When In Doubt - Freshman Year

Chapter 22

Heather

After they'd pulled their all-nighter, Heather had felt like garbage the entire rest of that weekend. She hadn't been able to concentrate on anything or remember anything that anyone said to her, and everything just pissed her off: when people walked in front of her, the way Matt rubbed his eyes, even Eden's hair color had pissed her off at one point. Her long, layered hair that grew lighter as it descended, and the rose gold highlights at the tips...

Just pick a freaking color already!

Heather noticed how Eden's bangs fell over her eyes and hooded them, and somehow that also got on Heather's nerves.

They'd all grabbed breakfast together in the Dining Hall before class that following Monday before class, and were joined by Alex and Jared, who'd both looked in better shape than the rest of them, and they'd been the ones who'd gotten drunk and partied both nights.

Lucky bastards...

Eden had insisted to go to the Starbucks station in the MSC before class.

"You guys, there's no way I will be able to function if I don't get some expresso pumping through my veins." Eden grumbled as her, Matt, Heather, Zach, Jenna had made the quick detour on their way to the Applied Arts building. While She and Jenna had ordered their drinks, Heather and the others had gone into the Blue Devil Market next door and grabbed more Monster Energy Drinks. They'd come out with a passion-fruit flavored one that Heather had been craving as of late.

They'd sat in their seats in the Drawing II classroom, and Heather took comfort in the fact that everyone else had looked worse for wear too. One girl who always wore a hoodie with cat ears still wore her pajamas and had probably come straight from pulling her own all-nighter on that damn project.

Professor Arquez silently entered the room, and Heather wasn't entirely sure, but she'd sworn she'd caught a glint of pleasure in his eyes at the sight of how miserable everyone looked. Even Mandy and Lindsay appeared duller and less saturated, and they'd always made it a point to look more put together than anyone else.

"Well, if everyone is ready to begin, I'm going to have you all put your work up on the wall," Professor Arquez announced as greeting. Everyone slowly dragged themselves out of their seats and found spots along the wall. Two people hadn't completed their projects: a guy in baggy camo pants who'd looked too stoned to fully even realize what was going on, and a petite girl with glasses on the verge of tears.

Heather's heart went out to the poor girl.

"You two, see me after class," Mr. Arquez glared, and the class remained silent as he'd looked at everyone's piece tacked up on the wall. The room was tense to see what the professor had to say.

Arquez turned to the class. "Well, I'm pleased to see that at least 90-percent of the class actually completed this assignment, and so moving forward, the second phase of this project will be much easier."

Madison

Mondays had the power to make or break the entire rest of that week. If someone's Monday went horribly, it usually meant that the rest of the week wouldn't get any better; at least, that's how Madison always looked at it. After a brutal weekend of competing on Saturday and not getting back until seven that night, she'd barely gotten her project done in time.

"I want to stab a bitch," Madison growled as the four girls sat down at their table later that night. They went to the nicest restaurant in the Menomonie area, Jake's Supper Club. "If I wasn't so effing tired, I would seriously be trying to find out where Arquez lives, and then smother him with a pillow."