Emery's POV
If Kennedy poked me one more time to get my attention, she was going to get more than she bargained for. It was irritating the last nerve I had left.
I was already a nervous wreck. It was my first full day in college. I had been content the last three years with taking online classes part-time because it allowed me to learn from home and gave me more time in the mornings, which I desperately needed.
I had moved in with my aunt the summer before my senior year in high school and decided to home school myself to focus on my studies and less on trying to fit in at a new place. That was when I met Kennedy. Her mom worked with my aunt at the local pharmacy and Kennedy and I would hang out together during the days to pass the time.
I needed the extra hands and Kennedy had been great. She was so nurturing and welcoming, something I hadn't felt in a long time. She had been home-schooled her whole life and was what kept me sane as I tried to navigate my education on my own.
We stuck together, we graduated together, and we followed each other to college at Marshall University in Washington D.C.
Kennedy was loyal. She was smart. There was nothing she couldn't figure out, so when she came to me and said we should attend classes full-time in the fall and ditch the online avenue we had been on, I laughed.
We were both in our final year of getting our Bachelor's Degrees in Science. We were so close to finishing nursing school. Why change what was working so well?
I thought she was crazy and had finally lost it. She was usually so composed and intelligent but she was talking nonsense now. I shook my head. "Kennedy, no. Why would I do that? We have it so easy now. It's a breeze."
She huffed, propping her hands on her hips. "We already attend a few classes on campus to do our labs and we are interning at the hospital three days a week. This is no different."
"That is exactly my point. I am already working three shifts a week. Why would I want to go to school five days a week on top of that? I have enough on my plate as it is."
"Emery," she groaned pinching the bridge of her nose. "Why are you like this?"
I looked at her bright blue eyes dead-on. "You know why. And nothing is stopping you, Kennedy. You can attend all in-person classes. We will still see each other. We literally live together."
Her lips twitched.
"You know I would never go without you." She sighed as she sat beside me where I was sprawled out on the couch. "Hear me out okay. We both want to apply to Bridgepoint Harbor when we graduate. They're the best hospital on this side of the city and we want to be the best."
I nodded.
"Well don't you think every other nurse graduating with us this year is going to want the same thing? We need more on our resume than we attended online classes. We need recognition from our professors and to do that we are going to have to butter up some asses and suck up to some teachers."
"Kennedy, we are both on the Dean's list already." I tried to reason with her. "We are two of the top students in class. We've done enough."
"Other students will do more. It's not just about the grades; it's how we handle people. What do you think it says about us that we avoid them by doing online classes? Marshall University hands out recognition awards at the end of every semester for excellence and achievement given by the Dean himself. He never sees us which explains why we never win. We need to apply ourselves to even get our foot in the door." She took a deep breath and took my hand. "I know you trust me so you need to trust me on this."
Before I could disagree she waved me off. "If we don't get into Bridgepoint, the next hospital is over forty minutes away from where your aunt lives. Do you want to drive that every day?"
I couldn't. I needed to be in close proximity. Kennedy knew that and was making her point loud and clear. I bit my nails, contemplating.
"Think what this opportunity could do for you, for us."
That had been what sold me. She was right. I couldn't travel that long-distance every day, not with the responsibilities I had that kept piling up. I needed to be close.
If I didn't get into Bridgepoint, I'd probably have to move back home with my parents and that wasn't an option I was ever going to consider.
That had been months ago and I still didn't feel great about our decision. Especially not now as everyone stared at the new students in class that weren't there last semester.
Kennedy poked me in the shoulder again with her pen. She was nervous, clearly, which was triggering my own nerves.
I snatched the pen out of her hand. "Will you stop that?" I grumbled. "You're like the Energizer Bunny from hell right now. You are starting to attract attention." And it was unwanted.
She slouched over in her seat before her fingers started tapping mercilessly. I closed my eyes and searched for the patience I had learned over the past five years. "What did you take this morning?"
She looked over at me and thank the heavens the tapping stopped. Miracles did exist. "Nothing. I just fixed a cup of coffee."
My eyes narrowed. "How many cups?" She grimaced. I guess that was answer enough.
I leaned back in my seat trying to get comfortable. With how long we were going to be in class and how much tuition I paid, you would think they would have some seats that were bearable to be in. These stupid chairs were like another form of torture.
Kennedy clasped her hands together. "You know how I get. I don't people well. I was anxious this morning and needed something to calm my nerves."
"Yeah..." I drew out. "Well, the coffee did not help."
She gave me a bland look before turning to the front of the class. Students were still spilling in as the seats filled up, followed by the professor.
There were still a few minutes before class started but the professor began anyway. He looked to be mid-forties. He was balding and his glasses kept slipping down his nose but he seemed dressed for the occasion in khakis and a gray pullover with the school emblem emblazoned on it.
"I am your professor, Dr. Nappor. Welcome to my class of Pharmacology. If you are here then you have already completed the Introduction to Clinical Medicine and Neuroscience. You should also have begun clinical rotations with the on-site Resident. If you have made it this far, that alone is an achievement that many do not accomplish and deserves its rightful respect. The medical field is a hard journey and not for everyone. This is your final year and you need to give it everything you have because after this people's lives will be in your hands and there will be no teacher around to correct you when you make a mistake. The challenges you have faced to get you to this point are just beginning."
It felt like a lump was growing in my throat no matter how many times I tried to swallow it down.
Dr. Nappor couldn't even imagine how close to home his words hit.
I could feel Kennedy's eyes on me but I stayed focused on the front of the classroom.
"With that said, let's begin. I know most of you have other classes on top of this one such as Cell Biology, Bio-Chemistry, and the list could go on and on depending on what part of the medical field you are majoring in. On top of that, you have clinical rotations, lab sessions, and your Resident reports back to me on your progress. Since this is a full class, to help me grade and to help you split the work you will be divided into groups of two to work on the projects together. I have the lists on my desk. When class is over, come up here and see who you are paired with and what your assignment will be."
What? We were going to be paired. I could feel myself becoming flustered. I did not have time to work around someone else's schedule. Not when I had...I shook my head clearing my thoughts.
This was why I didn't want to do this and was content with doing my workload alone. I didn't have the patience for this shit. I just wanted to graduate and start my life. A new beginning.
I didn't want the drama or the fact that my grade would be tied to whoever I was paired with. I hated that in high school because it never failed that I was always paired with the slacker kid who put forth no effort and just sat back as I earned them an "A."
I had been stupid and gullible then, a complete pushover. I shuddered. High school was never kind to students like me. If they smelled weakness; they exploited it for all it was worth and it had practically destroyed me. The last thing I wanted was to be made to feel like that again when I was reminded of it every day.
I'd given up a lot to get where I was and not everyone was willing to sacrifice as much as I had.
Kennedy nudged me with her shoulder. "What are the chances that we might have gotten paired together?"
My voice sounded strained to my own ears. "I wouldn't bet my life on it."
Kennedy's lips were pursed the rest of class. I don't even know what the professor had to say in his lecture. All I could do was stare at the list on his desk.
My heart constricted in my chest as saliva pooled in my mouth. The nausea rising to the surface threatened to overwhelm me.
Nursing school was hard, for good reasons, lives were at stake. This is why I didn't want to be paired and have to rely on someone else's efforts to pass this class. Especially knowing that a fair share of students here today wouldn't succeed in graduating with their nursing degree. It was a harsh reality in this type of career. I didn't want to end up as one of those people.
It was vital I get partnered with a smart girl whose only focus was graduating so we didn't have to repeat this course.
And I did not under any circumstance, at all, never ever, not under any possibility want to be paired with a man. I had been there and done that and I was over it. I was over men.
Men made me the way that I am: cautious, careful, and alone. And I wasn't going to let another one make me feel that way anymore.
Men got me in this situation but I got myself out. I did that. And I was going to continue until I made it where I wanted to be. There was no time for distractions.
I blew out a deep breath as class ended and the students started filing their way to the front to see their pairing. I stalled in my seat and Kenny waited impatiently beside me as I pretended to gather my things at a snail's pace. In reality, I was trying to buy myself some time to steady my legs because I was certain if I stood right now I would look like a newborn baby colt trying to walk for the first time.
Even so, when I did finally stand, they felt like marshmallows beneath me.
Don't fail me now. I silently begged.
Kennedy had a little extra pep in her step as she took the stairs two a time until we arrived at the List of Doom.
She found her name as we peered over the list and who she was paired with. "Sierra Montgomery*," she said, questioningly. "Oh look." She pointed excitedly. "There is a star next to her name. You know what that means."
I did. It meant Sierra was on the dean's list like Kennedy and myself.
Ugh, I wanted to grumble under my breath. Some people had all the luck and Kennedy was one of those people. She got a star student to be paired with.
I inhaled and threw my shoulders back. It was time to put my big girl pants on and face the music. I scanned the list and then I scanned it again. No, it couldn't be. Not even my luck could be that bad.
"What, what is it?" Kennedy asked, sensing my angst. She leaned over my shoulder to see what held me immobile when I didn't answer. Her finger traced my name. "Emery Thompson* > Colton Hayes."
She looked at me before going back to the list and I knew her eyes centered on the same place mine did at that moment. He had no star next to his name.
I wanted to scream. I shuddered being thrown back to that time in my junior year of school that had got... I shook off the thought. Don't go there. It's not worth it.
I clucked my tongue off of my teeth in annoyance. I just needed to accept that my worst fear had come to bite me in the ass. I was going to be paired with whoever this Colton guy was and most likely be stuck doing all the work. I mean, it had only worked out that way for me every other time. It was like a curse that kept on giving.
I was irritated but this could work. If I did the majority of the project, then I knew we would be getting a good grade. As long as he left me alone and kept his hands to himself, I might be okay taking over the majority of the workload.
I wasn't convinced but I was trying to give myself a good pep talk to make myself feel better before I freaked out.
I looked over at the person responsible for this whole thing.
She glanced sheepishly at me before shrugging. Her hand landed on my shoulder to guide me away as other students were trying to get past us to see the list themselves.
We settled by the door before she spoke. "Okay, okay," she said, frazzled, as if looking for the light at the end of the tunnel. She was my best friend. She knew, she had to know why I was reacting this way.
"It's not ideal, but you can make this work. I know you. Don't let this break you. It's not like before. You need this so you can prove it to yourself and move on from it. It could be worse."
My eyes narrowed at her. "How in the world could this be worse? The only way this could get better is if this Colton guy turns out to be gay." Otherwise, it would be a reminder of what it felt like before. Oh please, Heavenly Father, Mary and Joseph, I silently prayed. Let me catch a break.
"Hey. Excuse me," was faintly whispered behind me as the other students milled around. Kennedy's eyes briefly widened as she looked on behind me. I didn't let the background noise get in the way of my growing despair.
"Oh Kenny, I can't believe I let you talk me into this." Her eyes flickered back to me at the use of her nickname.
"Helloooo." That same tone of voice came from behind me again, this time right behind my shoulder. Ugh. I rolled my eyes not even willing to look at the other students most likely monkeying around. I was too busy being depressed.
"Um, Emery—" Kennedy stuttered. My head hung in misery.
I groaned. "This is worse than I thoug—" My anxiety-ridden rambling was cut off as someone tapped hard on my shoulder.
"Hey." That same sultry voice echoed behind me again. "I'm talking to you."
Feeling on the verge of a nervous breakdown, I whipped around as my temper blew. "What!" I breathed as my pitch rose, making it evident I was flustered.
The sultry voice I had been hearing belonged to a man. My eyes widened and my mouth dried as I gawked at him in surprise. His light brown hair was swept to the side as if he ran his hands through it to get it out of his face.
He had deep blue, hypnotic eyes framed by eyelashes no man deserved to have. Those bad boys could create their own breeze with how long and thick they were.
I choked on my words as realization set in. The voice I was hearing from behind me wasn't from a group of people joking around. He had been trying to get my attention. My cheeks flushed for several reasons and embarrassment was definitely one of them but not the biggest one.
Couldn't I have just been left in peace for a few moments as I felt sorry for myself before I picked up the pieces?
Guilt churned in my stomach where it soured inside of me as I saw his face fall at my outburst. He had taken a step back at the sheer volume of my voice. He threw his hands up in a friendly gesture as if to say 'Take it easy.'
"Hey, look I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. I just thought I would come over and introduce myself. I'm Colton. And I think one of you is my partner for our next assignment." My stomach dropped. This was him.
I grimaced. I hoped not. That was not how I wanted us to meet. My eyes narrowed in on him. His shirt was stretched wide over his shoulders and arms. On the breast of his shirt was a diamond-shaped emblem I didn't recognize.
His eyes were trained on me in curiosity. I bet he was hoping that Kennedy was his partner after my outburst. I know I was because I had met boys like him. I just looked for trouble.
I inhaled deeply. There was no way this day could go downhill any faster.
Kenny, whose mouth had been hanging open, licked her lips. Her eyes squinted at Colton as if she was trying to figure something out.
"You wouldn't by chance happen to be gay, would you?" she asked.
I blinked. I was frozen in time as I tried to ponder if she had actually just said that.
Colton blanched. He stood still as if in complete shock.
My lips twitched and I bit them hard to keep from cackling like a hyena.
I think Kenny was right. She doesn't people well.
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Thanks so much for reading and giving this book a chance. I hope to see you all in the upcoming chapters.
Clearly, this chapter was like a riddle as there are a lot of holes that have not been filled in yet for you. Just be patient. Good things are coming.