Phycology Paper
Finals can be rough
. . .
Trash was everywhere.
Food wrappers and containers littered the floor. Plates, cups and eating utensils looked as if they had been catapulted at the walls and furniture. Questionable substances were laying haphazardly across the floor. One brownish green mass might have moved.
Meshell hovered at the apartment door, wondering if her mission was doomed to fail. Her blonde hair was styled perfectly, her tight top and short skirt matched impeccably, her sandals were glamorous, and her make-up was flawless. It was possible none of it would survive if she continued on. Meshell bit her lip, stealing herself, then took a careful step in.
In the kitchen the microwave door was open. What looked like Spaghettio’s had exploded inside. A whistling kettle was on the stove, the gas flames leaving black marks on the side and bottom. The sink was plugged up and the faucet was leaking. Water pooled on the floor and surrounding counters. Energy drink liquid and cans covered the linoleum floor.
Meshell took a wary step into the ruined room. She winced as she felt sticky goo try to keep her sandal stuck to the floor. She tried to avoid the messes on the floor. She failed for the most part. Finally, going at a snail’s pace, she reached the burner and turned it off. Meshell was quicker returning to the dubious safety of the living room.
She stood, contemplating her next course of action. The only other room to be searched was the bedroom. Meshell stared at the closed door. The ominously closed door. She really didn’t want to go in the bedroom. She glanced at the front door, then back at the bedroom door. Meshell squared her shoulders. She had a purpose. She could do this!
She took half a step forward. Then another half step. Slowly, slowly she moved closer and closer to the ominous door. Finally, she reached it.
Then stared at the doorknob.
Degree by degree Meshell moved her hand nearer to the doorknob. She grabbed the knob. A deep breath to steady the nerves, then a flick of the wrist followed by a click. She slowly pushed the door open and took half a step in.
The room was almost entirely black. Dark blankets covered the window. The only source of light was a half-covered laptop screen.
“Jazz?” Meshell whispered.
Something in the dark moved.
“Jazz?”
Whatever was blocking the screen was moved. Meshell stifled a scream as a ghostly pale face was revealed. Meshell blinked and realized the face belong to Jasmine.
“Jazz? Is that you?” Meshell’s voice was a horrified whisper. Her friends long black hair was all tangled. Her gray eyes were slightly crazed and her clothes looked stiff and wrinkled.
“Yes.” Jazz’s voice was unusually high. “Yes. Yes. Yes.”
“Jazz, what happened to you? I haven’t seen you in almost two weeks.”
A hysterical giggle. “I’m done. Done, done, done!”
Meshell moved closer to the pale face. “With your paper?”
“All done!” hysterical giggle. “Eighty percent of my final grade. Eighty percent! Then I get my doctorate!”
Meshell crept closer. She was almost halfway to her friend. “When was the last time you ate something?”
“My psychology doctorate! Do you know how long I’ve worked for this?” Jazz jumped up and started to walk in a tight circle. “Eighty percent! If I don’t get Eighty-three point four seven percent on this paper I don’t get my doctorate.”
“Jazz, you need to stop pacing, or you’ll get dizzy. Did you send your paper in?”
“Sent it in. Don’t know how long. Need to know.” The pacing got faster until Jazz crumpled down on herself.
Meshell moved to sand next to Jazz. “Jasmine, you need to go take a shower, change your clothes, then you need to eat something.”
“’on’t ‘na,” come Jazz’s muffled voice.
“Too bad. Come on, ups-a-daisy,” Meshell hulled her friend onto her feet. She half dragged half carried Jazz into the small bathroom. Meshell sat Jazz down on the toilet, then turned on the shower. She made sure the water was the right temperature, then Meshell helped Jazz topple into the shower-tub, clothes and all.
“There. I’ll toss in some clothes that look clean. When you’re done come into the kitchen and I might have something eatable for you.”
.
Jazz felt like a creature akin to human under the hot spray of water
When Meshell had tossed her in the tub with the water running it had taken Jazz a few minutes to process what had happened. The wetness had finally penetrated her slightly melted brain and she had struggled out of her clothes, tossing them out of the shower. Then Jazz had set to the task of cleaning herself.
She realized she hadn’t showered or changed her clothes in almost six days. She didn’t remember that last time she ate, or even what she ate. The feeling of becoming clean did wonders for her mental health. She dried off and put on her clean clothes.
Looking in the bathroom mirror Jazz winced. She looked like death warmed over. She applied some light make-up. Then she set about untangling her hair, semidrying it and braiding it.
Too lazy to care about her wet dirty clothes becoming clean Jazz threw them over the shower rod so they could drip dry.
Jazz stepped out of the bathroom and turned her bedroom light on. A surprised “Oh” left her lips as she surveyed the damage of her room.
The mattress was across the room from the bed frame. Blankets were everywhere. Jazz swore she had never seen half of them. All her knick-knacks were in a pile in a corner. Her closet was open and all her cloths were gone. There were none in the room and Jazz wondered where Meshell had found the ones she was wearing.
She walked to the door and winced when she saw her living room. Jazz went into the kitchen. This room was slightly clean, as Meshell had started to work her magic.
The water and cans had been cleaned up. The floor had been wiped, but was still slightly sticky. Meshell was frying two hamburgers on the stove.
“Thanks. I think I snapped a bit,” Jazz said. She walked over to the counter and hopped up.
“No biggie. I remember when I was finishing my paper for my doctorate. I threatened to drown myself in the pool and take anyone who tried to stop me with me. Nearly did too, although I don’t think many people were worried, as I was trying to do it in the hot tub.” Meshell laughed and flipped the two burgers.
“You can still drown in a hot tub.”
“I know, but they could get me out easily enough.”
“Point.”
Meshell put the burger on a plate. “Besides, everyone gets a bit crazy around this time. My first year here there was a woman who shaved her boyfriend’s hair after tying him to a chair because it was his idea that she go here.”
The two eat in silence for moment.
“So, when you get your doctorate, what are you going to do?”
Jazz swallowed her mouthful. “A Psyche doctorate from Princeton is a big deal, and I also have a masters in anthropology as well. My cousin pulled some strings so I’ll be a consult at the Smithsonian. I’m also toying with the idea of opening my own practice for kids.”
“All good idea,” Meshell allowed. “Do you have the money to open a practice right now?”
“No,” Jazz allowed, “but as consult with the Smithsonian I should be able to get a job somewhere, then start small.”
Meshell smiled. “So what was you paper about anyways?”
“How writing research papers under extreme conditions can have psychological repercussions.”
. . .
AN: This was inspired by an episode of Boy Meets World and my own personal experiences. So, I don’t have a doctorates, but I do have two bachelors. All the information about getting a doctorate is total made up.
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