Hey Everyone!
So, I've completely revamped Can't Fight Time. I liked the first book, but I thought there was something missing. Meh, I'm a perfectionist, what can I say. Anyway, I hope you're excited! I know I am! This is the first chapter of the revamped, brand-spanking-new Can't Fight Time. Hope you all like it! Don't forget to comment, I love feedback!
-S
*****
"The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time." Nina recited the Mark Twain quote out loud, much to the surprise of all of her classmates, and most especially of her professor.
Well, he did ask what I was reading
, Nina thought, smothering her smile under a quick cough as she continued to stand with all eyes on her, the book of famous quotes held between two fingers.
"And how exactly does that relate to the Arab Spring, Ms. Strathmore?" her professor asked caustically, sending her a look that her fifth grade bully would have cringed at.
"It doesn't." Nina said succinctly, lowering her head in what she hoped looked like shame. "I apologize for interrupting class... again," she finished softly, her tone not nearly as repentant as her words.
The history professor rolled his eyes at Nina, clearly frustrated, before turning back to the board and resuming his lecture. She looked around the class, trying hard not to stick her tongue out at the sea of glaring eyes. The squeak of chalk against the chalkboard and the shuffling of chairs and papers let her know her little interruption had been forgotten. Smoothing her cream-colored skirt over her thighs, Nina sat down quietly, dog-eared the page in her book, and then before picked up her pen so she looked studious.
Whirling her pen between her fingers, Nina stared past her schoolmates to the rolling hills of green outside the classroom's window. Dust collected in the separated glass panes of the windows smudging the bright flowers and green grass outside. Grey-white walls, ancient wooden desks, and over three hundred students surrounded Nina in a lecture hall that was both too big and too small. It always amazed her how, in the sea of people and laptops, Mr. White always managed to find her goofing off. It wasn't like there weren't a hundred people playing on their phones, updating their statuses, and covertly listening to music or Snapchatting with their friends.
Guess I'm just special. Yay for me.
Nina chuckled mentally as she tuned out the lecture and ran through her mental playlist of songs. Just because she couldn't listen to music didn't mean she couldn't play some songs in her head. There was one song, in particular, that had been stuck in her head. It'd been there for a while but Nina couldn't remember when she'd heard it or why it had stuck with her for so long. It wasn't like she could remember the singer or even the title. Nope, just two lines played on repeat, a broken record that annoyed her as much as it interested her.
Like the beat beat beat of the tom-tom...
...Like the drip drip drip of the raindrops
She tried to remember more of the words, but all she couldn't seem to remember anything but those two lines and the melody of trumpets and bass. Mentally blowing out a sigh when Mr. White narrowed his eyes at her, Nina sat up straighter and tuned into class.
I'll look it up later.
"Focus or you're gonna fail," she muttered to herself as she picked up her pen and began to scribble down notes.
Time melted away until the tell-tale shuffle of papers and the ding of laptops being shut down brought her back. Somehow Nina had drifted off again and missed the rest of the class.
Meh, the slides'll be up by the end of the day.
Shaking her head, she listened to her teacher as he yelled out to his departing class "... If you have any questions on today's lecture, email your T.A.'s. Remember, your first paper is due Friday. Have a good rest of the day."
Covering her mouth over a large yawn, Nina shuffled through her backpack for her headphones and phone. Obnoxiously loud conversations and rambunctious laughter became her background music as she gave up her search and stuffed her textbook and notebook in her bag then slung it over her shoulder. Nina nodded to her teacher and a few familiar faces as she moved out of the room and down the hallway towards the exit.
Moving away from the hall, she weaved through the hundred or so students milling around with moves that an ice dancer would have been proud of. Soft grass absorbed her footprints as she moved around the students, twirling to avoid skateboards and bikes. A smile broke out as she looked up and spotted her favorite building on campus: the beautiful and secluded chapel.
The brick building was tall without being imposing and, despite its name, the chapel didn't subscribe to any particular religion. It was one of her favorite places to read, meditate, and just get away from the usual chaos that was her life. There was just something about the building that made it feel not just like a sanctuary, but a home.
Skipping around the building, Nina tripped over the same tree root she always tripped over. "They really need to fix that."
Or I really need to just stop tripping over it.