The Academie (9 page)

“
So, how was it?” I asked
Stevie when we met back up in Developmental Writing.

“
Fitness? Fine. A bunch of
girls from our dorm are in my class.”

Right,
I thought.
The normal class, where I
could be making friends with people I live with—if only I wasn’t so
challenged when it came to anything remotely athletic.

“
That’s great,” I said,
putting on my best fake smile.
“I’m happy
for you.”

In writing class I learned
that we would spend the semester on my favorite past-time:
diagramming sentences.
This is the
semester from hell.
If I were still at
college, I’d be in College Comp II by now, not to mention Intro to
Philosophy and Sociology 102. Yet I couldn’t even vent about it
because it was clear now that Stevie both really wanted and
needed
to be here. And
not only her. As I looked around, I saw my bunkmate, Tina, once
again seated in the back desk, next to the door. I smiled, and I
know she saw me.

She didn’t smile back.

“
Well, I guess I’ll see
you at dinner then,” I said to Stevie as we picked up our books and
headed for the door. “Are you going to join us again?”

“
Sure, if you want me
to.”

“
Of course.”

“
I’ll see if my
bunkmate—Shara— wants to join us. You can meet her.”

“
That’d be
great.”

“
Good luck in
fitness.”

I winced, and she smiled harder.
“Thanks. I can’t wait until it’s over.”

“
Wow, small class, huh?”
Jenny asked. I remembered her from exam day. She was the only other
person who couldn’t climb the rope. “Guess we’re the only losers
who couldn’t do well on the exam.”

I tried to smile, but all
I could think was:
Am I a
loser?

“
This was not supposed to
be a co-ed class,” Fratelli's voice echoed through the gymnasium.
“But then, this wasn’t supposed to be a class at all.” She paced,
scrutinizing us again. I looked down to avoid her eyes. “In this
class, my task is great. I have been asked to whip your butts into
shape!” She stopped in front of me.

When she resumed pacing, I
looked at Jenny, who widened her eyes at me as if to say,
What did we get ourselves into?

"You might have noticed that this
class is longer than others," Fratelli spat. "That's because you
need it! And because you'll need a shower to save the world from
your stench when I get through with you!”

Jenny laughed, but the furrow in
Fratelli’s brow remained set.

“
So what do you think?” I
asked Jenny as we changed in the locker room an hour
later.

“
It was hard. But maybe
it’ll help me lose weight finally? I’ve tried all kinds of diets
and nothing seems to work.”

“
Yeah, I guess I need to
get into shape too.”

She chuckled. "At least you're
small."

"But you saw me in the exam. I'm
pathetic." Jenny chuckled again. "Hey do you think she's serious
about teaching us fencing?”

“
I think she’s serious
about
everything
,” Jenny said.

“
You ran laps?” Ruby asked
at dinner. As promised, Stevie joined us and brought along her
bunkmate, Shara.

“
Yeah, and we did push-ups
too. Check it out,” I said, flexing my muscle.

Ruby laughed and the others joined
her.

“
Fine. Laugh now, but the
way Fratelli says she’s going to work us, I’ll be buff in no
time!”

“
We better keep on her
good side,” Stevie said, smiling as always.

“
She might not want to
know what
we
did
in fitness,” Ruby said to Stevie.

“
What?”

“
Badmitten,” Stevie
said.

“
Yeah, well, look out.
Soon I’ll be able to kick your birdie swatting butts!” I caught
Shara’s eye then and smiled. What an introduction. “So, Shara, how
do you like The Academie?” I asked.

“
I am content wherever I
am,” she said.

Must be
nice
, I thought.

“
Shara’s got this Zen
thing going,” Stevie explained.

“
I practice mindfulness
and contentment.” She looked genuinely content as she said
it.

“
Can you learn to be
content?” I asked. “I thought you just are or you
aren’t.”

“
That’s a myth. The
so-called contentment most people experience is fleeting, based on
physical pleasures. These things cannot bring us true happiness or
contentment. Buddhists and those of similar philosophies believe
that while life is full of suffering, we can learn to overcome it
to find peace and happiness.”

“
So you're a Buddhist?” I
asked.

“
No.” There was a pause
and the rest of us looked at each other, trying to make sense of
her. “I follow many traditions. I have incorporated pieces from
various traditions into my philosophy and practice.”

“
Like what?”

“
She meditates,” Stevie
said.

“
Really?” I was
intrigued.

“
It’s part of my practice
in mindfulness and contentment, yes.”

“
Where did you learn to
meditate?” Ruby asked.

“
I read some books,
listened to some recordings, and then finally, I found a retreat
advertised on a flyer in a coffee shop, and I went and found myself
awakened there.”

“
Wow, suddenly my life
feels so shallow,” Ruby said.

“
Tell me about it,” I
agreed.

“
I can teach you, if you
are interested,” Shara said.

“
I’m in,” I
answered.

Prospects of fencing and seeking
nirvana all coming to the horizon on the same day...

Who would have known?

Back in the dorm, I found Tina in bed
again.

“
Thanks again for helping
me out yesterday,” I said.

She laughed, and it felt like she was
laughing at me. "You find your way yet?”

I thought about the strange room I’d
entered by mistake, but I felt defensive now. Tina didn't seem to
like me. "Yeah." I set my books on my desk and tried to think of
how to be friendly. I couldn't live the next three years with
someone who hated me. “How'd your classes go?”

“
As expected.”

“
I think we are in some of
the same ones.”

“
Yup.”

I searched my brain for ways to keep
the conversation going, but drew a blank. “Are we done now? For the
day, I mean.”

“
Did you see the
schedule?” She pointed to the wall.

“
Yeah.”

“
Well there’s nothing
after eight, so I guess we’re done.” She said it with a sassy tone,
and I tried not to take offense....it wasn't working.

“
I suppose they think we
are going to study now.”

“
I
am
going to study now.”

“
Oh.”

“
I don’t take my
opportunities for granted like
some
people.”

That stung. Maybe getting along is
impossible.

I turned and climbed the ladder to my
bed.

“
That’s about
right,”
I heard her mumble.

I pulled the pillow up over my
head.

13.
andy

The bed shook abruptly. I
pulled the pillow off my head in time to see Tina walking to the
bathroom.
Now’s my chance.
I climbed down the ladder and opened my drawer
under the bed. Inside I fished around until I found a little, black
book with a leather cover, held shut by an attached elastic band.
My Christmas present from Grandma Marie.

I grabbed a pen and climbed back up
into my bunk. But when I opened the journal, I was surprised to
find writing already on the first page.

Pleese dont forgit me Al. I wil mis
u.

Oh, Andy. How could I
forget you?

Things changed a lot in my parents’
house after I went off to college and Matt went away to The
Academie. Out of the three of us, Andy seemed to take it hardest.
To compensate, my parents spoiled him like never before. This
became obvious this past May, when I finished out my first year of
college and spent the summer back home.

“
Alllliiieeeee!” I
remember Andy calling. He scuttled barefooted to the door and
leaped into my arms. I pulled him tight and twirled him around. As
I set him down, it hit me: it wouldn’t be like this when I returned
from The Academie. He’d be older then—way too big for me to
lift—and he’d be different. At six, he was still young and sweet.
Then he’d be…he’d be what we all become the longer we are in
school: guarded. He would learn not to bounce around. He’d learn
that it’s icky to hug your sister. He’d learn that’s not cool to
hang out with family.

I pulled him close again, squeezing
him tight. Then I kissed him on his soft, little boy
cheeks.

“
Allllieee!” he squealed,
squirming away. I didn’t care. “Do you want to have a sleepover
tonight, Andy?”

“
Really?” His eyes were
wide with excitement, and the happy grin that showed his missing
teeth spread across his face, revealing the dimples in his cheeks.
Before we’d each gone off to school, Matt and I had sleepovers in
the family room at least once a week. I’d grab the couch, he’d camp
out on the floor, and we’d talk, eat popcorn, and watch old movies
until we couldn’t hold our eyes open anymore. But being so much
younger and having an early bedtime, Andy had never been allowed to
join us.

I nodded. “I’ll talk mom and dad into
it. You just think about what you want to watch.”

He danced around as I watched with a
sad happiness, the image of my future home still swimming in my
brain.

“
How about a snack?” I
said. Going straight for the pantry when I came home had been my
routine I think since I was Andy’s size.

“
Okay!” He was already
hyper from the attention. I followed as he ran off to the
kitchen.

“
Hi mom!” I yelled. She
spent much of her time upstairs in her office.

“
Hi!” she yelled
back.

Andy was already hidden behind the
large pantry doors. I stood behind him, still able to see easily
over his head. Looking into the cabinet, to my surprise, I found a
box of S’mores Pop Tarts.

“
How did you get
these?”

Andy grinned.

“
We never had stuff like
this before. I used to beg for them!”

He put a hand over his mouth and
started to giggle.

That was it. The boy was obviously
asking for it. I tickle-tackled him and he fell to the ground,
squealing and begging for mercy as he tried to squirm
away.

“
ALLLLLLIIIIIIEEEEEE!” he
howled.

“
What’s going on down
there?” mom yelled.

“
Nothing!” we sang
back.

“
Fine then,” I said
quietly, grinning at the happy little boy I had pinned. “So do you
want to split a package?” I backed off, but he still lay there, red
in the face with tickle-tears in his eyes.

“
Well, I don’t know…there
aren’t many left…”

“
Oh you think so!” I said,
lunging for him again. This time he was too fast, crawling under
the table and running to hide behind the kitchen door.

“
HEY!” mom yelled again at
the noise.

“
Okay,” he said, peeking
around the side of the door. “We’ll share. But no more
tickles!”

“
Okay. Truce for
now?”

He cautiously emerged, knowing that
I’d tickle him once more for good measure—which I did—and then I
grabbed the package and we made our way to the table.

“
What’s going on down
here?” mom asked, coming down the stairs, a cup of coffee in her
hand. She joined Andy and me at the table.

“
Nothing…” Andy looked as
devilish as ever.

“
Nothing, huh? Then what
was all the screaming about?”

“
We were just
discussing
some of the
changes that have taken place around here since I’ve been at
college.” I smiled at Andy.

“
Like what?”

“
Pop Tarts for
one.”

“
Oh, that’s you father,”
mom said. “Well, and this one,” she said, looking to Andy. “They
started doing the grocery shopping together…”

It soon became obvious that since Matt
and I’d been gone, Andy’d gotten used to getting his way. Even so,
this didn’t mean he was happy.