The Cursed Pharaoh's Bride

Chapter 6: I'd Miss Her If She Wasn't Here

Carolina

It's been two weeks since I saw him in my dreams and now I no longer have those crazy nightmares. My dreams now range from being super detailed and me being able to feel his warm skin brush against mine to vague and forgettable. Either way, I always end up waking up with this same warm feeling all throughout my body as if I was being held in someone's tight embrace. At least it's better than waking up in pure terror.

The semester has finally started. Today, is in fact my first day of classes. A large part of me can't say I'm excited. But after the crazy summer I had in Egypt, I smaller part of me is happy to get back to the normal grind.

Tori and I make it to our 10:00 am Physics II class just in time. Not that our teacher seems to care. He tells the whole class immediately that he doesn't care if any of us showed up to class or not. Seems like he's one of those teachers, which Tori and I are super okay with. After class, we have a quick lunch before heading our separate ways.

Tori, unlike me, is in pursuit of working in the clinical setting of medicine. She majors in hematology and wants to work with patient samples in hospital labs. She took physiology last year and I have to take it this semester. She says the course isn't too bad at least.

I trudge out of physiology at around 3 in the afternoon. I'm just about ready to go home when I walk past Dr. Jones' lab. It wouldn't hurt to say hello, right? After all, I haven't been able to contact her since the trip.

I turn myself around and walk into her lab. As I walk through, I notice some of her new, younger staff fumbling around with the equipment. Noobs. But I have to admit, that was me at one point.

I walk through the lab until I reach her office. I knock on the door and immediately after I do, the door swings open.

"Carolina! How have you been?!" She asks excitedly.

"I've been good," I say sheepishly.

"That's good to hear. How have you been recovering from the trip?" She asks.

"I'm doing a lot better. It's been a little over a month and it's becoming an after thought," I reassure.

"That's great. If anything ever resurfaces, I'm always here to talk," she says with a soft smile.

"Thanks, Dr. Jones," I chuckle nervously, "Dr. Jones, I was also wondering if it's too late for me to join in your lab work this semester."

She claps and gives me a bright smile. "Of course not! In fact, we have a new sponsor coming to visit tomorrow and I want you to be there. He's the owner of some company that wants to expand into creating medicine and treatments but he's looking into bioengineering and immunology for new methods."

"I have a light schedule tomorrow so I should be able to make it. Just email me the info," I say.

"Excellent, excellent," she says giddily, "Oh, just know, because you're joining us late, you won't be getting paid the first few weeks of this month."

"That's fine," I say. Boy, do I need to get a new job.

I left Dr. Jones' lab feeling somewhat satisfied of myself. Lately my dreams have been all good, I haven't been freaking out, and I managed to find myself another distraction from my fears. Ironically, I found that distraction with Dr. Jones but she knows better than anyone what happened to me on that trip.

By the time I make it to the apartment, the sun was setting. I don't think I spent that much time at the lab but it seems I have. "Tori, I'm sorry that I'm late. I know I should have called you-" I start as I open the door.

I'm suddenly attacked by a tall blonde person-thing. "Carolina!" I hear her squeal. Ugh, Alexa.

"It's been ages, darling," she says as she gives me air kisses, "I haven't seen you all summer." Lucky me.

"Um, yeah, it's been a while. How have you been, Alexa?" I ask politely. If I'm being real, I only ask her out of politeness. But even if I don't ask, she will tell me anyways.

"Oh, it was great. Mom and Dad surprised me with a trip to Paris for my birthday and I was able to bring a couple of my friends. There are so many men to hook up with in France, let me tell you. It's also where I got a lot of clothes, as you can see from my outfit," she says as she gives me a slight twirl. I just nod my head in response and give her a half hearted smile.

"I also have to apologize," she says dramatically, "I stayed away longer than expected because I stayed over with an old friend of mine."

"Trey isn't really an old friend," Tori chimes in as she walks into the living room. I wonder where she was hiding.

"Well, I mean he's the longest relationship I had until we broke up before summer started," Alexa protests.

"Three months is the longest relationship you've had?" Tori retorts as she raises an eyebrow in question.

"It's not my fault I like to move fast," she defends, "And we were getting way too serious in my opinion."

She then turns to me. "Anyways, before my lovely cousin rudely interrupted, I was telling you about how I stayed with Trey, right? He invited me to his family's beach house in Miami. It was beautiful. And we've been able to adjust into our new friendship really well." I have to keep myself from rolling my eyes. By friendship, I know she means friends with benefits because she's not one to just be friends with a guy unless she's meeting her man meat quota. Unfortunately, I've seen some of her friends and I've heard them when she brings them home to stay the night.

"Well, you're here now. It's good to have you back," I say with a sweet smile.

"And it's good to be back," she grins, "Now tell me about your summer. Spill the tea, girl."

"There's nothing to spill," I say, "I just hung out with friends and family most of the summer."

"That's always nice," she says with a fake smile, "But I also heard you went to Egypt, that must have been fun. Traveling is a great excuse to meet people. I know you definitely need to." Ugh, Tori, why did you have to mention that?!

"It was just a trip for school. I did research in Egypt," I brush off. I try my best to make it seem like I didn't realize she gave me a back handed compliment.

"Ah, I see," she says with a nod, "But I can tell that trip did you some good. I mean, you came back tanner. And you look like you not only kept the weight you previously lost off but I think you lost a few more pounds. Finding a rebound guy should be much easier now that you look great."

I let out a fake laugh. "Maybe. But I'm not worrying about relationships right now."

"As you should! They're too much work anyways," she agrees. She soon gets off the couch claiming to be exhausted and walks off into her room. I wish she would have stayed back in Miami banging whoever this Trey guy is. She wastes too much human space in our apartment anyways.

"Looks like you missed her," I hear Tori call from the kitchen.

"I'd miss her more if she wasn't here," I respond.