business, and I’m trying to help him set up one of these things.”
“Oh sure! How about after school?”
“Great,” Brianna said, and then realized if Adam came over, Dad would tease her and she’d say no, we’re just friends, and Dad wouldn’’t believe her. “I’ll meet you in the computer lab.”
“Oh. All right. Those computers are ancient, probably two or three years old, but I guess they’ll probably do. The principles are pretty much the same.”
“Okay! See you then.” This didn’t really count as social, but it would be the first time she’d ever spent time with him outside of class or homeroom. She hoped it wouldn’t be awkward, especially since she was committed to be at MIT for the interview and info session at the same time as him.
After school, Brianna found her way to the computer lab to reserve a computer. It turned out she didn’t need to, since there were only two other people in the lab. She guessed pretty much everybody but her had a computer at home. And, come to think of it, even West Blackpool trash like her actually did have a computer at home now.
Adam arrived and sat down. “Oh my God, they’re still running Windows 2000. Well, like I said, it’s all pretty much the same as far as the spreadsheets go, but I mean, wow. This is some really old stuff here. Okay, let’s start this up …”
As Adam was clicking, Brianna’s phone rang. Melissa. “Hey Mel,” she said.
“Help me. Please help me. I’m freaking out. Again.”
“Okay. I’m up in the computer lab. I’ll be done here in …” she looked at Adam.
“I give you my fifteen-minute guarantee,” Adam said, smiling.
“Fifteen minutes.”
“I’ll be right there,” Melissa said as she hung up.
“Okay,” Adam said, and he began explaining how to set up a spreadsheet. Brianna took notes and was glad that Adam was able to explain things so clearly.
She was bent over her notebook and scribbling away when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She jumped and spun her head around. It was Melissa, who laughed.
“I told you I was coming,” Melissa said.
“Yeah, I know. You just startled me.” Adam was looking up at Melissa with his mouth hanging open. “Oh, Melissa, you remember Adam. He’s helping me with some computer stuff.”
“Hey,” Melissa said. Adam said hi. It was the first time Brianna hadn’t seen him dumbstruck by Melissa’s presence.
“I’m sorry,” Melissa said. “I knew I was going to get home and freak out, and I just need you to help me understand this stuff so I can at least start my homework before I call you in a panic.” She was pulling out her notebook and opening it, and Brianna realized Adam was waiting to finish doing her a favor.
“I’m sorry, Mel, I just, I asked Adam to help me with this thing, and we just need about ten min—”
“It’s totally cool,” Adam said. Brianna looked at him.
“Are you sure?” she said.
“Definitely. I mean, you know, Kirsten Dunst—well, she likes me to call her Kiki– doesn’t usually call until four, so I’m all set as long as I get home by then. She gets jealous, you know.”
Brianna laughed.
“I thought she was with some musician,” Melissa said.
“Yeah, well,” Adam said, “she
was
.” He gave this self-satisfied smile and took out a book.
Brianna was only about a minute into her explanation of Melissa’s pre-calc homework when her phone rang. Stephanie.
“Hey, Steph, I gotta call you b—”
“Bri, are you still at school? I gotta make up a math quiz in ten minutes, and I really need to ask you something.”
“Computer room.”
“Where?”
“Third floor.“
“Be right there.”
Brianna was just getting into the explanation groove when Stephanie arrived.
“So, okay, I have this quiz,” she said, “and I am totally lost—this whole slope of a line thing.”
“Take a number!” Melissa said.
“Hey, it’s
“Oh sure! How about after school?”
“Great,” Brianna said, and then realized if Adam came over, Dad would tease her and she’d say no, we’re just friends, and Dad wouldn’’t believe her. “I’ll meet you in the computer lab.”
“Oh. All right. Those computers are ancient, probably two or three years old, but I guess they’ll probably do. The principles are pretty much the same.”
“Okay! See you then.” This didn’t really count as social, but it would be the first time she’d ever spent time with him outside of class or homeroom. She hoped it wouldn’t be awkward, especially since she was committed to be at MIT for the interview and info session at the same time as him.
After school, Brianna found her way to the computer lab to reserve a computer. It turned out she didn’t need to, since there were only two other people in the lab. She guessed pretty much everybody but her had a computer at home. And, come to think of it, even West Blackpool trash like her actually did have a computer at home now.
Adam arrived and sat down. “Oh my God, they’re still running Windows 2000. Well, like I said, it’s all pretty much the same as far as the spreadsheets go, but I mean, wow. This is some really old stuff here. Okay, let’s start this up …”
As Adam was clicking, Brianna’s phone rang. Melissa. “Hey Mel,” she said.
“Help me. Please help me. I’m freaking out. Again.”
“Okay. I’m up in the computer lab. I’ll be done here in …” she looked at Adam.
“I give you my fifteen-minute guarantee,” Adam said, smiling.
“Fifteen minutes.”
“I’ll be right there,” Melissa said as she hung up.
“Okay,” Adam said, and he began explaining how to set up a spreadsheet. Brianna took notes and was glad that Adam was able to explain things so clearly.
She was bent over her notebook and scribbling away when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She jumped and spun her head around. It was Melissa, who laughed.
“I told you I was coming,” Melissa said.
“Yeah, I know. You just startled me.” Adam was looking up at Melissa with his mouth hanging open. “Oh, Melissa, you remember Adam. He’s helping me with some computer stuff.”
“Hey,” Melissa said. Adam said hi. It was the first time Brianna hadn’t seen him dumbstruck by Melissa’s presence.
“I’m sorry,” Melissa said. “I knew I was going to get home and freak out, and I just need you to help me understand this stuff so I can at least start my homework before I call you in a panic.” She was pulling out her notebook and opening it, and Brianna realized Adam was waiting to finish doing her a favor.
“I’m sorry, Mel, I just, I asked Adam to help me with this thing, and we just need about ten min—”
“It’s totally cool,” Adam said. Brianna looked at him.
“Are you sure?” she said.
“Definitely. I mean, you know, Kirsten Dunst—well, she likes me to call her Kiki– doesn’t usually call until four, so I’m all set as long as I get home by then. She gets jealous, you know.”
Brianna laughed.
“I thought she was with some musician,” Melissa said.
“Yeah, well,” Adam said, “she
was
.” He gave this self-satisfied smile and took out a book.
Brianna was only about a minute into her explanation of Melissa’s pre-calc homework when her phone rang. Stephanie.
“Hey, Steph, I gotta call you b—”
“Bri, are you still at school? I gotta make up a math quiz in ten minutes, and I really need to ask you something.”
“Computer room.”
“Where?”
“Third floor.“
“Be right there.”
Brianna was just getting into the explanation groove when Stephanie arrived.
“So, okay, I have this quiz,” she said, “and I am totally lost—this whole slope of a line thing.”
“Take a number!” Melissa said.
“Hey, it’s
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