GENEVIEVE WOKE UP the next morning to the sun filtering in her room. She had left the balcony doors open, and the white curtains lifted in the wind. It was a truly gorgeous day, and Petal made if even better by snuggling into her palm. The sunlight caressed her skin so gently, the wind blowing wisps of her hair back.
"It's such a beautiful day, Petal." She frowned, halting her fingers' movements in the kitten's fur. "If only I didn't have to go to college today." Peeling back her white bedspread with flower detailing, she clutched Petal to her chest. Genevieve swung her feet off the bed, only for them to make contact with the soft carpet.
Petal purred, turning onto its stomach, silently asking to be petted there. Genevieve giggled whimsically at the adorable kitten, thankful that she had found her the previous night. "But all is well, I guess. College isn't so bad, but wasting away such an amazing day in a stuffy room is."
Almost seeming to have understood Genevieve, Petal starting meowing softly. "My little snowball, you agree with me don't you? I'd hate to leave you here all day, but you have grandpa to keep you company." Genevieve bent down, placing Petal on the floor, shooing her out the door.
After Petal reluctantly exited her room, Genevieve decided that she would take a shower before classes. She usually showered while it was night, but she had been too tired to do that. Genevieve had hardly made it out of the car and into her satin nightie. She shivered slightly as she walked past the breeze that entered her room from the balcony. Not bothering to close them, she simply walked towards her bathroom.
• • •
After her shower, she changed into a light yellow sundress and a pair of white strapped sandals. Grabbing her white scrunchie, she pulled her hair back into a sloppy fishtail braid. She didn't bother with makeup, preferring to have a bare face.
Leaving her room, she cooed at Petal who had fallen asleep by her door. Bending down, Genevieve swooped the kitten into her arms. She relished in the feeling of her soft fur against her, feeling utterly grateful she had found the little bundle of joy.
Trying not to wake Petal up, Genevieve walked down the hallway to the staircase. Walking down the stairs, her shoes clapping lightly against the hardwood. Genevieve could hear her grandfather in the kitchen making her breakfast. She caught the scent of pancakes, her stomach growling at the delectable fragrance.
Strolling past the living room and mud-room, Genevieve entered the kitchen with a wide smile on her face. "Good morning, grandpa!" She gushed enthusiastically. He turned, sending his granddaughter a quick smile in response.
"What's on the agenda today?" He questioned as he handed her a plate of two pancakes and maple syrup. Genevieve placed Petal on the stool next to her as she took a seat. Her grandfather placed a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice to her.
Genevieve giggled, watching Petal yawn before turning to her grandfather. "Well, I have classes today. But only Psychology I and English." Grabbing the maple syrup, she doused her fluffy pancakes in the liquid.
Her grandfather chuckled, watching as the petite girl devoured the two pancakes in minutes. Sometimes he wondered where all those calories went, but decided not to dwell too hard on that. "I'm make sure to tell Clarissa about all the sugar you're eating, she deserves a fair warning about what she's about to deal with."
Genevieve looked up at her grandfather, glaring playfully. Despite the fact she was feigning anger, whenever she did she resembled an annoyed little kitten. It truly was pointless, no one could take her seriously when she was angry. "Very funny, grandpa." She began, standing from the stool and taking Petal into her arms. "Now, please take good care of Petal today." Genevieve nuzzled her nose against the kitten's before reluctantly handing her over to her grandfather.
Pressing a kiss to his cheek--which she had to stand on the tips of her toes to do--Genevieve then left the kitchen. Before leaving the house, she grabbed her backpack from the bench beside the door in the mud-room. "Bye Grandpa! Love you!" She ran out the door to see Clarissa waiting in her Jeep for her.
Genevieve smiled widely once her best friend looked up and sent her a wide grin in return. Rushing towards the car, Genevieve almost tripped but quickly regained her balance. She was impeccably clumsy, always tripping over herself or stumbling into things. It was remarkable that she had never broken a bone before.
Swinging open the passenger door, Genevieve giggled at her concerned friend. Clarissa was very overprotective, never not worrying over her best friend. "You scared the shit out of me when you almost fell." Clarissa exclaimed while Genevieve buckled her seat belt.
Genevieve lightly slapped Clarissa on the shoulder. "Watch your language!"
Clarissa rolled her eyes, pulling out of the driveway. "Shit is barely even a cuss, Eve. You need to grow some tolerance to profanity." Clarissa zoomed down the road, most likely breaking the speed limit. Genevieve sent her a light glare before crossing her arms over her chest.
Clarissa, noticing she was getting the silent treatment, groaned. "Alright, alright," she switched her blinker to show she was turning left, before turning it off. "I won't swear anymore."
Genevieve looked satisfied and content with Clarissa's words. "Thank you!" She had been trying for years to attempt to stop her best friend from constantly incorporating profanity into her sentences.
Clarissa took a quick glance at Genevieve before turning back to the road. "You're fucking welcome, bitch." Then, she turned up the radio, not letting Genevieve say a word about what she had replied.
• • •
Genevieve groaned, walking out of her English class, which was the last one she had that day. She still had an hour to waste before meeting up with Clarissa. She decided to go to the library and prepare for her exams. Genevieve was intelligent, but preferred to prepare for everything rather than just hoping she'd pass. She always liked to be prepared for everything. Every pop quiz, test, and exam.
As she walked through the pavilion, she kept her head down. She only said a timid hello with a shy wave to the few people who greeted her as she walked past. Genevieve rarely ever had the courage to spark a conversation, let alone continue one. The only people she could ever talk to were her grandfather and Clarissa--her parents, too, but when they were still alive.
Genevieve gripped the straps of her backpack, swiftly pushing past random students. It was her mission to arrive at the library without being noticed by anyone. Little did she know, Clarissa made sure that no one bothered her. The best friend did have a reputation, one that could help keep Genevieve safe from others.
She had almost made it to the library when a hand stopped her. "Hey," she turned around to see a man with boyish features scratching the back of his neck. He seemed to have an awkward expression on his face, leaving Genevieve to wonder why. "I'm new here, just transferred. Do you by any chance know where the main office is?" He had an average voice, in the middle of high and deep.
Genevieve blushed at the attention he gave to her. She felt extremely uncomfortable when his eyes scanned her body, not even bothering to be subtle. She didn't like the way his eyes darkened--even though she didn't know why--or how he bit his bottom lip while he stared. "U-uh," she looked away from him and towards the ground, fearing his presence. If only Clarissa was there to warn him away with one of her infamous glares.
The man chuckled, somehow finding Genevieve's discomfort funny. A frown pulled at her lips as he blatantly laughed at her, how awkward she was. It caused tears to well in her eyes, just because this was completely out of her comfort zone. A second later, Genevieve felt one of her panic attacks brewing inside her as she began to shake in terror. Why wouldn't he just go away? Why couldn't he just go ask someone else?
It was very conspicuous that Genevieve lacked in the social skills department. But, to those she trusted, she was a true ball of sunshine. The man, not understanding why this random girl started trembling, reached out to console her. "Hey, are you okay?"
Before his fingertips reached her shoulder a slight whimper escaped her mouth before she turned and bolted away from him. He stood in shock as the tiny girl fled their conversation--if you could even call it that. Shrugging his shoulders, he turned around, spotting another girl in the distance. A smirk played on his lips, he sauntered over to the girl.
Genevieve began sobbing as she scurried hastily away from the man. She hated interacting with people she didn't know. It terrified her, just someone looking at her made her feel awkward or uncomfortable. Genevieve sometimes despised how weak she was, how she couldn't handle basic human interaction. She only had a select amount of people she could really trust, which was only a handful.
Once she felt she was far away from everyone, Genevieve rested her back against the wall as she cried. Her chest rose and fell rapidly throughout her heavy breathing and whimpers. After a bit, she wiped away her tears and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
Taking her backpack off, she unzipped and reached into the front pocket to grab her phone. Seeing that it had already been almost a hour since that encounter she had, Genevieve zipped her backpack up and ran back to the pavilion. Her phone began to buzz in her hand, and she answered knowing it would most likely be Clarissa.
"Where are you? I thought we agreed to meet at the pavilion after my class?" Clarissa shouted into the phone on the other line. She had been worried when she had left her class only to find that her friend wasn't where she was supposed to be.
"Sorry, Clarissa," Genevieve whimpered feebly as she picked up the pace of her speed walk into a light jog. "It's just I-I..." Just the thought of what had happened nearly caused her to burst into tears out of mortification and discomfort.
"Oh, Eve. Did someone--?" Clarissa's voice grew soft, instantly realizing what had happened. She knew that someone had probably talked to Genevieve and it must have freaked her out. Clarissa instantly felt terrible for yelling at her over the phone. "It's okay, I'm sorry I yelled. Just meet me at the car, okay?" Clarissa questioned gently.
Genevieve nodded, and then realized that Clarissa couldn't see her. She let out a soft giggle accompanied by a sniffle, "Okay." Her voice was dulcet, barely higher than a whisper.
"We can talk about it when we get to the coffee shop if you want?" Clarissa offered as she opened the driver side door. Now all she had to do was wait for Genevieve to arrive at the car.
"No, it's okay. I promised that I would babysit Harvey for them." Genevieve answered, knowing she would feel extremely guilty for not fulfilling her promise to the owners of the coffee shop. The Jones were very close to her parents, and their two year old son Harvey absolutely adored Genevieve. So the least she could do after all they'd done for her was babysit him on occasion. Sometimes, Genevieve even worked in the shop for them, which made her feel satisfied with herself.
After Genevieve reached the car, the ride to the coffee shop was silent. It wasn't tense, they just chose to listen to the radio and their own thoughts. Clarissa thought about what could of happened--or more like who talked to her. Genevieve simply imagined what life would be like if she wasn't always so scared.