2.2 University

James' Pov

"Honey? Hon are you okay?" I was standing outside the bathroom door, as Malinda was inside throwing up. When she came out her face was icy pale, but she was smiling.
"Guess what? I'm pregnant!" She shrieked.
"Wow! Pregnant. Like, with a child?" Dumb question...
"Of course with a child. Our child."
"I'm gonna be a dad?" I was dumbstruck.  I had to sit down. Where was a chair when you needed one?
"Do you want to feel it?" she smiled overbearing.
"Sure." I couldn't believe it. I was gonna be a father. Me!
"Wow," was all i could say.

"I'm speechless. I'm happy of course, but..." But what? Oh my, i shouldn't have said that.
"But what? But you are not excited? But you don't want it? What but what?" She wasn't smiling any more, to say the least.
"No buts. I don't even know why i said that." Whoops.
"You know we talked about this. You have to do it."
"I know, just,.. not now."
"But soon, right?"
"Yes, yes of course. Soon." She wanted me to ask my mom for money so we could buy a house. This should be great. My mom had been tight with money ever since we moved here, so there was no chance in hell she was gonna loan me any money, even less she would give them to me. I might as well kill myself on the spot.

3 months later:

"Mom, can i talk to you for a second?" Ever since Malinda got pregnant, she had been quite hormonal to the point of hysterical. So instead of arguing with her that i didn't feel comfortable asking my mother for money, I just went ahead with it.
"Sure honey." She followed me into the hobby room on the ground floor. It had all our workout equipment, a chess table and painting/drawing equipment.

"Well you see the thing is, now that Malinda is pregnant, we have discussed that we want to move out into our own house. Both because there simply isn't room in this house for a baby, and also because, well we don't want to live with my mom and siblings for the rest of our lives. We want something that is just ours."

"I see. And i'm guessing you need some help in order to have the money for that?" I knew it. This was it. She was going to reject me like every body else that had asked for money. She wanted us to earn our own money, and i understood that, but how was i gonna get money enough quick enough to buy a house? "Sure dear, take what you need. And if you need money again don't hesitate to ask." She sent me a rare smile. I guess she wasn't as tight anymore as she used to be? Or was it something else?

"Thank you so much mom." I hugged her, more concerned and puzzled than i had ever been before.

"So, did you ask her?" Malinda was waiting for me in our bedroom, her hands on her hips.
"I did. She said yes."
"Well, that's great news!" She went over and hugged me. "So lets start looking at houses." She went straight to the computer and began searching for houses in Moonlight Falls.
After a week we had found our dream house.
It had enough bedrooms and bathrooms to be filled out by a whole family.
"Do we actually need that much space?" I asked, concerned about money. "You know we also need to pay rent, and i don't expect my mom to pay for that too."
Oh god, here we go. She put her little girl face on, pretending to be sad. "well.. i dont know.. i just.. want what is best for the family." She said with sadness rooted in every word.
"Well, i guess i could take extra shifts at the hospital. But..."
"Yay great!" Of course i caved. She knew i would. Sometimes i hated  her. Okay, hate is probably a harsh word to use. Disliked. Yes sometimes i disliked her for said reasons. But i also loved her dearly and we were having a baby! That was exciting. I had always wanted a family of my own. Being a father was a dream of mine. Sometimes i secretly wished it was with someone else. No, no i don't! Yes i do, but i don't!

Camille's Pov

"Camille, i need to talk to you." My mom had been a bit well, off lately. Sometimes she seemed down somehow. I couldn't exactly put my finger on it. I got up from the kitchen chair i was sitting in and walked with her into the living room. 

"How is your job going? Do you like it?" 

"I guess so. Why do you ask?"

"I just need to know that you are happy doing what you doing right now."

"Well, to tell you the truth i wish i had other options. I mean, i love working with kids, but it's just not what i want to do for the rest of my life. I want to explore! I wan't to spend my life adventuring, seeing the world!"

"But you need a job for that to happen. What kind of job would you like?" Where was this going?

"Well, to get a good job i need better education. But my dream job would be sports. Like football. I've started working out and i think I'm doing pretty good."

"I see. Hmm..." She tapped her finger on her chin. "What would you say if i could get you better education?"

"Like, what do you mean? University?"

"Yes, University. That would be appropriate for you. You are definitely mature enough to be able to get to class and not waste away four years on partying and drinking. Would you like that? It requires hard work, but i'm sure you can handle it."

"Wow, I'm flattered, i really am. Okay, i'll do it!" 

"Then that's settled! You will apply for University tomorrow morning and then when you are accepted, which i am sure you will be, you will attend  Uni and get your sports degree."

"Thank you so much mom. I will never forget this."

"By the way, why are you suddenly being so nice with money? Are you okay?" 

Could there be something wrong? Malinda had spoken widely about how mom was giving them money to buy a house. This was very uncharacteristic of my mom. 

"Of course honey. I'm fine. I just get payed well and i got a big summer bonus." First she smiled, but when i walked towards the door, i looked back and she was drying her eyes. What was wrong with her? I was scared.  Would she be here when i came back home again?

The next day i took an aptitude test to see if i could get any credit. I scored pretty low, though i knew i could do better once i started Uni. 

I got my acceptance letter pretty quickly. And then suddenly the day for me to leave for University

came. I had packed everything in my suitcase. My family gathered around to say goodbye.

It took several hours driving to University, but when i finally arrived i was amazed. The building where i would be living was huge and amazing looking. My roommate was Shae Rexburg. 

Most of the people living in the dormitory was men, though i wasn't interested in any of them. No men for me thanks. I was gonna be only focused on my studies. 

The first thing we did, after choosing a room and placing our luggage, was to go to the University Union building. There was a welcome to new students thing. I read the post on the board. It read:

I was not the only one there. I met loads of people. One in particular made an impression on me. Ruby Parks.

She seemed nice and easy to talk to. She was studying Medicin and Science and i found out that she was a Computer Whiz.
That night I was invited to a party held by my fellow students. I went to the dorm where it was held, expecting a lot of drunk idiots, but i was surprised when i was met with calm individuals just having a good time talking to each other in a mature manner. I met a couple of interesting people there.

Then suddenly i was so tired i could have slept anywhere. So i went home to my room and slept for about six hours. Then it was time to get up and go get that education we payed a fortune for.

 After a month things were going pretty great. I got good grades from tests and i had met some nice people to study with or just hang out. The normal day to day classes was also going great, though sometimes i felt time stood still when i was just sitting there listening to the professor talking and talking.

I often spoke with my mom on the phone. She told me how things were at home. About how Malinda was going to give birth soon. How the two of them had made a final offer on the house they wanted. They were going to move as soon as the baby was born. She told me she was secretly very sad to see them leave. "First Bernard and now James. Where does it end?" "Don't worry mom. James will still be in town. You can see him whenever you want," I told her. I didn't like being away from home when things were like that with her.
After two months at University, I got a call from James telling me that Malinda had had the baby and that the two of them  had headed to City Hall and gotten married. Married! I congratulated them big time and wished them a happy marriage and future. But didn't he sound kind of sad at the same time?
"James are you okay?" I asked him one day when while we talked over the phone.
"Yeah, i mean i got a boy and i got married so what's not to be happy about?" He said sounding pretty sarcastic.
"If you aren't happy you should have talked to Malinda about it before getting married, you know."
"Hey i don't need you to talk to me like that." And he hung up on me. What had i said wrong?
He called me instantly back to apologize and said that he was out of his mind with grief. Malinda was apparently pregnant again, and this cost him so much money to feed his family that he didn't know what to do. "I don't earn nearly enough money to cover what we spend! Children are expensive. Don't get pregnant without a plan for your future. Promise me."
"Okay, i promise you." I felt sad for him. He was stuck in a marriage he didn't really want and now there was another baby on the way. It seemed impossible to get out of.

Now and then i would get party invites. Normally i would turn them down or just ignore them, but then one night i decided that i had worked my butt off for a long time. Now i needed some fun as well.
I went to a bonfire party at someones house. Yes there were also houses here. Not everyone lived at a dorm or sorority or frat house. Things were going great. We started the bonfire and it grew bigger and bigger as we put on more and more wood. This is where i met Jerry Wheeler.

I couldn't stop looking at him. His features were so fine and handsome. He looked up and saw me watching him. I walked over and introduced myself. We ended up talking for quite a bit. I found out that he studied Business, was ambitious and artistic. He was very attractive. I immediately liked him. There was just something about him. He was cool and calm and talked in a deep voice. I felt safe around him. I couldn't wait to learn more about him.

When he left that night, i couldn't stop looking after him.

I first stopped looking when he was no longer in my sight. I knew i had to see him again.
The next day after class, i called him to ask him out. Not on a date, but just to hang out down at the University's park. He sounded glad when i called him, like he had thought of the same thing.
We met down there and started chatting instantly. We talked about everything between heaven and earth. I talked about my love for cameras, something nobody had ever found interesting, but for some reason he took it all in and talked about it with me, laughed with me. I was slowly falling in love with a man i hardly knew, though i hadn't realized it yet at that time. I could really be with him! It was so  nice. Were we just friends? Or could this be something more? I hoped so, because i really liked him.