Better Than Words

Fast

*Okay guys, I'm gonna try something. This book is heavily music-influenced, and a lot of the ideas or themes I get are from music, so I'm gonna start either making a list of songs I used for this chapter (or titling the chapter after a song). Hope it gives some insight to what's going through everyone's mind!*

This chapter:
Welcome To My Life- Simple Plan
With Me- Sum 41
Here Without You- 3 Doors Down
You Found Me- The Fray
Adam's Song- blink-182
Last Hope- Paramore
Wasted- Tiësto, Matthew Koma
Habits- Tove Lo
Do My Thang- Miley Cyrus
Alors on danse- Stromae

The next few days are a rough adjustment. I have to get back in the routine of waking up at a normal time and going to bed at a normal time. Thankfully, I'm able to talk to my professors and explain the situation; they are more than sympathetic and offer to help me in any way they can.

I text Niall on the first day back to the class we have together and let him know I'll be there. He replies quickly with just a smile. When I get into the large lecture hall, I see him sitting in the middle aisle by himself. His back is to me, but I recognize the logo of a backwards Celtics hat I've seen him wear often.

"Hey, Ali," he says cheerily as I take the seat next to him. "How are you feeling?"

"Eh, still have headaches every now and then. But for the most part I'm alright." I smile and settle into the barely-cushioned chair. "How has class been?"

"Not bad. Lots of... Well, you'll see." He nods at the front of the class where our professors stand on the stage. I hadn't even noticed all the other people filing into the rows around us.

The first thing that shows up on the screen is a huge blown-up video of a man in a room hooked up to wires, completely naked. Last week we were covering anatomical terms and this is nothing I haven't seen before, but it still takes me by surprise. Niall laughs at me as my eyes fly open in shock.

"This week is on arousal. Just wait," he whispers.

A man's voice narrates the scene as the man in the video begins to... well, stimulate himself on-camera. For the next 20 minutes, that's all the video is, and the narrator describes the physiological response to sexual behavior. People snicker all over the lecture hall as everyone is basically forced to watch this guy masturbate until he climaxes.

This class is insane.

Niall isn't as uncomfortable as I would imagine him, though; generally guys don't seem like they would be able to shrug off watching another guy do something like that, but he's very mature about it and takes every note the professors make, especially when they move onto women's side of things. Hmm.

As interesting as this stuff is, it's a lot of common sense and things I've already learned in high school. I find it hard to focus and instead wiggle my leg furiously in my seat as I scroll through my phone the whole hour. There's something uneasy settling in my stomach, but I'm not sure what it is.

"Are you alright?" Niall leans in and whispers toward the end of class.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I just think I sat in one place way too long while I was in the hospital and now my body doesn't want to."

"Well, do you want to go get lunch after this? I think Liam might be out soon too." I can tell he's trying to be nice while still keeping his distance, at least figuratively.

"I'm okay... I think I'm just gonna go back home, I'm sort of tired. Thank you though," I try to smile at him.

"Alright, well, let me know if you need anything. You know where to find me," he says as we're dismissed. He walks off to one of the larger dining halls.