After Death

Chapter Thirty Five

TUESDAY, ONE WEEK AFTER 

“Good morning, class,” Jacob said as he walked into the large, stadium seat style room. He always tried to put on the guise of a professor. It felt like a character. “Let’s have those essays out, and then you’re all set for the day.” He looked up, and saw that the room was only half empty, and the half of the present half looked like they’d seen better days. They were dressed in sweat, yawning, and not just in the standard college way. There was something going on here. 

Things had been odd since Dr. Hall’s announcement last week. He hadn’t had time to fully process it, but it didn’t seem to matter. There were too many things to worry about, Jasey being almost all of those things. These college kids though, they took it different. A few of them just up and left the school, others tapered out. Some stuck to their studies even more intensely. To Jacob it seem like these kids were really caught up in it. He tried to remember what it was like at that age, but couldn’t. 

The students filed down, throwing their papers onto his desk and then scurrying out of the room. Some muttered a quick thanks, others were silent. It was an occupational fact that most of these kids weren’t going to be interested in Roman history. Go figure. He watched the papers stacking up, imagining each of them as an hour of his life that would be spent grading. 

Jasey got home at her normal time, but made straight for her room without saying anything.

“Jase?” Jacob poked out from his office. It was unlike her. 

“I’m ok!” she called from her room, but she sounded like anything but.

Jacob got up and went to her room. “You sure?”

He could hear her sniff inside. “Y-yeah,” she said.

“Not so fast. I smell an issue and I can turn dad mode off for a moment if you want to talk about it.”

“I don’t know if I want to talk about this one.”

“Well, that’s your issue. Can we talk about it?”

Jasey hesitated. “Yeah, I guess.”

“That’s my girl.”

The door clicked as it unlocked and he pushed in. Jasey was pressed up against her bed, her head already buried in the pillow. 

“I’m going to need to see that face,” Jacob said and put his hand on Jasey’s back. “The talking thing works better if we’re both doing it.” 

Jasey lifted herself up, revealing a tear streaked face. Jacob didn’t know if he had ever seen her like that.

“You’re not looking so good,” he said.

“When has that ever mattered?”

“Touch. What’s up, kid?”

“Stupid things.”

“That’s usually the case. What sort of stupid things?”

“Kids at school.”

“Aha. That’s also a pretty usual case,” he nodded his head. Not for Jasey, though. Kids liked Jasey. 

“Some idiot said something about mom.”

Jacob’s heart dropped. That wasn’t good.

“I punched him in the face. Didn’t get in trouble, but I punched him and told him to tell teachers that he fell down the stairs. They believed him,” she snorted laughter in between sobs.

“What sort of things did they say about mom?”

“That I was going to end up like her. I’m not. Mom is an idiot.”

“That’s definitely one way of saying it.”

“It’s true. I never want to see mom again because she ruined everything.”

Jacob bit his lip. This wasn’t exactly the conversation he had anticipated having. “You’re not like your mother. You’re smart, beautiful, and unique. You’re doing to do great things, Jase.” 

“I can’t believe those stupid teachers believed him. That’s awesome,” she smiled and laughed again. She was practically already over it. Leave it to Jasey to resolve things for herself, like Jacob never good.

“Want me to make cheese steaks tonight?” he asked.

“How about just regular straight up steaks?” she grinned, practically salivating. “With potatoes and like a butt ton of roasted vegetables?”

He nodded. “That’s alright with me. You can always talk if you need to, you know that, right?”

“Yeah. Sorry I was being a butt.”

“Happens to the best of us.”

“Can I ask you a kind of a big question?”

“Always.”

“What do you think the point of life is?”

That was a big question. Jacob hesitated, thinking about it. “I think we just need to be happy. Sometimes it takes a little bit of work or sadness to get there, but if it’s worth it, it’s worth it. I think life is just about finding your happiness.”

“Are you happy?”

“Yes,” Jacob didn’t need to hesitate on that one.

“Cool,” she grinned and wiped snot out of her nose. 

“I’m going to hit the store, want to come with?”

“YUP!” she hopped up to join him. He would end up spending much more money as she pulled every various food whim into their cart, but he knew it would be worth it.