‹ Prequel: A Single Moment of Sincerity
Status: updates when inspiration and free time collide.
Out of the Wreckage
In Another's Company.
You used to have all the answers,
and you still have them, too.
Go to college, they said.
It'll be fun, they said.
Lies.
Jordan had six classes – the most she could take without getting an override from the administration.
There was an eight am graphic design class every day except Friday, photography techniques from ten to eleven also every day except Friday, studio lighting from noon to one in the afternoon on Mondays and Wednesdays, color theory from two to three in the afternoon on Tuesdays and Thursdays, digital photography from two to three in the afternoon on Mondays and Wednesdays, and artwork critique from four to five on Mondays and Wednesdays.
The first week was dreadful. It was so easy for Jordan to get lost on the campus, consequently late to many classes. They were also upper classmen level classes, so the professor expected the students to know more or less all of the basics already. The fact that she was the youngest person in the class didn’t help. Jordan’s intelligence alienated her from most upper and under classmen alike.
She tried to learn the campus bus routes, but the buses proved rather unreliable. She walked to most of her classes. Hopefully, that would ward off the dreaded freshman fifteen.
Jordan’s roommate was a lovely girl named Rae Kemner. Rae was a slight, willowy girl with flaming red hair that contrasted sharply with her porcelain skin and blue eyes. Rae was docile and demure and hated confrontation. Jordan almost felt bad for her, because Rae reminded Jordan of herself – back when she would do anything and everything for Zack…
“Hey…Jordan?”
“Hmm?” Jordan acknowledged Rae, pouring herself a cup of tea.
“Do you mind if I use the microwave?”
Jordan laughed, spinning around on her desk chair until she faced Rae. “Rae, I told you, you don’t have to ask for everything all the time!”
“Well, you’ve told me that, but it’s just a courtesy I like to extend, because, you know, I’d like to have that same courtesy extended to me, and-“
Jordan rolled her eyes, got up, and took Rae’s food, and shoved it into the microwave. “How long do you need to microwave it?”
“Wait! It’s Indian food, Jordan, it’ll make the whole room smell!”
That actually did make Jordan pause, but then she shrugged. “That’s why I have a scented wax burner. Rae, go ahead, please.”
Jordan forgot – Rae was one of the few students that didn’t purchase a meal plan. That was probably a good idea, since Jordan didn’t actually eat all that much. Though meal plan was mighty convenient, it was also mighty wasteful. Jordan calculated it all out – the price of the meal plan allotted fifteen dollars a day for food, which broke down to five dollars a meal. On weekdays, Jordan didn’t regularly eat breakfast or lunch, only dinner. Maybe she would have been better without a meal plan as well?
Because Jordan really hated the dining halls. Going to a dining hall was just like going to a cafeteria – everyone sat with their respective cliques, and even if you were sitting alone, you wouldn’t be for very long because someone would take pity on you and sit with you or (even worse) make you sit with them and their friends.
“Thanks,” Rae murmured with a grateful smile, putting her food in for two and a half minutes before scurrying back to her desk.
Jordan envied Rae’s solitariness. Rae never felt lonely when she was alone, but she was extremely sensitive to intrusions on her privacy. Rae made a wonderful analogy to help Jordan understand: everyone else is to Rae as Darla is to her pet fish in Finding Nemo.
“That actually smells amazing, Rae,” Jordan commented as the aroma of Rae’s food pervaded the air.
“It’s chicken tikka masala,” Rae informed Jordan, hovering about the microwave in anticipation. “You want to try some?” she asked excitedly, holding the bowl under Jordan’s nose.
The hairs on the inside of Jordan’s nose practically disintegrated when she got a whiff of Rae's food. Jordan pulled back, blinking back tears. “Oh, jesus, I forgot how spicy you like your food. Um, I’m alright, but thanks, Rae.”
Rae laughed softly before returning to her desk, where she simultaneously ate her food and did her work.
This was usually how the days went – Jordan went to class, got back, took a nap, and then woke up to Rae just coming back into the dorm from whatever classes she took, at which time Jordan usually went to dinner at one of the dining commons, but she wasn’t in the mood for food right now.
Jordan was expecting a call tonight, and she wouldn’t miss it for the world. “Hey, Rae? I’m gonna face time some of my friends in a bit…do you mind?” Rae was chewing something, so she simply shook her head.
Brushing her hair down a bit and ever so slightly touching up her makeup, Jordan opened her Macbook. It only took about fifteen minutes of waiting for Jack to call. Smiling widely, Jordan answered it. “Hey, Ja- oh, shit, where the hell are you guys? What’s all that noise?”
“The venue sold out! That’s… That’s, like, three or four thousand kids out there right now!” Jack said excitedly, grinning at the camera. “Look!” Jack maneuvered his iPhone around to the side of the curtain. The thousands of flashing cameras looked like stars in the galaxy of teenagers. Jordan could still recall the days when the boys were still playing in basements and houses and bars. They had certainly come a long way, and from the size of the crowd, anyone could tell that they still had a long way to go.
“Jack, I’m so happy for you guys!”
“Hey, you wanna see everyone else?” Jack asked excitedly, running off to their dressing room. “Hey, you guys, you guys! It’s Jordan!”
“Hi, Jordan,” Rian, Alex, and the rest of the crew greeted her. Much to Jordan’s dismay, Zack was missing. “Zack’s dressing up,” Jack explained, quickly noticing the distress on Jordan’s face. Jordan cut Zack out of her life as best as she could, but she still liked to know how he was doing.
“Heyyy, Jordan,” Zack’s face came into view. “Look what I’m gonna use tonight!” he half-sang, holding up his black and white bass guitar – which Jordan had bought for him.
Jordan got herself a job at a department store as a part time photographer. Most of her money went to her own checking account, but she never bought a lot of stuff. Jordan was the kind of person that made large purchases that were few and far between. Zack’s bass guitar was one of those large purchases.
“You know, I really can’t hear you guys that well, so I’m gonna go now, alright? Have a great time at the show!”
Jack jokingly made kissy-faces before ending the call.
Jordan shut her laptop with a soft sigh, turning her desk lamp off and lying down on the futon. “Are you going to sleep already?” Rae asked in alarm, sipping on some Jasmine tea.
“Just lying down. I’m tired,” Jordan told Rae, wondering when this perpetual fatigue settled into her bones.
and you still have them, too.
Go to college, they said.
It'll be fun, they said.
Lies.
Jordan had six classes – the most she could take without getting an override from the administration.
There was an eight am graphic design class every day except Friday, photography techniques from ten to eleven also every day except Friday, studio lighting from noon to one in the afternoon on Mondays and Wednesdays, color theory from two to three in the afternoon on Tuesdays and Thursdays, digital photography from two to three in the afternoon on Mondays and Wednesdays, and artwork critique from four to five on Mondays and Wednesdays.
The first week was dreadful. It was so easy for Jordan to get lost on the campus, consequently late to many classes. They were also upper classmen level classes, so the professor expected the students to know more or less all of the basics already. The fact that she was the youngest person in the class didn’t help. Jordan’s intelligence alienated her from most upper and under classmen alike.
She tried to learn the campus bus routes, but the buses proved rather unreliable. She walked to most of her classes. Hopefully, that would ward off the dreaded freshman fifteen.
Jordan’s roommate was a lovely girl named Rae Kemner. Rae was a slight, willowy girl with flaming red hair that contrasted sharply with her porcelain skin and blue eyes. Rae was docile and demure and hated confrontation. Jordan almost felt bad for her, because Rae reminded Jordan of herself – back when she would do anything and everything for Zack…
“Hey…Jordan?”
“Hmm?” Jordan acknowledged Rae, pouring herself a cup of tea.
“Do you mind if I use the microwave?”
Jordan laughed, spinning around on her desk chair until she faced Rae. “Rae, I told you, you don’t have to ask for everything all the time!”
“Well, you’ve told me that, but it’s just a courtesy I like to extend, because, you know, I’d like to have that same courtesy extended to me, and-“
Jordan rolled her eyes, got up, and took Rae’s food, and shoved it into the microwave. “How long do you need to microwave it?”
“Wait! It’s Indian food, Jordan, it’ll make the whole room smell!”
That actually did make Jordan pause, but then she shrugged. “That’s why I have a scented wax burner. Rae, go ahead, please.”
Jordan forgot – Rae was one of the few students that didn’t purchase a meal plan. That was probably a good idea, since Jordan didn’t actually eat all that much. Though meal plan was mighty convenient, it was also mighty wasteful. Jordan calculated it all out – the price of the meal plan allotted fifteen dollars a day for food, which broke down to five dollars a meal. On weekdays, Jordan didn’t regularly eat breakfast or lunch, only dinner. Maybe she would have been better without a meal plan as well?
Because Jordan really hated the dining halls. Going to a dining hall was just like going to a cafeteria – everyone sat with their respective cliques, and even if you were sitting alone, you wouldn’t be for very long because someone would take pity on you and sit with you or (even worse) make you sit with them and their friends.
“Thanks,” Rae murmured with a grateful smile, putting her food in for two and a half minutes before scurrying back to her desk.
Jordan envied Rae’s solitariness. Rae never felt lonely when she was alone, but she was extremely sensitive to intrusions on her privacy. Rae made a wonderful analogy to help Jordan understand: everyone else is to Rae as Darla is to her pet fish in Finding Nemo.
“That actually smells amazing, Rae,” Jordan commented as the aroma of Rae’s food pervaded the air.
“It’s chicken tikka masala,” Rae informed Jordan, hovering about the microwave in anticipation. “You want to try some?” she asked excitedly, holding the bowl under Jordan’s nose.
The hairs on the inside of Jordan’s nose practically disintegrated when she got a whiff of Rae's food. Jordan pulled back, blinking back tears. “Oh, jesus, I forgot how spicy you like your food. Um, I’m alright, but thanks, Rae.”
Rae laughed softly before returning to her desk, where she simultaneously ate her food and did her work.
This was usually how the days went – Jordan went to class, got back, took a nap, and then woke up to Rae just coming back into the dorm from whatever classes she took, at which time Jordan usually went to dinner at one of the dining commons, but she wasn’t in the mood for food right now.
Jordan was expecting a call tonight, and she wouldn’t miss it for the world. “Hey, Rae? I’m gonna face time some of my friends in a bit…do you mind?” Rae was chewing something, so she simply shook her head.
Brushing her hair down a bit and ever so slightly touching up her makeup, Jordan opened her Macbook. It only took about fifteen minutes of waiting for Jack to call. Smiling widely, Jordan answered it. “Hey, Ja- oh, shit, where the hell are you guys? What’s all that noise?”
“The venue sold out! That’s… That’s, like, three or four thousand kids out there right now!” Jack said excitedly, grinning at the camera. “Look!” Jack maneuvered his iPhone around to the side of the curtain. The thousands of flashing cameras looked like stars in the galaxy of teenagers. Jordan could still recall the days when the boys were still playing in basements and houses and bars. They had certainly come a long way, and from the size of the crowd, anyone could tell that they still had a long way to go.
“Jack, I’m so happy for you guys!”
“Hey, you wanna see everyone else?” Jack asked excitedly, running off to their dressing room. “Hey, you guys, you guys! It’s Jordan!”
“Hi, Jordan,” Rian, Alex, and the rest of the crew greeted her. Much to Jordan’s dismay, Zack was missing. “Zack’s dressing up,” Jack explained, quickly noticing the distress on Jordan’s face. Jordan cut Zack out of her life as best as she could, but she still liked to know how he was doing.
“Heyyy, Jordan,” Zack’s face came into view. “Look what I’m gonna use tonight!” he half-sang, holding up his black and white bass guitar – which Jordan had bought for him.
Jordan got herself a job at a department store as a part time photographer. Most of her money went to her own checking account, but she never bought a lot of stuff. Jordan was the kind of person that made large purchases that were few and far between. Zack’s bass guitar was one of those large purchases.
“You know, I really can’t hear you guys that well, so I’m gonna go now, alright? Have a great time at the show!”
Jack jokingly made kissy-faces before ending the call.
Jordan shut her laptop with a soft sigh, turning her desk lamp off and lying down on the futon. “Are you going to sleep already?” Rae asked in alarm, sipping on some Jasmine tea.
“Just lying down. I’m tired,” Jordan told Rae, wondering when this perpetual fatigue settled into her bones.
♠ ♠ ♠
BAM.thanks for reading; hope you liked it!
wow, writing in third person is...is a challenge. for me. lol
anyways comments would be lovely and greatly appreciated!
PLEASE, LET ME KNOW HOW TO IMPROVE MY THIRD PERSON
p.s. cookie for you if you know where my chapter titles are coming from.