Mosdenea

Chapter 9--Shots Aren't Only From Doctors

I walked into my class and took my usual seat. Even though the hurricane subsided, this month has been utter hell. Not even because of everything going on at the apartment with Aaron, but because we were all so behind. Our professors were suddenly trying to rush out information. I was having to work extra hard and a part of me was thankful for it. If my nose wasn't always stuck in my textbook and notes, I might have spent more time thinking of Aaron.

"This week sucks," Kellie complained as I sat across from her.

I grumbled setting my food down, "Tell me about it."

"My professor—who has never made us do homework before—suddenly told us we have to define two-hundred words by next week. And it's a major grade to make up for our missed project." Kellie took an angry bite from her food. "Don't get me wrong, I don't mind defining words. Actually—I prefer it—but where the hell am I going to get the time? I'm drowning."

I never told Kellie or Jackson that I was designing a building. They both have on campus jobs, but here, you're only allowed to work a certain amount of hours a semester. I've been trying to balance my school life with my skyscraper project and work. Not to mention my life at home. Driving back and forth is exhausting. Pierce even let me drive one morning because he had received literally no sleep the night before.

The reason I never told Kelly and Jackson has to do with the fact that I know they both have their own lives. Jackson and I are probably way busier than Kellie, but this isn't a competition on who can handle the most stress in the best way. It depends on the person you are. I am—somehow—managing my life as best as I can. Jackson manages his activities too. We all know that during basketball season we would hardly be seeing him. And Kellie, well she gets stressed out if she has more than one thing due in one day. She's a genius—just a little squirrely.

I remember back home in Michigan, I would go to my dorm and my boyfriend would meet up with me. He would ask how I was doing and when I replied I was stressed, he would snort and tell me I have no reason to be stressed. Because he was always handling a lot more than I was. At the time I thought it was true. That looking around and seeing people have it worse than you should be the way to look at everything. Then I realized I frankly don't care what he has to say. Everyone is their own person and if you're stressed out about something, it doesn't give the right to your friend to say it's not worth stressing out over.

"We need a day to cool off," Jackson said as he took a seat across from me. Kellie had already caught him up on her daily stress.

Pierce joined us a few minutes later when I texted him where we were. "We're thinking about going somewhere this weekend," I told Pierce as he sat by me. "Ideas?"

"We could go to the mall," Kellie suggested.

Before Kellie could add anything else, Pierce and I looked at each other and in unison we started to sing Let's Go To The Mall from How I Met Your Mother. Kellie launched a few peas at us with her spoon.

"My point," Kellie said with a roll of her eyes. "Is that could go for some new clothes."

"Lame," Pierce and Jackson said. They gave each other a fist bump. While helping with the volunteer work, they both became close friends. While Kellie and I were told to help feed people and reorganize things, Pierce and Jackson were stuck doing manual labor and rebuilding homes.

"There's this cool restaurant I heard about," Jackson tried to add in.

"I'm broke dude," I said. "I mean I have a job, but I'm still broke. Only Pierce can afford stuff..."