A big thank you to whomever took the time to read the first bit. Here's a little more. If you like it or don't like it for that matter, please leave a comment. It would be great to know that people are actually reading this. Hope you enjoy!
JRA
طفل
She had been up since 5:45AM.
She slept in, which always angered her, and set crooked the mood for the day. She had a fearful dream during her three-hour nap: a dream of failure. In it, she had shown up to write a final on international corporate law, a prerequisite course she hated at first but slowly grew to appreciate. When she arrived on campus, already running twenty minutes late, she noticed that although it looked the same nothing seemed in its right place. When she opened the door to the examination room, she found a janitor in a cramped space filled with cleaning supplies, eating his lunch.
'I'm so sorry,' she apologized, feeling awkward and confused.
She closed the door and looked about the hallway. Panic flared in her stomach for she had never seen this hallway before.
She began to run down the hall looking for anything recognizable, but there didn’t seem to be any doors at all, only the institutionally tiled teal walls. Eventually a giant clock at the end of the hall broke up the monotony of the teal. As she came nearer, she could make out the hands. They revealed that she was now thirty minutes late.
Her stomach churned.
She rounded a corner running faster but not as fast as she knew she could. She came to a three way split in the hall; the choice multiple and none of it sparking any familiarity. She decided to go right then changed her mind, not wanting to run in circles. She doubled back and went left instead. Not only was it all still unrecognizable but she realized she hadn't seen a single person - Prof or student. She could feel the anxiety coursing through her veins like boiling water steaming, her eyes to blur with tears. Still, she ran, though it felt as if she could not immediate her pace. She rounded yet another corner and terror grabbed her by the throat - it was the giant clock again, taunting her that she was now an hour and a half late. How am I going in circles! She turned and ran back towards the way she had just come - where she thought she had just come. A loud noise filled the hall over the loud speakers, her breathing laborious, the anxiety choking her, when out of the teal tiles appeared once again, the clock! She came to a dead stop and she stared at the clock in total disbelief. It mocked that she had missed her final! A noxious nebula imploded in her chest.
She woke bolting straight up, panting, covered with tears. Her eyes were still damp, face flush and perspiring. It took a long while to calm herself. She grabbed a glass of water and for the first time in weeks, really wanted her man to be here at home with her. Just to have him here in bed. So she might rest her head on his chest, and let the rhythm of his sleeping heartbeat clam her.
She put all those thoughts away, for now, and got back to studying international corporate law. She meticulously reviewed specific cases one by one making diligent notes interspersed with questions she had. She would write these questions in a different color, as to not forget to research the answers, and this made her notes look far more interesting then anyone else’s. Her system included various tricks and ‘methods’ all of which she knew to be over complicated and somewhat time consuming, however they worked for her. She tended to work in blocks of time, until she could work no longer and simply had to break. Three hours into it her head ached as though steel plates shifted within it grinding against themselves. She needed to stop if only for an hour.
She thought it best to nap again, finding her way to her bed, just an hour’s worth and she would feel better. Though finding herself in another nightmare seemed problematic. Her body made the decision for her and her eyes fell shut and she slept... dreamlessly.
By the time she finally got out of the shower she was running late. She hurried to get ready, brushing her teeth as she dried her hair. Scott Dempster, a classmate, and one that seemed to have a preternatural understanding of corporate law, was expected any minute. He was the one that offered to study with her and it seemed a perfect idea because she needed, or rather thought she needed a 90% in the class and he would better facilitate her doing so.
They had only ever seen one another on campus or at school functions, so this felt… different. Instead of her usual study wear of jogging pants and a hoodie, she had dressed a little more accordingly though still very comfortably.
The doorbell rang - shit.
She tied her hair back in a ponytail and looking at her reflection in the mirror made a quick note to herself that she needed sun.
When she opened the door she found Scott, with his fire red hair, smiling with a book bag draped over his shoulder and a box of chocolates in hand.
'I brought chocolates'. Scott said it sounding nervous.
Thinking it weird but not giving it more thought then that, she invited him in accepting the box of sweets.
'Feel free to keep your shoes on. We'll get situated in the dining room,’ she said over her shoulder.
Scott, following her, took in the place. He noted the many pictures covering the walls, all of her and a man - that must be the boyfriend. The pictures, clearly taken all over the world, looked very exciting and not like the usual travel shots everyone takes. He appreciated the rustic feel to the place. 'This is a really nice place'. He said it louder then wanted to, thinking her further away.
'Thanks we bought it only last year. So much work to do still - but it's home'. Instantly she could see her guy pacing on the phone in the den, which he did incessantly and this made her smile. Now she wished she had been up, really up, when her man had called earlier.
'Can I get you a drink? Coffee, pop, tea?' she offered, refocusing.
'Do you have any sparkling water?’ He asked, regretting it as the words left his mouth.
'Ah I'll check,' she said, bothered now that she had even asked.
She managed to find a bottle of Perrier in the downstairs beer-fridge after several minutes of routing around. A waste, she thought, of precious study time.
'Here you are'. She gave him the whole bottle and a glass and he felt mortified that he had sent her on such an endeavor.
'Thank you' he said sheepishly. 'Shall we get to it?'
She pulled a chair up next to him and reached for her books, 'let's' she replied.
They quickly delved into the course’s 8 modules, reviewing each one and all of their components. They began of course with Scott’s favorite… corporate rescue, which she had always thought the most tedious. That meant she was glad to have the clarification. She referred to her colored questions and together they resolved the answers, Scott knowing many of them without making reference to his textbooks. They worked away the hours with concentrated focus until exhaustively a break from all the redundant jargon was needed.
She pulled her hair from its elastic, letting it fall to her shoulders and fingered her scalp. 'I need a coffee' she sighed, 'my eyes are killing me!’ Scott, miles away watching her touching her hair, tried to casually agree to the break.
At the counter in the kitchen she set the water to boil and scooped coffee in to the carafe. Scott loomed a few feet away, leaning against the fridge and watching. 'So… when might your Bo be getting home?’ He asked.
'My Bo? You mean my boyfriend?’ she laughed. ‘He'll be back in three days'.
'Oh he's out of town?' Scott inquired.
She reached for a couple of mugs. 'Yeah, he's shooting something - photographs overseas, in Syria'. She said it plainly, surprising herself and caught the look of disbelief on Scotts face. 'I know, right! I tried talking him out of it but once he sets his mind to something there is little anyone can do to change it!' she said now pouring the boiled water into the carafe.
Scott laughed, 'sounds like someone I know'. She looked to him thinking his sentence incomplete but it was and he smiled at her.
'I am not like that!’ She protested. 'Am I?'
Scott nodded his yes exaggeratedly.
'Oh give me a break. That is just a total lie!’ She said it half smiling.
'So then when we did that group case study on criminal negligence you weren't the one that decided which case we would examine!' he countered.
'I didn't decide that! I simply suggested that case as one with varying aspects that covered more ground.’ She sounded very sure of herself.
Scott, very calmly pointed out, 'You threatened to leave the group to join another that hadn't chosen their case yet'.
She thought about it. He was right. She poured the coffees thinking she had always done things like that all her life. She began to laugh.
'Okay, maybe I'm a little set in my ways'.
'Yes, yes you are'. He said feeling great that he had made her laugh; saw her smile.
She handed him a coffee and the two sipped away eager for the caffeine to do its work.
A silence lingered. She searched for conversation outside of law talk - 'oh! How is your girlfriend doing? Is she almost done her thesis?’
The look on Scotts face told her that she had just pursued the wrong line of questioning. He set his coffee down and sighed.
'We broke up two weeks ago. Well actually she chucked me.' he said it with hurt pride.
'I didn't mean to-' she tried to back peddle.
'No it's okay. I have to face it. She left me for someone in her field, a guy named Ralph. I mean who leaves someone for a guy named Ralph?' he asked attempting a weak hearted joke.
She really felt bad for Scott. He seemed a nice enough guy. Sounding hopeful, she said, 'I wouldn't let it get you down. You're a great guy Scott. I know it must hurt now, but believe me you'll find the right one!' She put her hand on his arm.
Scott’s eyes welled slightly. Her hand on his arm drove him to do it. He had been feeling things, incredible things, about her since the first day he saw her. He had never directly spoken of those feelings but he had made so many little gestures hinting to them. The truth was when his ex had broken things off with him he didn't feel the hurt or the anger. His thoughts had immediately been about her and the possibilities of winning her over. Now in this kitchen, at this moment, her small delicate hand touching him he felt one step closer. It all stirred far too much within in his heart, his loins and his mind. He grabbed her face and kissed her full on the lips, not just a kiss, but one with the intent to consume her passionately. His breathing heavy, he ran his fingers into her dirty blond hair and pressed his body against hers. For a moment he thought she was reciprocating however that thought was fleeting.
She's pushing me away! Oh god she's pushing away forcefully.
She managed to get Scott off of her. Angry and baffled she shouted, 'What do you think you're doing?'
Scott froze, his reddish face now matching his hair.
'Why would you do that?' she demanded.
Scott tried to speak but only short gasping sounds escaped his hand-covered mouth.
'I think you might be a little confused and heartbroken over your ex, either way, I really think you should go!’ She said it calmly.
Scott shook his head spastically. 'But... but I love you!' He confessed. 'I love you!’ Unable to except defeat he tried to kiss her again.
She yelped, 'No!' and slapped him across the face reflexively. This couldn't be happening; she was feeling something beneath the anger that she knew all too well… it was fear.
Scott was a big guy, certainly not a jock type yet still bigger and stronger then she. She raised her voice and spoke very deliberately, 'I want you to leave Scott, now! Let's just forget this ever happened, go home and have a drink or something and I'll see you at school.’
She braced herself for a full on attack, her heart racing so hard she thought she could hear it. Scott stepped back. It might have worked but she didn't dare drop her hands. Scott stared at her for a moment still wild eyed then his embarrassment drowned him. His face was total crimson.
'I'm leaving, I'm so sorry!' he managed to say before grabbing up his books and bag and bolting out of the house.
For several moments she did not move, stunned, then the sudden need to lock the house up had her dashing from door to door. When all was secure she sat and tried to make sense of what just transpired. She wanted to call her man and tell him, but thought the better of it. What would he be able to do half way around the world? Besides, why worry him. Still she wanted to call and she decide that she would, but later, after taking in the distractive powers of the television for a while. It was something she never did during finals.
Tonight however, fell into the extenuating circumstances category.
A few hours later she felt much better. Classic reruns of Friends and Seinfeld did the job. Now she felt the situation was laughable and mused that poor Scott would probably never be able to look her in the face again.
And so it was time. Late enough here in Toronto that her man would certainly be fast asleep and he never had issue with waking up to a late night call.
She dialed his cell, using the landline for the long distance. She thought it ridiculous that she still hadn’t memorized his number and had to look it up on her cell. It rang once then someone picked up.
'Hey you’ she said excitedly. No one responded. Instead of the voice she had expected, she could hear strong wind and static, a voice yelling but not the voice of her man and a language that wasn't English. Before the line cut out, she thought she had heard him but couldn't say for sure.
Unsettled she rang back, carefully pushing the buttons thinking, hoping, she had dialed the wrong number. It rang once and went straight to voice mail. 'Sorry I missed your call, you know what to do'. His voice recording said.
'Hey, it's me. I just tried calling and I'm hoping I got the wrong number; anyway I hope you’re ok. I love you and cannot wait for you to get home. K, call me when you get this, whatever time. Bye.’ She hung up and told herself not to worry, he's fine. Besides she had to get back to studying she had an exam the next morning.
طفل
The next installment gets really good...
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