I walked into the bedroom and dropped my bag full of textbooks and notebooks and my laptop, dropped my winter coat and my lunch bag, took off my boots and then my socks and somehow I couldn't stop there. I unbuttoned my jeans and wrestled them down and off my feet. I crossed my arms and grabbed the itchy wool sweater pulling it over my head, my hair clinging to it with little crackles of static electricity. I unclasped my bra and slipped it down my arms tossing it on top of the pile. I placed my thumbs beneath the lace of my panties and slowly slipped them down to my ankles. Stepping out of them, I climbed onto the bed and tunneled underneath the comforter until I was completely entangled in a downy nest. Only then, when I had shed everything but still felt weighed down, I let go and burst into tears. I had been holding them back all day, reinforcing the walls I always kept up to dam them in. Finally, I was alone and could let the dam break.
I sobbed uncontrollably for several minutes just letting the tears and snot run down my face half hoping they would drown me. Completely undignified ugly crying and it felt pretty damn good.
Why was I crying? What horrible incident had brought me to this level of grief? Did my dog die? Had I just found out I was terminally ill? Was I being kicked out of my apartment?
No catastrophe of such magnitude was the cause of this particular cry fest. I berated myself with all of the legitimate problems others were facing while I was having a royal pity party for one.
Ok, maybe it's not quite that bad. God, I get so dramatic when I'm upset. I still wasn't facing the next world war, or anything, but my problems were legitimate enough to warrant some tears, and even a few wracking sobs.
It was my last semester. I had been taking classes non-stop, even through the summers, since I had gone back to school almost three years ago. I was nearly done. But as is my usual, I had pushed myself to the brink of a nervous breakdown.
I wiped my disgusting nose. Probably past the brink, really.
I never should have taken that sixth class. What the hell was I thinking? I didn't even need the credits, but it was such a great class and so pertinent to my major, I just didn't want to miss it. And it had been a great class, I learned so much and loved (nearly) every minute of it.
But six classes are too many. It was almost finals and I had so much to do without any mental or emotional energy to do it. I couldn't flunk out of my last semester, that would be beyond ridiculous. I had to finish, but I just didn't see how I could pull myself together.
Plus there was the GRE to study for and a grad school to apply to. I was planning on a research internship this coming summer. And then there was family to take care of, my two young girls depending on me for just about everything. The house was a disaster (as usual), groceries needed to be bought and I was pretty sure there was something really important I was forgetting. Something at the girls' school? Someone's birthday? Goddammit, I don't even know any more.
I bit the comforter and wrapped it as tightly around my face as I could then let out as blood curdling a scream as I could manage. It was subpar, I would never have made it in a horror movie.
I heard the bedroom door open and his footsteps as he entered the room. He closed the door softly and a moment later I felt his weight as he sat next to me on the bed. I continued trying to suffocate myself with the comforter while I shook with a few silent sobs.
He felt around through the blanket trying to find a part of me to comfort. His hand landed on my thigh and he patted a few times. "What is it?"
I instantly felt terrible. I was completely overreacting and I knew it, but I really couldn't help it. I swear to god I don't do this for attention but I always know people will think I am doing it for attention and so then I feel guilty and freak out even more. "I..I'm..f..f..fine!" I burst into fresh sobbing.
He sighed and I felt even worse, like I was annoying him with my outburst. I hated to annoy people. I tried to stifle my sobs with the comforter again.
He tugged firmly at the comforter and managed to pull it off me with two sharp jerks. I covered my face with my hands feeling nervous and exposed. He grabbed my elbow and turned me over onto my belly and before I could react, he slapped my ass once, hard. I cried out at the sting and looked up at him in shock.
"That is not only an inappropriate response, it is an outright lie! What's wrong?"
My lip trembled, but I managed to keep enough control to respond. "You'll just think I am overreacting, that I'm just a big baby. I'm just so stu..u..u..pid." I let out a new batch of tears and covered my face again.
Smack!!
"Ow! What the fuck?"
Smack!
"Watch your language, young lady. And I never want to hear you call yourself stupid." He rubbed my stinging rear and tilted my tear-stained face up towards his. "Now, tell me what the problem is or I will spank you until you do."
I sniffled, hesitating. I still felt ridiculous for my dramatic tears, but I was too overwhelmed to stop them. He lifted his hand to strike me again.