In This Life ○ Paul Lahote

Three

I wake up with a start as my heart pounds and the sheets stick to my sweaty body. I calm down my breathing enough to take a deep breath and I tie my hair up, a few strands still sticking to my neck. I look around Rachel's and Rebecca's old room and I climb down from the top bunk. I grab my back pack and slip out of the room and across the hall to the bathroom. The clock on the wall says 4 am. I hear a bang from down the hall and smirk to myself, figuring Baby Cob was out all night with his friends. He really isn't a baby anymore.
I brush my teeth and run my comb through my hair. I peal my pajamas off of my body and skid into my spandex shorts which brings on another round of sweat and I struggle into a sports bra. I begrudgingly stick on a jogger's jacket and zip it up to my chin. I sit on the toilet and put my feet in socks and my worn-to-hell running shoes that Rick bought me a couple years ago. They're the best pair of running shoes I've ever had, and it's not just because the man I adore got them for me.
I lace them up loosely and rise to my feet, bouncing from one foot to the other. I grab my backpack and exit the bathroom, using the walls to guide me through the unlit house. I make it to the kitchen and use my phone's light to fill up my water bottle.
Once that's done I store my backpack in the entryway closet and put my phone in my pocket, zipping it up just so my ear bug wire can stick through and I exit the house, closing the door behind myself. Rachel had explained to several times before that La Push isn't like California. People actually leave their houses unlocked here. On purpose. So I didn't have to worry about going out on my morning runs.
I've always liked little places like this. Out of the way, quiet, not on the map little blips of history. I love how everyone knows everyone, not necessarily the fact that they also know everything about each other but there are downsides to just about everything in this world.
I plug my earbuds into my ears and turn on my music. I bounce from one foot to the other and tighten my pony tail, realizing that it's still pretty dark out. I reenter the Black house and go into the closet to retrieve my bag. I take out my head light and strap it around my head so the light is on my forehead. I throw my bag back in the closet and close it, exiting the house once more. I turn on my light and start my run at a fast pace.
I run in a relatively straight line and make my way to the tree line, seeing a pretty worn path a way aways. Running to it, I take a sharp turn and plunge my sweaty body into the thick cool forest that surrounds La Push like a fence. I breathe in through my mouth and out through my nose, finding that it works better than the recommended reversed action. I follow the twisting path and just run, unintentionally going faster and faster. My breathing becomes even heavier and I start to sweat a little more. Slowing easily, I breath heavily as I take out my phone and pause the music, seeing that it's only been half an hour. I groan and wrap up my headphones, putting it back in my jacket pocket. I zip it up before unzipping my jacket and wrapping it around my waist, closing my eyes as the cool mist hits my hot skin. I take a hearty swig of water before groaning and wiping my face with a sniffle. I hear twigs snap from surrounding animals and the sound of birds and owls and scampering smaller creatures. Another reason why I love this place so much. I never had this back in California. It's concrete and dried up dirt with little to no water at all.
I continue on my run, the trail fading to nothing and I figure this is the point people stop at and turn back, but I keep going. It's weird, the trees start to thin out and the trail ends completely but I continue on, stopping when I get to a cavern in the earth and a river that streams below. It's only about a ten foot drop but I still won't risk going down. I look across and realize I can jump it but I figure the reservation line should end right about here. So I continue running along the river, upstream. I look all around and pause again after a while for a water break. I turn off my light, seeing as the sun's rising and look at my phone to see it's 5:47. I look all around and take a long swig of water, deciding I'll make my way back to the Black residence and I should get there around 7-7:30.

- 8:45 am
I skid to a stop in front of the Black home and huff out a breath as I bend over with my hands on my knees. So I decided to run around the forest some more and just wander. I didn't want to shower so I stalled. I stand up straight once more and enter the home, taking off my jacket and closing and locking the door behind me. I look around to see the lights on and Mr. Black wheels into the entry way.
"Good morning Jenna." Mr. Black smiles at me and I give him a smile in return, making his own widen.
"How was your run?" He asks as I pull out my backpack and throw it over my shoulder and I nod.
"It was really nice. I still love that forest." I shake my head with a grin.
"It's nothing like what I have back home." I say and he chuckles.
"I'll bet." He nods. "Hungry?" He asks.
"Ah, starving, but I should shower first." I say with a chuckle, figuring he doesn't want to smell my stink. at this he scoffs.
"You're nothing compared to Jacob I'll tell you that, come on, we were just sitting down to eat. Rachel is still sleeping though." He smiles knowingly and I grin, setting my stuff back down.
"Figured, that girl can hibernate." I reply and walk towards the dining nook, seeing a barely recognizable Baby Cob. "Holy Shit Jake! What've you been taking!?" I gawk and Mr. Black laughs in good nature as Jacob chuckles and gets up from stuffing his face. His shirtless body just as sweaty as mine.
"Hormones. And Puberty. Mostly hormones." He jokes and I grin, hugging the boy who's now taller than me. I'm not too short either, I stand at an almost difficult 5'7".
"You're not looking too bad yourself." He grins and detached his scorching hot body from mine.
"And you look like a body builder, jeez, you sure you're only sixteen?" I chuckle and punch his almost rock solid arm.
"Positive." He nods and we move to the nook and I fill my plate but not as heapingly as Jacob.
"How've you been?" Jacob asks through bites. I'm pretty sure he's not even breathing.
"Good, one more year and then I'll have my bachelors. Then I think I'm gonna take a little break, maybe work in a school as a school psychologist and then go back to work on my masters so I can get my privet practice."
"Oh that's right, you're majoring is psychology." Mr. Black nods and I nod too. "My goal is to become a criminal psych evaluator." I tell them and Jacob looked confused, tilting his head like a dog. I smile and take a swig of orange juice.
"Okay, say a criminal commits mass murder. In order to escape jail time, he might plea insanity. My job, would be to evaluate wether or not that criminal is, in fact, mentally unstable. Everyone who commits that kind of crime isn't right the head, obviously, but I decide if he gets off with a straight jacket or hand cuffs." I tell them and they nod.
"What would you do?" Jacob asks.
"What would I do when?" I respond.
"If the guy was really messed up." He offers and I take a deep breath, thinking about it for a moment.
"Well, I think I'd send him in a straight jacket." I nod.
"Why?" Mr. Black asks and I smile down at my plate.
"Because he'll think he's getting off easy. That it'll be easier to "get better" but it's the exact opposite. Once you're in a mental institution, it's almost impossible to leave." I start to explain.
"You can't improve too quickly, or too slowly. You can't be too good and you can't be too bad, and even if you're "normal" and "just right" you must be the craziest of them all." I sum up and the two of them look to each other before looking to me.
"That's why I want to be a psychologist. No one actually knows how the hell the brain works or why we only use an average of 10% of it. We don't actually know a damn thing but everyone in this field will tell you they're experts." I chuckle and smile at them all.
"But, in a way, we're all insane. None of us are "all there" and I find that interesting. If we all use 10%, why aren't we all alike? Sure we have the basics but where does personality come from? And the concept of opinion is also fascinating. Bias, racism, sexism, fascism, religion, politics, currency. They're all made up by the human brain." I rant and they both stare at me with wide eyes, making me chuckle awkwardly.
"Sorry, I kinda went off didn't I?" I say and Jacob nods with a slack jaw but Mr. Black looks at me with a certain pride in his eyes.
"There's no need to apologize for what you're passionate about." He says and I smile widely and thank him. The rest of breakfast is silent and once we're done, I wash the dishes and Jacob fries and puts them away.
"Do you want to shower first?" I ask Jacob and he shakes his head.
"No, you go ahead, I'll go after you." He says and I thank him. I collect my things and put them back in Rachel's room before grabbing an outfit and going into the bathroom. I turn on a cold shower and unstick my clothes before stepping in and sighing blissfully as goosebumps spread across my skin. I take a deep breath as the water covers my scalp like ice and trickles down the back of my neck. Once I've finished washing up, I step out and dry off, lathering myself in lotion. I brush my teeth again and dry my hair off as well as I can, each hair already twisting into tight curls. I dress at a calm pace and walk out just as Rachel wakes up, making me grin.
"What time did you get up?" She asks groggily, her hair sticking out in every possible direction and she rubs her eyes making me chuckle.
"Early. Good morning." I say and step away from the bathroom.
"Morning." She mumbles and I smile with a shake of my head, walking back in Rachel's room and taking out my other backpack full of books and work that needs to be handed in at the end of the break. Being a Psychology major isn't easy.
I leave the room and slump back into a seat at the dining nook, starting on the first essay I have to write. Size 12 font, single spaced, four pages of human behavioral movements. What humans find attractive, what they do when they're nervous, how to tell if they're lying, etc.
I take out my laptop and start typing it up, I get about one page in when I hear a bang and I jump, looking up as Jacob saunters out in jean shorts and a shirt in his hand.
"Oh, sorry, did I scare you?" He asks and I nod, releasing my breath with a smile and trying to pick up where I left off.
"What's that?" Jacob asks and sits next to me, looking at my screen. I could feel the body heat rolling off of him.
"A four pages essay on Human behavior." I reply, looking to him as he reads it.
"You wouldn't want to help me with another assignment would you?" I ask, already beginning the assignment actually. I start calculating every movement.
"Yeah sure, what do I have to do?" He asks. He's willing to help people.
"Let me study you." I reply and he raises an eyebrow, making me chuckle.
"Not like that, I just need to observe someone's body movements, speech patterns, try to detect lies-" at this his jaw clenched and his foot shifts. He's lying about something.
"So, still want to help me?" I ask, raising an eyebrow myself. He shifts and his eyes narrow, as if he knows I've already begun.
"I'm not the best lier so I'm afraid I won't be the best person for the job." He chuckles and I nod a little, smiling.
"I'll ask around for you though. I'm sure someone will be stupid enough to think they can out smart you." He says and I grin.
"Oh I don't doubt it." I nod as he gets up and goes to leave.
"Oh, Jacob!" I call after him and he pokes his head out of the entry way and I get up, walking over to him.
"Rachel wants to head over to... Emily's and Sam's place is it?" I double check and he nods.
"What time would be good?" I ask him.
"Ah, how about 1-1:30?" He asks and I nod, looking him over once and looking over my shoulder to make sure Mr. Black isn't around.
"And next time you sneak in at 4 in the morning, try being a bit more graceful." I wink and his eyes widen.
"I woke you up?" He asks and I chuckle and shake my head.
"Nah I was up already. Went out for a run this morning." I nod.
"Oh, and a clear sign of lying is fidgeting, avoiding eye contact, tense muscles." I list, trailing off before looking back at him and shrug.
"Just a word of the wise." I nod before walking back to the dining nook and watching him leave with a small smirk on my face.