The Truth in Pain | Book Two of the In Pain Trilogy

Jasmine Wynter

The bus was blaring. Loud music blasted from the speakers and, even sitting at the very back wedged between the window and a weighty woman with her son in her lap, Jasmine could feel the bass shake her insides. She didn't mind the noise though, although others complained to the bus conductor. She was lost in her own world, as she normally was. Staring out the window, watching the world past her by with the driver's reckless driving, Jasmine's mind was in wonderland. She was a loud daydreamer. Her mouth moved, imagining different scenarios in her head. Her face changed expressions many times. To others she supposed she looked like she was talking to herself, but Jasmine didn't mind that either. She spoke to herself often.

Finally, the ride was over. The jam packed bus cleared out. Jasmine was the last to leave, taking a deep breath of fresh air. The bus terminal at the campus' front entrance milled with students. Chatter drifted around. Heaving her bag back onto her shoulder, Jasmine began towards the Communications building for her minor in journalism. It wasn't long before she heard someone shout her name.

Turning, she saw Raymond running towards her. He swung his arm over her shoulder as greeting then quickly slid away before Jasmine could bite him. Ray loved touching others. He made it his goal to embrace Jasmine as long as he could before she threw a fit. Jasmine hated to be touched. She wasn't mushy like Ray was.

"Hey, roomie," Ray greeted.

"Roomie?" Jasmine frowned at him. "I'm not rooming with you. Boys and girls have two separate dorms."

"Yeah, I know, I just..." He sighed. "It was a joke, Jaz."

"You're not funny then." Jasmine walked away. Ray jogged up beside her. He was taller than her but shorter than most guys she knew. His skin was the colour of roasted coffe beans. His hair was curly, the edges lined up, and his mouth was plump. He often drew the attention of many girls but Ray didn't pay them mind. Right now, he focused on one girl.

"Jeez, Jaz. I just said that because you and I will be living on campus together. You dropped off your things already?"

"Last week," she replied. "I was moving them in bit by bit 'cause I couldn't bother with the whole load-one-time thing."

"Sounds like something you would do. You know you could just get someone to move them for you right?"

"And spend what money I don't have? I don't think so." Ray shook his head at Jasmine's scoff. He grew up in a family that never had to worry about cutting back. She didn't. Jasmine knew the value of money more than he did and never tried to spend it on anything she didn't need. That being said, Jasmine was a spendrift when it came on to filling her own gut and putting clothes on her back.

"Anyway," Ray continued. "You heard about Lexi's party?"

"Lexi's having a party?"

He sighed, sliding in between the seats. They chose their seats right in the centre of the lecture room. "You didn't hear about Lexi's party?"

"I never hear about anything, remember? Is she back from Gaitland?" Unbothered, Jasmine took out her books. Lexi was an old friend, but Jasmine didn't keep in touch with her when she migrated to Gaitland. The country was too far for them to be on the same sleep pattern. Giving up her sleep wasn't an option. Jasmine decided they were never that close in the first place.

"She came back two weeks ago!" Ray exclaimed.

"Oh, she's staying?"

"No, she's on break from school so she came down to visit some friends. She's throwing the party as her last chance to see everyone before she goes back up in the next few days."

"Obviously she didn't want to see me if I didn't get an invite."

"You probably did get an invite but never bothered to check social media to see it."

"That's probably it," Jasmine agreed. Other than a few text messages here and there, Jasmine was too busy watching TV shows and reading fantasy novels to interact with the outside world.

"Anyway, you have to come."

"Oh, come on, Ray. This is my first day staying on campus. I just want to sleep."

"Stop acting as if you've been pulling luggage and moving furniture all day," Ray said. "You want to go."

"I want to go but I don't want to go. If you get what I mean."

"Alistar will be there."

"I'm there."

The rest of the conversation was cut short when Ray's 'girlfriend' came to sit beside him. They never made it official since they were still in the 'talking' phase, but Jasmine knew it was only a matter of time. She hoped she would soon jump on the in-a-relationship bandwagon. She's had a crush on Alistar Hamil since she started the semester. They exchanged words a few times, even worked on a project together, but Jasmine didn't think she made it out the friendzone. She wanted to be more. She could make that move at the party.

The professor walked in. As a handsome man, he usually held the attention of his students, but Jasmine wasn't feeling it today. She blamed it on the cold room and her full belly, but as soon as he spoke, Jasmine rested her head on the desk and fell fast asleep