The Gifted Student Pt. 02

I was just doing a final check of my notes when Bryce came up. I wasn't too surprised to see him as he was the class manager for World History, and I was a little late submitting. "Give me 10 minutes, Bryce. I'm finishing up the notes now."

"No problem. I know you are good for them." He pulled up a chair. "You got a minute?"

"Sure, Bryce." Bryce was always helping out everyone in the house when they needed a hand. Thinking he needed something himself, I was proud to be the person he chose to come to. "What's up?"

"Well, earlier today, I was heading up to my room from the common. I was passing your room when, well, I heard some noise."

I thought to myself, 'Fuck. Can I not catch a break today?' I felt a deep mortification building.

Bryce continued. "Laura had waved to me when she left shortly prior, so I figured it had to be you. Umm, I don't know how to say this but..." And in an uncanny imitation of my voice, he quietly said "Yes, Yes, Do me, Do me."

I was busted like a skydiving teacup. I put my head down on the table, trying to hide from the world.

"It wasn't hard to figure out what was going on, with Laura gone and all..."

"I had to bribe her with onion rings to get her to leave. She is just always in the fucking room. I needed a bit of alone time, and I couldn't find any other way."

Bryce chuckled. "Hey, I won't judge. We all need to play the skin trumpet from time to time."

I almost choked. I looked up at Bryce with incredulity. "Did you really just say 'Play the skin trumpet?'"

"Well, I could have said 'choke the carrot', but I understand that doesn't really apply to you girls," he replied with a smirk.

Our dialog was so absurd, I had to laugh. "The technical term for females you are looking for is 'polishing the pearl.'"

Bryce chuckled again. "Anyways, I'm trying to not make a big deal out of this, but next time you have a trumpet concert, you may want to turn down the volume a bit."

I reached across the table, and gave Bryce a hug. "Thanks."

"No problem. And if in the future you need a bit of help distracting Laura, just ask. Baz or I will have an attack of the 'English Composition stupids', and send for Miss Laura the tutor for a bit."

As he got up and walked away, I looked after him with admiration. Bryce was a rare guy. His reactions to the situation could have been so different. He could have exploitive, embarrassing, immature ... any one of a hundred disgusting pig reactions. But he was mature, discrete, and considerate. In other words, a good friend.

****

Early one morning in late October, I followed Mia and Zach across the lightly frosted grass of the football pitch. A few weeks ago, Zach had recruited Mia to play goalie for him while he put in some extra work. He had missed a free kick from just outside the box, in a game, and was in bad temper about it. Mia had been a pretty good goalie in high school, and was the best he could find that would help him. Embarrassing as it was, I had been recruited by Mia to be a 'ball-shagger.' She had caught me one day in English Composition staring at Zach, slack-jawed in fantasy, and had been ruthlessly jibing me ever since.

"Come on out and help. As much as I know you would prefer to be really shagging his balls, all we need is someone who can go collect any stray balls that bounce away. It isn't that much work, and who knows, you might actually go and talk to him some."

Ah, the joys of having someone who knows you too well. Zach was always super focused when on the pitch. He would bark at Mia, and she would bark right back. Zach would take a kick from various places around the penalty box, and Mia would critique the shot from the goal. Anything that went over the goal or otherwise escaped Mia or Zach, I ran down. Since they had four or five balls, my reaction times weren't all that critical. Zach was interesting to watch this close up in his element. The lackluster student was a perfectionist on the field. He would want to practice shots on goal over and over. I knew Mia enjoyed reliving this fading part of her life, and she was glad to help Zach as a fellow housemate, but he was so focused on his work it was always Mia who would call the end of the session.

As we were heading back to the Lincoln House, Zach was telling us about the wild Halloween party the soccer team was planning on holding at their place. "The Footballer's Ball is going to be crazy. Deke's girlfriend is a DJ, so we got her spinning the tunes. Plus one of the team's angels left us enough dough so we could provision the party properly, so food and drink should be awesome as well. You know Mia, you should come as my guest, as thanks for helping me out like this."

"I don't know Zach. I have things I am already doing on Halloween. Perhaps there is someone else you could ask." She nodded towards me.

But as we were walking away from the football pitch, Zach's 'genius' seemed to be receding as well. "Ah, that kid's party at Lincoln is going to be so lame. Blow them off, and come have a good time."

"We'll see, Zach," said Mia, rolling her eyes so only I could see. I have to give Mia credit. She did everything short of smacking Zach upside his head and saying "Ask Tara! She would love to attend the party with you!"

****

One of the Halloween traditions at Roxbury was inviting the townie kids on campus to trick-or-treat the Houses. It was a fundraiser for the Houses, disguised as a campus/townie outreach program. Each house would get a small grant to put on an activity such as a haunted house or bake sale. Roxbury would then sell tokens to the townie parents who would be given a "schedule of events" of places they could spend their tokens. The Houses would turn in the tokens at the end of the night for a proportional share of the takings, plus bonus prizes based on merit, to be applied to their "House Improvement Funds." We at Lincoln House were hoping to raise enough for a new TV for the Commons. As Toby so memorably put it at the planning meeting, "I am not asking too much when I ask for a TV new enough to have a HDMI port on it." All in all, it was a great little system. The townies got memorable Halloween entertainment, the college got positive PR, and the students got good opportunities to fill out leadership and activity requirements for their Newman-Clarke reports as well as some home improvements.

Lincoln House's project was headed up by Mallory, Debbie, Toby, and Dennis, one of our engineers. It was decided that we would do a "character meet and greet/photo opportunity." After pre-law major Mallory explained how "Major Intellectual Property Rights Holders" were not going to do us any favors, we chose a half-dozen of generic and anonymised characters who might just look a bit more famous on film. For example, I was to be Princess Juniper, and Baz, dressed in a fez, vest, and linen pants was my partner as Prince Allen of the Arabian Royalty. The way our system worked was for one token, you got a couple pieces of penny candy, and a chance to meet up with one of the characters. If mom and dad brought their phones, they could take a couple of pictures against the Common's wall. For another token, we took the kids onto the studio stage blue-screen, had Dennis take the kid's and our pictures with a very good camera and flash, and Toby applied a computer generated background and a color correction that made the characters look a bit more famous, and printed out a frame-ready photo.

I was assigned to work with Mallory on getting the costumes for the characters. Mallory was someone I was still having trouble getting a proper grip on. Liv, her roommate, and I had talked about her a few times. If you caught her on those rare times she was unselfconscious, when she wasn't on life's stage, she was pleasant, urbane, and witty. But she had an actress's sense of the spotlight, and as soon as it swung towards her, she was in full character as 'The High School Queen Bitch.' Liv and I differed on which role was the act and which was the real Mallory. Liv said the Bitch had to be the real Mallory, because otherwise, she had endurance-in-character to make an elite method actor jealous. I wasn't so sure.

On the way into town to go the local charity shop, we talked about what we were looking for. I got the impression this type of fashion hunt was something Mallory loved, though the hunting grounds were far below her usual standards. "This would be so much easier in a real city, with a real budget," she lamented. "Oh well. I haven't had the opportunity to prowl the shops here much yet. I might find some forgotten relics."

I just about fell over in silent laughter at the image that popped into my head. Mallory, as a mix between Holly Golightly and Indiana Jones, starring in Raiders of The Lost Couture.

We entered the shop, and you could almost hear her fashion radar click on. "I'll catch up with you in a few minutes..." she said distractedly, and took off like a shot. I was a much more relaxed shopper. I wandered around, trying to figure out where in hell I might find any of the things on our list. Out of the corner of my eye, I kept watch on Mallory. She would approach a rack of clothes, take a moment to analyze it as a whole, and then reach out for about four hangers, three of which she would reject almost immediately. The fourth would merit an honest look, but would also usually be rejected while she muttered under her breath. "Too blue." "This would be easier if she was a D-Cup..." "God, who ever bought this in the first place? Barnum and Bailey?"

On her way to yet another rack, she passed a jewelry case, which stopped her in mid-stride. She stared at the jewelry for a moment, and then called over the shopkeeper to open the cabinet. I looked at the contents of the cabinet, which was flea-market grade silver and turquoise stuff. She picked up a bracelet, looked at the price tag with a small smile, and said as she passed it to the shopkeep, "I can do that. Can you hold this for me?" With that, she continued unabated to her targeted clothes rack.

After about half an hour, she pushed a bundle of clothes in my hand. "Here, go try these on. We'll sew the pants in, but just tuck them for now. I'll go deal for the fez."

She found a fez? I hadn't found anything on our list. I put on the outfit, a bikini with pants and sleeves of a sheer material like a thin beach cover-up, which fit like it was tailored for me. The colors all matched, but were an oddish blue Kelly green. But if Toby could do the color correction he promised, it would be perfect.

I walked out to show Mallory. She sighed, "I told you we could do better in the big city, but beggars can't be choosers."

Back in the changing room, I wondered what she could have wanted to have been improved. The cover up was a bit sheerer than ideal, but it was still plenty modest enough to use. Plus, looking at the price tags, she found it all for about the price of a pizza.

When we left, we had all the costumes we needed, and Mallory and the shopkeep were the best of friends. Walking down the street, as we passed a teashop, Mallory said "I'm parched. You want anything?"

We sat down outside to enjoy some autumn sun, and as we waited for our order, I made the comment that she and the shopkeeper sure seemed chummy. "Oh, he can't wait till I come back to his shop again," she gloated. "He sold a pretty girl a fez he didn't want at a good price, and rooked me for a hundred bucks on the bracelet."

"You paid a hundred bucks for that bracelet? You can find better at a flea market!" I was shocked.

Mallory chuckled as she pulled the bracelet out of the bag. "Here, take my picture," she said as she passed me her phone.

I took the picture of her posing with the bracelet on, and taking the phone back, she dictated a text. "Hey William! What will you give me for the bracelet?"

She turned to me. "Tara, I have to complement you for having an excellent eye for value. The second most valuable piece in that cabinet was worth $50, and most of the rest was closer to $20."

Her phone beeped. She looked at it with a smile, and turned it so I could read William's reply.

- Hey, where are you? Since I know you wouldn't bother me without checking the hallmark, I'll give you $400.

Mallory dictated again, "Sorry William, private hunting ground. We'll talk when I am back in town."

"William is a gallery owner I know back home," Mallory said to me as she put everything away. "The shopkeep had no clue what he had, a genuine Marion. William will probably make as much as I did on that bracelet. The shopkeep would have made a much better deal to give us any clothes we wanted for free and to have charged me market rate for the bracelet."

As we sat sipping, a group of boisterous guys left the pizza shop across the street, Zach among them. They were too self-absorbed in their group to notice Mallory and me, and continued up the street towards campus. I watched the group go, a smile passing across my face.

Mallory noticed my reaction, and said to me, "You know you can't have him, right? I could run Zach down if I needed to, but I'm sorry Tara, you don't have a chance with him."

I could feel the joy fade from my face. Damn Mallory. Who do you think you are? I was really starting to think everyone was wrong about you. But you don't even want Zach. I don't get why you are so ready to say I can't win him.

I didn't want to cause a scene with Mallory, even though she was in full Bitch mode. I would just have to prove how mistaken she was.

****

A couple of days before Halloween, Mia and I were walking back from doing some research at the library. We were talking about her Halloween plans, because her boyfriend Jamal was coming to town Halloween weekend, and they were heading off to a place that did paragliding a couple hours away.

"But honestly, I don't care if we only make it as far as the hotels along the freeway, because even though the paragliding is cool, I am looking forward to getting laid more." She chuckled, "Jamal better bring replacement parts because I am going to wear him out."

I laughed, thinking about my own bout of sexual madness a few weeks earlier. I had been expecting that story to come out at some point, about how Bryce caught me playing the skin trumpet, but so far, it hadn't.

Mia took a look around, and then reached down into her bag. "I'm not the only one who needs to get laid. You are starting to get a look in your eye like you need some release too. Here is the invite to the soccer party Zach sent me. Go, and have a good time. If you can't get Zach to pay attention to you, find some guy with a good tongue and use the hell out of him."

I took the invite. It was designed like an over-sized carnival ride ticket, reading "Admit one as Zach Power's guest." My mind started to race. I had been trying to find the right opportunity to meet up with Zach, and this seemed perfect. Zach and I would be away from prying eyes like Mallory's, and the festive atmosphere of a party would keep things light. It was a good opportunity to use Mia's plan to go and have a bit of fun with Zach.

****

The Lincoln House Trick or Treat turned out to be a fantastic success. Toby and Dennis rocked producing the high-end pictures. Debbie was great with the kids. I would never say this to her face, but Debbie made me think of an Old English Sheepdog: She was big, fluffy, and friendly, with a natural instinct to herd her charges. I guess that should be expected of an education major, but I was still impressed. Baz, the other characters, and I all had a blast interacting with the crowds. The money, which was well over our goal, came out exactly to Debbie's tally of the kids.

Everyone, including me, was supposed to be heading into town to celebrate our success, but I had decided I was just going to quietly skip out. It wasn't anyone else's business I was heading out to the party, and I didn't want everyone talking about it. It was great my costume was of a good quality, and a delicious irony that Mallory was the one who got it for me. I adjusted my makeup a bit for a more sultry effect, but otherwise I was ready to go.

As I slipped out of my room, I heard Toby in Debbie's room. She was telling him "I met Jamal this morning. I'm sure those two are enjoying the drive to their paragliding spot, so no need to worry."

I smiled as I headed downstairs. I wasn't sure which story I was looking forward to hearing more from Mia when she got back. Paragliding was sure to be exciting, but hearing about the details of her time with Jamal would be entertaining as well.

I managed to get through the common without anyone noticing me. I was really enjoying the walk across campus towards the party. I was feeling a bit exhilarated walking across campus. It was just so awesome, heading off on an adventure, heading off on the prowl. The anticipation reminded me of the evenings last summer when I would be driving over to the Wingers. It was a feeling of freedom, of being alive. It was like anything could happen, and I was excited to see what was coming next.

I walked up to Footballer's House. The sounds and lights of the party spilled across the lawn, giving the night a bright vitality. Working the door was one of the team managers who I had met in passing. His name was Lamar. He had gotten sent to Lincoln house one day to retrieve some piece of gear Zach had forgotten. He recognized me, but seemed a bit surprised when I pulled out the ticket.

"You're Zach's ticket tonight? He might have better taste than I thought. Well, let's find Zach and get you introduced to everyone." Lamar made sure one of the guys hanging around took over the door.

We walked through the party. You could tell this wasn't a typical college party. Instead of a casual stack of pizza boxes on the food table, there were chafing dishes. Admittedly, they were disposable, and filled with food obviously chosen by bros, but the catering was close to a modest wedding reception. The DJ setup was similarly posh. This wasn't a guy with a turntable hacked into a boombox. This was a pro audio setup, with light gear that was probably over-sized for the dance area. The DJ wasn't worthy of her gear, but she kept the tunes flowing and upbeat.

Lamar led me over to a small knot of guys I recognized from gameday as some of the team's upperclassmen, dressed in classic monster costumes. "Charlie, Tucker, Deke, may I introduce Tara Li. She is Z-Man's ticket tonight. Have you seen him?"

When I was introduced, I noticed a few glances among the guys, but figured they were experiencing the mirror of what I was experiencing in seeing this other half of Zach's life. "I think he is out back at the firepit."

"I'll go grab him," Lamar said, leaving me with the guys.

"So, are you from Lincoln?" asked Tucker.

"Yeah I am. It is a good group. They take good care of both Zach and me."

Charlie commented, "You must have been at another party before coming here."

I nodded. "I worked Lincoln's 'Trick or Treat.' You know how it is, having to get the leadership credits."

Charlie smiled and nodded.

Deke had been leering at me almost since I had been introduced. "So are all the girls in Lincoln as hot as you?"

It is safe to say I thought Deke was a bit of a prick. "Nah, I'm only barely average. Our real hot women we don't let get close to school heroes such as yourself in case you would get" I fake licked a finger and pretended to touch his forehead "badly burnt."

Tucker and Charlie chorused "Ohhh!" before breaking out in laughter.

As Zach, dressed as Dracula, joined the group, Tucker said to him, "Watch yourself Z-Man! This one is a fireball!"

"Hey Tara," Zach said, "Glad to see you."

"Thanks for the invitation, Zach," I replied, putting my arm around his waist.

"We'll see more of you later, Tara," Deke said with a sly smile. "Z-Man, enjoy your evening."