2I know I can be what I wanna be if I work hard at it, I'll be where I wanna be I know I can, I know I can be what I wanna be, be what I wanna be if I work hard at it, if I work hard at it I'll be where I wanna be, I'll be where I wanna be
Jerica sang along with her walkman as she walked down her school's hallways. Much as she tried she couldn't help but always sing along with her music. That's why she rarely brought her walkman to school, but she had needed it for a school assignment. Her friends had told her repeatedly that day to stop embarrassing them by singing, but she just couldn't help it.
"Are you kidding Jerico? You can't do whatever you want. I doubt you could do much more than work at Wal-Mart. Especially with your marks... not to mention your looks." Spat Malory, the "Popular" girl in Jerico's school. You know one of those cheerleaders who only goes out with football players, and is only friends with other cheerleaders.
Jerico glared at her. Just ignore her. She told herself. She doesn't know what she's talking about. You can be anything you want. Even President or something if you want.
*******
"Just forget about her." Jerico's best friend, Charisse told her after Jerico told her about what Malory said. "She's a fine one to talk. She looks like she's had one too many ace-lifts, I don't doubt she'll turn out looking like Michael Jackson. Besides I heard from Loba that Malory failed her Drama test, and I know that was an EASY test." Charisse told her with a smile. Jerico gave her a weak smile. Charisse always knew how to do that. Make her feel better when she was down, even if she had to pull out the chocolate.
Jerico and Charisse had a little tradition, you could call it. Every day after school no matter whose house they were at, they would pull out a CD player and stick in the CD for 'West Side Story'.
"Dear kindly Judge, your Honor, My parents treat me rough, With all their marijuana, They won't give me a puff. They didn't wanna have me, But somehow I was had. Leapin' lizards, that's why I'm so bad!" Belted out Jerico.
"Officer Krupke, you're really a square; This boy don't need a judge, he needs an analyst's care! It's just his neurosis that oughta be curbed. He's psychologic'ly disturbed!" Replied Charisse. They sang the rest of the song and then played it again. They had a little act they did with it too. Both Jerico and Charisse loved musicals, but 'West Side Story' was their favourite. When the song finished Jerico asked Charisse, "What do want to be when you grow up?" even though she had asked that everyday for the past 3 years, Charisse was always changing her answer, yesterday she said she wanted to be an Architect.
"I want to be a singer." Was Charisse's reply today. Jerico shook her head as she smiled.
"When are you gonna make up your mind, Charisse?" Jerico asked as she laughed. Charisse shrugged.
"What's your hurry anyway? We still have, like, four years to decide." Jerico shook her head at her friend but didn't say anything.
******** "Guess what I heard today?" Loba said eagerly. Jerico shook her head.
"Loba, you're such a gossip."
"I can't help it, phones make me gossipy." Jerico laughed.
"No, Loba, you're ALWAYS gossping!"
"Well, nnnnaaaaahhhg." Loba said.
"Loba, nnnnaaaaahhhg is not a word. Oh well, I have to go now. I have things to do."
"Bye, Jerico! Ciao!"
Jerico walked into the living room, her little sister was watching The Simpsons.
"Anna, you know we're not supposed to watch this." Jerico said to Anna, but sat down on the couch anyways.
"Mom says you have to make dinner tonight. She's going to be late tonight, something came up at work." Anna said to Jerico. Anna loved telling her she had to do things. Anna never had to do anything. Just because she was "only eleven years old", she seemed old enough to help out to Jerico.
Jerico sighed and headed out to the kitchen to start dinner. Just as the water started to boil, the phone rang. She picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Jerico honey, did Anna remember to tell you that you have to make dinner?" Jerico's Mother asked.
"Yes, Mom. She told me." Anna had a tendencey to forget things, you usually had to say it a few times and then get her to recite what you said to her at least once.
"Alright, thanks hun." Her Mom hung up. Jerico's Mom usually made Jerico make dinner. She worked for a newspaper and she was always late because she had to rush out and get some new story before the other newspapers.
Jerico went back into the kitchen, and added the noodles to the now- evaporating water. Jerico turned down the heat and headed over to the fridge to pull out the ingredients for the spaghetti sauce.
Jerico's father worked from 4am-3pm, and as soon as he came home he went back to bed to sleep until dinner time. Between the Jerico's two parents, she always felt like she was the parent.
As Jerico was cutting up mushrooms for the soup Anna came in. She walked over to where Jerico was to see what she was doing. She wrinkled her nose up and frowned.
"Eeeewwww, mushrooms! Why are you putting mushrooms in there?" She whined. Jerico sighed.
"Don't worry I'll you some sauce without onions, ok?"
"Ok." Anna said, but she still wrinkled her nose.
"Just scram for now, and don't complain, ok?"
******* A/N: OK, sorry for leaving it there you guys, but I didn't know where or whatever so... yah. What do you guys think? Should I continue?