A Necessary Struggle: Fall Semester

Part 27

Safiya sat in the renovated warehouse on the edge of campus completely tuning out Jack Schultz, her editor. The Texas University Gazette, T.U.G for short had meetings every Monday and Wednesday. Monday meetings where Jack and the team, which consisted of nine other people not including Safiya threw around ideas for the next issue of T.U.G. Right now, Jack played a mediator quickly losing his patience as Emma and Wyatt bickered like kindergartners about which lifestyle piece they would work on. Emma and Wyatt's collaborative relationship hit turbulent times after Wyatt broke-up with Emma and started dating her Zeta Xi sister about three weeks ago.

September had been good to Safiya. Gone was the exasperating drama of August. She hadn't seen, talked, or texted Carter since they shared a burger at Dawn Ryse that August night nevertheless, he still haunted her thoughts. She had never had this problem before. Being a lush for love with over-protective Catholic parents, she wasn't allowed to date until age fifteen. Getting a late start she played catch-up having a total of three boyfriends during sophomore year in high school: Diego, Arthur, and Tomas. All of which went to St. Peter Preparatory with her. Tomas was her first steady boyfriend. They stayed together until the summer after junior year. After Tomas was Miguel, the soccer player from a public school that really didn't want her but wanted what was under her green plaid skirt. 

Then came Hector, the one that got what was under her plaid skirt...well, chiffon gold gown to be exact. She became the total cliché swiping her V-card in the back of a limo after prom. She met Jarvis Robinson during freshmen orientation at Texas University. They dated well into sophomore year until he told her she was way too much into her studies and not him. Corbin Sanchez, the curly-haired accounting major that worked in the bookstore took hold of her heart after Jarvis left it bruised. Although, Corbin didn't last long being that he assumed every guy Safiya talked to was also screwing her. Their relationship peaked about two months then she gave him his walking papers. Then there was Carter and Garner.

To get over a break-up Safiya did five things. One: delete the guy from her life; that meant pictures, phone numbers, letters, gifts; anything and everything that reminded her of that person was erased from her life. Two: do something drastic. After breaking up with Miguel she died her hair lavender, way before it was cool. She only had the dye job for a day until her parents and Sister Claudia made her go back to her God-given black locks. Three: Learn something new.

 After Jarvis broke up with her she learned the art of knitting. Four: chick flick marathon. 27 Dresses, Leap Year, How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days, My Best Friend's Wedding, Sweet Home Alabama and The Backup Plan; she watched them all after cutting ties with Diego. Five: retail therapy. On the eve of splitting with Corbin, she and Harmony spent hours in H&M. Lastly Six: give back. She accumulated the wealth of her volunteer hours for her college applications after her break-up with Tomas.

To Safiya's demise, her six-step break-up plan didn't work on Carter. Six: She spent Thursday and Friday evenings volunteering at the University Writing Center. Five: She dropped two hundred at A Pea in the Pod for maternity clothes. Four: one rainy Sunday they stayed held-up in the townhouse watching The Proposal, A Walk to Remember, The Holiday, Life As We Know it, Something Borrowed, and Uptown Girls. Three: She was taking a ceramics class Saturday mornings. Two: against her OB/GYN's wishes she stopped eating meat, opting for a vegetarian diet. Step one: She, Lela, Harmony, and Alyssa used Trevor's fire pit to burn everything Carter ever gave her.

Unfortunately, there was still one thing of his that was still around; an ever-present reminder that he existed. That he was in the same town, on the same campus as her. They could bump into each other at any minute while on campus. Hence why she limited her time on campus. She couldn't see him. She wasn't strong enough to see him, that much she knew. All Carter had to do was say one word, send one text, look in her direction once and he would have her back in that room under his embrace burning with desire.

 She was weak. She knew it. After all the lies he told her, she still loved him. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones or that this was the longest she'd been without a boyfriend. Or maybe it was the tiny person swimming in her uterus because almost every thought that fluttered through her mind was of Carter Russell.

An elbow pierced Safiya's side. Safiya woke from her thoughts and turned to Owen. Owen nodded forward to Jack standing in the center of the stone floor.

"What?" Safiya asked perched on the window seat.

Black-rimmed glasses donned the angular face of Jack as he twirled the no. 2 pencil in his hand. "There was news that a TU student was raped at Austin Memorial last month." He stopped twirling the pencil. "I need you to find out who it was and interview her or...him and then maybe find the assailant."

"I..." Safiya gripped the Styrofoam cup. "Don't you think that person...whoever they may be would want some privacy?" She knew who it was. It was Alyssa and she knew Alyssa wanted privacy.

"I think if there is a predator on campus the student population should be aware." Jack pushed his glasses closer to his eyes.

"If she doesn't want to do it. I'll do it." Ava chimed in sitting up with her notepad resting in her lap.

"I wasn't saying I wasn't going to do it." Safiya shot an evil glare at Ava before turning her attention back to Jack. "I just want.... want to ensure the victim isn't re-victimized."

"You're an investigative reporter. Isn't that your job.... balancing ethics and getting the story." Jack said.

"Yes." Safiya painted on a fake smile. "Jack, it is."

"Then do your job." Jack smiled back. "Okay. Meeting adjourned." He clapped. "Go! Get to work, people!"

The eight reporters scrambled back to their desk following Jack's orders.

Emma exhaled a heavy breath sending her blond bangs flying up as she approached Safiya, "How's the pickle." She leaned toward Safiya's protruding belly. "How are you, Pickle?" She spoke to Safiya's stomach.

"Pickle's fine." Safiya nudged Emma away from her stomach. "How are you?" She nodded towards Wyatt typing away at his desk.

Emma looked at Wyatt then turned back to Safiya. "I can't stand that jackass and now I have to work with him until the end of the semester. December can't come fast enough."

"Who are you telling?" Safiya rubbed the white t-shirt that covered her stomach. "I can't wait until January." At her last check-up Dr. Howard performed a sonogram and told Safiya her due date was January and she'd been crossing out days on her calendar ever since.

"I think I'm heading out." Emma slipped her hand through her platinum hair. "I can't be in the same room as him. I just want to choke the air out his lungs."

"Oh my God!" Safiya harked clinging to Emma's arms trying to use her as a human shield. "This can not be happening." She covered her face with her hands. "Why is he here?"

"He who?" Emma snapped her head around. "Oh! Him." Emma smiled at the guy Safiya was trying to hide from. "You can give it up." Emma pried her arm away from Safiya. "He's spotted you and headed this way." Emma stepped back. 

Who do you think Safiya doesn't want to be spotted by?