Worth the Chase

chapter eight

RYAN

Mom iterated many times that I could sleep through anything—Dad's monstrous snores, a thunderstorm, Mom vacuuming my room, absolutely anything. I could sleep in all day, spend over 14 hours in bed, and still have the ability to go back to sleep.

It should be considered a talent.

But it's a problem when it comes to waking up for classes. For someone who is as studious as me, this is a huge problem.

Luckily after knowing me for the past three years, my friends know the best ways to wake me up.

Today was an unfortunate morning with an early morning class. I find myself sound asleep even after unintentionally snoozing my alarm for the past hour. I hear the stomping of footfalls against the hardwood floor before my curtains are wrung open, engulfing my room with blinding sunlight. Groaning, I pull the covers over my head, trying to preserve the last few minutes of sleep I could scrounge before my sheets are ripped from my body. Goosebumps prickle my skin; a shiver passes through my stiff limbs.

I peek out of one eye to see Mia scowling down at me from the foot of my bed. Her arms crossed in front of her, her hair a hive of curls on her head with sleep still apparent in her eyes. "Get the fuck up, Ryan. I don't need to be up until 11, yet your stupid alarms keep waking up the wrong person." Her voice is thick and rough. I sit up, stretching out my arms as my alarm rings again, realizing I only have 30 minutes to get ready for class.

Stepping out into the hallway, Mia stomps her way upstairs while I head for the bathroom. I throw Mia a vulgar gesture over my shoulder, to which she responds with something obscene.

Tossing on a hoodie over my bra and slipping into a pair of dark grey leggings, I grab my bag and rush out the door with only 15 minutes to spare. Usually, I would have walked, seeing as the campus isn't that far from where I live, but I decided to call an Uber instead with the time crunch. Slamming the door shut, I run across campus, passing by Bailey and Chase. They're coming out of the student athletic building after their morning workout.

"YOU KNOW YOU COULD JUST WAKE UP EARLIER," Bailey yells after me as I flip her off, continuing my jog towards Westminster Hall. Panting and out of shape, I slam into the metal doors of the classroom; the sound is thunderous against the room's stillness. It is then that I realize Dr. Swartzman has already started class. I stand still, paralyzed with a deep flush, before shaking my head to see that I'm indeed a couple of minutes late.

With her fine white strands framing her face, she cocks her head to glare at me. "Nice of you to finally join us," she stands up straight, placing her hands on her curvy hips, "Well, are you just going to stand there or are you going to take a seat?" With her palm facing the ceiling, she gestures out to the auditorium.

I peer around, locking eyes with Noah, who gives me a pitying look when I notice that the seats on either side of him are occupied. Pinching my lips together, I see Carsen smirking down at me from the back of the room. He tilts his head, gesturing to the empty chair next to him, his long muscular arm resting along the back of it. I knew Carsen was in this class, but it never felt like an issue until now. I roll my eyes, squinting, hoping another seat may be available.

"Any day now," she chastises. I swear lowly under my breath before rushing up the stairs to the only seat available next to Carsen. The entire time, his sharp grey eyes, appearing lighter than usual, follow my movements, sitting back with a wide grin and those damn dimples.

"Now, where were we," Dr. Swartzman stares down at her notes before speaking up again. "The most obvious way psychology can be applied is to facilitate positive behavioural change. The goals of encouraging positive behaviour and discouraging negative behaviour define many of our relationships. Facilitating change is notoriously difficult, though, and those who have tried are often left wondering why humans young and old can't be taught new tricks."