In This Life ○ Paul Lahote

Six

"Let's go see Emily!!" Rachel whines and latches onto my arm with an unusual vice grip, resulting in my sigh.
"I really want to get this done Rache." I mumble, trying to keep my concentration. I had woke. Up at three in the morning and ran until seven. I've been doing this work since eight and it is currently one in the afternoon.
It's weird, I could never concentrate in school. I was always in and out of detention and ISS because of my random outbursts, I had to move. But there's something about psychology and the whole idea of it that just mellows me out. I think that's why my parents have always been so supporting of my major.
"Well you can take a break!" She suggests happily, as if she solved a life's mystery.
"No." I deject and she slumps.
"Then how about you take it with us...?" She pleads and I sigh with an annoyed groan, shutting down my computer seeing as Google Docs saves everything automatically.
"Yes!" She cheers as I pack up all the stuff I'll need, including noise canceling earbuds.
Just as I stand up I realize I definitely need to change. There was an over exaggerated amount of skin on display to the world and my "tank top" did nothing other then hang just above my belly button white my army green sports bra did the actual coverage.
"I need to-"
"No!" Rachel says sternly before grabbing me and running us out of the house. She practically throws me in the truck and speeds off before I could even register the whole of everything.
"Guess not." I sigh out and look down at my skin to see you can also see the multitude of tattoos all over my body. You could see the head of my octopus poking up above my shorts on my left thigh and a couple te ticked could be seen bellow my shorts. You can see the Aztec ring pattern circumferencing my right bicep, and three little elephants on the inside of my left arm, each outlined a different color. I'm sure you could see the dream catcher on my spine as well.
"We're here!" Rachel grins and jumps out, barging into the home without permission. I grab my things, deciding that fixing my "clothes" would be a futile attempt and that I just need to suck it up. Oh, and not murder Rachel. I sigh as I get to the door and I knock.
"Come in!" Emily calls and I let myself in, looking around to see a couple people in the living room.
"Hey." I wave and one of them gets up, jogging over to me.
"Hey, we didn't introduce ourselves yesterday." He says and sticks out his hand for a hand shake.
"I'm Jared, Paul's best friend." He says and I nod with a smile.
"Over there is Embry and the guy sleeping is Seth." He chuckles and I nod and wave to Embry.
"It's nice to meet you all." I tell them with a sigh and set my bag down on one of the chairs at the dining room table.
"How're you doing?" Emily asks and gives me a hug.
"Good, I haven't seen you in ages! Is that a grey hair I see?" I grin to her as she chuckles and rolls her eyes, slapping my arm.
"Jeez." I mumble, making her chuckle more.
"Would it be okay if I got some work done here while you two visit?" I ask and Rachel groans a little.
"Yeah! Yeah go ahead! Don't let us stop you!" Emily encourages me and I thank her with a sigh. I take my bag and plop down in the seat in the corner of the room, out of everyone's way. I take out my laptop and plug it in to charge as I take out all my papers and my textbook, taking a deep breath before plunging into my work.
•~
"Do you think she knows we're here?"
"She looks really angry."
"Stupid, she's just concentrating."
"I can still hear you!" I laugh and look up from the screen at Jared, Embry, and Seth just as the door opens and Sam, Paul, and a girl saunter in.
I chuckle once more and shake my head as I finish up the last paragraph, saving it twenty-three times.
"Jenna?" I hear and look up to see Paul looking at me.
"What's up?" I ask and stretch my arms above my head, cracking my back several times.
"I didn't know you were going to be here." He tells me.
"Neither did I." I reply in an unimpressed tone, handing Rachel another unamused glance.
I clear my stuff off the table so everyone could sit if they wanted to and Paul takes a seat to my right and I give him a smile before looking back at my laptop. I sit criss-cross-applesauce and put my laptop on my lap and check my e-mail. Low and behold, I have a new assignment! Just dandy.
I groan as I finish reading it, shutting off my laptop.
"What is it?" Paul asks.
"Oh, uh, nothing. Just more work." I sigh out, rubbing my temples.
"What do you have to do?"
"Another paper, this one on the psychological attachment to family, friends, and significant others." I tell him, not even trying to hide my stress. Spring Break is supposed to be relaxing damn it!!
Just then my phone goes off and I look down at the screen. Rick.
"Excuse me." I mutter and set my laptop on my seat, walking out of the house and onto the porch.
"What." I ask in an unamused and stressed tone.
"Whoa. What's wrong?" Rick asks with a chuckle. I could hear a girl giggling in the background and someone else try and hush them.
"Just work. I have a lot to do over break."
"That's a bummer." He replies half heartedly and says something I couldn't really hear, making that girl giggle. I clench my jaw and ball my hand in a fist.
"How many have you had so far?" I ask bitterly.
"Babe, don't be like that." He chuckles but I hang up on him, shaking my head. Unbelievable. I take a deep breath and pace back and forth. Just as I was about to go back in the house I feel a jolt shoot through my body. The adrenaline was so sharp and and sudden that I crumpled to the floor, clutching my heart with a groan. I felt my limbs shaking and I stand up, shoving my phone in my pocket.
"Jenna?" I hear and turn around to see Paul.
"Paul! Hey!" I say and clench my hands into fists, hiding them behind my back.
"You alright?" He asks cautiously and I nod.
"Yep. I'm just going to go for a run." I tell him with a nod and just as I was going to step off the porch, a vibrating boom of thunder rumbled through the sky, stopping me in my tracks.
"G-Great." I twitch out.
"Jenna, what's wrong?" Paul asks.
"Nothing. I just need to get back to the Black's." I nod, changing my plan as I walk back into the house and clench my teeth as I try to keep from vibrating as I put all my papers away.
"Are you alright?" Emily asks worriedly.
"I'm fine." I reply at the same time Rachel answers with a "she's fine".
This drew all the attention and resulted in a soft sigh from myself.
"I'll meet you at home okay?" I tell Rachel who nods and takes my bag from me.
"I got it." She nods and I send her a warning glance before kissing her cheek and handing her my cellphone to make sure it doesn't get wet either. I try walking out of the house and as I step off the porch I become soaked with huge water drops. I sprint to the Black home and into the back yard, starting on suicides, my feet sliding to multiple stops as the rain drenched me.
"Jenna!?" Mr. Black shouts over the rain.
"Come inside! You're soaked!" He shouts.
"No, I'm fine!!"I call back."Thank you!" I reply and continue as my breathing becomes uncontrollable. I finally slip so much I fall on my butt, the over saturated ground splashing in response, getting mud all over my skin. I breath heavily and start doing sit ups as tears spring to my eyes. I hate this.