Changed Direction

Changed Direction Part 26

Chapter 26: Ethan

I am so glad to be done with homework for the night. I probably should be studying more, but I really don't want to. I know we're supposed to study two hours for every one hour of class, but who does that? No one I know. The college advisors who say that obviously know nothing about college students. Most don't even study at all. I show up to class on time, I take notes, I do the online quizzes. If there wasn't so much reading involved I'd probably do more of that. I am not going to waste valuable time reading ten or twenty pages a night from each textbook. I'm not a nerd. I can't believe I don't have any labs this semester. Biology 101 Lab was so much fun last year. Biology 233 did not require a lab because I am not majoring in regular Biology. I'm concentrating only on the marine aspect of Biology. I don't need to do experiments on heartbeats or the nervous system. Oceanography would be the most fun to have a lab for, but this is Indianapolis, not Miami. We don't exactly have an ocean here.

I sit down on the bed, leaning up against the backboard in my corner. I keep pillows propped up both behind me and beside me so I'm surrounded by softness. The wall is not soft. Pulling my laptop to my lap, I wonder what kind of movie Emilia will want to watch. I'm thinking she'll want another horror movie. I hope she doesn't. That movie we watched last night was enough horror to get me through to next year. I don't like the idea of scaring myself on purpose. Maybe I can convince her to watch a nice action movie- something with a super-hero perhaps. At the very least we could watch an old childhood favorite. Who doesn't like a cartoon now and then? I like cartoons.

Today has been really going great. I still cannot believe Emilia did not run away. I took a huge chance and it worked. It could have gone so badly. I could be in jail right now. Part of me says that I was so stupid for not barricading the door, but another part of me says that it was a needed step in showing that I trust Emilia. I honestly do not think she is going to run away now. She trusts me enough to stay when there is nothing holding her back. She didn't even seem bothered when I opened the door to tell her when dinner would be. She didn't flinch or tense up when I kissed her forehead. Things are definitely getting better between us.

Tonight marks the first time I haven't actually watched Emilia eat dinner. I had just set her spaghetti on the desk and told her that she could eat there. I had a quiz I needed to take before I could do anything fun, but I couldn't wait to give Emilia food. She already had to wait ten hours between meals. I couldn't make her wait any more. When I told her where the spaghetti was, she just stood up and went to the desk, calm as could be. I felt totally comfortable getting my schoolwork out and working while she ate. I hadn't actually expected her to sit down by me when she was done. That was surprising.

But why had she? That was my fault. I mean, I'm not complaining, but if I hadn't asked Emilia about plant cells she probably would have stayed in my desk chair. I don't even know why I asked. It's not like I expected her to know the answer. She hasn't talked to me yet. I am surprised that she didn't waste any time moving to the floor and picking up my books to find the answer. She just sat down, and didn't look nervous about it at all. I don't know what she was thinking. I'm guessing she must have been so caught off guard by my question that she didn't stop to think about what she was doing. That could explain why she seemed to be so at ease sitting next to me. It's possible that maybe she's finally starting to trust me. That could also explain why she didn't look worried about sitting so close to me. We were just inches apart. And then she had touched me. She just reached out and touched my shoulder. For someone who was too afraid to talk to me, that was huge. She had found the answer to my question and needed to show me, but I was looking at my laptop. She knew she had to get my attention.