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PART 16 - Kathryn Reily Singer
A stiff mouthful of air escaped her lips as she slammed her pencil to the table.
"Wretched subject, I LOATHE you!"
"What?" Katie was sitting on her bed, matte sketchpad on her lap, attempting to draw Paige sitting indian style at her desk, when she heard the outburst ring across the room. She looked quizzically at Paige.
"The damn problem says to get from Point A to Point B, Point B being the right answer…I do the problem, and get the answer, but the professor says the work is wrong. Now, I say, what the fuck is the difference how you arrive at Point B? By plane, by train, or by automobile, you’re still AT fucking Point B!"
"Uh Huh," Katie tilted her head, slightly amused by her roommate’s rant.
"I don’t get Algebra…Letters and Numbers shouldn’t mix… Ever."
"Agreed," Katie nodded, "Wait…why are you taking Algebra? Isn’t your major Art Theory?"
Paige rolled her eyes. "I’m a glutton for punishment."
"Yeah, obviously…"
Paige laughed. "Are you kidding me? You think I’m taking this class because I want to? Geometry is a mandatory class for Theory."
"Okay…I’ll rephrase the question, Why aren’t you taking Geometry?"
"Because I never took Algebra, and it’s a prerequisite for Geometry."
"How did you get through High School without taking Algebra," Katie pondered, feeling slightly irritated, now, "Every student in the United States has to take it."
"Yeah, and I was supposed to take it Junior year, but… let’s just say the Principal, being so very artistically inclined, understood my plight completely."
"Uh huh…So, in other words, he wanted to shag you…"
"Wanted too, but didn’t have a chance…"
"Why, too old for you?" Katie laughed, knowing full well that age made no difference what-so-ever to Paige.
"Nah…I was hooking up with my art teacher, already, so…"
"Oh, good God…" Katie wasn’t really sure why she was shocked, that was totally something that Paige would do.
"Oh Come on, what teenaged artist didn’t want to hook up with their high school art teacher?"
"I didn’t…" Katie stated, without thinking… "Actually…Yeah, I guess I kinda did."
Paige shot her the "I told you so" look, "So then, why didn’t you go for it.?"
Katie stared at her with a gleam of disgust in her eyes, "Hello... I had a girlfriend."
"Yeah, but you said yourself that never stopped you before…So what was different this time?
Katie’s face dropped, "This time… I was a drooling idiot."
"Was?" Paige smirked, "You still kind of are, Kat."
"Thanks…" She said, angrily, knowing that she didn’t really have a right to be mad, but not caring. "I don’t know why I‘m such a moron . I mean, yeah, I broke up with her, but she was the one who wanted out. She’s the one that said she never wanted to see me again. So why am I still clinging for dear life to a relationship that ended just this side of a bloody massacre?"
"That’s the easiest equation I’ve ever been asked to solve…"
"Yeah?" Katie growled, "Then, by all means, solve it, genius…"
"It’s the same reason you couldn’t cheat on her." Paige cracked her knuckles, and adjusted her reading glasses.
"Yeah, but you said yourself that never stopped you before…So what was different this time?
Katie’s face dropped, "This time… I was a drooling idiot."
"Was?" Paige smirked, "You still kind of are, Kat."
"Thanks…" She said, angrily, knowing that she didn’t really have a right to be mad, but not caring. "I don’t know why I‘m such a moron . I mean, yeah, I broke up with her, but she was the one who wanted out. She’s the one that said she never wanted to see me again. So why am I still clinging for dear life to a relationship that ended just this side of a bloody massacre?"
"That’s the easiest equation I’ve ever been asked to solve…"
"Yeah?" Katie growled, "Then, by all means, solve it, genius…"
"It’s the same reason you couldn’t cheat on her." Paige cracked her knuckles, and adjusted her reading glasses.
Katie folded her hands, casually. "Elaborate, Dr. Freud."
Paige huffed in mock vexation, "Must I explain everything to you in laymen’s terms?"
Katie nodded. "If you’d please…"
"She was the first. You never loved anyone before, not even yourself. Finding her--loving her-- helped you find and, finally, love yourself. Now that she’s gone, you don’t know how to feel…"
Katie shook her head in a stunned sort of disbelief, "All right, Shut it off."
Paige smirked "No, for real, You fell for her, plain and simple, and that, my friend, is why you will always and forever be a bumbling fool over her. But don’t worry about it, they say it gets easier. Time Heals All Wounds, and all that mindless drivel."
"Yeah, once again, Thanks," Katie nodded. "It’s almost 3 o’clock, don‘t you have a class to get to…Psych. 101 or something?"
"102," Paige corrected "I took 101 in place of Algebra Junior year."
"Great," Katie scoffed, " better get a move on, then."
"Yep," Paige sighed in agreement. She grabbed her books, "I’ll never get used to this actually going to class thing…" She headed for the door, stopping to kiss Katie’s forehead before leaving. "No worries, Kat…"
"Right," Katie replied as Paige retreated. "No Worries."
How could she not worry? The seed had taken up roots deep inside her head. She tried not to think too much about it, but that was as difficult as avoiding the plague.
It made sense, really…and she knew that it wasn’t healthy to get so lost in this-- to let this relationship define her life, but right now, she didn‘t care. Jessie was the best thing that had ever happened to her, and she’d let that get fucked up beyond recognition.
"God Damnit, I’m sick of feeling like this…" She said out loud to no one.
In that moment, it became clear what she needed, and exactly what she had to do to get it.
**********
"I can not believe I had to sit through an hour-long lecture on fucking functions of the brain…" Paige complained, not caring if she was bitching at Katie’s unsympathetic ear.
To her surprise, Katie wasn’t even there. After stopping short, she realized that the tub was running. She thought about giving Katie her privacy, but then decided she simply had to rant.
"Kat," She grabbed the handle, knowing it wasn’t Katie’s style to lock the door… "You would not believe…" She paused and shuddered, unable to process the scene before her.
Water was not supposed to be that color, this she knew, so what was with the ruddy tint?
"Oh. My. God!" She screamed in horror as it finally hit her. "Kathryn!" She pulled as many towels as she could from the rack, and rushed toward Katie. "Oh god, you‘re barely breathing…" Tears started flowing uncontrollably as she reached into the tub.
There were so many gashes, she didn’t know where to start.
"Fuck…FUCK," She yelled, seeing how quickly the towels became blood-soaked. She picked up Katie’s right arm, and tied the last towel she could find tightly around it.
That’s when she noticed the razor, head broken open, revealing the smooth, straight-edges inside. They gleamed like tiny mirrors caught in sunlight. In that second, they seemed harmless. But….She managed to shake herself out of their trance just as quickly as she’d fallen into it. Razors, knives, bullets…death comes in small packages.
"Kathryn Reily Singer, don’t fucking do this to me…don’t you dare die on me!"
She screamed, then propped Katie up over the side of the tub. Don’t let water get into her lungs, she thought, and raced out of the bathroom. Not 2 seconds later, phone-to-ear, she returned.
The phone rang…One, twice, three times…
FUCKING PICK UP!!!
Almost on command, the line was answered. "Student Health…" Said the voice…
"There’s been a…" Paige paused, not quite sure what to say next. What was this? An Accident…No, this was no accident…A Suicide attempt? Fuck "My roommate is hurt, she’s bleeding pretty bad. I need help here, NOW"
The lady asked her questions…What happened and How. It wasn’t until she got to
the Room Number part that Paige was able to answer.
"1203 Kaikoura Hall," she spoke as collectedly as possible, not wanting to mumble at all.
"Just stay calm…Medics are on the way"
She nodded…and quickly wrapped a robe around Katie… She couldn’t let strangers
see her like this, raw and unclothed; Fragile.
Fuck, she thought again, Now what do I do?
"I...I need to make a call…" she said into the phone, then hung up on the woman.
What’s the bleeding number. She wracked her mind…The answer presented itself. Speed Dial No. 1: Steve, Speed Dial No. 2: Zoë
She stared intensely at the numbers before jabbing wildly at a button.
Ring…Ring…Ring…
"Jesus…it‘s 7 in the morning, what the hell could be so important?" He rubbed his eyes and turned on the light. " Yeah, H’Lo?"
"Steve?"
"Uh huh," he grunted.
"This is Paige, Katie’s roommate…" she took a shallow breath, trying to curb the angst in her voice before speaking…
It was no use, he heard it. "What’s wrong?" he pressed eagerly for an answer.
"It’s Katie…She’s hurt…I…I think she tried to kill herself."