End of the Day

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The next morning, Becca sat at a station in the chemistry lab, across the table from Ariana and next to Luke. The students were wearing neat white coats and busily setting up equipment as the chemistry teacher wrote equations on the chalkboard.

Luke gave Becca a fake smile. Ever so causally, he said, "So, it seems like you know Harry Styles."

Becca glanced up briefly, but she was distracted by the teacher, who was solving the equation on the board. "Not really . . . I just asked him for directions." She said, even as she started checking the teacher's work on her scratch pad.

Luke raised the wattage of his smile just a bit. "Harry usually doesn't . . . interact . . . with new students."

"Why not?" Becca asked, not really listening. She looked at her equation. Hmm. Her calculations was quite different from the teacher's. Should I say something? Maybe not. People didn't like it when you pointed out their mistakes.

"It's pretty much basketball 24/7 with him." Luke said with a little laugh.

Now Becca wasn't listening to Luke at all. She rechecked her own calculations and murmured. "Pie to the eleventh power."

She thought she had said it quickly, but apparently not quietly enough.

The chemistry teacher turned around. "Yes, Miss Irwin?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Becca said, flustered. "I was just–"

Before she could finish her sentence, the teacher was standing by her chair, looking down at her notebook. "Shouldn't the equation be Pi to the eleventh power?" She asked.

"Pi to the eleventh power?" The teacher said in surprise. "That's quite impossible." Then she whipped out a calculator and started punching in numbers. Across the table, Ariana had her calculator out as well, and was matching the teacher, keystroke for keystroke.

There was a brief, stunned pause. Then, the teacher said. "I stand corrected." She turned back to the blackboard to revise her work. Then she looked over her shoulder, smiled warmly at Becca, and added. "And welcome aboard."

Becca blushed as Ariana stared at her, impressed.
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Harry was standing through the lobby on the way to his next class, when he caught sight of the musical audition sign-up sheet. His steps slowed.

It was crazy, he knew it was crazy, but he couldn't seem to stop thinking about hypnotized by the piece of paper. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice Luke's brother, Ben was hanging out nearby with a couple of the Drama Club kids.

Ben's eyes narrowed suspiciously. When Becca finally moved on, Harry ran up to the sheet, just to make sure.
. . .
At that moment, Luke arrived. Ben rushed up to him, breathless. "Harry Payne was looking at our audition list!" He reported.

Luke stiffened, all senses suddenly alert. "Again? He was hanging around with that new girl, and they were both looking at that list." He paused a moment to think. "There's something freaky about her." Luke decided. "Where did she say she was from?"

Moments later, Luke and Ben were in the school library, doing an internet search on Becca. A number of newspaper immediately popped up on the screen.

"Whiz Kid Leads School to Scholastic Championship," read one headline.

"Sun High Marvel Aces Statewide Chemistry Competition," another headline said.

A photo of Becca showed her beaming into the camera and holding a number of awards.

As Luke printed out the article, Ben said, "Whoa . . . an Einsteinette. So why do you think she's interested in our musical?"

"I'm not sure that she is," Luke said. "And we aren't concerned ourselves with armatures." She neatly folded the printouts and stood up. "But there's no harm in making certain that Becca is welcomed into school activities that are . . . appropriate for her. After all, she loves pi."

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