Ethereal

Prologue

"I'm not saying he deserved to get dumped, I'm saying Jess had good reason."

You pull out a half-eaten tub of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream from the freezer, holding your phone to your ear by wedging it between your cheek and your shoulder.

"But come on, she lost a good guy. Ryan was hot, and I bet that accent didn't make it any easier for Jess to break up with him."

"Yeah, I guess that's true. Hey, are we still on for Saturday night?" You sit down on your couch and stuff a big spoonful of ice cream into your mouth after foraging for cookie dough chunks. This is how you usually spent your days off- eating ice cream and talking to your best friend, Cecilia, on the phone. Tonight's discussion was about one of your favorite shows, New Girl, and you've been on the phone for hours arguing about who Jess really belonged with in the end.

"Of course we are. And don't think I don't know you're trying to change the subject, this is important. Ryan was hot and he and Jess liked all the same stuff. They were meant for each other!"

For some reason this makes your blood boil. You try to remind yourself it's just a tv show, but you get really passionate about things like this.

"Not true! Jess and Nick love each other! They were meant for each other the minute they met, and nothing can change my mind."

"But they didn't like the same things! Even they knew they were too different, that's why they broke up the first time."

"So what?" You said raising your voice a little too high, your hand flying in the air. "Love isn't only about liking the same things. It's about how someone makes you feel, how you feel when they're gone, and how they treat you. Nick made Jess feel loved and happy, Ryan was just hot and had similar interests. I rest my case. Let's move on."

"Fine. But you're one to talk about love, when was the last time you had a boyfriend?"

You chuckled, stuffing another spoonful of ice cream into your mouth. "You have a point, but I've watched Titanic enough times to know what love is supposed to be like." You know why you get heated about this stuff. You've never been in a serious relationship, as you're always so lovingly reminded by Cecilia when you have debates like these. It doesn't bother you though. You've had fuck buddies now and then, but watching cheesy movies and tv shows gives you hope that someday you'll find your perfect someone. You don't really believe in true love, soulmates, or Prince Charmings, but sometimes you're lonely enough to try and convince yourself that it's possible for you to find love.

Other times you come back to reality, knowing that for some people love just isn't an option.

"Hey listen I gotta go." You say, getting up to put your ice cream back in the freezer. "I'm in need of a good shower and some sleep since I have to work early tomorrow. I love you."

"Love you too. I'll see you on Saturday." You hang up the phone, entering your room and setting it on your night stand to charge. You walk into your bathroom and turn on the shower making sure the water is extra warm. You grab a towel, take off your clothes, and step into the shower. You feel the warm water run down from your hair to your shoulders, traveling down the rest of your body. You take showers often because of the comfort you feel when you do. You've read studies that say people who take long, hot showers are usually lonely. You know this is true, because all you can think about during showers is how much you wish someone else could make you feel as warm and comfortable. "God, I'm so pathetic." You think to yourself, pouring some of your new body soap onto your light blue loofah. You scrub your body focusing on the way the soap smells. It's sweet and nostalgic, reminding you of the perfumes your mom used to wear.

After washing your hair with shampoo and conditioner, you step out of the shower and wrap your towel around you. You dry your hair with an old gray t-shirt and step into your bedroom, the cold air hitting your skin. You slip on a Harry Potter t-shirt and your favorite red plaid pajama pants. You walk into the living room and turn on the tv, scrolling through HBO Max. You decide to watch the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The episode opens with Will making a funny remark about Carltons height, and you laugh. You always laugh when Will and Carlton fight and tease. It reminds you of you and your friends when you were in high school. A lot of them stayed in Richmond where you grew up, or moved to another county nearby. You went to college in Williamsburg and moved to DC afterwards because of the better pay and job opportunities. Cecilia moved to DC a year after you when she was offered a job as a curator at the National Gallery of Art, so she's doing well for herself. She's busy a lot but she always makes time for you knowing she's really your only friend in DC.

Your Fresh Prince binge is interrupted by your phone ringing. You check the Caller ID, noticing that it's an unknown number. Usually you don't answer calls like these, but you notice they are calling from Williamsburg. You have some work connections that live there so you decide to answer. "Hello?"

"Is this Dr. y/n y/l/n?"

"This is she."

"My name is Professor Alicia Davis, I'm a behavioral sciences professor at the College of William and Mary. I'm calling because I've done my research on you and I'm impressed by your work. I'm wondering if you would like to be a guest speaker for my class next week."

You're struck with feelings of surprise and nostalgia again. Your time at college were some of the most hardworking years of your life, but you wouldn't give up the things you learned and experienced for the world. Maybe it would've been a little easier on you if you had more friends, or even a boyfriend. But you survived off of your phone calls with Cecilia.

"Of course, I would love to! But may I ask, what caused you to do research on me?"

"I came cross your name in some student files. I've been looking for a William and Mary alumni guest speaker for a while now, so I did some research on you and found some of your patient assessments and clinical tests. Your work is clean, thorough, and I can tell you work hard. You stuck out to me. I talked with some of your associates and they spoke very highly of you and your work."

You were overcome by flattery. You've been praised about your work by your superiors, but never by someone in a different field than you. Professor Davis gives you all the information you need, telling you that you are expected in Williamsburg next Wednesday, exactly one week from now. Her class was currently learning about criminal behavior. You got all of the important information, but you're so excited and full of ideas that some of the things she says go right over your head.

You didn't even hear her when she told you there would be another guest speaker teaching the lesson with you.