ONE
jade
“Jade,”my academic adviser greets me warily as I approach the blue vinyl chair across from his desk. “I’m surprised to see you so early in the semester. I hope you remember our rule about giving our classes a few weeks before we decide whether we like a professor or not.”
As I sit down, my knee knocks the faux-wood desk, and Mark’s collection of vintage action figures clatters like dominoes to the surface. “Whoops. When are you going to learn to put those away before our meetings?” I hastily stand them up, knowing Mark will rearrange them in whatever order he finds suitable—and he does, adjusting them until they’re lined up perfectly in the shaft of morning sunlight that cuts through the windows. “Anyway, it’s not my professors this time.” I smile. “Now, let me preface this by saying I’ve thought about this a lot—since June, at least—and I’ve done my research.”
His lips pinch together. “Thisbeing what, exactly?”
“Picture it: beautiful, sunny Spain. Beautiful, ancient artwork. And Jade Kelly in the middle of it all.”
Mark’s face takes on a look of tired despair. “Please explain, Jade.”
“I want to study art history in Spain after graduation.” I give him a reassuring, no-need-to-panic nod.
“Art history,” he repeats. “I’m not understanding. Where’s this coming from?”
How cute that he expects a simple answer. “I want to get out of here for a while. Learn something new before I decide where I want to settle long term.”
Mark casts a tired look at the white wall next to the desk, where Shafer University’s Red Phantom logo is painted, its Latin motto stenciled underneath. In all my time as a Shafer student, I’ve never bothered to learn the translation, but if I had to guess, it probably centers around hard work, community, and of course, football—the core values of any proper Midwestern university. “Jade, it’s three years now that we’ve been meeting, and you’ve been focused on psychology since the first. No doubts, no complaints. Now, I know senior year is scary as you start thinking about jobs and grad school, but that’s normal. It’s not a sign you should throw away the three years you’ve invested in your education, move overseas, and study art.”
“I wouldn’t be throwing anything away. I’m going to work as hard this year as I have for the last three, I’ll earn my degree, and then I’ll try something different. Grad school will still be here when I come back.”
“I don’t understand. Are you talking about earning a bachelor’s in art history? From a Spanish university?” He looks like his eyes are about to bug out of his head.
“No, more like an exploration. Taking classes, even if they’re noncredit, to see if they spark anything inside me. I want a taste of something else before I commit myself to a lifetime in the psychology field.”
“And this exploration has to take place in Spain.”
“Preferably.”
He sighs. “Okay, what do your folks have to say about this?”
“They want to know what on earth my academic adviser has been doing when he was supposed to be guiding me toward a graduate program. I told them you play a lot of Frisbee golf.”
Mark takes off his glasses and presses his fingertips against his closed eyelids.
“Kidding,” I tell him. “Don’t worry, they’re just as annoyed with me as you are.”
Mark doesn’t deny it. After three years, we have a certain level of comfort going on here.
“By the way, you’re wrong,” I tell him. “I came in here complaining about my program all the time.”
“Sure, you complained about your professors not taking you seriously because of your neon hair or about the lack of interesting electives for underclassmen, but that wasn’t about the field of study. You loved psychology.”
“I know, but what if that path we’ve always talked about isn’t for me? I want to be sure.”
“Well, you’ve committed yourself to at least one more school year of that path, and I expect you not to take a single step off it. I’m serious, Jade. I know by now that anyone who takes the role of adviser to you seriously is kidding themselves, but this degree is your insurance policy. You won’t regret it.”
“I won’t disappoint you.”
“So is there a specific program you have in mind or ... ?”
“I’ve found a few, but I’m hoping you can help me research. What I want is ... hard to find.”
“I’m shocked to hear that. Spanish art history programs open to Americans with”—his brows quirk—“no art history background and limited Spanish-language abilities.”
While Mark gives me a blank look, I study the fine lines around his brown eyes and the touch of gray at histemples. He was probably pretty cute in his glory days. “What did you study in college?”
