed, “Who do you want to take you seriously? If anything, you should die your hair blonde. After all, they do have more fun, and Lord knows you need some fun. You spent all summer with me, kids your age were fun before starting college.”

I shook my head; Grandma was an ex-Playboy girl. She even stayed in the mansion once, something that no one in our family liked to talk about, and she loved to broadcast every time a new member joined our family. She still died her grey hairs blonde and proudly displayed her breasts, claiming that they were the best gift from God. Even with the way she dressed and carried herself, no one thought that she was my Grandma. If anything, they sometimes mistook her for my mom. 

“No. I’m talking about the college newspaper. The reason that I applied to go to Chicago in the first place…”

“So, you could be a top journalist just like your dad. Look, Tessa. No one goes to college just to study. They go there to have fun,” she faced me with all the seriousness in the world with that one frown. She had her hands on my shoulder, and she wasn’t joking, something that she didn’t do.

“I worry about you. Your dad, sure he’s a top journalist, but remember he worked too hard and that was what drove your mom away.”

Like I needed reminding about their bitter divorce, and I remembered begging my dad to go live with him, and dad insisted that he didn’t have time. Ít would be better if you stayed with your mom. I´ll visit.´ That was six months ago. I was still waiting for him to visit. 

“But the paper will change everything, I’ll be like him, someone being successful being a journalist and then he’ll take me seriously. He’ll be so proud and come and visit. And we’ll have the relationship that I’ve always wanted.”

She kissed me on the head, as she towered over me in her three-inch heels, “Sweetie. Go to college. Have fun. You need to have new experiences, that’s what college is all about.”

“So, I’m told, “ I sighed as I thought about my friends and them all talking about college, trying to lose their virginity before they started and all the things that they were going to do before they started. 

“Besides, a little bit of flesh on display never hurt anyone. And you can have fun. You don’t need to change your hair color to do that. But your clothes are a different matter.”

She said, pointing to my breasts, which she claimed made me lucky because I was as gifted as she was. But I didn’t know if it was a gift or a curse? Most of the time, no one took me seriously; they spent more time talking to them rather than looking me in the eyes whenever they spoke to me.

“I dunno, Grandma. I have a plan, and it’s going to work. It’s all I’ve been dreaming about for such a long time.”

She winked at me, “Take my hand, Tessa. I have a plan too. It starts and ends with you getting a new closet for college. Remember when you get there to tell them that I was an ex-Playboy girl. That will get you popular with the girls; they’ll be jealous that you have a famous Grandma.”

I shook my head as we walked out of the door, “Yeah, it’ll make me popular with the guys too, they’ll probably think that Playboy’s in my genes.”

“One could only wish my dear, one could only wish,” she smiled as we headed out of the door. We jumped into her car, and she drove us to the shopping mall. 

I didn’t know what she meant by that and I was too afraid to ask what she meant. I soon found out as we hit the stores. I wondered if Grandma thought that she was getting me ready for college or auditioning for an open spot in the Playboy mansion ( I hated to tell her that it was closed down). As we hit more stores, I realized that she was buying clothes for the latter.