The second class of the day went more smoothly than the first. The young, female professor of Psychology seemed to be off to a slower start with the semester, allowing the students more time to settle in and really process the information given. They were still on the first chapter of the textbook, which Jacob’s new friend graciously shared with him during the class readings, and the tone of the week seemed to be focused on showing the students why they should be interested in psychology as a major field of study. At first Jacob had chuckled at the exuberance of the instructor, wondering if perhaps the department was low on psychology students and desperately trying to fill a quota. However, by the end of the class, he had to admit, she was starting to convince him.
“The greatest thing about studying psychology is that it’s a subject that effects every single one of us, every day of our lives,” she declared with dramatic hand gestures, her wild, blonde mane nearly getting tangled in her jingling bracelets as she waved her arms around. “I mean, let’s be honest,” she muttered, lowering her voice to a sarcastic mutter, “not everybody is going to use the quadratic formula or need to know when the Declaration of Independence was signed on any ol’ random Tuesday.” She rolled her eyes and the class chuckled.
“But! Everybody – and I do mean everybody – has that one crazy friend they would just love to secretly analyze behind their backs, am I right?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at the students for effect. “I’m talkin’ about you, Susan,” she muttered, half to herself on her way back to her desk, provoking another chuckle from the class.
“Alright, that’s all I got,” she shrugged, letting her hands fall back down at her sides. “See ya next time, and don’t forget to read chapter two in preparation for Monday’s discussion,” she added over the sound of shuffling papers and zipping backpacks.
Jacob rose from his chair, politely waiting for Callie to finish gathering her things, even though they were about to part ways anyway.
“Well, I guess I’ll be seeing you around, then,” Jacob stated once they got outside.
“Yeah, definitely,” she replied with a smile.
They gave each other a brief wave as he turned to leave, but he stopped when he remembered the next event on his to-do list for the weekend.
“Oh, hey,” he interjected, halting her. “You said you’re from around here, right?”
“Uh-huh,” she nodded eagerly.
“Do you know if there’s, like, a… thrift store or a Walmart or something nearby?” he asked, thinking of all the basic necessities he still needed for college and trying not to let his mind dwell on the painfully small amount of cash he had in his wallet.
“Yeah, there’s a Walmart just a couple blocks down the road,” she replied, gesturing in the direction of the store. “Do you want… I mean, I could take you there, if you want,” she offered half-heartedly.
“Oh, no, that’s okay,” Jacob objected, not wanting to have to explain to his new friend why he - a grown man - didn’t own a toothbrush or a second pair of underwear. “Thanks, though,” he grinned, raising a hand in a wave as he headed in the direction of the store.
He managed to get some of the basic provisions he needed, just enough to hold him off until one of the many scholarships he spent months applying for while he was at Bellevue arrived and he could work with the financial aid department to allow him to use a portion for non-school-related necessities. It had taken most of the evening for him to shop, given that it had been so long since he bought clothes for himself that he had no idea what size he wore. On top of that, he had to get creative with his budgeting, making the most of the sales and trying to prioritize his list into which necessities were urgently needed and which could wait a week or so.
Of course, when he got up to the counter, the cashier excitedly informed him of their new credit cards, which was information he wished he would have had before having to decide if bed sheets outweighed a blanket and pillow on the urgency-scale. He filed that option away in his mind for next time.
He stumbled into his room at the end of the night, letting the plastic shopping bags fall to the floor in exasperation. He racked his brain for priorities again, trying to decide what needed to be finished tonight and what could be dealt with in the morning. He was scheduled to meet his new therapist at nine the next morning, so he got his new alarm clock set up to wake him early enough to catch a bus to her office. Thankfully, he already had the route mapped out, and would head from there to meet with his parole officer for the first time. That was a meeting he was not looking forward to, but he had to remind himself that it’s because of those meetings that he’s even allowed to be in school at all. If it weren’t for the opportunity of parole, he would still be lying on a rock-hard bed, staring at a stark-white ceiling and trying to ignore the obnoxiously loud snoring of his Bellevue roommate.
After the clock was set, he opened up his new toothbrush – definitely a necessity – brushed his teeth with hot water – toothpaste didn’t make the list yet – took his nighttime pills, and settled into bed on his uncovered mattress. He wrestled with his new blanket for several minutes before determining that it simply wasn’t long enough to cover his feet and shoulders at the same time. It wasn’t ideal, but he’d had worse nights on the streets, back in the days before Rodney took him under his grubby wing. At least this time, there was hope for a better tomorrow.
JACOB’S FOOT TAPPED ANXIOUSLY against the tile floor. He hadn’t realized how nervous he was to meet his new therapist until he was waiting in the lobby, taking in the serene ambiance of the candles, cool colors, and luscious, green plants. It was clearly a setting created to elicit peace, but it didn’t seem to help as much as the interior designer might have hoped. He tried to ease his mind by flipping through a nearby magazine, but the article he settled on was such trivial dribble about some celebrity he didn’t recognize that it didn’t captivate his attention enough to distract him from his thoughts. He tossed the magazine back on its stack with a loud sigh, drawing the attention of the meek receptionist behind the sleek, glass counter. He gave her an embarrassed smile, turning his eyes to his hands in his lap.
The door to the doctor’s office swung open, and two women came out, one dressed professionally and holding a box of tissues as the other sniffled and dabbed one against her puffy eyes.
“I’m sure it’ll be easier than you think,” the nicely-dressed woman encouraged with an empathetic look. “You’ll have to let me know how it goes next week, okay?”
The sniveling woman nodded. “Thank you,” she muttered behind her tissue before making her way quickly out the front door.
The doctor stood in the doorway of her office for a moment, taking in a deep, calming breath. She was an attractive woman; her chocolate brown hair rested against her shoulders in loose, carefully constructed curls, and her piercing blue eyes contrasted her dark hair and tan skin.
“Jacob?” she asked, turning her attention to where he sat.
“Yes,” he answered, rising from his seat and smoothing out his plain t-shirt, feeling underdressed.
“Come on back,” she invited with a bright smile, holding the door wider for him. “Go ahead and have a seat,” she said, closing the door behind them.