Running (gxg)

Chapter Eleven

After my therapy session, I didn't feel very open at that moment. Coupled with the memory—or rather, the nightmare—of that night, I felt a bit closed off. Today, I had two classes: the first with Ms. Spencer and the second with that insufferable professor.

Most of my friends know that I always push myself to go to work or school, even when I'm sick. They love this about me, but they also find it frustrating. They admire my steadfast determination and my desire to help others, but it often comes at my own expense. They frequently remind me that I should take time to rest, which I almost never do.

As I walked to campus, I noticed that I was getting lost in my thoughts more and more by the minute. This isn't good. When this happens, I find it hard to talk to anyone. The only person I feel comfortable letting in is Aria. He is simply amazing with me. I think we are meant to be friends on a deeper level than most. We're both gay, and we care for each other a lot.

Once on campus, I felt like I had checked out completely. My mind was somewhere else, far removed from the present. I could still attend my lecture and understand everything the professor was teaching, but beyond that, I was lost.

When I arrived in class, William was already sitting there, so I took the seat next to him.

"How are you?" I heard him ask, but I didn't acknowledge who it was. I didn't answer, hoping to avoid any further interaction. I was afraid that the voices in my head were drowning out reality. When I'm caught up in my thoughts like this, I start to imagine all sorts of things. Memories will surface without warning, transporting me back to when I was an 18-year-old girl. I was trying desperately to keep that at bay.

I fought against giving in to the voices, but in doing so, I found it hard to respond to real people—at least for now.

The class began when Ms. Spencer walked in.

"Hello, everyone! I'm glad you all could make it," she said. For a moment, I caught her looking in my direction, but I couldn't really acknowledge it. Maybe it was just my imagination?

"Let's start. Today, I will teach you how to improve your ability to create the right advertisement for the right audience. I know that you've all learned this before, but I want you to develop a marketing plan for a specific group of people. In this plan, you'll outline how to create an effective advertisement. I also want you to design the advertisement itself; it could be a flyer or even a TV commercial, depending on your chosen project.

At the end of the class, I will assign you a company for which you will create an advertisement. While working on this, please take the time to understand the company and tailor your approach to its target customers. For example, if you're dealing with a small café, you can't create an advertisement that would air on all major TV channels; most small businesses don't have that kind of budget.

I want you to consider not only the customer but also the company itself. This assignment will be due by the end of the month and will account for 50% of your grade, alongside the upcoming tests.

Now, let's dive into today's lesson. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask." The professor's gaze seemed to linger on me the entire time.

It was very strange, almost as if she were trying to reach out to me through her words. "Thank you, everyone! See you Friday!" the professor said. Wait... the lesson had ended? I hadn't even noticed. When I looked around, I saw that most of the students were already gone. The last three were still packing up, but they were almost ready to leave as well. I noticed that William had also left.

Wow, I didn't retain any information from that class except for the assignment. At least I was able to remember that.

Suddenly, I felt someone shaking me. When I looked up, I saw Londyn trying to get my attention by shaking my hand. I pulled my hand away as quickly as if it had been burned. If anyone touches me like that, I might feel like I'm falling back even further—not just to when I was 18, but even younger. The only person I feel comfortable with touching me is Aria.