Senior Slumps
Making up her mind.
"There, there sweetie, things will get better." Scarlett said as she put her arms around my shoulder and reached for a second sleeve of Oreos.
"The thing is," I said leaning on my best friends shoulder and sniffling into her chocolate hair. "I didn't even like him that much, if anything I should have cheated on him!" I buried my face into her shoulder and heaved deeply.
"I know, Darlin' I know," she said cradling me like a baby, her southern twang coming out strong, just like it always did. "But you must have felt something; I mean you were with him for a long time."
I considered this, but didn't respond instead I just sat up and wiped my nose on some Kleenex that Scarlett knew would come in handy. After I had cleaned up a bit I took a deep breath and said, "Eh, he had a small dick anyway."
Scarlett laughed out loud. Growing up in a strict Christian household from Mississippi, Scarlett found any joke or phrase that referred to genitalia funny; she had missed out for so many years. "There's my Jessica!" she exclaimed standing up and picking up the assorted tissues on my bed, tossing them into the wastebasket. When she finished she reached down and gave me a hug. "You're better than that." She whispered in my ear.
When she stood up again I looked at her, her nice blouse was ruined with my tears and probably some of my snot from all of the crying, the hair that was down and well styled was now up in a messy ponytail. And Scarlett's trademarks Levis were replaced by grungy gray sweatpants. I really owed her for this because I probably ruined her entire night. She expected to have some alone time with her boyfriend of five years, but when she came back to see me in complete misery she shooed him away in order to play "shoulder to lean on" for her now needy friend.
"You know what you need?" she asked folding up the pair of jeans she had been wearing before and stuffing them in the dresser we shared.
"What?" I called from the bathroom, where I was splashing cold water on my face and staring at the miserable person in the mirror.
"A change of scenery," she said appearing in the bathroom door. "You should come on down to Mississippi with me for winter break; it'll be good for you."
I looked at Scarlett and then looked at my reflection. The last time I went to Scarlett's hometown I was stuffed to the max with fried chicken and biscuits and was criticized for my political beliefs. But I couldn't deny that it was one of the most welcoming and friendly places I had ever been. I looked deeper into the image in the mirror, I knew that I needed a change of scenery and I knew exactly where to find it.
"You know what Scar; I actually think I'm going to go home for break." I said, nodding at my reflection.
She looked surprised, "Well alright. But you have two weeks you know, if you change your mind."
"Thanks Scarlett, but I won't." I said as I walked out of the bathroom and crawled under my pink and black comforter.
"Ok, then. Well night-night Jessie, if you have any problems you'll know where I am." She pointed toward her bed, covered in a homemade quilt that even smelt like southern hospitality.
"I know, Thanks for everything Scar."
"All in a days work." She joked as she took out her Walkman and placed some random CD in it as she crawled into her own separate bed across the room. Eventually she fell asleep, the sounds of Garth Brooks filling her ears. But across the room I was laying wide awake before I decided the one thing that could have put me to sleep that night.
I rolled over and grabbed my CD player from under my bed along with a CD that I kept hidden in the back of my collection. I placed the disc in my player and leaned back against my pillow, a few minutes later I fell asleep, the sound of 39/smooth and His voice playing in my ear.
For the next two weeks I was able to avoid almost all contact with anyone that I didn't want to be in contact with. The only knot in the rope was that Burke was in my Sociology class, and he sat directly behind me. I hated myself for the fact that I was the only reason that Burke was 'Passing with a C' in this class and not failing. I was the one who gave him answer after answer just so he wouldn't get kicked off his precious football team.
The day of exams was the day before Winter Break and the day before I flew 3,000 miles back home for the first time in 2 years. I walked into class and didn't even give a glance to Burke and his worried face. I took the test, handed it in and walked out of the room, leaving Burke behind, still struggling with the second page. Sociology wasn't my main concern as far as exams went that day, my Marine Science test was the last test of the day and was one of the few tests that I looked over carefully, making sure every answer was correct, or at least what I thought was correct.
When I returned back to the LeFaye house that night, most of the 6 people who shared the house were already leaving, heading back to their respected homes. We gave our goodbyes and hugged each other. Most of them had heard about me and Burke and gave sympathy, all except for Nate, who just told to follow my heart as he slung his guitar case over his shoulder and began walking to his beat-up car. Wondering what he meant, I ran upstairs to my room and saw Scarlett packing, I hadn't missed her yet.
"Guess what!" she shrieked as I entered the room.
"What?" I asked noticing that she was all packed and I hadn't even begun.
"Trevor's coming down to Jackson with me this week!" she said smiling and jumping excitedly.
"Well I'll be!" I exclaimed, mocking her accent. She gave me a dirty look, but then smiled.
"He's going to love it there I know it, I just hope my Dad likes him."
"He will, don't worry anyone who loves you as much as Trevor does will go over fine with your father."
She smiled, "Thanks."
Trevor and Scarlett had been together for as long as I had been friends with her, so from Freshman Year. They were inseparable and perfect for each other. Trevor was such a sweet guy, and quite the gentleman, which went over great with Scarlett. They fell completely in love at the start and to be honest, I was really, really jealous of them.
"Are you sure you're going to be ok?" she asked, closing her suitcase, an action that involved both of us having to sit on it, she always brought home so much crap that she didn't need.
"Yeah, I'll be fine, don't worry."
"Alright Sweetie, well don't forget to call if you need me." She said giving me a hug.
"I won't Scar, have fun! And say hi to your Mom for me."
"I will, you know Mama did like you; she'll probably make something for me to bring back to you"
"Ooo I can't wait." I smiled and she made her way toward the door.
"See you next week Jessie!" she called out when Trevor pulled up in front of the house and she carried her bags out the door and onto the snowy porch. "Have fun in California!"
"Oh I will," I called after her in a sarcastic voice, "Bye!"
She waved and then got into Trevor's Ford, throwing her suitcase in the trunk, they sped off down the icy road, headed for the airport and some warm Mississippi sun.
Leaving me on my own.
"The thing is," I said leaning on my best friends shoulder and sniffling into her chocolate hair. "I didn't even like him that much, if anything I should have cheated on him!" I buried my face into her shoulder and heaved deeply.
"I know, Darlin' I know," she said cradling me like a baby, her southern twang coming out strong, just like it always did. "But you must have felt something; I mean you were with him for a long time."
I considered this, but didn't respond instead I just sat up and wiped my nose on some Kleenex that Scarlett knew would come in handy. After I had cleaned up a bit I took a deep breath and said, "Eh, he had a small dick anyway."
Scarlett laughed out loud. Growing up in a strict Christian household from Mississippi, Scarlett found any joke or phrase that referred to genitalia funny; she had missed out for so many years. "There's my Jessica!" she exclaimed standing up and picking up the assorted tissues on my bed, tossing them into the wastebasket. When she finished she reached down and gave me a hug. "You're better than that." She whispered in my ear.
When she stood up again I looked at her, her nice blouse was ruined with my tears and probably some of my snot from all of the crying, the hair that was down and well styled was now up in a messy ponytail. And Scarlett's trademarks Levis were replaced by grungy gray sweatpants. I really owed her for this because I probably ruined her entire night. She expected to have some alone time with her boyfriend of five years, but when she came back to see me in complete misery she shooed him away in order to play "shoulder to lean on" for her now needy friend.
"You know what you need?" she asked folding up the pair of jeans she had been wearing before and stuffing them in the dresser we shared.
"What?" I called from the bathroom, where I was splashing cold water on my face and staring at the miserable person in the mirror.
"A change of scenery," she said appearing in the bathroom door. "You should come on down to Mississippi with me for winter break; it'll be good for you."
I looked at Scarlett and then looked at my reflection. The last time I went to Scarlett's hometown I was stuffed to the max with fried chicken and biscuits and was criticized for my political beliefs. But I couldn't deny that it was one of the most welcoming and friendly places I had ever been. I looked deeper into the image in the mirror, I knew that I needed a change of scenery and I knew exactly where to find it.
"You know what Scar; I actually think I'm going to go home for break." I said, nodding at my reflection.
She looked surprised, "Well alright. But you have two weeks you know, if you change your mind."
"Thanks Scarlett, but I won't." I said as I walked out of the bathroom and crawled under my pink and black comforter.
"Ok, then. Well night-night Jessie, if you have any problems you'll know where I am." She pointed toward her bed, covered in a homemade quilt that even smelt like southern hospitality.
"I know, Thanks for everything Scar."
"All in a days work." She joked as she took out her Walkman and placed some random CD in it as she crawled into her own separate bed across the room. Eventually she fell asleep, the sounds of Garth Brooks filling her ears. But across the room I was laying wide awake before I decided the one thing that could have put me to sleep that night.
I rolled over and grabbed my CD player from under my bed along with a CD that I kept hidden in the back of my collection. I placed the disc in my player and leaned back against my pillow, a few minutes later I fell asleep, the sound of 39/smooth and His voice playing in my ear.
For the next two weeks I was able to avoid almost all contact with anyone that I didn't want to be in contact with. The only knot in the rope was that Burke was in my Sociology class, and he sat directly behind me. I hated myself for the fact that I was the only reason that Burke was 'Passing with a C' in this class and not failing. I was the one who gave him answer after answer just so he wouldn't get kicked off his precious football team.
The day of exams was the day before Winter Break and the day before I flew 3,000 miles back home for the first time in 2 years. I walked into class and didn't even give a glance to Burke and his worried face. I took the test, handed it in and walked out of the room, leaving Burke behind, still struggling with the second page. Sociology wasn't my main concern as far as exams went that day, my Marine Science test was the last test of the day and was one of the few tests that I looked over carefully, making sure every answer was correct, or at least what I thought was correct.
When I returned back to the LeFaye house that night, most of the 6 people who shared the house were already leaving, heading back to their respected homes. We gave our goodbyes and hugged each other. Most of them had heard about me and Burke and gave sympathy, all except for Nate, who just told to follow my heart as he slung his guitar case over his shoulder and began walking to his beat-up car. Wondering what he meant, I ran upstairs to my room and saw Scarlett packing, I hadn't missed her yet.
"Guess what!" she shrieked as I entered the room.
"What?" I asked noticing that she was all packed and I hadn't even begun.
"Trevor's coming down to Jackson with me this week!" she said smiling and jumping excitedly.
"Well I'll be!" I exclaimed, mocking her accent. She gave me a dirty look, but then smiled.
"He's going to love it there I know it, I just hope my Dad likes him."
"He will, don't worry anyone who loves you as much as Trevor does will go over fine with your father."
She smiled, "Thanks."
Trevor and Scarlett had been together for as long as I had been friends with her, so from Freshman Year. They were inseparable and perfect for each other. Trevor was such a sweet guy, and quite the gentleman, which went over great with Scarlett. They fell completely in love at the start and to be honest, I was really, really jealous of them.
"Are you sure you're going to be ok?" she asked, closing her suitcase, an action that involved both of us having to sit on it, she always brought home so much crap that she didn't need.
"Yeah, I'll be fine, don't worry."
"Alright Sweetie, well don't forget to call if you need me." She said giving me a hug.
"I won't Scar, have fun! And say hi to your Mom for me."
"I will, you know Mama did like you; she'll probably make something for me to bring back to you"
"Ooo I can't wait." I smiled and she made her way toward the door.
"See you next week Jessie!" she called out when Trevor pulled up in front of the house and she carried her bags out the door and onto the snowy porch. "Have fun in California!"
"Oh I will," I called after her in a sarcastic voice, "Bye!"
She waved and then got into Trevor's Ford, throwing her suitcase in the trunk, they sped off down the icy road, headed for the airport and some warm Mississippi sun.
Leaving me on my own.