It felt like a load of bullshit, but who was I to question the motive?
“Okay.” The silence draws out after that because I’m not sure if there’s anything else I need to say. “I’m sorry for wasting your time, but I’m not interested in the position.”
“Just think about it. We’d love to have you join our team again.”
It’s not going to happen, but I nod because something tells me she won’t let up. She also reminds me of Mom, and I don’t want to be around a person who’ll remind me of her.
It’s crazy how something cataclysmic can make you physically feel like the world has stopped moving, but the reality is that it’s only you who stopped.
I wish my brain could pick up the pace, move the way my body has as though nothing changed. I ran an hour straight, and for that one hour alone, I felt like my brain finally got the memo. But once I climbed off the treadmill, I felt the immediate shift in the room. And again, I felt like I had stopped moving while everyone around me hadn’t.
I’m back to square one, and the light barely filtering in my head is starting to dim.
“Josie?” My head spins in the direction of the voice as I shut the locker I used to store my stuff while I worked out at the university’s gym.
The moment our eyes meet, I instantly recognize the girl standing next to me. “Yeah?”
Her lips widen, a vibrant smile stretching across her deep bronze face, causing her cheekbones to stand out. “Just wanted to stop by and meet the person all the girls keep talking about. I’m Vienna, the mermaid at Carmel Aquarium.”
No wonder they hired her; she’s gorgeous.
She’s also a sophomore, a year younger than me, and a freestyle swimmer. I found that out in the aquarium’s brochure, when they announced she’d be working with them occasionally on the weekends.
“All good, I hope.” I attempt a playful tone, but the delivery falls flat.
I’m bad at small talk and just talking in general, so I won’t be surprised if she walks away. But a millisecond ticks before she replies, seeming casual and unperturbed.
“Oh, all good. Those girls love you.”
I shrug. “I’m just teaching them how to swim. I’m not doing anything special.”
She quietly chuckles. “I promise you’re doing a lot more than you think.”
Throwing my bookbag over my shoulder, I walk around her. “That’s great.”
“Are you going to grab something to eat?”
It’s a little weird that she asked because I am. “Uh, yeah.”
“Mind if I tag along?”
I falter in my steps, but she keeps walking, her black braids swishing against her bookbag as she does.
I want to say no because the moment she gets to know me, she’ll leave or my nonexistent personality will push her away. Still, I find myself letting her.
“Sure, I’m going to S.S.” It’s short for Sirenum Scopuli, which is one of the dining halls. Because the university’s mascot are the sirens, they decided to name that after an island in Greek mythology. Still, no one uses the full name unless it’s transfers or freshmen.
She looks over her shoulder at me, a smile still on her face. “Great, that’s where I was heading. What are you getting? I’m usually a parfait and bagel kind of girl, but I’ve heard they just installed an omelet bar, so I think I might try that out.”
I fall into step next to her, still not sure how to feel, but ignoring the voice in my head that’s telling me this isn’t going to last long.
“I think I might try that out too.”
I’m not sure what the hell I was thinking, listening to my advisor about signing up for a hiking class. It’s not because I don’t have the stamina because I certainly do, or a camera because it’s mandatory for the class, but it’s about how long it runs for.
The Hiking Seminar: Art Mediums and Nature. Four to six forty-five p.m.,my schedule states.
I wanted and needed something easy, and while I didn’t explicitly say that to my advisor, it’s like she knew and recommended that.
