The Aspen Experiments

Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - False Expectations

On the upside, I managed to convince Jayden and the others not to mention the incident to Dr. Shammas. They tried to persuade me to go check in with him, but I stayed firm. He was already breathing down my neck because of the 'flu' I couldn't shake, and I didn't want to give him anything else to question me about. Ugh, he was so excited about a stupid vision test I couldn't bear to think what he'd do with a lightning strike. Probably order an MRI.

On the downside, I had a lot to think about after my first date.  Not the usual first date stuff. I didn't know if Jayden would have tried to kiss me, but my lightning episode put a definite halt on the romance.  Mostly I wondered what John was doing there. He'd faded away as we left the ice cream parlor. I also wondered why he hadn't made me sick. For one tense and wonderful Saturday I hoped maybe I was over the sickness. Maybe all I needed was a good lightening strike - and John and I could be friends after all.

But he passed me in the cafeteria on Sunday morning and I had to use all my anti-nausea techniques to hold it together. I was disappointed all over again. Some small part of me (okay, maybe a big part) had been hoping against hope that I'd gotten over my aversion to him.

Monday was the beginning of my fifth week at Rosemary Choate. I knew almost all of the juniors by sight now, and quite a few of them by name.  Katie and I walked back to our rooms after our first class Monday, and I saw that we would pass John. He was lounging by the door, eating a banana again.  I thought I was capable of the proximity, but I did edge closer to Katie. As we walked up to him he pushed away from the wall and said:

“Hi Dara, hey Katie. Dara, I saw you had a big package in the mail room. You want to come get it with me? I’ll carry for you.” He smiled right at me.

“Oh, uh, well."

"See you later!" Katie said, grabbing the door as someone exited and disappearing inside the dorm.

"I guess. Thanks," I said.

We walked back across campus alone and I breathed deeply and didn’t feel too bad. Just a little flu-like. 

John checked over his shoulder, and said brightly, “Alright! Katie's not looking through the door anymore. And you obviously aren’t going to throw up on me. That’s excellent. Makes me nervous you know.”

I stopped walking and looked at him blankly. “Makes you nervous? Makes you nervous? MAKES YOU NERV-” I suddenly stopped repeating myself, “Are you kidding me?!”

After all these weeks, thinking about him, avoiding him; I could hardly take in what he had said.

He grinned again and took my arm in an old-fashioned way, so I would keep walking. The contact sent a flash of ice over my body, but I managed to quell the feeling. The effort made me gulp for air, but John was talking already.

“Of course, it must be worse for you, but you must admit that I run a close second. That’s why I’ve been so careful to stay away from you. But you seem to have everything under control. Good job, by the way.”

“Good job?!” I squeaked. “What is the matter with you?! I mean, any time I’m around you, or you walk by, or sometimes even when I look at you in class…” I paused and restarted. No need to sound more pathetic than I was. “What is the matter with me? Or- or - what?! Not to mention Friday night in the rain..."

“It’s awful, I don’t blame you for being upset. I was really impressed that you figured out it was me so quickly,” he said with another intent glance. It scattered my thoughts when he looked at me like that. I wasn’t used to walking, practically holding hands, with guys at all, let alone intensely handsome ones.  My anger tried to apologize to my hormones and slip away quietly, but a small twitch to the corner of his mouth helped me grab it by the neck and yank it back. I jerked my hand away from his arm and came to a stop on the sidewalk. A couple other students swerved aside at my sudden stop to walk around us.