Dream Guy (35 page)

“Ava…”

The agonized moan could only have come from one person. My best friend Beth Coolidge trudges—no, more like stumbles—through the throng of people to fall dramatically against me. She isn’t her usual perfect self. In fact, she’s more haggard than anyone has any right to be for something as fleeting as an exam.

I drag her off to the side and prop her up against the wall. “Beth, are you wearing stage makeup?” Even as I ask I can see it. She’s made herself look a few degrees warmer than death with a healthy pancake-thick layer of sickly pale makeup.

“Do you think they’ll take pity on me?” Hope glimmers on her face for a moment before she adopts the pained expression again. “I mean, if they see how determined I am to take this test, even if I’m at death’s door, they’ll take pity on me, right? Maybe bump up my grade a little?”

I close my eyes, but know she can see them rolling behind my eyelids. If Beth spent half as much time actually doing her work as she does coming up with these plots, she’d be like Einstein, Planck and Bohr all reincarnated in a pretty little overdramatic package. “You’re insane, you know that?”

“It might work.” She droops against me again when a teacher walks by. “See? She noticed!”

“She thinks you’re hungover.” I snicker.

“Gee, thanks.” She snatches at my notes and starts reading, ignoring my glare. “Like you need to cram,” Beth accuses.

“I might. Besides, I don’t have a brilliant plan like yours to fall back on.”

“Oh, sarcasm. I’m so hurt!” Beth slams her hands over her heart like I’ve pierced it with my nail file before falling over my shoulder to pore over my notes again.

Despite my protests, I let her have the notes. She needs them more than I do at this point. As a matter of fact, I’m feeling more self-assured than I usually would before a test. I don’t ever remember turning into a frazzled mess like some of the people here, but I’m not always so sure of myself either. Call it a flaw.

“Do not doubt your abilities.”

What the…? The voice came from behind me, but as far as I know, my back is pressed up against the wall. Even then, I take a cautious look around. No one that I can see could have said it.

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I sigh heavily. Maybe I’m not as together as I thought I was.

Within minutes, the doors to the gym open and we’re herded in like mindless, muttering cattle. I realize it’s not much of a stretch when I look at the gibbering mass that surges through with me. Beth and I sit somewhere in the middle of the room, sliding into the little desks and pulling out what we need from our bags long before anyone can accuse us of cheating. I roll three perfectly sharpened 2B pencils onto the desk, followed by an eraser, a ruler, two blue pens and a pencil sharpener. No such thing as being too prepared, right?

I hear Beth mumbling something behind me that sounds like a cross between a prayer and a plea. Others are going about their pre-test rituals too. Becky Stevens is banging her head on the desk—none too lightly. Dave Beckett catches my eye and quickly tugs his sleeves down, concealing scrawl in black ink on his forearms. And those are just the ones who caught my eye. Shaking my head, I return my gaze to my desktop. Who knows what the others are up to or what the teachers make of their ragtag band of students?

Mr. Burnson, the head of the English Department—an odd choice to administer the Ancient Civilization exam, if you ask me—has started handing out the tests with the forewarning to leave them face down until everyone gets one. Not like we could do anything with the sealed booklets anyway.

So now I’m drumming the beat to
Jingle Bells
on the desktop for some unknown reason, not that anyone can tell. Nervous energy. What can I say? It does weird things to you.

It’s another few minutes before all the tests are handed out. Then, finally, we are allowed to start. The multiple choice questions are easy enough. I start filling in the little bubbles rapidly. There are a few that I stumble on, a handful that really slow me down. I decide to come back to them later rather than let them hinder my progress. The essay questions are just as straightforward. I pick two and expound on them, mixing pure regurgitation, facts and my own flair for words.

With that done, I have roughly an hour to go back and look at the problem questions. Now that I’ve had a chance to think them over, the answers are obvious. All except for one.

I slowly fill in one bubble only to erase it. I drag my hand back and forth from one bubble to another. Yes, it’s one question. But this is my future we’re talking about. I want the best possible start, even if the question is vague and pointless and involves something that I don’t ever need to know.

“It’s that one.” A fine-boned hand sneaks over my page and points to the A bubble. “I smote their asses with a vengeance.”

“What the hell!”

The arm quickly retreats. I trace the path it took with my eyes until I find myself gazing up at a tall, statuesque woman in the strangest outfit I’ve ever seen. No wait. It’s not that strange. I’ve seen them before, as a matter of fact, while filling my head up for the subject of this very exam. But it’s definitely out of place here in this day and age. Who wears a toga now, except maybe drunk frat guys?

“Ava? Do you have a problem?”

The teachers presiding over the test, not to mention several students, are all staring at me curiously now.

I immediately drop my head back down, mumbling, “Sorry.”

I jerk upright again when a thought niggles its way into my consciousness. Doesn’t anyone else see this woman? I’m looking around and no one seems to be acknowledging her sudden, and really bizarre, appearance.

“Hurry up and fill in the box. It’s not like I have other people to help.”

I tilt my head and study her. “I’m not interested in cheating. Go away.”

Her stunning gray eyes lock on to mine, her expression shocked. Then, with a muted pop, she disappears. Like, completely. She’s nowhere in the room. And I really am searching.

“Ava! Will you please pay attention to your own work.”

Mrs. Bernard is peering over my shoulder. I didn’t even notice her approaching me.

“Are you all right?”

Well, she isn’t known as the teacher with the bleeding heart for nothing. When she finds a cause, there’s nothing stopping her until she feels it’s been righted. And right now, I’m the subject of her concern. Quick! Before I become the cause of a sit-in or a rally!

I know I’m blushing and seriously fighting the urge to start babbling like an idiot. And I know she probably thinks I’m completely guilty.

I wave her off. “I’m okay.”

“Are you sure? You’re acting a little strange.”

I
feel
a little strange. I’m seeing a person who apparently no one else can see and she’s helping me with my exam. But instead of telling her that and risking being carted away in a straitjacket I say, “I’m fine. I think it’s the stress.”

Luckily for me, Mrs. Bernard realizes that I’m not like that. I have never cheated on a test, nor would I ever consider it. She pats my shoulder and murmurs something that sounds comforting before returning to the head of the room. Whew. No rallies to save the sanity of Ava Goddard will be happening any time soon. I can see her explaining my situation to the other teachers. They all turn my way with concern written all over their faces. They just aren’t bothered enough to come over and whisk the test away.

Tired of being here, I fill in the bubble that the mystery person, who I’m assuming was a hallucination, pointed to. I gather my things, get up, drop the test off and walk out without a backward glance. Once on the other side of the door, I heave a sigh of relief.
Done!

And not a moment too soon. My fragile brain seems to be at its limit. How tragic would it be to lose my mind just as I’m on the cusp of freedom? Snickering to myself, I wander around the near-empty halls to wait for Beth. She likes to take as long as possible revising her answers. I prefer to give my answers and leave before I feel the urge to start changing things.

I’m already getting bored. A quick check of my watch tells me it’s only been three and a half minutes since I walked out and I’m already climbing the walls.

Several people trudge from the gym—some look hopeful, others clearly the opposite. The strange thing is they are being trailed by toga-clad figures. A dark-haired woman is patting Becky on the shoulder consolingly. Dave looks like he is getting his already ungainly ego boosted by a blond man who is showing more leg than is really necessary. Becky and Dave don’t even notice them there, even though the two weirdos are hanging over them.

My stares are gaining their attention now. Becky gives me a strange glance while Dave grins smugly and makes his way over, clearly mistaking my curiosity for something else.

“Hey, Ava. What did you think about that test? Killer, or what?”

I lift my shoulders in an automatic, nonchalant shrug. “It could have been worse.”

He laughs as though he can’t believe I’m so calm about the whole thing. “So what are you planning to do after graduation?”

“Maybe travel a little. Then university, I guess. I’ve been accepted at a few schools. I’ve decided on the one that gave me a big scholarship…”

Not that Dave seems truly interested in university talk. It seems like he’s dying to tell me what he’s going to be doing, so I give him an opening. “What about you?”

“Me and some friends are going to backpack around Europe for a couple of months. Isn’t that great? You should come with us, if you decide against university.”

I mumble something noncommittal as I stare at the beautiful curly-haired man hanging over his shoulder as he whispers something to Dave.

“Invite her along again. She likes you. Don’t take no for an answer.”

I’m about to take a swing at the guy when Dave takes his advice.

“Think it over. Do you really want to pass up on the chance to travel and party?” He winks. “Let me know if you want in. It’s going to be the party of a lifetime!” Dave is distracted from his attempt at recruiting me by shouts down the hall. Several of his friends are out and waiting for him to join them. He pats me on the shoulder and saunters away.

Apparently I was just a way to pass the time. Not that it bothers me. I was barely paying attention to him. What I
was
interested in was the man hanging over his shoulder. Dave didn’t seem to know he was there. How could he not? The guy was breathing all over him. And what kind of self-respecting jock would allow any man wearing a toga anywhere near him, let alone close enough to feel his breath? He seemed to hear him, though he didn’t seem to acknowledge it.

Something really strange is going on here.

“Ava, why didn’t you tell me about your plan? I told you mine.” Beth has finished her exam.

“What are you talking about?” I start walking, knowing that she will follow. I don’t particularly want teachers hearing her since I know where this is going.

“You know.” She waves at the gym. “That act in there.”

“I wasn’t acting.”

“Puh-leeze! You were acting crazy so they would pity you.” She slams her fist into a locker as we pass it. “It was brilliant. I wish I’d thought of it.”

“What, and give up this whole Princess of the Damned thing you’ve got going on?” I poke a finger at her wild nest of hair.

She fluffs her coiffure as if she’d just had it styled. “Mine was brilliant too. Yours was just more subtle. And subtle is good.”

“What are you doing now?” I ask as we turn a corner and nearly trip on a student cramming for their next exam.

Beth gives him a scornful look, but keeps talking. “I’m going to go home to recover from my harrowing experience.”

“Yeah, all right. Your last final is tomorrow, right?”

There’s a glint of envy in her dark eyes. “Yep. At least you’re done today.”

“It just ruins my birthday, that’s all,” I snark.

“Oh, I almost forgot!” Beth reaches into her bag and pulls out an envelope. “Stupid tests nearly made me forget.” Stuffing it into my hand, she settles back to watch me open it. “Happy birthday!”

I open it to pull out a slip of paper. On it is Beth’s loopy writing promising to take me out shopping in celebration.

“Thanks!” Giving her a big hug, I carefully slide the card into my bag. “Nothing like doing something new, eh?” We both dissolve into giggles. We shop together as much as we possibly can. We go out at least once every weekend, even if it’s just to window-shop.

“Come on, then!” Despite the makeup, Beth still manages to look cheery.

Well, like a cheery corpse, maybe.

She puts her arm around me and steers me through the building for the last time. It’s exhilarating, but also a little disconcerting. How is one supposed to feel when leaving something so familiar? It is like jumping from bunny slippers to Manolos in one fell swoop. Even though leaving school and becoming incredibly successful in everything I do is something I’ve been anticipating, it’s still a little distressing to know that this is probably the last time I’ll be looking at the place I’ve spent most of the past few years wandering around in.

We stop at the top of the steps, listening to the doors bang closed behind us. Beth looks at me and I look at her, both of us smiling.