The Academie (8 page)

That night I slept better. I was
completely exhausted, and my sleepy disposition was enough to
convince Sergeant Garret to give me an extra blanket.

The next morning, our class schedules
were available on the Acadenet—the Academie’s computer
system:

7:30-8:30 a.m. Basic
Algebra

8:45-9:45 a.m. Remedial
History

10:00-11:00 a.m. Introductory
Sociology

11:15 A.M.-12:15 p.m. Introductory
Biology

12:30-1:00 p.m. Lunch

1:15-2:15 p.m. Earth
Science

2:30-3:30 p.m. Developmental
Writing

3:45-5:00 p.m. Basic
Fitness

5:30-6:00 p.m. Dinner

“
Basic Fitness? There’s
such a thing as
Basic
Fitness?”

“
Apparently so,” Ruby
answered over breakfast.

“
Somehow I ended up in two
science classes! Who does that?”

Ruby shook her head.

“
Can you believe this
schedule? I swear to you, I am not this dumb!”

“
I
believe
you.” She said. “But I also
know how out of it you were yesterday.”

“
I hope we’re able to move
up through the system as quickly as they say we are.”

Ruby frowned.

“
What?”

“
Are you sure you want to
know?” Ruby asked.

“
Yes. What? Do you know
something?”

“
I overheard a
conversation this morning. A girl was asking our dorm sergeant
about changing classes.”

“
And?”

“
It’ll only happen at the
change of semesters.”

“
What? No, that can’t be
right. They said—in all their propaganda—it said that students
could advance at their own pace. It was one of their major selling
points!”

She shook her head. “At the end of the
semester you can skip ahead if you demonstrate that you are ready
to, but not until then. At least, that’s what I heard.”

“
Oh man, I’m going to be
stuck for the next fifteen weeks with a bunch of morons reviewing 1
+ 1.” I buried my head in my elbow on the table.

“
Maybe they’ll make an
exception in your case? You should talk to someone, tell them what
happened. Maybe they’ll let you re-take the placement
exams?”

“
Yeah, I’m sure that the
institution that forces mothers to leave their babies will show all
kinds of mercy.”

Ruby looked stunned.

“
I’m sorry.”

“
It’s alright.” Her voice
cracked and her face was turning red as her eyes filled with
tears.

“
Oh god, Ruby. I’m sorry.
I’m such a moron.”

“
It’s fine, really.” She
dabbed her eyes. “I’m just really hormonal still.” She pulled out a
tissue. “You should really talk to someone though. It never hurts
to try.”

I took her advice and went to the main
office before heading to my first class to plead for a second
chance. As expected, I was told the exams are quite accurate in
placing students and if I was placed in those classes, that’s where
I needed to be. If I wanted to move up, I’d have to work hard this
semester and perhaps I’d be able to skip a level later on. The
whole idea was absurd, but they wouldn’t listen.

So I headed off to my first Basic
class: Algebra. As I walked, the irony of it all occurred to me:
that I had been pursuing a college degree and was yanked out to
take remedial classes. You had to hand it to them; The Academie was
a revolutionary system.

“
Matt?”

I caught a glimpse of him,
just for a second, and then saw him dart into a classroom.
Damn!

I found my room a couple doors down
from where I thought I saw Matt enter, so I went in and took a
seat.

The classroom was
traditional style—not a computer room and nothing fancy. I didn’t
remember it from my high school, but it may as well have been here.
The style and facilities were the same. If you saw it anywhere
else, you’d still think
high
school.
Worn out desks, linoleum tiled
floors, old stuff scattered about the room—a globe, a map, a jar,
and one marker board hung beside an old chalk board. And at the far
left center sat Stevie—the happy blonde with the bouncing curls
from my dorm.

She smiled as my eye caught hers, and
I headed in her direction. “Mind if I sit here?”

“
Of course not. I’m so
glad to know someone in the class,” she grinned.

I smiled. She was so happy all the
time. In such a place as this, I found her happiness
incredible.

“
What other classes do you
have?” she asked.

I pulled out my schedule.

“
Oh my gosh! I have almost
the exact same schedule!”

She pulled out hers to prove
it.

I grinned as I saw the similarities,
but then felt bad knowing that I didn’t belong here. Did
she?

“
Yeah, but I see that you
got into regular P.E. Can you believe that I’m in Basic Fitness? I
can’t even imagine what that class is going to be like. Fitness for
the uncoordinated and generally unfit?”

She laughed.

I looked around the room and saw Tina
slide in the door and take a seat in the back. “That’s my bunk
mate,” I told Stevie.

“
Is she nice?”

“
I don’t know
yet.”

“
My bunkmate’s Shara. Have
you met her yet?”

“
No, I don’t think
so.”

“
She’s taller than me,
with straight, long, light-blonde hair. She’s real
fair-skinned.”

“
I don’t think I’ve seen
her yet.”

“
There are so many people
in the dorm…”

“
Yeah, it’s nothing like
college dorms. I miss having my own room.”

“
You were in college?
Where?”

“
The University of
Ohio.”

“
Oh. I hear it’s great
there.”

“
Did you, uh, go to
school?”

“
No, I got a
job.”

“
Oh cool. What did you
do?”

“
Waitress at Ben’s here in
town.”

“
Oh yeah?” I tried to look
excited for her. In truth, waitressing at Ben’s isn’t what I
expected to hear—not that Ben’s was bad, it was just… It was sad…
“So, how was that?”

“
Not bad. I made good tips
most nights.”

The instructor cleared her throat to
let us know that we were about to begin. Stevie turned around in
her chair and pulled out her notebook and pen.

“
I am Sergeant Prattle.
Welcome to Basic Algebra.” She passed out books, then syllabi, and
starting going through it word for word. Even so, Stevie appeared
to be taking down every word.

I tried to focus on the class so that
I didn’t miss anything important, but my mind just kept wandering
back to my conversation with Stevie. I had never realized how lucky
I was. I took college for granted—never even considered the
possibility of working after high school—especially not (I was
afraid to admit it) at a job that I could have done while I was in
high school. But I had options. I had parents willing to help
support me to go to college. Maybe Stevie didn’t?

Stevie and I walked to Remedial
History together, and I watched as, once again, she took out a
notebook and pen and jotted notes about everything the instructor
said. It seemed like a good idea—to stay focused if nothing else,
so I tried to follow her lead.

After our last morning class together,
I asked Stevie to join Ruby and I for lunch.

“
Are you sure you don’t
mind?”

“
Of course not. Don’t be
silly.”

“
So, did you ask someone
about switching classes?” Ruby asked after I’d introduced
Stevie.

“
Yeah, but it’s not going
to happen.” I looked at Stevie, who looked at me curiously. “I was
having some schedule problems, but its fine now.” I smiled and
hoped Ruby would catch on. “Stevie’s in all of my
classes.”

Ruby got it. “Oh, that’s great.” She
answered so genuinely; I was impressed.

When lunch was finished, Stevie
followed Ruby off to fitness—which they were lucky enough to have
together—while I headed to Earth Science. There I saw many of the
faces I’d seen in other classes that morning, and one that I didn’t
recognize. He was blonde, tan, grinning like Stevie always did, and
sitting in the center of the room. He smiled at me as I entered,
but not feeling especially social, I took a seat along the far wall
and looked down at my books while I waited for the instructor to
begin.

For some reason, the tan blonde made
me think of Bryan. After we’d tried to meet at Dean’s Bagels, I
didn’t hear from him for days. When I finally did, things were
awkward. He said he’d been there. I knew he couldn’t have been. I
told him I was there. I could tell he didn’t believe me. I didn’t
know what to think. Eventually we put it behind us, but it took
weeks for the uncertainty to melt away. I don’t think I really
trusted his intentions toward me again until our first date. Of
course, it wasn’t like most first dates, but I counted it
anyway.

I remember that I had recently learned
of The Academie Expansion Act, and I was a mess about
it.

zxbfeie: I know just the thing to
cheer you up. You need to go out. With me. Allie, will you go on a
date with me?

truth: when?

zxbfeie: now

truth: sure…

zxbfeie: where would you like to go
first?

truth: on a date, with you?

zxbfeie: yes. name the place—anywhere
you like.

How was he going to pull
this off?

truth: I don’t know. At this point,
I’ll go anywhere.

zxbfeie: good. my choice
then.

zxbfeie: how about Paris?

truth: Paris, France?

zxbfeie: you got it. Paris, France.
We’ve waited long enough for a date, so why not make it
spectacular?

I smiled to myself. Even if he weren’t
stuck in the Academie, we certainly didn’t have the money to do
anything this extravagant.

zxbfeie: are you up for it?

truth: I guess so

zxbfeie: ok then, picture this: I’m at
home, getting dressed in tan pants and my favorite blue, button
down shirt.

My smile widened as I caught
on.

truth: meanwhile, I’m at home, pulling
on my favorite pink dress. It’s strappy and cropped just above the
knee.

I didn’t own such a dress, not that it
mattered.

zxbfeie: I put on my dress shoes, say
goodbye to my mom and dad—who say hello by the way—and take off in
my DaLorean.

truth: you have a DaLorean?

zxbfeie: on this date I do

truth: oh, right. of course :o) that’s
perfect because if you can rig it to travel in time, then you can
get to my house quicker.

zxbfeie: now you’re thinking
:o)

zxbfeie: so a minute later, I arrive
at your house.

truth: and I just happen to be
ready

zxbfeie: your parents open the door,
and as they do, I see you coming down the stairs, looking
absolutely gorgeous.

I blushed. We don’t have a staircase
that’s visible from the doorway, but I wasn’t about to tell him
that.

truth: my parents love you, of course,
so they bid us a happy evening

truth: “oh good, you’ve brought the
time machine,” my mom would say. “Please bring her back before
eleven then.”

I chuckled at my
cleverness.

zxbfeie: “No problem, ma’am,” I’d
answer, tipping my hat.

I laughed out loud.

zxbfeie: Then I show you to the car
and open the door for you

truth: should I stand back six feet so
I don’t get hit by the door opening upward?

zxbfeie: that may be a wise choice,
but I’ll make sure you’re clear :o)

zxbfeie: Now, would you like me to
drive you out to the airstrip so we can take my private jet, or
would you prefer to travel by flying time machine?

truth: oh, by time machine of
course

zxbfeie: great choice

The evening went on like this, and I
found myself alternately laughing out loud and blushing bright red
as he escorted me to one of the finest restaurants in Paris, and
flew me to the top of the Eifel Tower and Arc de Triomphe—to which,
of course, I had to add that he almost fell off.

It was one of the nicest dates I ever
had, even if it was just make-believe.

And it made me long to meet him that
much more.

12.
back to basics