Just Another Crazy Coincidence

Chapter 10:

If Jacob were in his lecture as he should have been that morning then he might have noticed Sean’s absence and possibly even queried it. However, as it happens, he is instead trying to desperately finish his sociology paper which is due at three that afternoon.  He can listen to his lecture online later, or borrow notes from another student. Usually, he isn’t a last minute sort of person, but Jacob had successfully mixed up the due date of this paper with one that is due next week, so now he is scrambling to produce something worth handing in before it’s too late.

For half an hour Jacob has been sitting on the floor in his shared lounge, with his books spread around him and his laptop on the coffee table. Being prepared, all the groundwork for his paper is already done, but he had put off actually writing it while attempting to prioritise in order of due date, that has failed him. Now, he can’t seem to make sense of his notes or the articles he has in his hands. His laptop has an open, blank word document for him to begin on, but so far the only thing he has been able to write is his name and the paper topic.

 

Adoption and the Consequences an Adopted Child Faces
a Sociology paper by Jacob Carson (C03561)

 

Jacob scoots closer to his laptop and begins typing out dot points, he needs to be able to show he understands the research he has done and that he demonstrates both the positive and negative consequences the child can be faced with.

 

      - Reason for adoption, and circumstances of
      - How they find out and at what age
      - Impacts on personality (nature versus nurture arguments)

 

He stares at his three dot points and groans, because he has no idea how to shape this, or how to write it. He doesn’t know if he is taking a perspective or if he is writing in an expository sense. He doesn’t even have an outline. He is about scream in frustration when his two roommates stop him, they can be heard long before they are seen. Jacob can’t make out what they are shouting about as they walk up the hall but they don’t stop upon entering the room. Neither of them acknowledge Jacob, too busy biting the others head off. With a sigh, Jacob packs all his things into a pile and leaves the room, heading for the study hall in their building.

The study hall is a bust, the girls occupying the room are gossiping more than they are studying and Jacob is pretty sure that beneath the table one of them was being less than innocent with her boyfriend, so he quickly retreats to the library instead; but would you believe, it’s probably noisier in there than in his room. There are discussions going on in each room he enters and even if they are school focused they are not focused on Jacobs paper and all the noise is just so distracting.

If you need anything, you just let me know. If it’s a favour big or small, a lift or a place to practise, or whatever, don’t hesitate.

Jacob doesn’t know if this favour is in the parameters of what Corey offered or of their friendship but he is growing desperate, he has less than four hours to get this paper together. Between his time swapping study stations he has come up with an outline, but now he needs to actually write something to submit, so he calls Corey, who answers on the third ring.

“Jacob, what’s up?”

All at once, Jacob feels silly for alling Corey, he is being childish, and his annoyance with every noisy place is probably more procrastination than anything else. How can he be about to barge into someone’s day expecting it to be okay for him to cross over personal boundaries?