You and I will be alright

Chapter Eight

Parker

It was a nice change of pace being back at University. The long trek to work didn't have to happen 5-6 times a week. I had assignments and due dates to keep me distracted, less time being alone with my thoughts, you know how it is. Having this busier routine helped me not fixate so much on my horrid mother. Since her birthday dinner meltdown I've had 0 contact and it's been bliss. I've also spent an increasing amount of time with Maverick, even so much I call him Mav now and it doesn't sound weird. When we're both home and aren't busy we watched TV or hung out on the balcony and spoke about the most random topics.

Half the week my classes were mostly in the evenings and I sometimes worked a short shift in the mornings or I had it off. The mornings off were nice to relax and sleep in for once, I could enjoy taking up all the hot shower water in the shower and reading on the balcony. Not that I couldn't do things when Mav was around, but I did always enjoy my alone time. When I was at school late Maverick would make dinner, and when I was at home I would. It worked out since it was about half and half, then on weekends we always switched it up or sometimes cooked together. That consisted of him leading and I just passed him random ingredients or did tiny tasks. If I was leading the dinner then I asked him to go away, cause I hated when people were in my cooking space. It was weird as hell. I just got annoyed I guess.

Maverick didn't go out as often as he did in the beginning. But once and a while I'd get a text some nights from him saying he's meeting up with his friends for a drink. But he's come home sober, not beat up, you know, normal. He didn't have another wreckless night like that one when I first moved in. I still sometimes wondered about the details surrounding that whole night and maybe one day I'll work up the courage to ask him.

On Fridays I had a gap between my only two classes of the day. It was from 11am to 1pm, and instead of walking home today to spend a short while at home I decided to go to the library to get ahead of some readings. I think a tough course I was going to struggle in this semester was called Personality Theory and Behavior Disorders. I entered the library and it was fucking packed for mid-day on a Friday. I made my way around the maze of desks and saw a guy sitting at one on a laptop, the seats around him vacant. "Mind if I sit here? or is it taken?" I ask, placing my hand on the top of the chair. He glances up at me, smiling gently.

"Oh yeah, go for it." The dude shrugs.

"Thanks." I take a seat and pull out my laptop, opening my e-textbook. I always find when I read about Borderline Personality Disorder or Narcissism it just reminds me of specific times I've fought with my mother and the things she believes or comes up with. It was sort of nice having some 'answer' even if it wasn't really that true. But when I don't relate it to her, I actually find it genuinely interesting. Researching mental illnesses and mental health was always something I've been interested in since I was around 14 years old. How our brains work blew my mind. Maybe that's why I was always trying to analyze Maverick when he does things. I guess I do it to everyone surrounding me.

After my 1pm-3pm class, I walk home. For my earlier school days I usually walked to and from school, in the evenings I drove since I go home when it's getting cold and dark. When it starts to get to the cooler fall weather I'll drive a majority of the time I assume. Or if it's an early class maybe I'll bundle up and walk it.

I don't see Mavericks truck out when I reach the apartment building, so I assume his afternoon jobs didn't get moved or canceled. Once and a while on Fridays he gets to leave early if either happens. Or if his crew had too many people booked for a job, they got to rotate times they could go home. I enter the apartment and slip my shoes off, going to my room and collapsing backwards onto my bed. Another school week was done, and it had been smooth sailing these two first weeks but I knew next week it would ramp up. I was ready for the busyness of it all after having a relaxing summer off. I liked being busy.