Going Geek (23 page)

T
he auditorium stage feels enormous once you're standing on it. After a week and a half of chasing down faculty, presenting, and begging, here we are.

Even though I'm still offstage and Opal's by my side, I feel as though I might pass out.

Due to popular demand, or maybe morbid curiosity, Marshall has made this hearing open to the public. In my shortsightedness I never imagined that the speech and debate portion of my mission would take place in front my ex-boyfriend and half the student population.

I'd asked Declan not to come, and he'd readily agreed. I think he's almost as nervous as I am. He even thought to ask the Thatcher guys not to come, knowing that more people would make me more anxious. The rest of my dorm mates are helping Yasmin get ready for her string quartet's performance, so that takes some pressure off. Opal slaps my hand to stop me from mangling my index cards.

One hour,
I think. That's how much time they've allotted.

The Student Council takes up the first three rows. Leo sits off to the left, considerately out of my sight line. Whitney and Lila huddle together in front of the podium.

Looking totally nonplussed, Whitney turns to the microphone with what can only be called a winning smile. “Thank you all for coming and on such short notice. We understand that this unscheduled meeting is a major inconvenience. Anyway, the reason for our being here is that there's a small faction of Winthrop students who've decided that they're unsatisfied with our traditions.” She pauses to let that sink in and looks around with a conspiratorial smile. From where I stand I can't see the Student Council's reaction. At least they're not laughing.

“The Social Calendar has been accused of holding Winthrop back, of systematically shutting down the new and adventurous. While that's certainly not true, we all know that Winthrop boasts a long and celebrated history, which sets us apart. Some campus events have been in place for a hundred years and are institutions. A key component of my job as president of the Calendar is to preserve the integrity of those events.

“At the same time, to say that we don't allow room for diversity of interests is a blatant mischaracterization. Every weekend there are events that are decidedly not interesting to many of us.” There are some titters at this. Whitney looks around as if to say, Am I right?

I shuffle my index cards, rearranging them so that I open with my point about these nonmainstream events. But then I decide it's best not to react, and put them back in the original order. I don't want Whitney to dictate the pace and points of my speech.

Whitney nears the end of her allotted fifteen minutes. “But oftentimes, even with the best intentions, the organizers fail to translate their personal passion and enthusiasm into a successful event. Maybe the people challenging our positions would prefer to let people flounder indefinitely, but we see that as unnecessarily cruel. Not everyone possesses the skills to host and entertain.”

The audience laughs some more. Whitney leans on the podium with her elbows, as if she's having an intimate chat with a couple hundred of her closest friends. “We have to ask ourselves if any of us is really ready to prioritize the experimental over the established and beloved.” She cuts a sideways glance at me before grinning at the audience. Lila starts the applause.

“Your turn,” Whit says as she breezes by. Those two small words convey so much. I come close to falling for her mind games but wrestle my nerves under control and lift my chin before stepping out onto the stage.

This is it.

I clear my throat. It doesn't help. I reach for my bottle of water but set it back down on the podium. I fumble with my index cards, noting that the sweat from my hands has actually made some of the ink run. The top card is almost illegible. Opal looks on, alarmed, as I crumple the cards in my fist.

“Thank you all for being here. I just want to say that this was a last resort. We tried working within the limitations of the Calendar but weren't being given fair consideration.” I hear myself sounding whiny.
Snap out of it.

“Anyway. I had a whole speech prepared, but I'd actually like to share some more personal thoughts.” Everyone is alert and paying rapt attention. Guthrie gives me a discreet, encouraging nod. I just have to relax.

“This year I've been experiencing a wholly different side of Winthrop, one that I'd never given much thought to before. It wasn't by choice, and I definitely didn't embrace it right away.” I smile at Opal, and she grins back, which makes people chuckle. “You know what I'm saying.

“Honestly, it took me a while to see that I'd been missing out. On one hand I agree with Whitney: the traditions of this school are time-honored and make our experiences special. But that's not the only reason we come here. As stellar as Winthrop's faculty, academics, and reputation are, we have something that I'd argue is even more valuable: each other.” I take a deep breath. “Getting to know my new dorm mates and learning about their interests and talents exposed me to things that didn't make it onto my radar in three whole years at one of the best high schools in the country.”

I make eye contact with Leo, and he appears to be listening so closely that I lose my train of thought. “So, uh, our goal in taking over the Social Calendar is not just about continuing token representation of the different groups here. It's about offering meaningful support to make sure we all get to experience everything that this school has to offer.”

Marshall starts clapping, but I'm not done yet. “And yes, I think if we have an event on the Calendar that doesn't live up to expectations right away, we give it a chance. We want the Calendar to be an organization that nurtures ideas. Maybe some event planners are idea people and not great at execution. Why can't the Calendar serve as a resource for them, not just write them off when they don't deliver immediately? Sure, there will be duds, but so what? We have the time and space to let people try. And that's what we're really asking for and where we've found the current leadership to be unyielding and lacking.”

While the audience applauds, I glance down at my cards to see if I missed anything. I glossed over entire sections, but I feel I covered what most needed to be said. When I look up, both Leo and Marshall are out of their seats, leading the standing ovation. I smile, unsure of how to react.

Whitney storms the stage and hip-checks me out of the way. “I guess it's debate time,” I mutter, taking a bewildered step back.

She ignores me. “Okay, that was touching, but spoken like someone who truly has no idea how hard it is to run the Calendar. This is a tough job that needs someone who can make difficult decisions—like, yes, telling people that their best effort didn't cut it.” Her voice sounds simultaneously strangled and shrill. “It may seem harsh, but it's necessary. Winthrop has a brand. We stand for something. It does none of us any good if we dilute that message. Everything from admissions to alumni support to college acceptance to future career networking depends on it!”

I wish for a giant hook to drag her off the stage. Fortunately, Marshall comes up to take the mic. “Thank you, Whitney and Skylar.” He looks at me. “Do you have anything to add?” I shake my head, so he turns back to the microphone. “Great. If you could wait in the lobby with your co-candidates, we'll take our vote.”

The four of us walk up the center aisle and out the door in the back of the auditorium.

There's a row of chairs set up across from a banquet table. Opal and I sit, but Whitney and Lila pace the lobby, on the verge of boiling over.

Finally I can't take it anymore. I stand up. “What are you so mad about?” I ask Whitney. “I'm the one who should be furious. I never would've thought you could be so unforgiving. You can blame it on the fact that I lied to you, but I can't help thinking that this was the way it was going to go down no matter what.” I cut a narrow-eyed glance at Lila.

Whitney wheels around on me, midpace. “I'm mad because you started making noise about all this bizarre stuff you never gave a shit about before! And if you'd taken my advice and given me a second to process what you did before breathing down my neck, it wouldn't have come to this.”

“You mean I was supposed to wait obediently while you were turning all our friends against me until you were ready to include me again? Is that really what you expected?”

“How about go away quietly and ride it out until graduation like any sane person would?”

I snort. “Sorry I didn't turn out to be passive enough for you.
You're
doing a good job falling in line, though.”

“Oh, please.” Lila rolls her eyes.

Whitney glares at me, disgusted. “Winthrop is an elite school because it's known for turning out a certain kind of student. Maybe those students who don't come from backgrounds like ours should try harder to fit in. Then they might eventually become leaders instead of resigning themselves to being the geeks who get exploited by the leaders. And then we'd actually have a network worth networking with.
That
is what Winthrop's trying to give us.”

Right now it seems unfathomable that we were ever best friends. I might have been snobby and exclusive, but I was never so calculating. “I mean, you sound ridiculous.”

“You have no idea how the real world works. If you somehow manage to get into a decent college, it'll be because Winthrop is the one nonlame thing you have going for you. As we're all painfully aware, you don't have the movie card to play anymore.” Whitney shakes her head like I'm the most lost of all the lost causes.

The door opens, interrupting our argument. We're expecting Marshall, but Leo comes out. “Hey, this is going to take a little bit longer than we thought.” He shoots me an apologetic smile.

I stand up. “Is everyone allowed to stay through the deliberation?”

“We're not sure. That's one of the things we're deliberating. We've never had this situation before. I mean, obviously.” Leo shoves his fists into his sweatshirt pockets and glances at the ground. “Uh, anyway, I voted, so I can leave. Marshall said he'll text you guys.”

“Ugh!” Whitney glares at Leo like it's his fault. “You have got to be kidding me.”

Opal grabs her bag. “I'm going to go help Yasmin.”

“Hang on, I'll come too,” I say.

Whitney and Lila look at each other. “I told you they don't really care about winning,” Whitney says.

Leo taps me on the elbow. Opal notices and says, “Just come whenever you're ready.” She takes off, leaving me to deal with this awkwardness by myself.

“Can I walk you?” Leo asks in a low voice.

Lila watches us with a scowl while Whitney presses her ear to the auditorium door, trying to hear.

“Sure.” I hold the entrance door open.

It's pitch-dark out now. We linger outside, unsure of what to say. Leo sighs. “Can we go somewhere?”

I hesitate, but if anyone would understand my missing her special moment to talk with Leo, it's Yasmin. I realize that I've been a terrible, self-absorbed friend and still haven't seen Declan's exhibit. “Let's go to Albright.” It's only up for another week, so I decide to risk bringing Leo. I doubt Declan's hanging around there all the time, and besides, it's not like Leo knows anything about my flirtation with Declan.

“The art gallery?” Leo cocks his head, confused.

“Yeah. We can whisper.” We start walking. “So you had to miss intramural soccer for that?” I hate that I still know everything about him.

He laughs. “It was totally worth it.” He's quiet for a minute. “Sky.” My stomach tightens at hearing his old nickname for me. “What you said in there? That was incredible. It's exactly how I think about Winthrop but have never really tried to articulate.”

Rather than bask in the glow of his compliment like I once would have, I rush to make conversation. “Actually you're a perfect example of what I was talking about. You're friendly to everyone and always open to trying things.” I hadn't thought about it before, but it's absolutely true.