Welcome to Artistry

Chapter 7

I decide to go to the library first. Since I have a little time I should finish a couple homework assignments before going back to my dorm. The library is a good five minute walk from the building where my class is located. When I get there I go to the quiet floor of the building and settle myself at an abandoned table away from the other students so I could concentrate. I get through the rest of my math homework first before moving on to my other subjects. The other homework assignments I work on are surprisingly easy until I get to my psychology paper. I'm gonna do that later.I can see the sun beginning to set as I walk out of the library and I walk to my dorm. I pass Marissa and Trisha on my way and quietly say hello. I tell them, "Are you two going to dinner?"

"Yeah," Marissa answers, "We are meeting Harley."

"Do you know who else is down there yet?"

"Casey and Natalia might still be there," Trisha replies.

Marissa nods, "Yeah I saw them before coming here."

"Thanks," I smile.

Clarissa is nowhere in sight when I walk into my dorm, at least not yet, and I drop my bag on my desk. When I get to the cafeteria I give the worker my ID card and she swipes it so I could get in. I do not see anybody I recognize immediately so I get my plate of food before settling into one of the few empty tables I could see. I will not be seeing Freddy, Seth, or Peter this time because I remember what they talked about at lunch earlier. I cannot imagine how busy their schedule must be. Not only do they have a full load of classes, but they also have to organize their classes around their practice and games schedules too. It is a surprise they have time to finish their homework! After a few minutes I see Marissa sitting with Harley in the corner. A few tables over I finally see Casey and Natalia. I pick up my food and walk to their table. "Jessy!" Casey smiles, "Sit down with us. How were classes?"

"They were classes," I laugh, "But it was good; just a busy day. How were your classes?"

"Great! It's going to be a good year."

I zone out for most of the time I sit there eating dinner. Casey is incredibly determined to do well in school, which makes sense considering she is a pre-law. She continues talking about her classes and what she's looking forward to the most before changing the topic to cheerleading. Natalia adds in her interests with law school before going with the topic change to cheerleading and getting excited for competitions this year. It would be more interesting if I understood how cheerleading worked as a sport. I decide to leave once I'm finished and say goodbye to them before heading back to my dorm. Luckily, Clarissa must still be busy so I have the dorm to myself for a while. Right before I start working, I remember that she is in rehearsals for Little Shop.

My high school did Little Shop, and she played one of the Doo Opp girls, which is basically like a Greek chorus. How times have changed. To me, her voice is still too high pitch for life, but I do have to say it is right for the role.I think that's probably where the rivalry started for us. It was the beginning of junior year, and auditions for the show were happening. I just had an amazing year and summer so I didn't think I had to try at the audition. Well, apparently the show was a dance show because my theater teacher wouldn't let me be in it because of my lack of skills. We always were rivals talent wise, but it really made me mad and I had a problem with it. After the show she got into that off-Broadway show but that only last a few months. But I ended up doing a movie and am in a band now so it's alright with me.

After I scroll through Facebook and see pictures of some girls from the treatment center together I finally know what I want to write my paper on. A few months into inpatient I went to a prison, I don't remember the month... Let's see, I got into inpatient in December of 2015, so it was probably February of this year? Anyway, every Saturday the center had a community day where you either helped clean up the community or go on a field trip to hear a sob story. This time we had the choice of shoveling elderly people's homes out or going to a prison to hear drunk drivers talk about what it feels like to know they are responsible for someone's death.I really didn't want to go to the prison. I mean, my father killed my mother because he was drunk and drove. However, I had sprained my ankle a couple of days before so I got stuck going. I did however talk to my brother the night before and he told me I had to go in with an open mind if I had any hope of growing and learning any type of compassion.