Sweet Sorrow ❖ JB

1✖️Excuse Me

My alarm didn't go off this morning and I was running a little late. After I took a quick shower, I put on a pair of black Calvin Klein boxer-briefs, grey sweatpants, a white hoodie, and my favorite pair of dirty black Chucks. I didn't even bother doing my hair so it was a damp mess after I ruffled it a few times. Then I grabbed my backpack from my desk chair and l was out the door. I lived with two other people, and even though they didn't bother me, I always locked my door.

My mornings were usually quiet because my first class was at 8 AM, when most students try to avoid. I didn't mind it, though. I much rather have my classes all in the morning than at night. Besides, morning classes meant that I could study the rest of the day without being interrupted or distracted because everyone else would be in class.

My first class of the day was Interpretation of Poetry. I really enjoyed it and poetry was one of my favorite things to read. I wasn't very good at writing it, but my professor, Mrs. Johnson thought otherwise. She's used a few of my poems as samples for class. Most of my poems were about Lia. My God, not a day went by that I didn't think about her. I'd liked to think that I wasn't depressed, but who was I kidding? Even the kids in my class could tell from my poems that I wasn't okay. Of course they didn't actually know that I was the one who wrote them because my name wasn't plastered across the top due to it being cut off. If Mrs. Johnson didn't do that then everyone would've known because my handwriting isn't one to miss. It's horrible, but legible.

Anyway, Professor Johnson printed out poems that we were going to be discussing the whole week. The drill was read, interpret, and write. I was really good at that, which is why I had an A+ in the class.

I was so caught up in the poem and my interpretation of it that I didn't realize time went by and class was already over. That's the thing about college, there is no bell to dismiss you. I had to rush in order to get to my next class because I only had a ten minute time frame between them. Unfortunately, my back-to-back classes were on opposite sides of campus. I sure as hell didn't need to go to gym because of it.

"Hey Justin," the three brunettes, who had managed to sit around sang in harmony.

I passed them on my way to my desk and sent an acknowledging smile. They said hey every single day and although they were pretty, I didn't want to be bothered. Settling myself in my seat, I placed my backpack on the desk and unzipped the main compartment to retrieve my red Five-Star notebook; I had different colors for every subjects. Unzipping the small compartment, I grabbed a mechanical pencil before I zipped it closed and set my backpack under the desk against the wall.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned my head around, "Yes?"

Janelle, the leader of the brunettes smiled at me, "Did you understand the homework?"

I nodded, "Yeah. Do you need help or something?" She never once asked me for help or seemed to have trouble whenever the professor called on her to answer a question.

"A little. I wrote down the problems that I didn't understand," she said, showing me her notebook. By her numbering, there were only four problems.

I shifted my body so that my legs were out in the aisle and I grabbed her notebook to get a better look. The problems were easy for me to do, but that's because I'm decent at math. I was no mathematician whatsoever, but I knew a fair amount.

After a few minutes of explanation Janelle lightly slapped her forehead, "I get it now!"

I chuckled as I gave her notebook back, "It's not hard, you're just overthinking."

"You're right, I don't know why I always do that," she looked down in embarrassment or at least I thought she did.

"It's okay, you don't need to be embarrassed," I said and she looked back up at me.