The Wrong Sister

Just a little down

My brain hurt when I woke up. I had forgotten to close my curtains the and the light was shining right into my eyes. 

In contrast to the blinding beam my room was gloomy. I shuffled into my bathroom and sat on the floor of my shower. 

I didn't drink that much last night, but what I did drink was wine and not very expensive wine at that. 

I turned on the shower and let the noise of the water hitting my head sooth my mind. 

From its place next to my bed my phone loudly notified me that it was time to wake up.

I groaned. I'm not getting out of this shower. It's the only place that feels nice. 

A minute went past of me staunchly pretending the world didn't exist when the girl in the room next to me started banging on the wall. 

Her yelling was muffled through the wall, but she was a late sleeper, and my alarm couldn't be a source of happiness to her. 

"Sorry!" I yelled.

I stumbled my way to the bed dropping naked and wet onto the covers. I grabbed my phone. 

The time shone in bright white digits on the blue background. 

8 o'clock 

8 o'clock  

Shit shit shit

I tumbled onto the floor and pulled my laptop out of the bag next to my desk. 

Shit shit shit 

I ripped it open smashing keys. 

Password is incorrect 

I held back a scream. I had to calm down. 

I took a deep breath and input my password. It worked. Tears started to leak from my eyes as I pulled up the software used to submit the assignments. 

My eyes scanned down the lists of assignments: due on, due on, due on... past due. 

I whimpered. I shouldn't have gone out. I should have done my assignments with George. Why didn't I. 

Fuck 

That means two zeros.

I curled my hand into a fist and slammed it onto my head. 

The room was silent except for my soft whimpers and the quiet thump of my fist on my head.

An indeterminable about of time passed as I sat hitting my head. 

My phone rang breaking the dismal quiet with its far too cheerful tone.

It was Chloe.  

"Hey, babes." her voice was the sun beam that woke me. It was bright and light, but it hurt and intruded. 

I tried to pull myself together and answer her with at least a little life, "Hey, Chlo. What's up?"

"I just want to know if you want to come home today. I'm free so I can fetch you." 

"I'm sorry, dude. I have a lot of really important lectures today, so I need to attend in person, but I'll let you guys know when I can come home." I stared at one spot on the wall. 

I didn't have any important lectures today, well no more important than the lectures every other day. 

"Aw. Oh well. let me know when you can come. I really want to spend time with you while I'm up here." She sounded okay, but I knew she was disappointed. 

Guilt spread through my body like hyacinth on a damn. 

"Yeah, it sucks. I really have to go. Sorry, Chlo. Bye, love you." 

"Oh, sorry, love you, Arte." 

I put the phone on the floor and fell once more into a staring competition with the wall. 

I knew that I should be going to my lectures today, but the wall was just so safe. 

What kind of whiny bitch fucks up her own assignments and has such a massive reaction that she can't go to her lectures. 

I can make it up though. I can watch the video.

I glanced at the time on my phone. 

8:30 AM

I wasn't late yet, but I would have to run. 

I can just skip the first lecture of the day. It's not that big a deal. I'll go to the next one. 

I leaned over my desk and grabbed my schedule. 

Yup, definitely not running for chemistry.

I climbed back into my bed ignoring the wet sheets. 

With my schedule next to my head I fell asleep. 

I jolted when I woke up. The sun had moved, but from my room it was hard to tell how much. 

I anxiously grabbed at my phone checking the time. 

It was too late for me to attend the lecture that was happening right now. Not by much, but still too late. 

I went back to sleep. 

Once again waking up with a start anxiously grabbing at my phone before deciding that philosophy wasn't worth the walk. 

Finally, at 2 o'clock I managed to slither out of bed, pull on clothes, pack my bag, and head towards campus. 

At 2:30 I made it to campus. It wasn't a 30-minute walk, but I had time and the trees along the road were flowering. 

I strolled towards my lecture hall stopping to pet one of the campus cats. She was old and very grumpy, but also an absolute sweetheart. 

Her long claw caught in my loose pants when I tried to walk past. She growled as I carefully unhooked her from my pants before picking her up. 

She hissed until she got comfortable. Then she purred like a tractor and nuzzled my face. 

"I have to go, Grumpy Girl." I whispered as I scratched under her chin. 

"I know, but I've skipped every other class today." 

I knelt on the floor and slowly lay down on the grass. I wasn't sure if Grumpy's growl in response to being picked up was because she was sore or because she didn't like her loss of control. So, I let her step off my chest herself with a few soft but insistent pats in the direction of the lawn.  

Once she was off me, I stroked her one last time before running to my lecture hall. It was my favorite class I was not going to miss this one. 

I sat next to George when I made it to the hall. 

"Where were you in chem?" She asked loudly above the class chattering before the professor arrived. 

"Just a little down. I'll catch up the class tonight it's all good." I said trying to keep my voice down while still being heard by her. 

Her eyes widened, "Oh, no. What happened?" 

"Nothing. I'm just a little down. It's fine." 

"What happened last night?" She asked, "Shane said you were in a car accident? Why didn't you tell me?" 

I sighed my anger with Gabriel reappearing, "I'm having a bit of trouble with my memory, okay? It's freaking me out and I didn't want to think about it."

"You should have told me. I wouldn't have abandoned you if I had known."

"Well maybe you shouldn't have abandoned me at all." I wasn't loud, but it was harsh. 

George's eyes started watering. She looked away. 

"I'm sorry. You didn't abandon me, and I really didn't need extra supervision." I hesitated, "I'm sorry. I'm just feeling a bit weird is all. I mean I abandoned you just as much as you did me." 

She looked back at me, "Yeah, you're right." 

She smiled, but now it was awkward.