Cheesecake

04. Within and Without

                                                    CHAPTER FOUR

                                                   Within and Without

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By the end of the first week of school, Avery's backpack was heavier than it had been in years, she had a mountain of homework, and the sign above the Student Center announced  that everyone better dust off their boots because the fall carnival was just around the corner.

As they walked between tables and plastic chairs to get to the history wing of the library, Serenity Creed told Avery for about the tenth time, "I bet that festival is going to be so much fun! How do you think I should dress for Hallows Eve?"

"Serenity," Avery breathed. "It's only still September. You have time to think about that later." They turned into the small, dim-lighted section of the library that was labeled HISTORY in big silver letters above the archway. "Right now we have more important things to think about. Like Puritans and sex."

Serenity's graceful and perky attitude suddenly turned into something Avery would describe as sluggish and annoyed. "Oh, great," she groaned. "Let's read books upon books about rape and adultery in early America. Sure. That sounds like a lot of fun! Who needs a carnival when we can spend all night reading about drunken men dragging slaves into bed."

Avery narrowed her eyes, but laughed a little. Leave it to Serenity to make something so wrong sound so funny, she thought.

The smell of crisp pages and old leather filled Avery's nose. The history room in the library was now one of her favorite places on campus. Without Serenity chirping ceaselessly in her ear, Avery found that the room appeared much brighter, and the dull beating at the back of her head had lessened to almost a complete stop.

Finding a book called The Awakening, Avery grabbed it off the shelf and opened it to the first page. Running a finger along the faded words gave Avery the thought of the copy her mother always kept in her office at home. Avery had never bothered to read it, but she knew it was her mother's favorite. Maybe now she'd actually give a shot.

"Hey," a voice said from behind her.

She turned and saw Archie, pulling a book about Rome from the shelf and holding it out to her. "Did you know," he cocked an eyebrow. "that in ancient Rome, the thumbs-down meant the crowd favored the gladiator in the arena?"

"No, I can't say I knew that."

Pushing the book into a random spot on the shelf, he squared himself in front of her. "If I were a Roman emperor, which I probably wouldn't be, use I'm way too cool and good-looking for that, and you were a gladiator, I'd give you..." He jabbed his thumbs toward the floor. "A thumbs-down."

"So, you'd favor me?"

He crossed his arms over his chest and grinned. "Totally."

If she had a mirror right now, she'd probably see her cheeks lighting up like Christmas lights. She looked away. The flattery -- was that even what it was? -- unnerved her. "Aren't you supposed to be researching or whatever?"

"No, actually. I'm supposed to be in the history department meeting with Professor Tharp."

Avery closed the copy of The Awakening in her hand and furrowed a brow. "Really?"

"Really."

"Her office is out there" -- she nodded to the doorway behind Archie's shoulder -- "and to the right."

He wagged a finger at her. "So that's where it is. I was wondering. Well, I should go talk to her about this essay." He turned and started toward the hall of offices.

For a second, Avery thought about offering some assistance. She was working on the same essay, after all. But instead she peaked at him through spaces between the bookshelves. He was so danged cute. Just watching him made Avery smile. And talking to him had her laughing (more so on the inside) harder than she had in weeks.

Once he was out of sight, Avery turned her attention back to the book in her hand. She flipped it over and read the summary, thinking that it sounded a lot like something she would like. She kept it, tucking it under her arm, as she walked along the shelves.

The second floor of the girls' dorm was dark as Avery and Serenity got out of the elevator. Avery followed the maze of yellow-painted walls through the light of emergency exit signs and the flickering television screens that displayed campus news from last semester.

Serenity shoved the key card through the panel on the door and gestured Avery inside. They were welcomed by a pile of dirty clothes, which they hadn't had the time to take down to the laundry mat. Avery kicked the pile aside and looked at the clock, realizing it was almost one in the morning.

"It's so late." Avery said after a long time.

Serenity was in the bathroom brushing her teeth, the faucet gushing cold water over the metal basin. Avery doubted that her roommate heard any word that she just said. So she took a pair of lounge pants and an old tank top from the floor and slipped them on.

Serenity came in with her hair twisted in a bun. "Why are you wearing my brother's pants?"

Avery's eyes lazily made their way up to meet Serenity's. "What?"

She laughed. "You are welcome to borrow them if you have nothing else to sleep in." Now in bed, Serenity rolled over and put on a pair of those really expensive headphones (probably so she wouldn't be woken up by Avery's alarm clock again).

Avery didn't know why she hadn't told Serenity about Archie. It should have been significant -- her brother conveniently working on the same assignment at the same time and place -- that's the kind of thing someone normal would mention out of the blue. Maybe because Avery knew how she would react; excusing it with another insult to her brother, who Avery didn't think was so bad at all.