First sight & paper

A story i started, just kinda wanted some input on what some people think.

 

            I hadn’t seen her until I heard her book slam against the floor, the sound making a couple of us in class totally jump, and look to where the sound had come from, I could see that her cheeks were bright red with embarrassment. She smiled apologetically at all the eyes that were on her. I’d been in the English class this semester for over a month and I still didn’t know who anyone was, I’d only hear names as the teacher called attendance, and never turned around to see who said “here.” It’s not that I didn’t care, it just wasn’t really important, I would probably never have a class with them after this semester was over, in college sometimes its no use making friends, in the end it may just weaken because of work, different schedules and just being busy with homework you never have time to deal with a new friendship. So now for the first time I did want to find out her name, I cursed remembering attendance had already been called. So I just had to wait for next class which was the day after tomorrow. By the time my daydream had passed the teacher had already started lecturing. I could tell I would have to catch up. By the time class was almost done, everyone had already started packing up. My teacher stopped us all suddenly.

            “Our next class project due April 7^th is going to be two five page papers on “What you believe in.”

 

            Later as I sat in front of my computer, a Microsoft word document open on the screen, all I could do was watch the blinking line against the wordless blank page. I felt as if it was torturing me, taunting me, and telling me that I had nothing, all I could do was glare. I was stumped, and then I remembered what my mother had once told me. “If you are stuck on a story or paper, start by putting the words of what you are writing about, or the title of the story it might help to motivate you by seeing the words spelled out”

            So I wrote, “I believe” in big bold lettering on the middle top of the page, I felt triumphant then, as I had beat the blinking line and the wordless page, my triumph feeling didn’t last long, as I looked at the words, I was still as stumped as when I started. The blinking line went on to start to taunt me once more. I minimized the document and pushed away from my desk, leaving the papers for another day.

            As I was about to sit down the door bell rang along with the phone. All I could do was roll my eyes with a smirk, knowing exactly what this was. Not making new friends in college I believe in, but it didn’t mean you were too busy for your old friends. My friends however loved to come over unannounced, calling only when they were at the door or walking down the hallway of my apartment building. I picked up the phone like always, without even saying hello; I heard the voice of my best friend, Laia.

            “We’re outside your door, answer it,”

            “Thanks for the heads up,” I said sarcastically.

            “Whatever, answer the door my feet are killing me,” she said in a whiney voice she knew I hated.

            I opened the door with the phone still on my ear, seeing her outside my door in the same position, we looked eye to eye and she smirked snapping her cell phone shut as I hit the end button on my cordless phone.

            “Well hello, Jael,” Laia said as she passed by me. I hadn’t noticed who was behind her, until I heard hello after hello as people passed me, Laia had brought more then half of her acting group “the crash damned” a group known for their crazy skits and plays, some they took from the classics, others they picked from random, of plays that were sent to them written by the public. I had joined “the crash damned” in my sophomore year of high school, but had to leave in the middle of my sophomore year of college when I felt overwhelmed and knew I had to stay focus in college. The group is where I met Laia, she was the greatest leader, had made the group out of a couple of her pals for fun and in the end it just got popular and grew. Play after play I found friendship, through words I found my passion, and through Laia and the group I found a sense of love. After I left they made me an honorary member, I could play a role or two when I had the time. Still in my junior year of college, the group felt like a family that never leaves you.

            Some of them still had their make up on, some gave me sarcastic richy like kisses on both cheeks and then a hug of laughter at the silliness of it. A pure amount of excitement in a couple of minutes, when all where in I closed the door and rested my head against it, thinking of what might happen next. That’s when I heard the music come on and I knew it would be a long night.

 

 

            I walked into the kitchen, a small cramped place, yet all I could do was breath in the scent of my microwavable dinner, a good smell nothing to complain about. I could still hear the music it sounded as if it was getting louder.  Breathing in deeper once more I picked up the teapot that had been resting on the stove and put the opening under the faucet, the running water drowning inside the small space. Turning on the front burner of the stove I put the teapot down, hearing the escaped water sizzle and scream as the flames touched it. The words “What do I believe?” swirled throughout my brain. The music seemed to rise more and more as I thought of the words.

            “What are you doing in here, Jael?” the familiar voice of Laia woke me from my trance. Looking at her I could see she was not staring at me but behind me, which made me turn and see the steam rushing from the spout of the teapot. Taking the teapot off the stove I felt one of my fingers touch the hot metal, my skin burning, the feeling going through my whole body, that my first reaction was to drop the teapot, but I held onto it a moment longer until I could drop it into sink. I knew if I had let it drop on the floor it would spill the boiling water all over and most likely spray on my bare legs as well, burning me more. Breathing hard, I tried so to keep the tears welling in my eyes from sliding down my face.

            I could feel my skin burning hot, turning on the cold water, I watched it pour from the faucet into the skin before I put my finger underneath it, and the hot teapot sizzled just like my finger as the cold water poured over it. It wasn’t until I felt Laia’s hands rub over my shoulders that I remembered she was there. That’s when I finally let the tears escape from my eyes, and down into the sink to join with the cold water going down the drain.

            “Jael don’t cry it’s okay,” I heard Laia say as I heard the her open my freezer and scoop up ice, she was making me an ice pack I could tell, Laia a wild woman could always surprise me with her motherly instincts. Then I felt her hands crawl around me to rest against my stomach, then pull my hand from under the running water, holding my elbow she turned me around to face her and looked down at my finger, the skin was bright red with a harsh burn, slowly I watched her put the ice pack on my finger and hold it there. It hurt having something touch my skin, as I tried to pull away Laia looked up and gave me a look which made me stop. “What was that all about, little one?” she whispered.

            “I dunno,” I said through gritting teeth and tears, “I’m just stressed I guess, I have two papers to write and the subject just has taken over my thoughts.”

            “What’s the subject?” Laia said still holding the ice pack against my finger.

            “What I believe in,” I said glumly.

            “Ooo that’s one I can’t help you with, that is all up to you, sorry. You are the one that has to believe in it, honestly I think you need to lie down and relax, we’ll be out of here soon got to rehearse a little, we’ll go to the teahouse down on main street, they just love us,” she said sarcastically, because the teahouse hated when they came in. Soon enough Laia was walking me out of the kitchen towards my room, we passed the group who were sitting in my medium size living room, some of them danced, others had their scripts out rehearsing, a couple slept here and there. All I could do was smile, I loved them all.

            “What happened?” some of them asked.

            “Jael burned herself, and I’ve decided she needs to rest so I’m taking her bed, everyone get ready and don’t leave this place a mess like you did last time, we’re going to the Teahouse,” Laia said smiling when most of them hoorayed with sly looks on their faces, thinking about all the mischief they would do to bother the teahouse staff. I couldn’t help but to think of all the times I had gone to the teahouse with them and made the staff almost go off on all of us.  

At my door, Laia opened it and hit a switch on the wall, the room filled with light, post it notes all over the wall, crumpled pieces of paper on the floor and around the basketball hoop garbage can, hardly anything in the garbage, basketball not my best sport ability. Books scatted all over the floor and along my bed.

“You need to clean this room, little one,” Laia said pushing the books off my bed and pulling the covers back so I could lie down.

“You say that every time you come into my room,” I couldn’t help saying it before I stuck out my tongue and lay down letting Laia help me so I didn’t have to use my burnt finger. I smiled at her as she tucked me in and kissed my forehead. “After the teahouse can I crash here, Michael asked for the apartment.”

“You know you can,” I said closing my eyes as Laia turned off the light. I heard the music go off, and Laia hurrying everyone out of the place, when I heard the door shut is when I finally relaxed completely. The place was in complete silence.