I reached my arms back and let out a groan when I heard a small crack. I straightened out and returned my attention to the pile of books scattered across my desk. My eyes were droopy from the sleep begging them to close and my hand was cramping from all of the writing I was doing. My midterms were tomorrow afternoon and all I had done for the past month was study. I checked my watch and the glowing, white numbers told me it was past midnight.
Music theory was something that I've always been interested in but I didn't expect for it to be this hard for me. It was something that I didn't quite understand and my grades showed it.
Flashback:
"Athena can you step into my office for a second please," my teacher called.
I took a deep breath and dragged my self into her room. I poked my head around the corner to be greeted with a disappointed smile.
"Yes mrs. Brown," I said preparing for the worst.
"What's going on? You haven't passed a single test in my class since the first one," she said.
"I know I'm just not getting it," I said with a sigh.
"Have you tried joining the study group," she said.
Mrs. Brown had organized a study group for each test she gave. I was honestly really really nervous to join it. People would exactly describe me as a social butterfly. I was very shy and it took a lot for me to let people in. I shook my head at her and looked down at my beat up vans.
"Look I'm not here to lecture you. The past is the past I can't change your grades now. Just know if you don't pass this midterm you'll fail the semester and have to retake the class," she said waving me off.
At least my classes tomorrow were in the afternoon so I could study a bit later than usual. I tried to cram all the information I could into my head for the next couple of hours.
• • •
The sun's light burned my eyes as soon as a I woke up. All the books that I had been studying were spread under me. I rubbed out a sore spot in my neck that had surfaced from sleeping at my desk. I looked at my watch and sprung out of the chair. I only had 30 minutes to get to class and it was a 15 minute drive.
As fast as I could, I threw on my Adidas leggings and my Berklee hoodie. I shoved my feet into the same black vans I wear everyday and finished getting ready in the bathroom. After I looked as decent as I could with the short amount of time I sprinted out of my dorm and jumped into my car.
I had arrived with only a few minutes to spare and I parked my car as fast as I could. My feet hurt as they slammed into the concrete as I ran. I got a lot of stares from the people I passed but I was set on my goal. By the time I made it to the classroom I was the last one in the room. Quietly, I gave a small thank you to whatever force let me make it to my midterm on time.
Mrs. Brown passed out the tests and gave me a nod which I returned. I flipped the booklet over and was pleasantly surprised at how many of the questions I knew. I almost finished last as a I took as much time as I could to check my answers.
It was really late by the time I turned in my test and left the building. My car was the only one left in the parking lot. I began to walk when I saw someone walking in the same direction as me. I shook it off figuring it was somebody going to their car too but when I looked there were no other cars around me.
The person behind me began to speed up so I began to jog. My pockets weren't jingling so I began to frantically search for my keys. My pockets were empty so I started to panic. I called the police and kept running but the person behind me sped up and started calling my name.
"911 what's your emergency?," the operator said.
"Please help someone is chasing me I'm in the Berklee campus. Please hurry!," I said.
"We're sending a car now just hold on," he said.
I hung up the phone and continued to run. The beat up, old car that I drive was so close. I stopped when I got there and dug in my backpack. I found some old pepper spray that my mom made me carry around and I got it out ready to spray.
My attacker placed their hand on my shoulder. I spun around and sprayed at least half the can into their eyes.
"Athena what the fuck!," a familiar voice yelled.
"Ashley is that you," I asked recognizing my classmates voice.
Before she could respond the police pulled up into the lot with their sirens on. I mentally smacked myself in the face for being so paranoid.
"Miss, are you okay," the officer yelled stepping out of her car.
"Yes I'm fine this was just a huge mistake. I'm so sorry," I said feeling my face heat up with embarrassment.
"You fucking pepper sprayed me," Ashley said from on the ground.
"I think she needs help," I said to the officer.
"Really? You think?,"Ashley said, sarcasm dripping from her voice.
"I'm so, so, so sorry," I said to her.
"I was just trying to give you your keys," Ashley said.
"God I can't apologize enough. Is she going to be okay," I said as the officer came over and started putting drops in her eyes.
"She'll be fine, this happens all the time," the officer said, " I'll need a statement from both of you and then you can decide if you need to press charges."
"Press charges," I repeated.
"You did technically assault me," Ashley said.
"It was an accident I though you were and attacker coming to kill me," I said.
"Relax I'm not going to press charges," she said.
The officer took our statements about what happened and I realized how stupid I'd been. Why would an attacker know my name? After the officer left Ashley came over and handed the keys I left in the classroom.
"Ashley I'm really, really sorry," I said.
"Fuck. You," she said pushing past me.
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