Chapter VI

Chapter VI

          By mid-September the adjustment to college life became less hard. The mornings always began with two cups of coffee and a bagel. Lunch tended to be the same hamburger and fries despite the bar. Dinner was always a salad.

          Sculpture 101 was Tuesdays and Thursday at 8am. Sketching 101 at 10am. Shading 101 at 12am. Her final class was Blending 101 at 1pm. Literature was at 2pm.

          What stood out the most though were the parties she went to. It seemed almost like a ritual for Xandera and January to drive to a different house every other night for booze, loud music, and natural stimulants.

          This one guy always brought with him a bottle of blue, small stimulants that contained things January had never heard off like Phenylethylamine, Hordenine, Geranium extract, and Galangal.

          The guy said the pills were legal and when January checked them out online he was correct, but she also knew that nothing on the computer should be trusted.

          Once a week January was the designated drive, another day Xandera was and when they went to the third and final party they flipped a coin.

          At times January would skip parties for homework and other times she skipped homework and went to those parties.

          The main reason she went to so many parties was because of Jared. He had a way of showing up any where at the right time and place.

          Sometimes he showed up high. He smelled like pot and stale beer. Whenever January saw him she could hear her mother’s voice in the back of her head. Before leaving for college Lily had sat January down and tried to tell her about college boys and parties. She told her about the wild and crazy nights as a young adult trying to earn her bachelor’s in art. The worst thing that happened because of those nights was contracting Crabs and gaining a tattoo of a cherry on her leg.

          January kept very close to the boy despite the fact. The whole time he wore his gray jacket with his hood on but January didn’t try to remove it. Even when she went in for the nerve wrecking kiss she didn’t try to remove the hood.

          Then those nights would end with January driving Jared and Xandera back to the school and walking them to their rooms. January was always sure to walk Xandera back to their dorm before walking with Jared across campus.

          Once or twice they would stop to talk. The stars were always brighter at midnight and they both seemed to enjoy the light that fell down. Sometimes they would make out under that star lights.

          Jared had asked January to stay the night but she denied him. She wasn’t sure if she trusted him 100% yet. When he begged she answered with, “In a few months.”

          January knew what Jared wanted. It would surprise many people (including Lily) that she is still a virgin. Her in lifetime she has been called a partier (even though she didn’t party much in high school), wild (even though she never has been), but she has never been called a s**t and she wasn’t about to start it.

          As for the school side of her life, things were going well. She kept putting out creative and wily paintings that everyone marveled at. January had been at ABAU for a month and she was already being showed in an art show. Sure freshmen could be apart of the art show, but they never were. The professor said the last time that happened was five years ago and that student went on to become famous.

          January went back to her dorm and called Lily first.

          “Hi Mom.” She quietly whispered into the phone. She had never made a call while in her dorm and she could hear her voice bouncing off the walls.

          “Hay Janus, anything new? Why haven’t you called me? You’ve been at school for two weeks and it’s like you never had a mother…” January took the phone away from her ear until she heard her mother’s voice stop.

          “Janus! Janus!”

          “Yes Mom.” She sighed into the phone.

          “I just wanted to know how things are going.”

          January squeezed the bridge of her nose and tired to think of something appropriate quickly. “I have a piece in the art show.”

          Her mother paused. “I’m so, so happy to hear that.”

          “Ya, it’s supposed to be a big deal. I guess I’ll post a picture of it on Facebook so you can see it.”

          “That would be nice. What is it of?”

          “A kid riding a cow.”

          She could hear her mother laugh distantly. Then after her laugher ended January could hear Maia begging for the phone. “Your father would think your crazy. You know what Janus what I said earlier was so rude.           You’re a busy college student now and Mommy isn’t needed as much.” Lily didn’t say this with sadness but matter of fact. “Eat well Janus, paint a lot and try to make some good, Christian friends. I love you Janus.”

          “I love you too Mom.”

          January hung up and sat in her room for ten minutes thinking about if her Mom could truly call her friends ‘Christian’

Reviews

[Tina Kline]

A very good chapter with the interaction with her mom. But like a lot of 'good girls' she's attracted to the bad boy.

[Coyote Poetry]

I like January way of thinking. She had a good head on her shoulder. Always good to know what you need and be safe. I like this chapter. Thank you for a excellent chapter.
Coyote