After Class Read Free

even worse about what just happened. Too embarrassed to speak, Nicole can only hang her head in her hands. Taylor walks over to her friend, grabbing a desk chair on her way towards the bed. She spins it around and takes a seat, never letting her eyes leave Nicole. “I was about ready to lose my mind and scream at you, but I have to say, that was the funniest thing I have seen all day,” Taylor smiles. “Unfortunately, it is at your expense, but you just made my day. Now, tell me, who was this gentleman that you courted this afternoon?”
    Nicole turns to her friend and gives her a playful nudge. She continues shaking her head. “Oh shut up. I don’t want to hear about it. In fact, I never want to talk about this again,” Nicole says to Taylor.
    “You know what? That sounds like a good idea to me, except, I’m pretty sure you have scarred me for life, Nicole,” Taylor says. “Walking in on you and a new guy every week. You’d think I’d become accustomed to it, you know, that it would get easier? Not a fat chance! You are going to owe me for all of the counseling I’ll have to go through after college.”
    “Well, that is what I am in Psychiatry for,” Nicole replies, sarcastically.
    “You should be in Sex Ed. I have a hunch that it is your true calling in life,” Taylor says under her breath, but loud enough for Nicole to hear it and get a rise out of it.
    Nicole’s jaw drops with a smile and she playfully shoves her friend again. She is desperate to change the conversation and put the focus on a different subject. “So anyways, how was class today? Did it kick your ass again? You look like shit.”
    Taylor rolls her eyes and takes a deep breath in and out. She gets up and moves the desk chair to the desk where she takes a seat, turning to her books. She glances at them for a moment but returns her attention back to Nicole. “I am losing my mind! I have a project due in every class every day next week, and to top it all off, my English prof reamed me out after class today,” Taylor leans her elbow on the desk chair and uses her hand to hold the weight of her throbbing head. “I hate English. I have no idea why I need it. I hate these god damn prerequisites. I’m on my last straw, Nic. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
    “Worst Tay, that’s rough, but you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself, ya know? I know that you want to work hard and I know that you want to impress your folks and all, but you need to take care of yourself. College is supposed…”
     “Yeah, yeah, I know. College is supposed to be the time of my life. I’m supposed to get drunk, mess around a bunch of randoms, experiment with my sexuality, smoke weed, do drugs and do everything else that is not involved with school.”
    Nicole’s face brightens. “Exactly! Now you are on track!” She giggles and lies down on the bed, swiping on her cell phone and checking for any updates.
    Taylor fires Nicole a look of sarcasm. “Please, my parents are going to put my head on the block if I don’t pass with a perfect 4.0 and I’m pretty sure that Chad wouldn’t appreciate me sleeping around.” Seeing Nicole play with her phone reminds Taylor that she missed her parents’ call. She picks up the phone and sees a voicemail message. She listens to it.
    “But he’s not even here! The guy is two thousand miles away. He would never know!” Nicole’s eyes are fixated on her phone as she says the words to Taylor, as if she is texting something to someone behind Taylor’s back. Nicole’s cheeks flush red as she tucks the phone away.
    On Taylor’s line, she can hear her mother giving her a lecture on how she needs to respond to her calls especially when her parents are paying for everything. Taylor rolls her eyes and slams the phone on the desk.
    Nicole notices her change in behavior. “What’s wrong?”
    “Just my mom. It’s like my parents are trying to control my every move here. I’m sick and tired of them,” she says as she