Certifiable

“Thank you, Ms. Adams.” Mrs. Patel whispered as I handed her my final test sheet. She flashed a grin. Her white teeth greatly contrasted to her chestnut face. I merely nodded in response. It was my last test for my sophomore year at Prestige University and the last day of the semester.

PU was the only university located in the suburban town of Madison. It was medium sized school with a beautiful campus that captured the splendor of the nature enriched setting. And just like its name displays, it is one of the best universities in the country. Most of the students were from wealthy families but there was a small number from middle to lower income backgrounds. Most of those privileged kids were here by their families’ money and had a rotten milk personality. I worked my ass off to get here, so I deserved to be here more than any them.

In one swift movement, with deep pride beaming through my grin, I turned on my heels to face my fellow students. I was the first one finished with my test in a class size of almost 70. Most of them still worked diligently, indifferent to my accomplishment, but some lifted their heads and glared at me with sour countenance. I didn’t care though. I’m the smartest in the class, probably in the whole school. They should have expected to see me up first.

All that mattered was the fact that I had finished and in record time if I might add. Ignoring their looks, I gracefully walked back up the stairs of the multileveled lecture hall. My flowing pink shirt and neatly curled hair flapped backwards, reacting to my swift movements. Making it back to my seat, I swung one the straps of my backpack on my shoulder and exited the room without a second glance. I sighed with relief and made my way down the hallway to meet up with roommate, Gena.

Gena Manson and I had been best friends since middle school. The tall busty blonde had a personality that countered her appearance. Gena could pass as a Victoria Secret model, though after meeting her you’d realize she’s much too reserved for that. She had pale blue eyes and a smile that always conveyed an abundance of angelic morality. Her innocence was like a white Lillie, untouched and pure. I wish I could say the same for myself. Our frame was the only thing we had in common, which was something we really bonded over. I was not the type to really get too close to anyone but her playful personality was what won me over. Gena was the perfect picture of propriety.

Propriety was what Gena lived by. I didn’t give a damn about others. However, Gena was the total opposite. We’ve had a certain partnership since we were young. I had been her protector and she was the comforter ever since we met. Gena was also my confidant and she knew more about me than anyone else. After all the things that had happened, she stayed with me and even moved in with me after high school. If it wasn’t for me taking care of and protecting her, she probably wouldn’t have made it pass middle school. She should be grateful.

I ran around the corner to the fitness center, opened its doors. Swiping my ID card at the front desk, I made my way to the gymnasium.

Since we had finals this week, a couple of my classmates and I decided to have a couple of recreational volleyball games, which made my heart race with joy. I loved sports. They always helped me relax and take my mind off of things. Walking in to the brightly lit and spacious gym, I saw that they had already started the game without me. The place smelled of sweat, pine wood, and wood polish. It was the smell I associated with hard work.

I spotted Gena as soon as I walked in. She had the volleyball in her hands ready to serve. Her blonde hair was in a messy ponytail and her face was bright beet red. Her black shirt and black spandex shorts clung to her sweaty body.

Gena gave a hard serve. The ball flew over the net. The people on the other team scrambled to send the ball back over, but they were unsuccessful. It hit the ground, and Gena's team gave a joyous cheer. It was really good, but I knew I could have done better. I needed to get in the game.

In the commotion, Gena saw me on the side and gesture for me to come in. Without hesitation, I put my hair into a ponytail, and threw my bags on the bleachers. Then I quickly changed out of my sandals and my school clothes revealing the black spandex shorts and white tank top I had underneath. Opening my bag, I took out my sneakers and socks and put them on.

My legs took me away from the bleachers and into the ongoing volleyball game. The adrenalin was already flooding my brain and veins. My racing heartbeat filled my ears with sound. Hard quick pants raised my chest up and down. Time and scene slurred slowly around me. I was ready to play.

Immediately, I joined Gena's team. We were always on the same team because she was my assist. She would set up all the plays for me to finish them. Sometimes we would play against eachother, but we had not done that in a while. Without her assists, I wouldn’t be able to showcase my great skill. She was my Robin to my Batman and together we were unstoppable.

Rotating in, I took a spot in the front by the net. Gena served the ball again, but this time the team returned it. Tim Higgins, a guy from my biology class, bumped the returned ball and passed it to Lana Dellnicky. Lana set the ball up. With a huge jump, I spiked the ball over the net. It went crashing to the floor, despite the other team’s best effort to block it.

The game continued that way for about an hour. Someone would set it up, and I would spike it. I took every opportunity I could to hit the ball and carried the team on my back. We ended up winning all 3 games. With huge battle cry, my team came in for a group hug. There is nothing like the feeling of winning. I would give almost anything to feel this way all the time. The sweat of exercise and the complete feeling of accomplishment. I felt like I was on top of the world.

Breaking apart, we lined up and gave the others a high five. "Great job!" Was said by most.

With the last hand high fived, Gena and some others came over to me.

"Corinne, you're amazing. You should go pro!" Mike Stanton, also from biology, exclaimed.

"Me? Really? A couple of people have told me that.” I wiped the heavy sweat off my forehead. “I am pretty good. If you guys had picked up the slack, I wouldn’t have had to do all the work." I said out of breath, half-jokingly. Laughter erupted out of the mouths of the team.

"Well, without your spikes we would have never won the game!" Gena proclaimed. She had a real good point there. They definitely needed me.

"She's not only super smart, but she's athletic too! You've got the whole package! What an amazing girl! Let's hear it for Corinne!" Tim chimed in.

A series of whoops and hollers flowed from the group that surrounded me. Numerous pats landed on my back and shoulders.

In unison, we all walked to the locker rooms located on the other side of the gymnasium. However, I stopped in my tracks, realizing that I had left my back pack and clothes on the bleachers. I ran back but the others continued without me. I scooped up my things. Everyone had gone and I was alone in the gym or so I thought.

"Corinne!" Someone yelled from behind me. Startled, I jumped in surprise and spun around. My things fell to the floor.

Before I could officially identify who the person was, a muscular body crashed into mines. Two large arms wrapped around my body and rested on my lower back. The mixture of cologne and sweat filled my senses. My breath lodged into my throat and my eyes snapped open wide.

As if he felt my tension, he said, "It's me, your boyfriend, Ryan." He pulled back to look into my eyes. His eyes were a like brown pool with hints of green intertwined throughout them.

Ryan Beach and I had been dating for about 6 months. After fervent search, I finally found someone who would best suit my needs and wants. He was the star quarterback at Prestige, so it was only right for him to be with me. My skills mixed with his made us the ultimate power couple. Obviously, his skills did not quite measure up to mine, but I happily compromised to be with him. He was not just some stupid jock. Ryan had a 3.8 GPA.

The fact that I was the smartest girl in school, was the head cheerleader, and volleyball team captain interested him greatly. I also was student council president. I was going to run for class president also but I wanted give others a chance. I tried to do everyone a favor. I am so nice and thoughtful. Anyway, he pursued me very hard from the beginning, like all the rest of the guys that went here. My focus was elsewhere—sleeping my way through the basketball team. I didn’t give him much time at first, but I changed my mind when I thought about all the benefits. Ryan came from a very wealthy and influential family. So if we got married, I would get a lot out of it: money, power, opportunity. He was also the most popular guy in school, so it was only right for him to be the most popular girl, me. I am glad that I gave him a chance because this relationship had been something that I’d been using to my advantage.

We had not even had sex yet and he was still with me. He agreed to wait until I was “ready” which was code for me not really wanting to. I was waiting to have it at the most convenient time. It wasn’t like I was a virgin or something—far from it. I just felt it was unnecessary right now. Sex was my leverage. I had to save it for something big, something I really wanted—probably an engagement ring. I was greatly satisfied with our relationship. It was the closest to love I could get. There was no such thing as a fairy tale, all-consuming love. That kind of stuff did not exist. If people were as good as me and got together for the right reasons, then things wouldn’t be so complicated. He gave me what I wanted, and eventually he’d get what he wanted. People who married only for love were stupid and ended up with the worst problems.

"Oh! Hey babe!" I said full of sweet entanglement. "You startled me." I admitted. I returned
his hug. My arms squeezed in between us and landed around his neck. I could not help but admire the tattoos that adorned the majority of the skin on his chest and arms. He smiled down at me.

"I saw you playing today and you were awesome! That's my girl." He said with a Cheshire cat grin. Ryan was right. He knew that I played like no other. He leaned in and gave me a quick sweet kiss. "My friend just texted me about this awesome party he's throwing at his house tonight. Do you want to be my date?" His bottom lip stuck out as he tried to influence my answer with the infamous pout. His light facial hair moved accordingly with his facial expression.

He knew how I felt about wild parties. I didn’t drink or smoke for cosmetic reasons, but Ryan didn’t care about all of that. So I always was left sitting and cringing at everyone's raging stupidity. After everyone got drunk, guys were just constantly hitting on me and girls would get very mad. It was always a call for trouble. Do not get me wrong, I knew how to have a good time but most of the time I would rather be home.

"Ry, come on. We just went to a party like last week. You know I don’t want to go. I'm all partied out." I whined in protest, stomping my feet a little. I knew he could not resist making me unhappy, so I always used the pout to get my way.

"Oh, please. That was not even a real party last week. There was only like 50 people there and plus it's the last day of finals. It will be fun!" He pleaded full of childish glee, but I looked at him with doleful eyes.

Tears flooded my eyes and dared to flow down my face. “Baby, I’ve been working so hard all week and…” I couldn’t finish my sentence as my voice was too soaked with my own little sobs. The burners had been lit under my skin and I felt like my face was on fire. Ryan’s heart seemed to break before my very eyes. I knew he would give in quickly.

"Alright. Alright. I can’t stand seeing my girl upset." He said as he tenderly grabbed my chin. Internal laughter echoed through my heart. It mercilessly mocked him. “Here.” Ryan took his wallet out from the pocket in his gym shorts. A crisp hundred dollar bill landed in my waiting hand. “Go home, relax, and order out….” The gears in my ears slowed to the lowest speed. I wasn’t listening anymore. The money in my hand had my utmost attention. The smell, the touch had me mesmerized.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me into his embrace again.

"Well since you don't want to go, can I go by myself?"

"Yes. Of course you can. Just don't go crazy." I said with a chuckle, quickly resuming a pleasant look. There was no need to pretend now. I already got what I wanted.

He swiftly pressed his lips against mines. The kiss was deeper this time, unlike the first one. Our lips moved in synchronization. My arms tightened around his neck and his around my waist. We pressed our bodies together as if they could somehow merge together.

"Wooooooooohooooo. Get it, Ryan!!!!!!!!!" Someone yelled from the gym entrance. His remark was followed by others as they all walked in. We broke apart instantly out of breath. My mouth turned to a twisted smile and I gave a cute wave. I knew they were all jealous of Ryan so I did my best to use that.

A group of guys all shades, shapes, and sizes stood there and watched us. Some made sexual gestures and others mocked us with kissing faces. Ryan just stood there with a smile and rubbed the lowly shaved hair on his head.

I grabbed my things off the ground and sauntered away from them. I scurried through the locker room door with a sigh. My mind swirled with thoughts of exhaustion and a deep need to pee.

It’ll all be worth it in the end.

I thought as I walked down the mini hallway that led to the main part. Two familiar conversing voices stopped me in my tracks. I kept quiet, trying not to get caught ease dropping.

“Ugh! I can’t stand that Corinne Adams! She thinks she’s so great.” I recognized this voice as Sarah Mitchell, from my women studies class. She was a real class A bitch that always tried to one-up me, but she never could. This would be very interesting.

“Why? Corinne’s not that bad. She tutored me one time and it was great. Her mind is like an encyclopedia. Sure she is a little superficial and self-centered, but she is friendly once you get to know her. Kind of.” There was some rustling but I couldn’t tell what they were doing. “I'm sure that all stems from something in her past, probably when she was young.” Maggie Rath, who was also in the same class as Sarah and I, said. She was a Psych major but I wasn’t sure where she was heading with her degree. She was better off changing to Pre-med like me. Psychology was awesome and interesting, but it didn’t have much going for it.

“Well she's more than a little superficial.” Sarah scoffed. “The girl could practically use her heart as a freezer. I don’t know how Gena is friends with her. And I’m definitely shocked that Ryan Beach is dating someone like her. She practically slept with ALL the guys before they were together.
Corinne is a bitch and a ho. She’s so stuck up!”

I almost couldn’t keep myself from laughing. Someone is getting a little hot. Well with intelligence and beauty comes with a crowd of haters. There was nothing that I could do about that.

“It just sounds like you are just jealous of her.” Maggie said in a rather small voice. I’m glad she’s hearing the same thing as me.

“Me? Jealous of her? Yeah right. I’m not the one who had to get a job just so I can keep attending here because they are raising the tuition. Her scholarships don’t cover the whole cost anymore.” Sarah snickered. Her callous statement ignited something in me. She’d better be careful lest she’d get burned.

I frowned. How in the world did she find that out? Curse this school and their love of gossip.

What did she know? She knew nothing of my situation. I’m sorry daddy couldn’t pay for all my schooling like some others. I was making it through school by my own might. That’s way better than I can say for her.

Maggie gasped. “Ewwl! Where?” was all she could get out.

“I don’t know, but I’m sure it’s nothing short of prostitution.” They both let out a wicked laugh, which angered me to the bone. Sarah’s laugh was riddled with snorts. She should really do
something about that. I’m sure they offer medication at Petco for such a retched thing as her laugh.

“OMG! I wouldn’t doubt that.”

“All I know is that she isn’t so high and mighty now. Pretentious bitch.”

Unable to listen to them anymore, I walked down the rest of the hallway and into the part of the main bathroom by the stalls and the sinks. Maggie’s and Sarah’s eyes widened as I came into full view.

“Well aren’t you two chatty, today? If you both are done talking about me, I would like to use the bathroom now.” I paused and made a pondering face. “Unless, I’m too stuck up to even get my piss out.” I said bitterly. They both hung their heads in embarrassment and pushed pass me before I could say another word. After hearing door finally close behind them, silence filled the air. I turned to the bathroom stall door and kicked it as hard as I could. It swung back and forth with a loud bang. They’re lucky I had self-control, and that I didn’t kick their faces in.

In my anger, I turned to the mirror and looked at myself. My dark brown eyes were a little pink from the tears of wrath. I looked at my face, twisted with unbridled emotion. My medium caramel skin color shined brightly under the fluorescent bathroom lights. The gleam danced across my perfectly made up face. I touched my nicely curled locks that fell over my shoulders and down my back in a ponytail. I tried to smooth it out a little but did not have much luck. My hair had a mind of its own most times, but now I had to focus. I closed my eyes.

“Who cares what they think!” I declared, defending myself to the mirror, walls, and bathroom stalls. “I am determined, diligent, and focused.” These words flowed out of my mouth repeatedly, trying to make them seep in to my very soul, and calm myself down. “Those girls wish they were as great as me. They wish they were half as beautiful and smart as me. They’ll be sorry for everything they said. I’ll make them sorry.” I opened my eyes and blinked a few times. My face had returned to its normal pleasant state. The greatest revenge was to show that I didn’t care, which was absolutely true. I didn’t care what they thought of me.

I quickly exited the bathroom, after I realized that I had lost the urge to go and was late for meeting up with Gena. As I walked, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I took it out and checked the text. It was from Gena.

Where are you?! Did you get attacked by a Yetti? –Gena

I laughed at her ridiculous text.

Yes. I typed. It took me a minute, but I totally kicked its butt. I hit send as I made it through the double doors that led to the student parking lot and into the warm outside air. A group of guys were coming in as I left. They were practically drooling as they waved and amorously said hello. However, I paid them no mind.

I jogged towards my deep blue 1950 Dodge ½ ton pickup truck that Gena was leaning up against. I marveled at the sight of it. My car was one of the most important things of my life. Not long into our relationship, Ryan offered to buy me a new one. The thought of trading it in made me laugh. I would never do that. It was mine.

Her head was bowed as she looked at her phone, which caused her blonde hair to cascade over her face. Gena wore her signature outfit: a patterned skirt that came about mid-thigh on her, a black tank top and flats. Unlike me, Gena dressed for comfort before fashion. She lifted her head and smiled at me just as I made it right by her side. I slightly smiled back. Her eyes sparkled and smile shined brightly until she met my gaze full on. Gena’s smile faded and her face formed a deep frown.

“What’s wrong?” Gena said full of concern. “You have ‘the face’ on.” She pointed out before I had the chance to lie and cover things up.
Ugh! She knows me to well.

Avoiding her gaze like a child, and being nonchalant about the whole thing, I shrugged off her words. However, I knew she would not let this go, so I told her what happened.

“Oh nothing. Just some jealous girls talking crap about me. Ya know, same old stuff, different day.” Gena looked like she was going to say something but I kept talking. “Can you believe Sarah Mitchell and Maggie Rath were talking bad about me in the bathroom today? The nerve of some people.” I shook my head as an attempt to stop the anger that built up inside me once again. Words flowed out of me, even though I inwardly begged them to stop. “Sarah called me superficial and stuck up. They were talking about how I had to get a job because I can’t afford to go here anymore. Sarah suggested that I’m probably a prostitute.” The flames of anger were slowly ripping me apart now. My attempts to control myself just fanned the fire and caused my eyes to tear in frustration. Tears formed at the brim of my eyes. I looked around and quickly wiped them, making sure no one else was seeing me really cry. Gena was the only one who I could fall apart in front of.

“Don’t listen to-”

“If I didn’t care about getting a spot on my school record, I’d punch their faces in.” I almost yelled. “Those evil bitches.”

Gena winced at my vulgarity. She hated cursing, ever since we were little. She was always so good. In her opinion, there were better ways to express yourself. Knowingly, I apologized.

“Sorry, Gee, but those witches are just jealous of me. I should go and beat their asses right now.” I screamed the last words, echoing loudly. Thank God there was no one outside.

“Calm down, Rocky.” Gena said letting out a laugh. My mood seemed to dissipate at the sound of her laugh. She always was soothing. “That’s not necessary.” I smiled, as she tried to put me back at ease.

We chuckled. Light mischief came to her eyes, she smiled. “If I would have been there, you know, I’d be in jail.” She said feigning a tough-guy attitude. Gena lifted her arm to show off her imaginary muscle. We both burst out into laughter.

“Well I’m glad you weren’t there because it would take me a while to bail you out.” I said through a fit of giggles. I don’t know what I’d do without this girl. She is the best!

I took my keys out of my pocket and unlocked the door to the truck. I got into the front seat. Gena walked around the back to the other side and got into the passenger’s seat. Turning the key in the ignition, the truck roared to life.

Gena’s words broke our comfortable silence before I could pull out of the parking spot.

“Cori?”

“Yes?” I replied, turning my head to look at her. Her pale blue eyes looked faint and made her face look worried and a little scared. The face had frequently appeared ever since I told her last week and I knew exactly what she was about to say.

“I don’t want you to work at Mercy Hospital.”

“I know.” I responded without really listening.