Leading Her from the Darkness

CHAPTER 8

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I am already wide awake when the sun starts streaming through my curtains, causing beams of light to illuminate my room. My insomnia induced consciousness launches me into autopilot to begin my day.

Monday came all too quickly after a weekend of recovery and preparing for classes. My anxiety is getting the best of me, considering I took a six-year break from school. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited. But I was used to a life that lacked structure for a very long time. My first year of college came all too easy for me, but my desire for freedom overpowered the desire for an education. So, this is my second chance to make something of myself.

I take a quick shower to help give myself a jumpstart of energy that I am lacking, and I pop my handful of daily medication to keep me in one piece for an overly stressful day ahead of me. I look at myself in the mirror and see prominent dark circles around my eyes, making me look haggard.

I let my hair air-dry into its natural waves and apply minimal makeup, seeing as I have no one I need to impress. I settle for jeans, a plain white V-neck tee and grey vans. My tattoos peek through the bottom of my sleeves, contrasting with the white fabric. Honestly, I am proud of them. Most of the tattoos I have... means something to me, and they were my healthy alternatives to help get me through a dark time in my life. So, I show them off when I can. Even the ones I got during one of my benders just reminds me that I survived whatever I was going through at the time.

I grab my laptop off of our dinged-up coffee table and shove it into my brown, leather backpack before heading out the door and starting my walk to school.

The campus is absolutely enormous compared to the IUPUI campus back home. I am instantly glad that I spent all night studying the map to ensure I would not get lost. I am directionally challenged like nobody's business, so getting lost is one thing I can always count on with myself. I have accepted that I usually have to leave an hour early for everything to make sure I arrive on time, anywhere I go.

My first class, and the one I am most looking forward to, is creative writing. Surprisingly enough, I make it to class in one piece and have some time to spare, so I find a nearby lounge chair and pull out my copy of Edgar Allan Poe's Collection of Poems. It has been filled over the years with multi-colored tabs, marking every passage that has either made me smile, cry, or moved me beyond words. I flip through my marked pages to re-read so that I can kill some time before class. I relax back into my seat and find myself gradually becoming lost in the resonating words within this beautiful book.

All of a sudden, a shadow appears overhead, blocking the light that I am using to read. I look up confused when I see yet another ruggedly handsome man with dark hair and sharp features. A small smile plays at the corners of his lips while he looks down to analyze the book clutched in my hands.

Seriously? Do they have a factory here just mass-producing attractive men or something?

"I assume you are one of my early birds," his smile grows wider now, gaining another confused look from me. "Creative Writing, right? I'll be your professor this semester," he answers my unspoken question.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Pulling myself out of a story tends to short circuit my brain when coming back to reality." I laugh and my cheeks heat up as I become more embarrassed for my dense behavior. I gather my things and stand to shake his hand. "It's nice to meet you."

He smiles and shakes my hand, as if trying to ease my previous blunder. A look of surprise overtakes his face as he eyes my book tucked under my arm. "Edgar Allan Poe... nice choice. I can tell what kind of writer I'll have on my hands. I have a feeling this class will be a breeze for you."