Professor C (camren)

16.5 - Jauregui (Part 2)

Every single time her disbelief caught up with the truth, she could only feel an indentation of the bonds that once held her tightly. She was reminded that torment had lost its power, and she was one step closer to feeling more than just respite.

And through it all, she felt renewed - like she had just been given another chance to do something she had always wanted to do.

Because of that, she vowed to never make the same mistakes again.

At the end of that conversation, Lauren felt lighter.

-

Without Dinah to keep her company - or bother her, Lauren entertained herself with more cleaning and some scary movies that she didn't pay attention to. Meeting with Prof. Mueller allowed for her to complete her assignment the previous night, which technically slithered up to three in the morning. She devoted the rest of her Saturday organizing the comprehensive report she was to hand over to Dr. Harold Stowers, the chairman, first thing on Monday morning. Ample time was spent crosschecking the final document with her notes; highlighting key points that she found essential for the deliberation.

It was Dr. Stowers' task to raise the gathered findings, including Lauren's, to the president and the board of trustees. The chairman was only one of nine scattered across Indiana, and decision making never went through without the approval of higher ranking school officials.

The semantics of employment had never been as draining but she was grateful to be able to put it behind her.

Lauren was stirring her version of her mother's Cuban beef stew, making do with her Pinot Grigio in place of the Sherry she needed for a more authentic taste. She wanted to celebrate despite being solitary, which was what she was oddly grateful for. It was a little over five in the afternoon and cooking time was a daunting hour, which allowed her enough to take a long, rejuvenating shower to compensate for an exhausting day.

Lauren was accomplished in a multitude of ways but she was severely drained.

Just as she finally set the lid atop the pot, her phone chimed. Expecting it to be her devoted lawyer, giving her updates of the documents she was to receive, Lauren was taken aback when she found a different name she hadn't seen in a while.

"Miss Lauren, it's Jess Caldwell. I've talked to professors and they're not offering the course I came to talk to you about for this summer. Can I come meet with you to discuss my options? Is Tuesday ok? Tomorrow's not good for me."

A sigh was only the beginning of Lauren's distress upon reading the text message. Somehow, she had to exhale deeply just to keep her chest from constricting too tight and the heightened temperature of her open kitchen only worsened the tension that was beginning to agitate her head.

The number was saved in Lauren's phone and Jessica never had to mention her name given their constant exchange. Jess was one of the students Lauren constantly met with, and much like Rob, the girl bore responsibilities that was never hers to begin with.

However, the fact that Jess reached out wasn't what perturbed Lauren.

Jess hadn't been in her office since December, and hearing from the student was like a conflicting wave that eased her worries but brought another one in exchange. Lauren feared that the student may have concealed personal troubles behind her academic woes.

Empathy had always been one of Lauren's greatest features but it may be one of her most compelling weaknesses as well that at times, it provokes anxious thoughts to cloud her better judgment. She had never been obligated to share her personal phone number with a student unless she deemed it necessary, and Jess and Rob were only two of those she'd handed her business card to.