The Date Auction

Chapter 15: Midterms

I had midterms coming up in several of my classes, and I'd been so distracted lately I'd have a lot of catching up to do. My Important Literature class expected an essay on which books were historically best we'd need to turn in for thirty percent of our grade. Luckily, we were allowed to work with partners, which was good because then I didn't have to express confidence in my own skills. We needed to pick our partners in class today, and several people were clamoring to be mine.

"You're so good at books," Jeff Hardbody told me, "whereas I'm a simple math nerd, and am incapable of expressing feelings or any qualitative skills."

I thought about working with Jeff, but since Eleanor was half-dating him, and writing partner was the most intimate connection outside of thinking of smooching someone, it didn't seem right.

"You. Girl. We will write our paper together." A figure emerged from the crowd of people looking to work with me. For a moment, I couldn't place how I knew him. It was Pence Vilehand, the stranger from yesterday. He'd made a terrible impression on me, and seemed vaguely creepy. Huh. I wanted to pick someone else, but everyone else had already paired off.

"Pence! Madison! You two work together." said Professor Benevolo Wordmaker, the Important Literature professor.

"Fine," I said, my eyes downcast. I wasn't looking forward to this.

"What's your number?" Pence asked. I gave it to him, reluctantly. He continued, "When are you free to work on this? What's your schedule for the next few days? Where will you be at all times?" I answered his questions, wondering why it was always so hard to schedule partnered projects.

Next I had to run to Easy Math and endure another one of Professor Jean Crossmultiply's interminable lectures. Math was hard for me. I wanted to be good at it, but much like how other people were always telling me about how inherently virtuous I was, I was also inherently bad at math and thus always beyond further improvement. Jake always told me it was okay, and that the Readers found it relatable.

"Want to go over our notes together?" Pence Vilehand asked from behind me.

"Pence!" I said, "I didn't know you were in this class. How come I never noticed you in any of my classes before today?"

"I'm a transfer student. I just joined this week. That's why I'm in all your classes." he explained, unpleasantly.

"Well, I can't study math with you, since I am bad at it and thus will never improve."

"Okay." Pence said.

When classes for the day finally ended, Driversby was waiting by the curb, ready to drive me home. But I had a lot to think about. Instead, I opted to walk while Driversby drove just beside me in case I changed my mind.

"Hey! Madison!" Helena called, running up behind me, "I'm glad I ran into you!"

"Hey Helena!" I said, "How's it going?"

"It's... fine." she said, looking away, "Things are getting busy at my, uh, job, and there's an important... event coming up. Hey, you've got your finger on the social pulse of campus, right?"

"I notice most things," I said, modestly.

"Well," she hesitated a long time, "Look. We think there's someone special on campus. Someone deeply special. A very important person, that everyone should care about. And maybe some bad folks might be collecting information about them for nefarious purposes. We know they dispatched an agent just this week to spy for them. So if you run across anyone inherently special and good, just... tell them to be careful."

I thought about this for a long time. Someone special. It could only be Blaise! Blaise was very special. And as for an evil spy? Could it be Lena? I'd always found something vaguely threatening about her, and this might be the reason why.

"Anyway, keep an eye out. See you around!" Helena jogged off. Gosh she was so cool.

I spent the next few days studying and enjoying my good chemistry with Jake. I kept running into Pence at the coffee shop and on the sidewalks and when I was walking through the park and when I was at the library, so eventually I just decided it was easier to get started on our paper. I'd written a draft of the opening I wanted to pursue, and I read it to him, somewhat embarrassed.

"Some people define a book's importance by how it changed the world. In the past books have shaped the way world leaders view themselves, how everyday people look at each other, how society acts and interacts. But I think that maybe, only we can say which books are important. Maybe the only answer is which books I liked the best. Because books can change history around me, but perhaps more importantly, books can change my heart."

"That's really good." Pence said, like a person I didn't care for.

"Thank you." I gracefully accepted his compliment.

We worked through the night to finish the paper. Pence and I walked back to our respective dorms, and it was only then I found out he'd been assigned the room directly across from mine. Gross.

My phone buzzed. Courtney texted me.

"Hey Maddy! I'm beginning to think Pierre might be The One! Makes me think about how when you love someone, you should always follow your heart."

Another buzz. Another text.

"Madison. It's me, Blaise. Let's do the last date you are owed tomorrow."

The last date I was owed? Soon, Blaise and I would no longer be required to go on dates with each other. What would happen then? Who would I pick? I guess I'd find out tomorrow.