Mending Heart |18+|

Chapter 27

Freedom

"Break free of an image that stops you from standing up for yourself." – Unknown

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I was sure I would be driving myself up the walls will all of my newfound free time, but I quite liked not going to work every morning. I got to sleep in, clean up around the apartment, and most importantly, I didn't have to carry the burden and responsibilities of my job anymore.

The days had turned into weeks, and before I knew it, Halloween was just around the corner. My neighbors had already begun putting up all sorts of decorations, and grocery stores have had the Halloween candy on display since September.

I was sitting at the kitchen island nursing a cup of coffee and scrolling through my phone when Zoey's caller ID flashed across the screen. Pressing the green answer button, her face filled my screen.

"Yes?" I cocked an eyebrow, surprised she was calling me this early in the morning.

"I am freaking out!" She stared back at me with wide eyes, her hair tangled in a messy bun. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she had pulled an all-nighter.

"What's going on?" I asked, propping my phone against the fruit bowl so I could free my hands. "Are you okay?"

"No!" She exclaimed. "I am not okay! In fact, I'm far from okay. I have my first physics midterm in three hours and I know nothing!"

"Zoey," I glared at her through the screen. She used to say the same thing back in high school, and the following day when I'd ask her what she got on her test, she had aced it. "You'll be fine!"

"Fine?" She shrieked, her eyes boggling out of their sockets. "I will most certainly not be fine! Our stupid professor doesn't believe in homework grades or anything else other than the midterm and final exam. This exam is worth fifty percent of my grade!"

Ah – that brings back memories of nightmare professors with a stick up their ass.

"Breath!" I sighed deeply, leaning back on the island stool and crossing my arms. "Tell me what the exam is on."

"Right – " Zoey set her phone down and began flipping through her notebook. "Linear momentums, elastic collisions, sound and light, and wave parameters." She then went off on a tangent about the role of kinetic energy in elastic collisions as I sat there listening to her talk and giving the occasional grunt and yes when necessary.

Although I had no idea what any of what she was saying meant, it was clear she did and all of this was just the overwhelming pressure to succeed getting to her.

I was on the phone with Zoey for a little over an hour when I glanced at the clock and saw it was already half-past ten.

If I didn't leave soon, I was going to be late.

"Look, Zoey, I have to go – I'm late for an appointment," I said, walking towards my bedroom to get changed. While I don't think Caryn would mind me showing up in pajamas, I was trying to show her I was getting better, not worst. "Don't stress yourself out. You know all the answers, all you have to do is breathe. Take a shower, eat something, and before you know it it'll be over."

"You're right." She nodded, though her eyes told me otherwise. "You're right – I'll just... I'll take a break."

"You're going to keep reading that textbook and reviewing your notes until the exam, aren't you?" I sighed, shaking my head.