Chapter 25: Chapter 25

LEXI

“Death is easy; it’s peaceful,” the student at Nova University read. “It is a silence that lasts a thousand lifetimes. The longest silent treatment a person could ever give their family and friends. Death is so selfish that it only hurts the living; the ones who feel pain are the loved ones left behind.”

“Life, on the other hand, is a tricky son of a bitch. It’s a constant job to keep yourself healthy and fed, to fight to stay alive day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. And there are no guarantees of health, peace, strength, wealth, love, or happiness. Some people only ever experience one miserable chapter after another.

“In some cases, there’s so much misfortune and sadness that people decide to end their lives early, choosing death as a way to escape all that pain. Even rich people go through depression sometimes. How many suicidal celebrities have we witnessed over the years? A lot!

“Death is the only sure thing on this planet, so if there’s something that you want or someone that you want, don’t waste time worrying about what you think might happen. Go for it!”

Lexi fidgeted as the student returned to his seat. In a few minutes, she would be called up to share her essay too, and she had not written two words yet. She wouldn’t wish that kind of anxiety on anyone who had a heart condition.

By some miracle, Professor Calvin had called on everyone except Lexi when the class came to an end. But as she attempted to shuffle toward the exit with her classmates, he called her name.

“Ms. Fox.”

She stopped immediately, frozen with her back turned to him.

“A word, please.”

~Shit.~

Lexi slowly turned and walked over to her professor. By now, the classroom had emptied.

She managed a polite smile. “Good afternoon, sir.”

“You’ve been absent-minded in class for the past few days. You haven’t turned in your assignment, and on top of all that, you seem uninterested in this part of my lecture. Do you find it boring? Will this behavior become more frequent? Would you prefer to be doing something else?”

Lexi sighed. “I’m sorry, sir. I will do better.”

What else could she say? ~This guy named Daniel got my head all messed up, and I’m slacking off in class because he hasn’t been consistent with me?~

No. She would just be a cliché female whose life changed because of a guy. She’d rather have her professor think she had a momentary lapse in judgment and laziness than spill even a bit of the truth.

“I’ve asked all my classmates to write a short essay on a topic they feel strongly about. Luther wrote about life and death; Suzie wrote about women’s rights. Those are the best ones so far. If you wish to stay in my class, you will complete the assignment by tomorrow morning, and if it doesn’t live up to those two, you can make the walk down to the office and transfer into another course.”

“To-tomorrow?” Lexi stuttered.

With a no-nonsense tone, Professor Calvin threatened, “Have the essay ready, or don’t come back to my class.”

Lexi nodded and left the classroom. On the way to the parking lot, she debated with herself.

~What the hell am I going to write about? Abortion? No, suddenly I don’t feel as strongly about that topic… At least, not strongly enough to write an essay about it.~

~Love? At the moment, the only person I’m certain loves me is Reece. Maybe I could write about that.~

~No, I’d be horrified. Reece and I met at a group home, and that’s a time I want to forget. I know she does too.~

Lexi boarded the bus.

~I can’t believe Daniel called me and hung up as soon as I answered the phone.~

Once she reached her apartment, Lexi sat in her room with a pencil and a sheet of paper. She stared at the blue-printed lines for over an hour, but nothing came to mind.

She got a text message from Reece.

Reece

Hey Dray, I won’t be home tonight, so I ordered dinner for you. Eat it before you go to work. I’ll worry if you don’t.

Lexi

Thank you ❤️

It wasn’t long before the doorbell rang with the pasta Reece had ordered, but Lexi only ate a few bites before putting the rest in the refrigerator. Her appetite just wasn’t there.

She showered and prepared for work, hoping she would figure out what to write for her essay about when she returned home later.

***

The next day, Professor Calvin started class by saying, “Class, Ms. Fox is ready to read her essay. Settle down, everyone.”

Even though Lexi knew it was coming, her stomach dropped. She had never read anything out loud in a crowded room before. Besides, her essay wasn’t something she wanted other people to hear.

With shaky hands, Lexi approached the front of the class. Praying no one saw her fingers tremble or heard her paper shake, she cleared her throat and stared wide-eyed around the room. She felt nauseous.

Yes, she was nervous, but the butterflies in her stomach only appeared when Daniel was around. Why was she feeling them here…now?

Her eyes shot to the door.

There he was.