Surrounded But Alone

Chapter 16- Promises Are Paid In Effort

Presley's Point Of View;

The minute I got back from my afternoon classes I collapsed onto the couch. I only had three of them but they were each 1 hour and a half long. Two of them had us doing practicals and gave a lot of topics for us to research ourselves as homework so we can continue forward with projects. The third class mostly had theory but at the end of it, we were placed in groups to give presentations on what we did so far for the next class.

I hated the idea of standing in front of a class. I would usually skip the days for it by calling in sick and give it separately at lunch for the teacher alone in high school. It wasn't a lie, I must have been sick cause I couldn't find a way to even make it out of bed those days. But in a group presentation, you had to go when the group was up.

We have to meet up somewhere around the school for the rest of the week to talk about the topic we will be doing. And I will have to be at all of them because Professor Hoyte put me as the team leader. I'm not surprised, she always seems to single me out more than anyone else. And for the life of me, I can't figure out why.

On our first day, she made it clear she expected 100% from all of us even if Media Arts Sciences wasn't our major class. And I'm not a bad student so it can't be to shame me. I will have to do it over the phone with my group cause I'll be flying out tomorrow morning. I took everyone's number so I send them a message in the group chat. I have to get back by Monday morning so I can get to her class.

With midterms right around the corner, I also have to start studying even more. Just listening to their constant reminders about it stressed me out. It's now 5 pm so I'll just lie here for a while until it's time to go meet Amelia. After that, I promised to meet Homer at the café at 7:30 pm. Why couldn't he share his good news over a text message or something? I sighed heavily and tried to close my eyes but nagging this headache wouldn't let me sleep. My breathing wasn't as steady anymore so I tried to adjust myself on the couch but it was no use.

I felt this enough times to know what to expect. It's an early warning sign that I'm not going to feel well for the rest of this evening. I would cancel all the plans I had but if I don't go I'll feel guilty about having to put it off. What really is the point of going if I definitely won't be able to enjoy anything? I just have to stop thinking about it so much. It's just normal stuff normal people do and don't worry about. Even though there are going to be so many people at these places I have to go and here I am overthinking it again. The more I moved around on the couch the more uncomfortable I became.

It went like that until Mitchum came back to the apartment at 5:30 pm, he must have been roaming around with his friends again. On my way to different classes, I saw them talking in the cafeteria so their classes must have concluded hours ago. Where he gets the energy to socialize after classes is a mystery to me. But I bet it's the same place he gets his ability to fit in wherever he is. Well, at least he's back so I can ask him where the place Amelia wants me to meet her. It's not as if I'm really getting any rest as it is.

I sat up on the couch when he entered the living room. He went straight to the kitchen after a quick good afternoon. I pulled out the paper with the address Amelia gave me from my pocket. I was so glad that I left it there because I would have lost it for sure.

I followed him to the kitchen where he was drinking a cup of orange juice he got out of the fridge. I stood by the counter near the kitchen and thought about how I can ask him. I know I couldn't directly ask him to go cause I knew I should be familiar with the school already. I also don't want to have to listen to another 'you should get out for some fresh air' speech. I knew he meant well, but there was nothing wrong with the air in here. So I'll just have to ease him into it, but how?

"Is there something that you want to ask me?" I must have been a lot more obvious than I would like, for him to ask.Well, it was now or never. The most he could say was no, right.

"Do you know where it is?" I asked as I held out to him the paper and he came closer to see what was written on it.

"Yeah, I know that place, why?" He replied after drinking the last of his juice and I took back the paper.

"Well I'm going there now to meet someone and I wanted to invite you along," I said, feeling the discomfort building as the reality of having to go out sank in.

"Really, so you're going out? That's good, so you're feeling better since the accident?" Mitchum looked almost happy when he said that.

To be fair the past two days he invited me to come with his friends I said I felt sick. It was to some extent true but it wasn't always because of the injuries. Those newfound friendships of his happened a little too quickly for my taste.

"Yeah I am but I've never been to this part of the school before and it seems it has something that I think would be enjoyable to some extent."

He took a moment to think and then laughed. "Like what, are they having a comic book sale or something?"

"No, it's a Chemistry competition I'm going to." I rolled my eyes but I knew when I said that, it would get his attention.

"There are Chemistry competitions here?" I could see the curiosity in his eyes as he asked.

"Yes, I thought I would check it out but I wanted to ask if you wanted to come or not," I said feeling a little less confident about how this conversation was going. Did I make it sound like it was really worth his time? I would have been more descriptive based off of what Amelia told me about the rewards but only if he needed more convincing.

"Duh! I'm a student of Biochemistry, of course, I want to come. I didn't know you were into Chemistry." He expressed with his hands as he threw them in the air to show that he definitely was for the idea.

I had gotten him to agree to go with me and I didn't have to talk too much exerting the little strength I had. At least the hard part of how to get there was over. My chest still felt heavy because now I had to go face a crowd. But at least there would be someone there that I knew. "Great cause obviously I'm not and like I said I have to meet someone there."

He gave me a look that I could tell that he wanted to ask me who I had to meet. But thankfully he didn't push for me to say more and he would find out when we get there anyway. He may not have known her anyway and neither did I myself.

"Alright then, when did it say it was again?" He smiled and asked.

"We have to be there by 6 pm." I took one last look at the paper before answering and Mitchum took out his phone to see the time.

"It's 5:45 now, so let's go. We can just make it."

I'm really glad he was all for the idea because I was kind of nervous about meeting Amelia again on my own. I still don't feel well but I did make a promise. At least if I do faint on the way there someone would be close by.