Chapter 29

2 days later

6:59 am

Kimberly laid on her back in bed looking up at the ceiling. She noticed her clock change to 7 am. Another sleepless hour has passed. Puppies asleep in her bed. Kimberly rubbed their heads. Dash woke first.

"Hey baby." He sniffed around, moving up to her face. He licked her face. Global exam was delayed until 9 am. Professor figured the exam should take hours at the most to complete. Kimberly took the puppies on a walk first before she went to shower. Dressed in peach floral shirt, white long wrap-around skirt and black velvet Kung Fu shoes. Kimberly sat at the counter review notes when Aisha came out her room, looking very sleepily.

"Morning."

"Morning," Kim replied. Aisha made some tea.

"Think you are ready?"

"Pretty much." Kim poured more OJ into her cup. "Country locations are fine, but damn all these dates." Aisha laughed.

"I hear ya. Want breakfast?"

"Can we get McDonalds?"

"Of course." Kim smiled. "Why don't we go to the beach for a little R&R."

"After global?"

"Yea."

"I can't, I have to go see Tyler."

"Okay, we can after that."

"Okay. Can we bring Dash and Napoleon?"

"Sure, besides, we can't leave them with the big-bad evil Tommy." Aisha lifted Dash and made a face at him.

"Tommy is not evil."

"Yea, you keep thinking back." Aisha put Dash down. Kimberly locked the dogs in her room in an area made for them to keep them from peeing all over her room. Aisha wanted to go to class early for a quick cram session. Kimberly yawned again as the exam was placed on her desk.

"Wow, didn't think my exam required that much lack of sleep to study?" Kim smiled.

"Sorry! Long night."

"Good luck, Kim."

"Thanks." Kimberly picked up her pencil and opened her blue notebook. She smiled, her first college exam.

1pm

Aisha finally found a spot in the hot sand to set up for them. She laid out the 2 towels near an empty huge umbrella. Kimberly tied the puppies the pole and put down 2 bowls of fresh cold water for them. Dressed in a black double strap dress and black flip flops, she sat down.

"Gonna tan in that?" Aisha pulled her shorts off.

"Oh, right." Kim laughed and pulled her dress off, revealing the pink halter apron top with black boyshorts bathing suit. The girls relaxed for a while. Aisha took a long nap, leaving Kimberly playing and running around with puppies. She borrowed a board and put them on it taking them out to the water. Napoleon didn't like the water as much. Kimberly had to keep an eye on Dash. He would often jump into the water with no fear. Aisha woke from her nap and went to play with them.

7pm

Kimberly was sitting on the floor, her Chemistry notes scattered on the coffee table, as she tossed the ball and toy around with the puppies that were running around. Aisha came over and sat on the table.

"You know Brian?"

"The TA, yea."

"He has a study session tonight, let's go." Kimberly, still in her bathing suit, shook her head.

"We are going to the one tomorrow at 4."

"Why not tonight and tomorrow?"

"Aisha, we are going to do fine. Besides it will be fresher tomorrow."

"But it will also be crowded tomorrow."

"Fine." Kimberly knew not to fight with Aisha and studying. She slipped her dress back on and put on her flip flops. She pushed the puppies into her room and picked up her stack of Chemistry notes and the book. They left for the library.

11 pm

Kimberly sat at her window, staring out into the night. Aisha knocked on her door.

"Yea."

"Oh, you are awake?" Aisha said coming inside. "Jason brought some movies and popcorn."

"Nah, it's my turn in the library." Kimberly stood and stretched. Dressed in PJ's, blue/yellow plaid sleepshirt and pink shorts. "I should go take over for Rocky." She started packing up her things. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Next day

The library has been packed since last Friday. Exam time, it was open 24 hours now. The guys have saved 2 rooms that were joined together, one person would rotate in to keep the rooms to them instead of losing it and having to fight for library space. Kimberly allowed Rocky to go home for the night as she took over. Kimberly sneaked the puppies inside. Instead of sleeping like them, she turned the lights on low and studied. The puppies slept throughthe night. Kimberly got up and used the woman's bathroom to change at around 6am. She put on her grey hoodie, multi striped pants and blue flip flops, after brushing her teeth and washing her face. She applied little make-up and put her hair up into a messy ponytail. Another girl beside her do the same, brushing her teeth. Kimberly smiled and picked up her bag.

"Good luck."

"You too."

>
>

1pm

"Break," Rocky said. "I need food and tons of it!"

"You just got to Chapter 6! Come on, at least until 10."

"Kimberly, we've been doing at this for 3 hours. I am a machine that needs fuel."

"Yea, a break would be nice."

"I agree," Jason said. Though they were all taking the same courses just at different times, exams were easy to study together, with all of them knowing the same test will be given to them. Kimberly shared Chemistry class with Rocky only at 9, the rest having the 11 o' clock Chem class. Aisha shared lab with them in the afternoon, the rest at the night Chem lab. Kimberly and Tommy were the only ones to get into the 10 am Writing class, the rest had the 8 am one on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Aisha, Jason and Kimberly got into the 11 Global, the rest at the 2 pm class. Kimberly and Aisha had Dance at that time on Mondays and Wednesdays. Only the Writing class had separate professors, but basically did the same work, just with different angles and stories.

"All agreed then, let's break."

"Who will stay in the rooms?"

"NOT ME!" Rocky said getting up quickly.

"Let's just sneak like 2 pies upstairs," Kimberly said.

"And Chinese!"

"And Chinese?"

"Okay. I'll stay," Aisha said. "Make sure the bread sticks are burnt like last time."

>
>
>
>

Next day

Kimberly was the only one in the library the next morning. Everyone had gone home to bed. Kimberly claimed she was the only one small enough to sleep in the chair, so she was willing to stay again. Rocky came by around 6:30 am

"You're up?" Kim yawned.

"Yep."

"Go home, shower, I got the room." Their chemistry test was at 11.

"Okay." Kimberly packed the dogs and grabbed her bag to change. Kimberly came downstairs to see the Chemistry teacher.

"Hello, Kimberly." He was making copies.

"Hi, Professor Karty."

"You ready?"

"Pretty much. Little nervous."

"Don't be. You have had great test grades all semester. A's, don't wor..." Kim yawned again, tears rolling down her face.

"Sorry."

"Wow, have you been up all night?"

"A little."

"You have an exam before Chemistry?"

"Yea, College Writing at 8. But Professor swears won't take any longer than 2 hours."

"Good, go, get some rest. A quick 20, 30 minute nap will do wonders, trust me."

"I'll try. See ya at 11."

"Bye."

>
>

8 am

Kimberly took a seat in her Writing class. Unlike global, the Professors hadn't combined all the classes into the hall to take the exam as a whole. Professor Watts laid on the exams at every desk. Kimberly sat across from Tommy. After the exam, Kimberly was walking out, when Tommy bumped into her, her book and notes fell to the ground.

"Sorry," they both said. Tommy bent down with her, picking up papers for her. Their hands touched. Tommy found himself looking into tired eyes, Kimberly the same.

"Thanks. I gotta go. Bye."

"Bye," he said standing up first. Tommy went to talk to Dr. Jones.

>
>

11am

Kimberly sat in her desk besides Aisha, Rocky in front of them. Professor Karty was late, as usual. He walked in finally.

"Well, you all have it here, great." Kimberly tapped her foot. Rocky reached back and grabbed her leg.

"You'll do fine."

"Thanks. Good luck."

"You too," he whispered.

After the exam, Kimberly followed Rocky to the lab exam room. Exam wasn't until 3, it was just 1:30 pm. Aisha went to get some lunch while they saved her a spot.

"Man, you think the lab exam is going to be as touch as that exam was?"

"Hope not."

"Man, that was brutal. I think I missed that ICE question."

"How about converges?"

"All of those." Kim laughed, then tears formed in her eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just think I failed." She tried to laughed and wipe the tears away.

"Kimberly." Rocky put his arms around her. Professor Karty came by to find Kim crying.

"Rocky? Kimberly?" They pulled apart. Kim continued to wipe her, but more tears fell. "You okay?"

"Yea, just being silly I guess. Lack of sleep must be catching up."

"When did you last get some sleep?"

"Saturday, I guess." Kim lied.

"Go home. Take the exam tomorrow."

"What? No, Professor I'm fine. I can take the exam."

"You are exhausted. You have taken 2 already, school policy allows you only 2 a day, I can give it to you anytime tomorrow. Go."

"If I go home, now, I won't better tomorrow. At least my next exam isn't until Wednesday. I'll rest tonight and tomorrow."

"Okay."

4:45 pm

Kimberly was playing with the puppies, crying once again. Lab barely took an hour, everyone was very glad, especially Rocky. Tommy came by the loft, thinking everyone was gone out, his Chemistry lab was at 6, he wanted to take the puppies out, or that's what he told himself, he really wanted to see Kimberly. Dr. Jones had told him, he was fooling himself, if he thought he and Kimberly were threw. It was up to him to suck it up, stop whining, and open his heart back to her again. Let go of the mistakes, his mistakes, hers, all of the ones they made. Tommy went into Kim's room.

"Sorry!"

"Sok, Uh, come in!" Kimberly yelled trying to wipe her eyes again.

"I was just coming to take pups on a walk, I'll get them later."

"No, you can take them now." She wiped her eyes.

"No, you keep them. I'll come back tomorrow."

"Okay."

"Are you okay?"

"Yea!"

"I'll be by tomorrow. Bye."

"Okay, bye." Tommy closed the door. He sighed. Aisha couldn't get Kimberly to come out for dinner. Tommy overhead her telling Jason she found Kimberly crying. Tommy decided to go back to the apartment while everyone was out.

>
>

7:30 pm

Kimberly stood looking at herself in the mirror. A bottle of raspberry wine opened. She opened the mirror and found a bottle of medicine. She opened Aisha's vicodens that she used for cramps and headaches. Kimberly poured a handful into her hands just as she went to take them, she had a vision.

Tommy came into the bathroom and found Kimberly on the ground. "Oh, god! Kim! Kimberly!" He shook her. "KIM!" He raised her head as he checked her pulse. Kim, groggily, she opened her eyes. "How many did you take! How many did you take!" Aisha came into the bathroom. She screamed. "CALL 911!" Kimberly started seizing and went into unconsciousness. Tommy started CPR. "KIM! KIM!" ...

>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

oooooo...until next time

Teaser: "I want to be married in a garden surrounded by millions of flowers on like a cliff. With the sun setting.."
"Okay." "In a Vera Wang gown, layers on layers. A train, bouquet of white roses with a red rose in the center. My maid of honor in a lavender and pink gown, brides maids the same." "Looks like I have my work cut out for me."
"Of course. But I don't want all of that." "Yea, you do." "I only need you, oh and a priest," she said smiling. They kissed.