Suicide Watch

Chapter 8

Isa POV

"Ready?" I ask.

Temi doesn't answer, doesn't nod. She doesn't even look at me as she walks past me, out of the apartment. I expect nothing more and I follow behind her at a slight distance.

Her book bag is slung over her shoulder, and it bounces against her back as she walks. It looks heavy and for a moment I want to volunteer to help her carry it, but I know that she'd turn me down, so I don't even bother.

Before long, we are on the college's main campus, and just like the day before, I am in awe as I take in the university's beauty. It is large, filled with elegant looking buildings and structures. All around, there are students bustling around. Catching up with friends and lots of laughter. It's beautiful.

I glance ahead at Temi. She doesn't seem to take any of this in. Instead, she walks hurriedly past groups of people with her head down, clutching tightly onto her bookbag.

I stop tailing Temi and watch as she goes into the building where she has her writing class. She doesn't turn to look back at me. Just walk straight ahead as if I am not here at all. I wait a few moments after Temi disappears out of view before I turn on my heels to do some exploring of my own.

I figure I might as well get adjusted to the campus since I will be spending a lot of time here. For a while, I walk around, looking at all the unique buildings. I watch a group of students talking to each other and laughing at the top of their lungs.

For a moment, I wonder if this would have been me if I had ever gone to college. But then again, my family didn't have the money to send me to college. And even if they did, being very traditional, they most definitely would not have let me go to college to do art. As far as I am concerned, if I'm not going to college to do something I love, then there's no point at all.

I settle down on a patch of grass with my back against a tree and take out my sketchpad. I am facing a building with a sign stating 'school of Architecture'. The building is large with intricate structures, and I start sketching it.

This is what I do for the next few minutes. It's unusual for me to have time to make sketches while working. My art is something that I had solely ever done between jobs. Although this job differs vastly from any other job I have ever worked, the upside is that I actually have more time for myself.

I am standing in place when Temi gets out of her last class for the day. It is only late afternoon and the summer sun is still pretty high in the sky.

"Hey," I say, once Temi is within earshot.

She glares at me.

I don't pursue a conversation further, but follow behind her steadily as she walks toward her apartment. To be honest, being inside the cramped apartment is not something I want to do at the moment.

"We need to buy groceries," I blurt out, "we're out of food.."

This isn't entirely true, but I need any excuse to get Temi out of the apartment for a little while longer. Not just for my sake, but also for hers.

Temi doesn't reply for a while, but she stops in her tracks and slowly turns around. Her signature glare etched onto her face.

"I don't see why you can't just go buy the groceries by yourself. Isn't that your job?" Temi crosses her arms over her chest as she speaks and its actions like these that make her appear like a thirteen-year-old throwing a tantrum rather than the adult that she is.

I know better than to tell her this, but I will be lying if I say that I am not quickly becoming sick of it.

"Firstly, that is not my job. It's something that I choose to do," I state, matching her glare with a stern look of my own. "Also, I do not know where the store is, so you need to come with me."