Pressure [hs au]

1 - Graceless

Word count: 1259

"Abs. Abby. Abigail. Abby wake the heck up!" I cringe, squeezing my eyes shut tighter than I thought possible.

"Abby seriously, it was only like a 3 or 4 hour drive from Green Bay, how are you dead asleep?" I sigh, wishing my dearest friend Valerie had an indoor voice.

"I barely got any sleep last night." I yawn, stretching out as much as I could in the confined jeep. I finally open my eyes, taking in the all to bright surroundings of my new home, Chicago. "Where are we anyways?" I continue.

"Greektown. It's only about another mile away from the school. Why didn't you sleep well?" Valerie loudly asks, tapping on the steering wheel to the faint beat of some 70s song on the radio. There's a million different things I could say now. 

How exactly do I tell her, "Oh yeah, I couldn't sleep because I was contemplating how to break up with my perfect boyfriend, whom I know for a fact you had or have an intense crush on since third grade and would kick my ass if I broke up with him because of how great a friend you are to both of us?" 

Yeah, I don't think that will sit with her all too well. 

"Just nervous for today, I guess." That isn't a complete lie. It's easy to be yourself around close friends most of the time, but college is a whole new world. Well, actually just a state away from home. Might as well be a whole new world honestly. 

I will never get used to this Chicago traffic. Green Bay had traffic at times, don't get me wrong, but Chicago traffic was like everyone was always angry at one another. Seriously, people honk so much here. 

"Makes sense, I had no trouble falling asleep, I just woke up at like 4 this morning because of nerves. I also had a cup of coffee or two before bed, but that's beside the point." Val rants and I smirk, of course she would drink coffee before bed. 

"I still don't get how you drink that stuff." I shake my head, remembering the last time I tried drinking coffee. My whole family drinks coffee about as much as they praise Jesus. Which coming from a girl whose family never missed a Sunday mass since before I was born, that was a lot of coffee. 

"That stuff  got me through finals week for the past four years, so you don't have to drink coffee, just tell that to my 4.5 GPA." Valerie sasses, smiling at her own remark. I roll my eyes, hitting her shoulder lightly.

"Please. You never slept during finals week because of all the adderall you took." Anyone who didn't know Val and I would think we probably couldn't stand each other, but honestly we were just so comfortable around each other after 15 years of friendship. 

"True, adderall was involved, but as far as Mom knows, it was coffee." Valerie was never a druggie, and she never got addicted to anything,as far as I know, but shy never shied away from trying something new. Whether it be the new indoor skydiving place down the street or a drink some guy mixed at some party, she did just about everything. "What I don't get is how you don't drink coffee and still survive." She harps on.

"I've told you this a million times, tea has caffeine in it and it tastes good."

"Whatever. Here we go, I need ya to hop out and get our room info and stuff." I sigh again, looking out the passenger side window. Too many people walk the crowded sidewalks going in and out of SAIC. 

"Can't you go?" I whine. I really would rather not leaving the car yet. I hadn't worn any makeup today and I'm literally in my brothers joggers and one of my old track sweatshirts. 

"Please, you look fine. And I can't park here anyways, I've got to circle around, so hurry up and get your ass out of my car." She orders. I roll my eyes again at her. 

"How has it been 15 years." I mutter to myself, shoving my phone and water bottle in my purse, grabbing our registration envelopes. 

"I heard that, bitch." Val laughs, unlocking the jeep doors for me to hop out quickly. 

"Love you too." I say sarcastically, shutting the door behind me.  I pull my purse over my shoulders and start walking to the registration office. I take barely five steps before bumping into someone, dropping the two envelopes. I internally roll my eyes at myself. How cliche am I?

"Sorry." I say, quickly squatting down to grab the two envelope which thankfully were still sealed shut. I take no time in continuing my pace towards the registration office, wanting nothing more that to get my room key and catch up on sleep, otherwise know as avoiding my boyfriends calls.

I jog up several stairs, finally making it inside the building and instantly finding the registration line. 

Luckily there's only three people ahead of me so I should have to be here too long. I hold the envelopes up to my chest, wishing I had something to sit on as I wait. God, I'm so lazy. 

As each person takes their sweet ass time talking to the registration lady, time seems to slow down, making me feel even more impatient than usual. I feel my phone vibrating in my bag and dig through tons of senseless garbage and endless amounts of receipts I carry around, I see several missed calls and texts. 

Thankfully, most of them are from Valerie complaining about the traffic and how she already looped around twice. One text is from my Mom asking if we were settled in yet. Another from my brother asking about his joggers. I smirk as I text him back, feeling just a little bit sassier. I update Val now that I am finally next in line and then check my last text. 

From Jason. 

My boyfriend. 

I don't even have a cute nickname or anything for him, his contact name is literally just 'Jason McKinley'.

Jason McKinley- We need to talk.

God, could he not have been more vague?? I feel my palms start to get sweaty and the receptionist woman has to call out 'next' twice before I realize she's talking to me. 

"Sorry." I apologize, handing her my packet first. She slides it in some box labeled "W" and then types in a bunch of jibberish into her computer, printing off a schedule for me. 

"Your room number is at the top right. Next." But with her accent it sounds more like, "Yuur room numba is at the tape reght. Neext." 

"Oh, I've got another one actually." I say, handing her Valerie's packet. I hear a masculine voice behind me groan, and part of me wants to turn around and sass his ass off, but I keep my cool. As I wait for the registration woman to finish Valerie's file, I pull out my phone again, reopening the text from Jason. Thank the Lord I turned my read receipts off. 

I text back a simple, okay, when's good? and leave it at that, hoping he will give me some more detail on what exactly we have to talk about. 

When someone says, We need to talk.  It rarely ever means something good. I think my boyfriend is going to break up with me. Why am I not more excited?