Read Online A Sense of the Infinite by Hilary T. Smith - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Hilary T. Smith
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to leave on Friday after class, and stay in a hotel for two nights, and eat in restaurants, and on the way home they were going to stop at the giant mall in Baxterville and go shopping.
I spent the weekend raking leaves with Mom, first at our house and then at Nan’s. As we raked, we talked about all things Northern.
“It’s so silly they schedule campus visits for December,” she said. “You should see it right now. The forest is a blaze of endless color, and the air smells like . . .” She trailed off. “I wish I could get the time off so we could go up together.”
She told me all about the dormitory where she and Pauline had lived in their freshman year, and the Ecosystems class where the professor, Dr. Clarke, assigned them to spend all day in a tree, observing the weather and wildlife.
“You’re going to love it, Annabean. It’s a small school. You get to know all the professors. I’ll never forget Dr. Clarke’s class. She was such a genius, so inspiring. I wanted to be just like her.”
I felt a twinge when Mom said that, like the monster had plucked a string inside me, just to remind me it was there.
“I think Noe and I are going to go on exchange to Paris in our second year,” I said to cover my anxiety. “Either that or move off campus. Max said we could have his trampoline.”
“Oh, lordy,” said Mom. “Now there’s a crucial piece of furniture.”
Later, Mom stopped by my room to ask if I wanted to go to a movie. “What happened to your homecoming dress?” she said,stepping inside to finger the dirt-stained satin. I’d taken it out of my closet along with a few others to try on, like I sometimes did when I was feeling bored. My heart began to hammer.
“Two words,” I said. “Noe. Somersaults.”
Mom let out an amused snort. “What would homecoming be without somersaults? Too bad about the dress, though. It was a nice one.”
After she wandered out again, I folded the dress into a ball and hid it in my bottom drawer. It had other stains she hadn’t noticed—that I noticed myself only after she left the room. I couldn’t wait until Noe came back so I could tell her a funny story about the whole almost-disaster. It was the somersaults, Mom, I swear!
I sat on my bed and smiled to myself, remembering, until Mom called that it was time to leave for the theater.
25
ON MONDAY, NOE AND KAYLEE AND Lauren and Rhiannon came to school with matching water bottles with GYM EXPO NORTHEAST on the side, and matching bracelets from the big mall they had stopped at on the way home. Apparently, they’d had a crazy time at the hotel. They snuck into the pool after hours and got caught by the cute night manager, and Kaylee said, “Sorry, sir, we were just so hot and bothered.” At our lunch table, they kept laughing about it and doing impressions while Kaylee pretended to be embarrassed. “I meant to say we were hot and bored ! I can’t help what comes out of my mouth late at night, guys, you know I’m a spazz.”
Noe had taken an advanced beam workshop with a formerOlympic gymnast, Sphinx Lacoeur. Afterward, he had led her aside and asked about her plans for college. She reported the conversation breathlessly.
“I was like, ‘No plans!’ and he said, ‘You’re from E. O. James, right?’ and I said, ‘Um, yes,’ and he said, ‘Have you heard that Gailer College is getting a gymnastics team next year?’ and I said, ‘No,’ and he said, ‘I’m coaching, and I intend to take the team to nationals,’ and then he looked into my eyes and said, ‘Noe, what can I do to convince you to be a River Rat?’”
Noe looked so happy: blushing and breathless, like a bride, or a princess. I shot her a questioning look.
“Campus visits are going to be so fun,” said Kaylee. “My brother promised he’d get us into the Alpha Delta Phi tiki party, but we need to get orange bikinis.”
They all squeezed each other’s hands in the middle of the table.
“I can’t wait,” said Noe.
I spent the weekend raking leaves with Mom, first at our house and then at Nan’s. As we raked, we talked about all things Northern.
“It’s so silly they schedule campus visits for December,” she said. “You should see it right now. The forest is a blaze of endless color, and the air smells like . . .” She trailed off. “I wish I could get the time off so we could go up together.”
She told me all about the dormitory where she and Pauline had lived in their freshman year, and the Ecosystems class where the professor, Dr. Clarke, assigned them to spend all day in a tree, observing the weather and wildlife.
“You’re going to love it, Annabean. It’s a small school. You get to know all the professors. I’ll never forget Dr. Clarke’s class. She was such a genius, so inspiring. I wanted to be just like her.”
I felt a twinge when Mom said that, like the monster had plucked a string inside me, just to remind me it was there.
“I think Noe and I are going to go on exchange to Paris in our second year,” I said to cover my anxiety. “Either that or move off campus. Max said we could have his trampoline.”
“Oh, lordy,” said Mom. “Now there’s a crucial piece of furniture.”
Later, Mom stopped by my room to ask if I wanted to go to a movie. “What happened to your homecoming dress?” she said,stepping inside to finger the dirt-stained satin. I’d taken it out of my closet along with a few others to try on, like I sometimes did when I was feeling bored. My heart began to hammer.
“Two words,” I said. “Noe. Somersaults.”
Mom let out an amused snort. “What would homecoming be without somersaults? Too bad about the dress, though. It was a nice one.”
After she wandered out again, I folded the dress into a ball and hid it in my bottom drawer. It had other stains she hadn’t noticed—that I noticed myself only after she left the room. I couldn’t wait until Noe came back so I could tell her a funny story about the whole almost-disaster. It was the somersaults, Mom, I swear!
I sat on my bed and smiled to myself, remembering, until Mom called that it was time to leave for the theater.
25
ON MONDAY, NOE AND KAYLEE AND Lauren and Rhiannon came to school with matching water bottles with GYM EXPO NORTHEAST on the side, and matching bracelets from the big mall they had stopped at on the way home. Apparently, they’d had a crazy time at the hotel. They snuck into the pool after hours and got caught by the cute night manager, and Kaylee said, “Sorry, sir, we were just so hot and bothered.” At our lunch table, they kept laughing about it and doing impressions while Kaylee pretended to be embarrassed. “I meant to say we were hot and bored ! I can’t help what comes out of my mouth late at night, guys, you know I’m a spazz.”
Noe had taken an advanced beam workshop with a formerOlympic gymnast, Sphinx Lacoeur. Afterward, he had led her aside and asked about her plans for college. She reported the conversation breathlessly.
“I was like, ‘No plans!’ and he said, ‘You’re from E. O. James, right?’ and I said, ‘Um, yes,’ and he said, ‘Have you heard that Gailer College is getting a gymnastics team next year?’ and I said, ‘No,’ and he said, ‘I’m coaching, and I intend to take the team to nationals,’ and then he looked into my eyes and said, ‘Noe, what can I do to convince you to be a River Rat?’”
Noe looked so happy: blushing and breathless, like a bride, or a princess. I shot her a questioning look.
“Campus visits are going to be so fun,” said Kaylee. “My brother promised he’d get us into the Alpha Delta Phi tiki party, but we need to get orange bikinis.”
They all squeezed each other’s hands in the middle of the table.
“I can’t wait,” said Noe.
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