“Yeah.” There’s a rustle as he pats down his clothing. “When do you want to meet again? Tomorrow?”
“Are you that eager?” I tease.
“No! If you want to do another day —”
“I’m kidding,” I say and lean forward. I kiss his face, although it’s hard to tell where. Maybe his cheek? “Let’s do tomorrow,” I say, pulling back.
He hums in agreement. Then: “I’ve closed my eyes.”
I pull the chair out of the way, shut my eyes, too, and leave the room. After the door closes behind me with a click, I open my eyes and have to blink rapidly to adjust to the bright classroom.
I still remember when I first concocted my escape plan. I had always intended to graduate high school with an excellent score and go to a top university. Mum always encouraged me to study. However, when I was younger, her encouragement was more like force. She’d buy practice NAPLAN question books and make me do them every day, no matter how much I cried.
In high school, I became genuinely interested in my academic success. I knew I wanted to study science at university. When Mum announced she was leaving my old school, a large public city high school, for Easton Grammar, I’d focused on the upsides. Sure, I’d be living in the middle of nowhere, but since I was going to a private school, I’d be better prepared for university entrance exams.
That’s when I thought about scholarships. If I could win one and save up enough money from my part-time jobs (I worked in fast food in Melbourne, and here in Easton, I got a job at a shoeshop), then I wouldn’t have to financially rely on Mum once I graduated. I’d be truly free. Like Winona.
My mission to win a scholarship has led me down some truly interesting rabbit holes. And this one might be the stupidest.
The final English exam is three hours long, and in that time, Year 12 students are required to write three full-length essays. Subjects other than English also require a lot of writing. I can’t have my wrist going weak on me at the last moment.
Which is why, after seeing it on a Year 12 subreddit, I have decided to start using a battery pen. Like the name suggests, it’s a pen with a battery taped to the end, and the extra weight is supposed to strengthen your hand. When I showed Tim this morning, he laughed but said it was a good idea.
But today, in maths, as I take it out of my blazer pocket, I’m overly conscious of Aaron looking at it with a confused frown, and when I start to write out equations, I’m aware of how ridiculous it looks.
“What?” I ask when several minutes have passed, and he’s still watching.
“Nothing.” He jerks his eyes back to his exercise book, where he’s drawn a pair of lips in red pen. He returns his gaze to my battery pen. “That’s, uh…interesting.”
“It’s to strengthen my hand so I can write quickly during exams.”
“Right. Maybe I should invest in one of those.”
“They’re not difficult to make.” If Aaron Wynn starts using a battery pen, the rest of the year won’t think I’m quite so strange. They’ll probably start using one too.
Wait, that would be the worst possible outcome. The battery pen is supposed to bemyadvantage.
“Actually, you don’t need it. You already have very strong-looking hands,” I tell him.
There. Hopefully, that kills any battery-pen ideas he might have. Unfortunately, he gives me a thoroughly weirded-out look. “Uh…thanks, I guess.”
He probably thinks I’m some sort of hand pervert. I’m not, but I wasn’t lying about Aaron’s hands. They’re big like the rest of him, connected to strong arms.
“It’s probably due to all the drawing you do,” I comment.
He blushes and covers the sketch. “It’s just a hobby,” he mumbles.
“You’ve been pretty slow today,” I say, nodding at the covered sketch. “Usually, you finish one of those in two minutes.”
He stares at me and relaxes slightly when he realises I’m not teasing. Who does he think I am, some kind of prick?
Actually, that assumption wouldn’t be entirely inaccurate.
“Well, I’ve been working on it intermittently. There’s that test on Friday, you know?”
Of course, I know. That’s what I’ve been practising for all class.
“I know I should be studying for it, but I keep getting stuck on these questions. Exponentials, I think I get, but it’s the logs that really confuse me.”
