My thoughts drowned in why and how could he. Heavy tears flooded down my face mixing with the hot shower as I finished cleaning myself up. Fe didn't say anything, but I am sure she heard my crying. Honestly, I was probably dehydrated from all the tears, but I decided I wasn't going to cry anymore over that jackass. This was it. I would still hurt, but I won't let that jackass hold me back.
Dressed in my Stitch pajamas, Fe and I left the bathroom. The hallway was empty, but I could still hear laughter coming from the kitchen. A room filled with people that I wanted to avoid right now. I noticed Asher had cleaned up the hall and disappeared, so I wouldn’t have to see his cheating face. Fe rushed me back into my dorm room, which was a mess from my packing. Sitting down on the bed, my thoughts drifted to my summer plans. I only had a few days left in the dorm before Fe and I headed out for summer, so I planned to spend tomorrow packing. My mind went into checklist mode to avoid thinking about today, causing me to zone out for what felt like forever.
The sound of the door opening forced me back into the present. “Well, that was awkward,” Felicity sighed. “You shouldn’t leave your room for a while, but have no fear, I have brought essentials.”
I raised my eyebrow at her, realizing she was carrying a bounty of food and drinks in a tote bag. “Let’s see. Chicken flavored top ramen, six bottles of water, two orange gatorades, Funyuns, an apple, bacon jerky, strawberry poptarts, and cookie dough flavored frosting…yep, those are essentials. I am surprised we had some of these things.” I gave her a slight smile even though I felt gut punched.
“Originally, these were rations for all the packing and hauling we will have to do this weekend, but I think they are needed now,” her voice sounded sympathetic, which irked me.
I shook my head at her. “Fe, don’t go there. I am not a hurt puppy in need of care. I am hurt emotionally, sure. However, I am not going to let this rule my life. Maybe, my love life, but not the rest of me. You better pack up those feelings of pity and save them for a real person in need. Not me.”
“You say that…” Felicity started.
“No, Fe. When my parents died, yes. When I broke my ankle dancing in the musical, okay. When I dump a cheating bastard, hell no. Don’t give it another thought after tonight. Let’s just enjoy some ramen and go to bed.” I was through with today. All I wanted was to snuggle up with a blanket and sleep it off, which is exactly what I did.
Once I fell asleep…
The smell of the wild grass filled my nose. All I wanted was to roll around in the fresh grass beneath the full moon. It was beautiful tonight. So much so that I howled a lullaby to the moon. My howls rung out over the hill tops. The stars shone so brightly that the sky seemed to sparkle with jewels. The night air was warm and welcoming with a light breeze that blew through my pure black fur. I gave in, letting myself roll through that grass spreading the scent all over me. It was relaxing just playing in the grass beneath the moon.
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Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the stream. My mouth suddenly felt dry, so I trotted toward the babbling water. The grass crunched under my fluffy paws as I approached the stream. My mouth began to water once I saw the clear water. I lapped it up, refreshing my sandpaper tongue. Looking down, I saw my bright blue eyes popping out against my black fur. The only silver fur dawned on my shoulder in the shape of a crescent moon. It made me feel sad in my heart for reasons that I couldn’t explain. I didn’t want to dwell on my odd marking, so I took off across the stream.
The grass beneath felt soft on my paws as I ran across the hills. I could see the forest ahead of me. It truly shined in the darkness with small beams of moonlight passing through the branches, and the fireflies gracefully dancing about the tree trunks. I could feel the respect of the nocturnal animals as I passed them by. Owls greeted me while opossums hid in the trees. The music of crickets and frogs filled my ears. My run made me feel free, so I took it up a notch. I raced through the forest, weaving through the brush as quickly as possible. Imagining my favorite hilltop deep in the forest, where the tree branches reach the ground, I zoomed forward. In an instant I was there, climbing up into a branch to look over the territory. Everything felt calm and peaceful, which was all I needed. Laying my head down on my fluffy paws, I felt my eyes become heavy. Within a moment, I greeted the sweet darkness of my dreams as an old friend.
My eyes blinked open slowly as the ruckus outside my door seemed to get louder. Memories of my dream flashed through my mind. Was I really dreaming about a black wolf? Her hilltop in the forest was beautiful. I wonder if a place like that exists… A thunk on my door reminded me of why I was awake already anyway. Forcing my groggy body out of bed, I fixed myself with the little mirror on my desk. My dark brunette hair was flying about, so I tamed the wavy mess with a brush, rubbed the sleep out of my blue eyes, did teeth and breath check, and quietly walked toward the door. I wasn’t eager to find out what chaos was waiting for me, nor did I want to see Asher anytime soon. A whole wave of anxiety crashed down on me causing me to crouch in a ball while I did breathing exercises. Focus on something, Kori. Anything. Finally, my eyes opened and settled on the ugly scarf Asher had given me for Christmas. It was burnt orange with dark green pine trees all over it. Why would someone make such a horrible thing?
After ten minutes of imagining all the ways I could get rid of that scarf, I felt my anxiety release. At least my attack happened while I was alone this time. Using the wall, I lifted myself back up and shook out my remaining tension in my body. Walking back to the door, I could only imagine who was out there. Opening the door, I saw the bodies of all my floor mates busy packing and moving things. Asher was busy carrying things to his room, so he didn’t notice me. Things seemed to be normal. There was even music blasting on the kitchen speakers. I may have wanted to hide in my dorm longer, but the world sure wasn’t waiting for me.
“Hey, the lazy bum finally woke up yous guys!” William, my floormate announced.
“Morning Lil’ Stitch,” Vanessa, the RA, called out from the kitchen. “There’s fresh coffee.”
All eyes turned to find me barely poking my head out the door. My anxiety began to prickle under my skin like an unwavering itch. I swear my cheeks turned beat red before the annoying looks of pity settled on their faces. Suddenly shame and frustration flooded my emotions instead of anxiety. “Mornin’ busy bees,” I greeted. “Y’all just keep working. I am just goin’ to shut my door and ignore the ruckus.” I quickly shut my door without a pause. My Texan accent had come out heavily just then. It was then that I decided to focus on me and my vacation. Making quick work of myself, my room, and all the packing, when Felicity finally came back to the dorm with her cousin’s truck, I was ready to go. Goodbye, Harmony Hall.
