Page 7 of Afterglow
Once graduation was over, I slept for over two days, only waking up to eat. I can’t even remember if I showered. My insomnia has eased slightly, but the first time panic sneaks up on me, is when all my progress will shatter.
“It doesn’t matter, the campus is so big I will probably never see him.”
I mean seriously, what are the chances?
Chapter 3
September
Jazmine Allen
One hundred fucking percent.
Theodore Knight is in myIntroduction to Psychologyclass. He has answered every single question posed by the lecturer and his response is always correct. How is this happening?
This year was supposed to be about me—acing every class and networking with professors to pursue my career. Does this make me sound like an ungratefulbrat?
Yes, but I don’t care. My senior year of high school was overloaded so I could be prepared for everything college could hurl at me.
Theodore fucking Knight is someone I wasn’t prepared for.
I scribble down annotations on the lecture slides. My grip on the pencil tightens, turning my knuckles white. My gaze flickers between the professor and the screen. The information is easy to understand, giving me the chance to fall back into a routine with no challenge.
I need to have a schedule outlining my entire life, otherwise I will fall apart. After being hired at Strong Beans—one of the cafes on campus, I have to balance study, work and play to stay afloat this year.
My eyebrows scrunch together after reading the final slide. An opportunity for an internship, sign me up.
“As per the last slide, we are privileged to give one student in the class the opportunity to intern for Cooper and Byrd over the summer break next year.”
My spine straightens and my eyes never stray from the professor unless it is to read the lecture slides. Cooper and Byrd are leading researchers in sports psychology, mainly focusing on the effects of concussion on an athlete's mental health.
It’s my dream company to work for in the future. They have offices all over America as well, so there is the chance to explore a new place.
Ineedthisinternship.
Professor Hart continues: “The student with the highest grade at the end of the semester will earn the position.”
Being top of my classes has always been important but now it is non-negotiable. Sports psychology is a growing field in the medical industry, however, like most things in life, knowing the right people is key.
This internship is the pathway I have been searching for since I left high school. After I graduated, I researched every company that provides opportunities to students, so believe me when I say: limited chances are available.
Students file out of the lecture theatre after being dismissed, I follow behind, picking at my nails. My overactive mind forms a to do list despite being three weeks into the semester.
Breaks have been limited as deadlines appear closer every day. I barely see Sofia and Athena. It's like I’m a ghost—haunting our apartment at night and invisible during the daylight.
I slam into a wall of muscle. Every thought in my mind disappears as impatience and irritation builds in my veins. An angry sigh leaves my throat. The guy in front of me continues to block the doorway. I understand people are trying to leave the lecture theatre but he is clearly making it worse.
“Can you move? Some of us have places to be,”
The person shifts, revealing his face. Oh great. Just the person I was trying to avoid. My teeth grind against each other while I press my uneven nails into the palms ofmy hands. The harder I push, the closer I am to drawing blood.
“Knight,”
“Princess, I didn’t know you were in this class.”
I step out of the walkway so students can move through the door. Theodore lingers behind me. I tilt my head up, unable to tear my gaze from his piercing blue eyes.
The memories of Frankie’s Bar invade my mind without permission. The last thing I should be thinking about is Theodore Knight. My traitorous body doesn’t heed my warnings as my skin burns under his gaze.
