The Coldwater Crisis

5) It's Cara's Birthday

Jacob's Perspective

"I just wanted to apologise for Brendan, he is so out of line, oh no, it's such a tough job." I laugh at myself in the mirror, as I mock the words I was told to say.

"Blah, blah, blah. Do it yourself next time guys, you need to learn how to actually talk to people so I don't have to do it every time." I call out to no one. It is now the next day and I think I have held this in long enough.

Talking to yourself is the best way to understand things and it is the best for catharsis.

"Where do these go? Doesn't matter." I toss my binders onto the desk in my dorm room, after a couple of hours studying in the library. Why should I care about what Brendan does? He is running himself into the ground as it is. Control your emotions man, you act as if the world is ending every two seconds. People say that females are dramatic, first of all, they are incredibly misogynistic, which is ridiculous, we live in the twenty-first century, wake up, judge people on stuff that makes sense, like their style, or their ability to use a microwave. Secondly, they must never have met Brendan. Two minutes alone in a room with that guy is enough to make you want to claw your own eyes out.

Also, to add to my torturous life, pre-med is so boring. Knowing the entire syllabus, while you are surrounded by people who don't know the difference between plants and humans. It's tiring honestly. It takes a lot of work to achieve this level of perfection.

"And no, Robert, humans don't photosynthesise. How did you pass eighth grade?" I sigh and shake my head while changing into my shorts and t-shirt, bright red and yellow, I look like I should be ordered off of the menu at McDonald's, I pull it off though I guess. Who am I kidding?

"I know I do." I nod approvingly, giving myself one last look in the mirror, before fist-bumping my reflection.

I grab my backpack, throwing in some water and the essentials for being a lifeguard, a whistle, a walky-talky and a flask of bourbon. Kidding! I'm not twenty-one yet. Although dealing with Brendan and his incessant whining, Hanna and her emotions and of course Matt with his constant obsession with the both of them along with his natural ability to be the world's dumbest person. I think I deserve a drink, or five.

"They are my friends, it's fine, if I can't deal with them, I can't deal with anyone." I mumble before striding out into the big wide world, a bright smile on my perfect face.

What people fail to understand is that a smile can get you almost anything, well that and having an irresistible personality.

For some reason, people don't like it when you call them stupid, so I have had to form this sort of persona, I guess. The first rule of life, people love feeling good. Pay them compliments even if they are bare-faced lies.

Oh look, there's the infamous Robert, carrying his worn leather satchel, hunched over as he walks, glasses slipping down his crooked nose.

"Off to study again Rob? You know man, you give me a run for my money. Born with looks and brains? The universe can be so unfair." He doesn't have to know the last part was about me. I give Rob a firm pat on the shoulder as I walk by. Rule number two: People love being touched. Get your mind out of the gutter. For people like Robert, they need this touch, this is because he is probably so lonely from sitting outside all the livelong day trying to soak up the sun rays to synthesise glucose, rather than reading a book for once in his pathetic life.

"Thanks Jacob." He murmurs.

"Hey, you know you can call me Jake." I hate being called Jake, but rule number three: make them feel special.

He smiles awkwardly then proceeds to waddle off down the hallway. Poor guy.

It's about a twenty-minute walk to the beach from my dorm, the walk is refreshing, I can focus on myself for once.