Bridge to a Distant Star - Carolyn Williford [98]
He gifted her with one of his rare smiles, the dimples making their appearance. Michal had to remind herself, Close your mouth, dummy, the transformation was so amazing.
“I um … I was um … was kind of wondering …”
Michal waited, thinking she should obligingly help Stephen finish the sentence, but she had absolutely no idea what he was trying to say. So she fixed on him what she hoped was an encouraging look.
“I was wondering if you’d want to study together. Tomorrow night. For the New Testament exam.”
Suddenly panicked, Michal was at a loss for words. How on earth could I possibly tell him I have a date? She could feel her heart pounding. Sensed the awkwardness of her silence. After we shared our similar commitment to studies.
Taking Michal’s silence to mean she wasn’t interested, Stephen backtracked. Tried to save face. “Oh, um … you know. It’s not … well, you probably need to study on your own.”
He was already speeding up in his haste to get away. But she grabbed his shirt sleeve. “No—it’s just that I can’t. I would’ve loved to, Stephen, I really would. But someone else already asked me to—”
“Study with them,” he interrupted, avoiding Michal’s eyes. Briefly glancing at her once more, he bravely ventured, “I understand. Another time maybe?”
It was a lie, really, to let Stephen believe that. But she grasped the substitution Stephen had offered as a way out of a dilemma. With a measure of guilt, she answered, “Yes, I’d love to study with you, Stephen. I really mean that. After we get back from spring break?” Michal smiled, and realizing that she still held onto his shirt, let go, flustered.
Stephen nodded solemnly, apparently believing her. But he didn’t utter a word as he took off at a trot toward the library.
When Michal got back to her room, Beth was busy studying, sprawled out in the middle of her bed. She glanced up at Michal, grimacing. “Hey. Come join the torture.”
So the two of them dove into their study notes together, sharing points and quizzing each other until they’d covered the material. By the time Michal needed to move on to other subjects, she felt fairly confident about taking a few hours to attend the basketball game with Allistair. Yeah, I feel confident about taking the test, she thought to herself, but not at all confident about being with Allistair. “What was I thinking?” she mumbled out loud.
“What’s that?” Beth didn’t take her eyes from her book.
“Oh … nothing important,” Michal answered, sighing. “Nothing at all.”
At six thirty the next evening, Michal peeked out her door to discover every one of her suitemates waiting outside, demanding to be let in. She slammed the door shut, stubbornly insisting, “Go away. I don’t need your help getting ready. I’m already dressed.”
She could hear Samantha groan loudly. “That means she’s wearing exactly what she wore all day long.”
“I heard that, and I am not!” Michal yelled, crossing her arms, staring at the door as though facing her friends.
“So what did you change? Your socks?”
“Just as long as she didn’t change her mind.”
Michal could hear them tittering at each others’ wit. Which drew a pantomimed laugh from Michal—and then a real one from Beth. She was having a great time observing the scene from the comfort of her bed, leaning back against the headboard, books scattered around her again.
“Come on, Michal. Open the door. We only want to help. Please.”
Against her better judgment—and lamenting to Beth, “I know I’m going to regret this”—Michal opened the door about an inch and peeked out again. “What exactly is it you want anyway?”
Matter-of-factly from Ruth, “We just want to check your outfit.”
“And your hair and makeup,” Samantha added.
“I don’t—”
Their patience exhausted, all three pushed the door open and plunged into what sounded like a military inspection.
“Oh, you’re not wearing that blouse. Absolutely not.”
“You don’t have any makeup on at all, do you? Not even lip gloss.”
“What did you do to your hair? Besides nothing?”
“Take those stinky sneakers off right now.”
Beth broke out in a fit of laughter, holding her