Stay

23

EVIE

It had been a few days since I went home to visit the parents. Since being back in my apartment I felt more relaxed and even a bit energized. It was now the final stretch of the last semester and I knew that I needed to muster up as much energy as I could.

The game plan for the afternoon was simple: I needed to finish reading Emma for my class on Friday. I was already halfway near the end of the book – which was a feat in itself. I could feel my mind slowly fall asleep and each letter that I looked at slowly became a blurry mess. This would not do. This bed would not do. I needed to make a change quick because if I wanted to be productive at all, I needed to get out quick.

I needed coffee… and more coffee… and even more coffee.

It was only eleven in the morning and I was already three and a half cups in. Not that it was an issue. I knew my body and I knew that it was more than capable of in taking another round of caffeine. Even if it wasn’t capable of something so little, I had no choice. My body needed to work with me today. This book needed to be read and nothing, and I mean nothing, is going to stop this from happening.

With my freshly pressed cup in hand and the book in the other, I sat in my nest of pillows. Everything was off – my computer, the TV as well as my cellphone; the least of my distractions the better.

“Okay Evie, it’s time to do this thing. You were trained for this. You were trained to finish reading a book in one afternoon. This is nothing. Easy…” I lean back in my chair, setting my mug down on the coffee table.

An hour later and less than ten chapters to go, I was feeling pretty good about myself. I had managed to somehow stay on task. But most importantly, I was able to stay awake. One point for Evie, zero points for procrastination… After a solid hour of sitting on this couch, I felt like it was time for a break. I deserved a break. After all, I was kicking procrastination in the ass. I deserved to do something counter-productive for at least ten minutes. I earned this! It was my right.

I stand up from the couch, moving my butt away from its indentation. Slowly I move my arms up and over my head, allowing the muscles to pull into a stretch. I glance down at my phone, remembering that I had turned it off. Taking it into my hands, I turn it on and wait for the onslaught of zero text messages to not come in.

Funny enough, it was the opposite that happened. As soon as it was fully on, the small device began to vibrate consistently for a few seconds. Five missed texts: 1 from Presley, 1 from Mom, and 3 from… Ryder? Well that was odd…

I figured I would deal with whatever Beavis and Butt-head had to say later. Knowing them, it was probably something of irrelevance but also extremely entertaining. At least with Mom, I knew it’d be extremely entertaining. Presley was still working on her humour, bless her soul.

 I open up the conversation between Ryder and me.

December 3, 2014

“Hey Evie

Wanted to see if you were free for a night of intense bowling

I hear there’ll be yam fries and beer”

I read over his text a few times, weighing out my options. Either I could drop my homework and go hang out with Ryder on a Wednesday night… or I could decline and finish up my readings. Gee Evie, what will you choose?

Opening up the text once more, I type out a reply: “What time were you thinking for this intensive Wednesday night bowling?”

If the time was reasonable and I knew that I wouldn’t be out too late then maybe I’d say yes. That was a good idea right? If I got home before midnight, say… ten at night, which will give me at least two hours to finish anything that I didn’t finish now.