Page 70 of Effortless

She darted through the flood of students weaving around the halls inside the college. A blonde bumped into her, and didn’t even bother to apologize. Bitch. The exit door was just a few feet away, thankfully.

“Did you hear me?” August asked.

“Sorry, just give me a second to get outside,” Camilla said. “I don’t know if the college suddenly got two hundred more students, or what.”

In the cold March air outside, Camilla took a deep breath. The refreshing chill relaxed her far more than the stuffy halls of the college. Most times, she didn’t mind. Today had been a different story altogether.

Maybe she just needed a damn break.

“All right,” she told her friend. “What was that? Are you coming, or not?”

“Mom and I are for sure. Dad might end up working late.”

“Good, so I’ll see you then. Or did you want me to pick you up?”

“I’ll drive with Mom,” August replied. “I’m heading over there to drop off my dirty clothes anyway.”

Camilla almost laughed, but managed to hold it back. August was grown up in a lot of ways, but she was still like every other eighteen year old fresh out on their own, too. Her mom washed her clothes once a week, and came over to clean her place when needed. August didn’t like to have that pointed out, however.

“Okay.”

“Love you.”

“You, too,” Camilla told her friend.

She hung up the call, and headed for the parking lot. She was able to remote start her car from inside her last class of the day because of the proximity to the lot. The taste of spring hung heavily in the air with the damp sprinkle of rain, and the disappearing snow. Still, winter kept clinging to the weather with the bite of cold and occasionally snowflakes.

Camilla was ready to put away the thick jackets, ugly boots, and wool hats. She needed to get back to cute dresses and strappy heels.

Anytime now.

She checked her watch as she slipped into the warm Mustang GT. By the look of the time, she had lots to spare before she needed to be at her parents’ Newport home for a dinner her mother planned. It gave her time to get home, change out of the scrubs she had to wear for school, and maybe relax a bit.

She loved school. Loved to learn, and the challenges it posed. Her goal of becoming a NICU nurse was still very much alive and well in her heart.

Lately, though, school felt like a fucking chore. Something she had to do, and not something she really wanted to do. Getting up early and staring down six or more hours of classes a day was becoming more and more daunting.

School had never felt like that to her before.

She wasn’t sure what exactly was causing her restlessness and lack of interest, but she needed to shake it, and fast. Before it became a problem she couldn’t handle, and it began bleeding over more into her school work.

At least it was finally March break.

Camilla had one whole week to do nothing. That was exactly what she planned to do, too. A couple of her friends were heading to Cuba. Another was going to the Dominican with her family like they did every year.

She had been invited to join both, and she refused them.

What she really wanted to do was absolutely nothing.

Nothing for school.

No demands. No classes. No papers due. No group work.

Nothing for life, either.

No shopping, partying, or adulting.

She just wanted to chill.