EASY OUT

7: LAUREN

"I swear Dr. Nichols has it out for me," Syd says from her seat at our dining room table.

Calling it a dining room is a stretch. It's really just an empty corner off of our kitchen with a small table that almost fits four people comfortably if we had more than two chairs and didn't fill half of it with clutter. We should really clean up.

"Why do you say that?" I ask as I check the casserole I have in the oven. It just needs a few more minutes until it's melted cheese perfection.

"Let me see. Where do I begin? He is making me read the entire textbook before the end of the week. He wants me to write a twenty-page research paper by next Friday. Don't even get me started on the labs." And this is why I'm not a biology major.

"You're the only one who has to do this?"

"Well, no. It's the whole class."

"Uh-huh."

"Lo, I'm being robbed. I'm being robbed of my time. My social life. My freedom."

"You are also being a teeny bit dramatic. This is our last year. It's not going to be easy. But hey, we'll get through it together," I reassure her as I remove the taco casserole from the oven. "Let's eat."

"I am not the drama Lauren." Right. "I think I'm just freaking out. All the pressure is starting to get to me. After this year, we're on our own." Sydney piles two large scoops of food onto her plate.

"I get it. I'm trying not to think about internships right now, even though it is a major concern. Just take everything one day at a time."

"I guess," she says solemnly. "You should ask Hart about an internship. His dad is the editor of the local paper. He could totally hook you up."

"I'm not looking for a handout."

"Lo, it wouldn't be. He would just get your resume to the top of the stack."

"I'll think about it." I savor a small bite of my food, so Syd won't figure out my lying. I barely made it through the day with Hart. The whole day was a mess. I don't know how I'm going to make it through this assignment.

Hart was so short with me and his scowl. I swear he was mad at me the entire time we were in the library. He did start to open up some at the end.

My biggest problem is when he leaned in close. Make me talk pequeña bruja. The cadence of his voice and his delicious sandalwood scent took over my senses. I couldn't breathe. It was overwhelming and all-consuming.

"You're flushed. What are you thinking about over there?"

"Nothing. The food is spicy."

"It's not that bad." I'm thankful she is buying my story, and I won't have to explain that her friend Hart is the reason I'm hot and bothered.

"Oh! Are you going to be around this weekend? I was wondering if you had time to braid my hair. I want to do something like this." Syd holds up her phone and shows me a picture of gorgeous box braids that would match her natural dark brown hair at the root and gradually flow into an ombre purple.

"Um..."

"I already have all the stuff."

"I can on Sunday. I was going to go talk to Ray on Saturday and see if I can start working there." I don't think Sydney will judge me, but I wait for it anyway.

"You're really going to work there?"

"Rumor has it the girls are making a couple hundred dollars a night. It will be worth it. I need to save up money for when I'm interning."