Dancing For The Mafia

22

Eliana

Lucia passed me a flash card, "What's this?" I stared at the medical term for what I knew was an illness but my mind was still blank. "Eliana, come on what is it?"

It didn't matter that I had a bounty on my head, I was still expected to pass this exam today.

"Just give me a minute." I stared at the word some more as I tried to recall my notes. "It's a group of lung diseases that can block someone's airflow and make it difficult to respirate."

Lucia smiled, "Ding ding ding that is COPD for you." I tried to muster up a small smile, a bit disappointed in myself that it took me so long. She reached over and rubbed my hand, "You still got it Ana and for you to be able to answer despite everything means a lot."

I nodded at her, "Thank you Lucia." She handed me a flash card with a definition and I chuckled at how easy it was, "Asthma." I wasn't completely hopeless.

We walked into the class and I could feel the dreadful feeling hang over the entire room. I sat in my seat and waited with my answer sheet for the printed test. Professor Halden remained seated, his eyes glued to his laptop not realizing we were all waiting on him. I looked over at Lucia and raised my eyebrows, a bit surprised that he was taking so long to start. Someone voiced my thought, "Professor is the exam today?"

He mumbled something with his attention still distracted before taking a look out towards us, "Oh shit..." He cleared his throat and stood up, "Yes." He grabbed the packet that was laid out in front of his desk, "The exam is today."

He passed the exam around and he hesitated as he laid mine on my desk. "Before we begin, I would like to allow the use of flash cards during the exam. Your performance is now decided on what you know and how well you made flash cards for this material." His eyes settled on mine before he quickly looked away, "Pull out your cards and begin."

Relief washed through me as I fetched my flash cards having them with me as I went through each question. I glanced momentarily at Lucia watching a small smile form on her lips as she bubbled in an answer. I looked over at our professor, his attention glued to his laptop once again. The sight stirred something within me but I brushed it off knowing I had too much on my plate already. Whatever had Professor Halden's attention was none of my business, passing his exam was.

People began to leave, dropping their exam and answer sheet in front of him. He paid them no mind, his eyes still glued to the screen in front of him. I finished and noticed that Lucia was still working. I flipped to the front of the test again for a review as I waited until she turned in hers.

I found my thoughts drifting towards the events of the past weeks. Wondering how it all went wrong in such a short amount of time. Frisco was turning my world upside down again with no effort. I had no idea what he had planned for me. I was scared for the day he would come for me himself, the day when he finally had enough of letting me slip through the cracks.

I could feel a nervous heat settle on my nape at the thought. I rubbed the back of my neck, the fear of what's to come making me feel trapped once again. I exhaled slowly and tried to keep myself calm. Letting myself succumb to the fear was a psychological win for him. I couldn't let him have that, I refused.

Lucia stood up to turn in her exam and I waited a couple of minutes before standing to give my own. "Peña..." Professor Halden called out on my way to the door. I turned back to him as I held my bag on my shoulder, "If you're still interested in publishing your paper a couple of the staff are meeting this week in the library to carry out a plan for what's to come next." I nodded and he smiled, "Thursday, 4 pm."