Emma didn't like movies that had scenes with sped-up action. She thought it looked goofy and unrealistic. A character running around faster than normal was just plain silly.
But that's what her world felt like during finals week.
She ran from class to class, taking test after test, watching the clock move faster and faster. She didn't think she did well on any of them.
Though she saw Dawn and Brett in her classes, they did not have much time to chat. That made lunchtime the only time they could look forward to to catch up and compare notes. And now that the weather was nicer, they could even hang outside.
Emma was the first one out as the lunch bell rang. Dawn soon joined her.
"They shouldn't have the math final after the English final," Dawn told Emma. "I kept trying to grammatically cor-rect the word problems."
"I think they should get rid of the math final altogether,"
said Emma. "You don't really need math for anything, right?"
"Yeah," Dawn agreed. "Who needs to balance a check-book?"
Brett emerged from the school doors, but much to the girls'
surprise, he was not alone. Gloria Merrick was walking next to him. And she was smiling more than she had since she first arrived at school. Probably her first time smiling at all, Emma thought.
"Hey guys," Brett said as he and Gloria reached them.
"How'd you do on the math final?"
"Let's discuss happier topics," Emma said, " like pestilence or plagues."
The gang laughed, but Gloria looked horrified.
"You guys know Gloria, right?" Brett asked.
"I don't think we've ever been officially introduced," said Emma. "I'm Emma, this is Dawn."
The girls all shook hands, but it felt more like a chore than a pleasure. Dawn and Emma agreed later that they both felt uncomfortable around Gloria. As if she didn't want them there.
"So, Gloria," Emma tried to make conversation, "where did you transfer from?"
She shrugged, "Around."
"Around?" Dawn asked. "I'm not familiar with that city."
Ignoring the girls, she looked directly at Brett and said, "I need a soda."
With that, she turned and walked back into the school.
Through the lunchroom windows, the gang could see her as she counted her change for the soda machine.
"Isn't she great?" Brett said, smiling.
"Did I miss a chapter here?" Emma asked. "Are you two an item?"
"I guess," Brett said. "We haven't gone out on a date yet, but she agreed to go to the movies with me Friday night."
"That's great," both girls said at the same time, but neither sounding like they meant it.
"I know what you're thinking," Brett said. "What does a good-looking girl like that want with a geeky guy like me?
Well, I'm just as surprised myself."
"Oh stop it," Dawn said. "You're not a geek."
"And you deserve the best," said Emma, "but Gloria does-n't seem like the friendliest of folks."
"She's just a little shy," said Brett.
The three watched as Gloria pulled out her soda from the vending machine and started back through the lunchroom. As she passed Grayson's table, they saw his mouth move in what they were sure was a rude comment. She walked right past him, but he kept her eyes on her as she walked out of the lunchroom.
Grayson practically jumped out of his seat when he saw Gloria stand beside Brett and take his hand.
"So, Gloria," Dawn said, trying once again to make conver-sation, "any plans for your summer vacation?"
She shook her head.
"Maybe we can all hang out at the beach some time," Dawn suggested.
"Have fun," Emma said. "I'll be working."
"That's right," Dawn shrugged. "Sorry to rub it in your face."
The four stood in silence for a moment.
Emma looked at her watch. "You know, I think I'm going to take advantage of these last fifteen minutes to head over to the library and give one last cram for my chemistry final."
"I think I'll join you," said Dawn.
"Have fun," Brett called after them.
When the girls were out of earshot from Brett and Gloria, Dawn exclaimed, "What was that all about?!"
"I'm happy that Brett has a girlfriend," Emma said, "but I think he could do a little better. Like a girl with a pulse."
"He might as well be dating one of those statues from the museum," Dawn laughed. "I had better conversations with them."
"Something bugs me about her," Emma said.
"Is your Muse sense tingling?"
"It's not that," Emma explained. "I'm not sure what it is."
"Maybe we're jealous," Dawn admitted.
"I like Brett," Emma said, " but never in that way."
"I don't mean that. I mean because he's dating somebody and we're not."
"He hasn't even gone on a date with her yet!" Emma exclaimed. "And she already has him wrapped around her fin-ger."
"I wouldn't go that far," Dawn said. "She may act different outside of school. Plus, I'm sure Brett has told her all about us.
She's probably more scared of us than we are of her."
"What is she, a bear?"
"I'm just trying to look at things objectively," said Dawn, "which I thought was your job."
"I'm taking a personal day."
"All I'm saying is we need to get used to it," said Dawn. "If Brett has found somebody special, then we need to do every-thing we can to accept her and make her feel comfortable."
"When did you become the voice of reason?" said Emma.
Dawn shrugged. She didn't know what else to do but be rea-sonable. Because even though she denied it, she was jealous that the new girl in town had snagged her best friend.
