Read Online Becoming Ellen by Shari Shattuck - Free Book Online Page A

literature and packaged snacks. With a slight chill of anticipation, or the possibility of unpleasantness, Ellen led the way.
    â€œWhat are you going to say?” Ellen whispered as they arrived.
    â€œOh, I’ll think of something,” Temerity practically sang. She tapped her chest. “Famous for that,” she added, and knocked on the door. Then, almost as an afterthought, she asked, “You know how to type, right?”
    Before Ellen had time to set Temerity straight on that, the door opened and Amanda exclaimed, “Oh my God, Temerity! And Ellen,” she added as she leaned around to see Ellen half hidden behind the doorjamb. “Well, hello, ladies, what brings you down here?” The room was so small that she hadn’t even risen from her chair to open the door.
    Dr. Amanda looked frazzled. Her naturally wavy hair was sticking out in different places from the knot she’d tried to contain it with, especially over her right ear, where not one, but two pens were stuck in it. Several opened files were stacked on her lap and the computer screen was emitting its hazy light.
    â€œActually, I wanted to talk to you about something,” Temerity told her.
    â€œOh. Uh . . .” Amanda’s eyes cut from the pile of work on the tiny desk to the computer, and then back to her visitors. “Justice asked me to come to dinner tonight.”
    â€œI know,” Temerity said. “But I wanted to talk without him, if you know what I mean. He’s such a pain in the . . . I mean, boys, you know. All they talk about are sports and cars.”
    â€œSports and cars? Justice?” Amanda seemed bemused.
    â€œWell, not Justice specifically, but boys in general. Anyway, is it a bad time?”
    Amanda seemed to come to a decision. “You know what? No. I was just about to go grab a cup of coffee. Want to join me?”
    â€œI do!” Temerity enthused. “But Ellen probably doesn’t. Do you, Ellen? Can she just stay here, maybe, and wait for us?”
    This might have been an unusual request for anyone else, but having known Ellen for nine months, Amanda didn’t even blink. “Sure, that’s fine. Do you want us to bring you something, Ellen?”
    â€œNo, thanks.”
    Amanda got up and changed places with Ellen, who sat down in her seat and wished fervently that Temerity could see her panic. But of course, it was wasted wishing.
    â€œWe’ll be right back, Ellen. Maybe you can find something informative to read on the hospital website,” Temerity said. “You were just asking me about vitamin supplements, weren’t you?”
    Amanda turned back. “Wait, let me sign in for you.” She leaned across Ellen, who shrank away, and punched in a few numbers. “There, click on nutritional information, or . . . Ooh! There’s going to be a farmers’ market in the parking lot on Thursdays now. You can check that out.”
    Temerity took Amanda’s arm, and as they started away she fluttered her other hand behind her back, as though she were punching something with her fingers.
    As she watched them go, Ellen thought sadly,
She wants me to hack into the patient register.
    Ellen’s lack of knowledge about how to use a computer was almost complete. Justice had tried to show her some basics, but it was all so overwhelming and just seemed so
unnecessary
. Especially since Ellen didn’t own a computer of her own, and didn’t want one. When Justice had tried to interest her in social networks, she had reminded him that she didn’t know anyone. So after explaining to her how to research a topic she might be interested in, he had let it go.
    Ellen looked at the screen in front of her. Up on the right was a little oblong space next to the word
Search
. She recognized that. Painstakingly, finding one letter at a time, Ellen typed in
p-a-t-i-e-n-t l-i-s-t
.
    To her absolute amazement, the screen changed.