The next day for Rebecca was more of a quiet one, and she appreciated every second of it. She didn't have any classes and was only scheduled to work her third job that day.
She woke up later than she usually would, but she chalked it up to her recent lack of sleep. Exams were in about two months, and although it seemed like a while away, she knew in a blink they'd be right around the corner.
After some relaxing, Rebecca grabbed her textbooks and shoved them in her bag, walking through the busy streets again, and heading over to the local library.
It was often quiet and was the perfect opportunity for her to work and make money, while having the right environment to study, at the same time.
She smiled as she walked in, seeing a few people reading, some typing on computers, and a few children by the play area. She sat down at the front desk and signed in, splaying her textbooks open around her.
After a few minutes, she got into a groove and really fell into a rhythm. She took this time to go over the other subjects she wasn't spending enough time on.
"Surprise!" Rebecca quickly looked up to see Pamela in front of her.
"What are you doing here?" Rebecca stood up, walking around the desk to give her a hug before she noticed little children surrounding the desk.
"Daycare trip!" Pamela beamed, "You told me you'd be here yesterday, so I brought them."
Rebecca smiled, watching the kids run over to the play area. "Remember your quiet voices."
"Such a teacher." Pamela rolled her eyes jokingly.
Rebecca laughed, going back to her seat. "I gotta practice somehow."
"So, you ever figure out how to answer that dreaded question?" Pamela leaned on the top of the desk.
"Nope." Rebecca smiled with a sigh, not wanting to even think about it.
"Why don't you, I don't know..." Pamela laughed, "Ask your library guy for help."
"Colby?" Rebecca questioned, "No."
Pamela raised her eyebrows, "So you're on a first-name basis now? I think I've missed a few chapters."
Rebecca laughed, "I guess Mercedes knows him because he showed up at the diner, and all of a sudden, we were introduced."
"I see." Pamela nodded, "So why don't you ask him?"
"I've only had one conversation with him." Rebecca shook her head, "I don't think he wants to help a stranger with math."
"Sometimes it doesn't hurt to ask." Pamela responded, "You can't figure everything out by yourself."
"I have so far." Rebecca smiled sadly, feeling the endless depths of stress begin to re-emerge.
"Rebecca." Pamela paused, and Rebecca watched her expression change. "You know what happened last time you bit off more than you could chew."
Rebecca's smile faded, and she stared at the wall of books past Pamela. "I was younger then, I couldn't hack it. I can now."
"I know." Pamela walked around the desk, wrapping her arms around her. "But it doesn't mean you can't get too overwhelmed again. I don't want you to get to that point again."
"I know. But I'm better at handling things now." Becky patted her arm, "I'll be fine."
"At least consider it. It could be good for you." Pamela went back to the front of the desk so she could also partially watch the children.
"I will." Rebecca nodded, "But who's to say he didn't just get lucky. He got one question right, he could've done the same question beforehand."
"Valid, but if you're talking about the Colby that's in my chemistry class, he's pretty damn smart." Pamela shifted from side to side, "Science has a lot of math in it, and he seems to be excelling."
"Stop vouching for him." Rebecca whined before laughing, "I don't need to add more to my plate."
"I'm just trying to get you to look at this from all angles." Pamela shrugged with a smile, "The decision is yours, I'm not gonna force you to talk to him about it."
"I'll think about it." Rebecca nodded, and Pamela raised an eyebrow. "I promise."
Once Pamela and the children had their fun and left, all Rebecca could focus on was what Pamela was saying.
She wasn't big on getting lots of help from others, and she prided herself on the success she had while being independent. She tapped the desk with her pencil, staring at the pages in the books without reading the words.
She tried to clear her mind, putting books back on shelves, helping people find the books they needed and wiping down the tables. Soon enough, her shift ended, and she was back home.
She changed into a pair of pyjamas after taking a warm shower and making herself a cup of tea to try and help her relax. She knew she wanted to get some studying done, so Rebecca slowly put her things back on her desk and curled up on her chair.
She forced herself to get past the minor setback, as she pushed past the math question she just couldn't wrap her head around, and she moved on to the next untouched booklet. She thought she was starting off strong until she completed the first page and skimmed the second, immediately coming to a halt.
"No, no, no, no..." She frantically flipped through the next four pages, her eyes darting around each page thoroughly.
Each question, apart from the actual numbers themselves, was the exact same format as the one that she just couldn't seem to solve.
She turned through every textbook page, searched endlessly online, and couldn't find the correct formula to solve this question. Each time she thought she did, it just led her to a completely different answer than the one on the answer key.
She stood up from her chair, turned off the light, and threw herself onto her bed blankly. "I'm screwed."