Page 4 of Little Paper Games
Regardless of all that, how dare she just bang on my door and accuse me of being a fucking asshole when, in reality, it was her being a sneaky bitch and hiding the fact that she was home. This is what I meant. Shrew of a girl. She always has been.
I’d moved in a week ago and had the place almost completely set up the way I wanted to. It was how I did things. Unpack everything down to the last box, immediately. It just made life easier. Now, I just had a few wall hangings left to hang, and the place would be in order. The furniture looked amazing, and I was pleased with the choices I’d made.
I wanted everything set before school started up. Professor Garcia had me coming in a week early to discuss the plan for the term. He’d already sent several emails and dropbox links, so I wasn’t sure what all he actually would want to discuss, but I was jumping at the chance to prove that I could be the best assistant he’d ever had. I needed to be. I needed to bulk up my application however I could in the time that I had.
Fat bottomed girls, they make the rockin’world go round.
The Queen lyrics poured out of my phone, and I rolled my eyes. Fucking, Chauncey, always changing my ringtone. It was like he’d never left high school. Sure, it was marginally funny, but come on, man.
I turned my phone over to see who was calling.
Sex Goddess
What the fuck?
“Hello, this is Jude Lincoln. Can I help you?” I asked hesitantly.
“Hey, sweetheart. Listen, I’ve been trying to —”
“Mom?!” I asked, surprised. Fucking Chauncey.
“Of course, it’s your mother. Who else would it be? Anyway, as I was saying, I’ve been doing my best to stay away and give you time to get settled in on your own, but it’s officially been a week. How are you doing? Are you eating well? Do you have enough groceries? Have you —”
“Mom, take this with all the respect and kindness it deserves, but please stop worrying. I’ve lived on my own for years now. I appreciate you wanting to help, and I appreciate you worrying about me, but I promise you, I’m fine. I can take care of myself. I can even sort my own laundry,” I teased. Mom was the best. She really was, but she was the exact description of anxious worry.
“I know, I know. Just, do your old mom a favor and let me bring you dinner one night, okay? I won’t stay. I’ll just bring by a casserole that you can stick in the oven when it suits you, okay? For me?” I chuckled at her worry and kindness. She truly was one of those one-of-a-kind moms who everyone wished they’d had growing up. June Cleaver and Kitty from That 70s Show all rolled up into one phenomenal human being.
“Of course, Mom, but I tell you what. Why don’t you come over and stay for dinner? Just you and me. You always cook the best meals.” I know it had been hard on her, my being away for the last four years. It wasn’t what they had pictured for me, but it was what I needed. So, without hesitation, both she and my father had supported me wholeheartedly. I was an incredibly lucky kid to have them both as parents.
“Thank you, Jude. You’re the best son,” she spoke with so much pride in me.
“You’re the best mom,” I praised right back. I needed to be better at communicating with her. Telling her just how much she and Dad both meant to me.
After hanging up, I decided to try and make the most of my morning. The workout had given me more energy and, if I were honest, the fight with Kenna even more so. Time to get the last of the house put together and then make a plan and prep for this semester’s courses. I was bound and determined to make this the best experience possible. Nothing would stop me.
Day passed on quickly into night, the day’s light fading into golden hues and then into dark shadows. My assistant preparations were well organized, and I felt the stress start to dissipate within me. Yes, I had another week and a half before classes started, but it didn’t hurt to be prepared. It was one of the tricks Professor Lamb had taught me. I had the process down pat at this point, knowing exactly how to study and how to get the information to stick in my brain in a way I could easily regurgitate.
With my notecards, voice recorder, and supplies situated around me, I began preparing for my actual classes. I had one week to prepare, and I was ready for this.
Buzz…. Buzz…. Buzz…
The faint sound of buzzing came from the other side of the duplex.
Well, I would be prepared, if fucking Kenna Clarke would leave me alone.
Chapter 3
KENNA
The winter break had come and passed quickly. Much quicker than I would have liked. What should have been a peaceful holiday, time with family, and relaxation turned into an annoying few weeks of hell with Jude’s arrival. The early morning workout sessions with clanking metal came like clockwork, waking me up at 5:00 a.m. every single morning, no matter what.
I did have to admit; however, that once school started back up, things seemed to become much easier. Other than the rude morning awakenings, he was quiet most of the time, if not gone entirely. I’d kept my ear low to the ground, wondering how he was doing in his new role at the university, but hadn’t heard anything untoward. I shook the thought from my mind, focusing instead on the lecture happening before me in the sparsely populated lecture hall. It was early February, and to be honest, I had other things on my mind.
Things felt a little off, especially over the last week. My current class had gone from forty plus students to a dwindling eighteen this afternoon. Some bug was going around, and people seemed to be dropping like flies with it. The worst part of it was that it was catching national news. Not just our little town, but there seemed to be a flu superbug going around. Internationally.
I shook my head again, not wanting to focus on such conspiracy theories or blown out of proportion media propaganda. Professor Quinn stood at the front of the classroom, although saying she stood was putting it nicely. She was more draped over the podium than anything else. The lecture was dragging on and I watched the clock on the front wall tick away the seconds. This was the worst lecture I’d had all year.
I honestly learned more on my own anyway.
