Post by NATASHA RENEE JERNIGAN on May 10, 2013 21:58:39 GMT -8
| [atrb=style,width: 420px; background-color: efefef; background-image: url(http://i.imgur.com/6jh1H.png); padding: 5px, bTable] NATASHA R. JERNIGAN 27 | HETEROSEXUAL | GUIDANCE COUNSELOR | LOCAL | ANNE VYALITSYNA THE INTERVIEW HELLO. THANKS FOR COMING IN TODAY. SHALL WE START WITH YOUR NAME? “Oh, hey! Of course we can,” Natasha says, a cheerful smile accompanying her words. “I’m Natasha Jernigan, or rather, Ms. Jernigan to my students at Brunswick High.” She folds her hands over one another, right over left. “Come again?” she asks. “Oh, how do you spell that? It’s J-e-r-n-i-g-a-n. My dad’s family is supposedly Welsh, so it’s kind of a weird one. Some of my kids just call me Miss J, which is fine. As for Natasha, well, my mom doesn’t have an exciting story other than the fact she bought a baby book and liked it.” THAT'S A NICE NAME. WHAT DO YOU DO FOR A LIVING? Natasha feels her cheeks flush, though the pink is hardly noticeable. Small compliments never fails to make her feel giddy. “Thank you,” she utters, smiling a little wider. “But, for a living, I am a guidance counselor. I went to Brunswick High when I was in high school, so I was thrilled to find out I had a shot at teaching there. Helping the kids just gives you a great feeling, y’know? I’ve been there for about…” Natasha pauses, counting on her fingers to three. “Three years?” She nods. “Yes, three years. It keeps me busier than you’d think.” She sighs lightly, shaking her head. Her smile has yet to falter. INTERESTING. WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN? “As a teacher, you quickly learn that there isn’t time for this so-called ‘fun’ stuff,” she jokes, quoting “fun” with her fingers. A little chuckle slides through her lips. “But when I do have time, I love, love, love volunteering at pet stores, food kitchens, and anti-bullying communities… pretty much anywhere that will have me. As a counselor, I almost feel obligated to partake in the activities I encourage my students to be involved with. Giving back to the community is also so awesome. It’s simply amazing how… how… difficult some people have their lives yet manage to persevere. It’s inspiring, really. Again, it’s a bit of a time suck, but it’s totally worth the time. Totally worth it.” “At the end of the day, the time when I’m not a counselor or a volunteer, I just love propping my feet up on the ottoman in my living room, having a glass of wine, and reading. Romance novels, mostly.” Natasha rolls her eyes. Her taste in books is definitely inspired by her hopes to be married in the near future. “I have to say, I got off easy by heading into the counseling department. There’s really no work to take home with me. No papers to review, no problems to correct. Sometimes I do worry about a particular child I had a little chat with, but worrying is absolutely normal in my field. I care about my students as if they are my own kids. If it wasn't so looked down upon, I'd have them call me Natasha. So… Yeah. That’s what I do for fun, as lame as all of this sounds.” WOULD YOU SAY THOSE ACTIVITIES REFLECT WHO YOU ARE? Natasha laughs again. “Are you asking me if being lame reflects who I am?” she asks, completely amused. “Alright, let’s go with that. I suppose I’m pretty lame. No, well, yeah, I am. Why deny the inevitable, right? On a serious note,” she begins again, catching her breath. “I do believe volunteering and my job are huge indicators of how I’d like to be… seen, I guess you could say. Growing up, I didn’t have a huge support system, so I desperately want to be able to be that shoulder to lean on if life’s a little too overwhelming. Come on, high school is already stressful enough. What… with acne, books, glasses, and bullies… I don’t want my students to be afraid to tell me if someone’s been harassing them or anything like that. I’m the same with my friends, too. I know you probably hear this a lot, but I’d be there at a second’s notice if my friends needed me. It’s basic friend code.” “Truth be told, my motivation to help those around me is probably my best quality. I don’t care if someone’s my oldest friend or a complete stranger. My mom used to complain I’d drive her into debt because I’d always want to donate a twenty dollar bill to the Salvation Army volunteers during the holidays. It’s just a trait that’s stuck with me throughout my entire life. If I see someone in need, I’m going to help them. Three times a year, I go to the local hospital and donate my blood. I once tried to donate some bone marrow, but I’m not entirely sure I’d be up for that one ever again.” Natasha shudders. “You can only tolerate so much pain. My best friend swears I’ll never do this, but I think it’d be great to donate a liver or something. Wouldn’t that be cool? No?” Tasha shrugs. “I think it’d be cool. Saving a life? No? Still nothing? Alrighty, then! Suit yourself.” After a moment of silence, Natasha splutters out a stream of air. What else is there to say? “I can’t even remember what I’m answering anymore,” she admits, shaking her head. “I’m almost positive I said something about reading, so we’ll go with that. If I didn’t, just pretend I did, okay?” She grins. “I love reading. I’ve loved it since I was able to string words together. I know some might consider romance novels corny and/or overrated, but I personally love picking up a sweet love tale. It gives girls like me hope that someone will swoop us off our feet when we’re least expecting them. At least, that’s what I tell myself. I’ve personally had a terrible track record, but I’ve always told myself it will happen when it happens. For now, it’s just little ol’ me, my new puppy dog, and a whole bunch of appointments up at the high school. I’m okay with that!” COOL BEANS. THEY SAY YOUR FAMILY SHAPES WHO YOU ARE. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOURS? “My family?” Natasha inquires, pursing her lips. The silence that follows gives the impression she’s not fond of them. When the interviewer points her hesitation out, she laughs nervously. “No, it’s not that I don’t like my parents…” she quickly retorts. Family is forever. “I think I lost some faith in my parents, though. No one’s perfect—especially my parents. When I went off to college, I barely wanted to speak with them, but as the saying goes, time heals all wounds. Why? Well, I was heavily bullied as a child, and there were many times I felt they didn’t care about how much I was hurting. Once I finished going to school for my degree, I realized I’d be unhealthy for me to be so angry at them. My dad was trying to start a business, so it wasn’t like we had the money to relocate to another state. My mom worked odd shifts, so she couldn’t guarantee me rides to and from a school I wasn’t zoned for, either. High school was tough, but I managed to survive. Wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. Anyway, we reconnected on some levels. I visit them during the holidays and eat dinner with them at times. My main squeeze is this cute puppy I got at the pound a couple weeks ago. I’m not sure what breed he is, but I named him Bear. He’s just about the most adorable roommate a girl can ask for!” AND YOUR LIFE? TELL ME ABOUT YOUR PAST. I'M EAGER TO HEAR. “Oh, boy,” Natasha huffs, her eyes momentarily widening. The past is difficult for her to relive, especially through speech. It makes sense why she hesitates for a few moments. Staying as vague as possible is the best route, in her opinion. “Alright, well,” she starts. Another pause builds more suspicion. “My parents were married while they were in college. I was an accident, and my mom didn’t have insurance at the time. I can only imagine how hectic making deadlines and keeping me alive had to be. They really, truly tried to give me a good life, and I’d say for the most part, they succeeded. I remember they couldn’t always pay their bills on time, so I soon learned to love reading as a means of entertainment. I read anything I could get my hands on. That also means I wasn’t able to have the newest fashions or toys my peers were privileged enough to have. I grew into the perfect target for bullying, and…” Tears are beginning to well up in her eyes. “I’m sorry…” Natasha clenches her right hand into a fist and wipes away any runaway tears. “I was bullied from middle school up until the end of my high school career. Never really understood why he wanted to pick on me all the time. At first I kind of believed he might have a crush on me. Don’t you remember when people used to say boys are only mean to you if they like you? Well, I believed it.” By this point, Natasha’s breath is shaky and a hand fans her face to attempt to keep her emotions in check. “I… don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget all the terrible ways he poked fun at me. I’ll never forget his name—Roman. He moved away halfway through my senior year. He took milestones in my life that I’ll never be able to relive. Once his friends dragged me into the locker room, and he… he kissed me. It’s been almost twenty years, yet I can still remember that day so clearly…” Natasha shakes her head, willing the memories to keep their distance. “And… all I could think of was… why me?” “My parents didn’t do anything for me. I think that’s the most upsetting bit for me. Time and time again, I came home bawling my eyes out, and my mom would rock me in her arms telling me everything was going to be okay. It wasn’t okay. I…” She gulps. A cloudy look is foreign on her face, and she’s moved into a dark place in her mind. Upon recomposing herself, she loses the will to continue with her thought. “I wanted to move away, but my dad’s business was starting off. My mom couldn’t find work anywhere else. It was an impossible situation. When Roman’s dad died and he finally moved away, I couldn’t have been happier. I kept telling myself that karma had finally taken my side, and I prayed and prayed that I’d never have to experience such humiliation ever again.” “After I graduated high school, I needed to take a breath of fresh air. I was able to score scholarships to schools out of state, so I jumped at the opportunity. I worked in the computer lab there, usually taking the Saturday shifts because no one else wanted them. I worked three jobs at once to pay for new clothes, make-up, hair products, and luxury items I had grown up without. Holly—my roommate—introduced me to some of her friends, and…” Natasha blushes now. “I actually lost my virginity at frat party my freshman year. When I finally returned to Brunswick, I was a completely changed person. So here I am.” What about a secret? Everyone has a secret. “So… you know how I told you everything wasn’t okay?” Natasha breathes. Her confidence is fading. “One day after school I was suffering from an incident. This was at the end of my junior year. Anyway, no one was home, and I wanted to die. I felt like no one cared. I felt no one would miss me. Three pills in, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t end my own life, but that was far from the only time I thought of committing suicide. High school brought many more bad memories than good, and I have Roman and his crew to thank for that.” ALRIGHT. TIME'S ALMOST UP. TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DREAMS. QUICK! “Oh, no! Pressure!” she squeals, pulling an uncertain face. Natasha runs a hand across her face thoughtfully. Dreams? What are some of her dreams? “Well, like I was saying at the beginning, I’d really love to be a trusting figure that my students feel comfortable opening up to. I wouldn’t have become a guidance counselor if I thought otherwise. Um. I’d also…” She pauses. “I won’t be young forever, so I’m hoping I’ll meet someone special sometime in the future. In the next five-ish years, I’d like to be in a semi-serious relationship. Perhaps even have a child? I don’t know. The future is so unpredictable, y’know? As long as I can help the kids and find a nice guy to grow old with, I think I’d be set.” AND THAT'S A WRAP. IT WAS NICE GETTING TO KNOW YOU. “Oh, well, thank you for having me!” Natasha chirrups, grinning. “I had oodles of fun. Maybe next time we’ll flip-flop?” She shrugs. “Just a thought.” After another moment, she adds, “But I better be going. Duty calls!” BEHIND THE MASK CHAR | 200 | PACIFIC | HA! | A LOT OF CHARACTERS She gets to sleep with Roman. Ha. Suckas. |
