Night Shift - Stephen King [120]
'I've been watching you,' he said promptly, but this time his gamin grin was lost on her. She already had a headache.
'Well, you can stop,' she said, more sharply than she had intended. 'I don't like people staring at me.'
'I'm sorry.' She felt a little sorry for him, the way she sometimes felt sorry for stray dogs. He seemed to float in the green fatigue jacket and yes, he had on mismatched socks. One black, one brown. She felt herself getting ready to smile again and held it back.
'I've got these finals,' she said gently.
'Sure,' he said. 'Okay.'
She looked after him for a moment pensively. Then she lowered her gaze to her book, but an after-image of the encounter remained: strawberry double-dip.
When she got back to the dorm it was 11.15p.m. and Alice was stretched out on her bed, listening to Neil Diamond and reading The Story of 0.
'I didn't know they assigned that in Eh-17,' Elizabeth said.
Alice sat up. 'Broadening my horizons, darling. Spreading my intellectual winds. Raising my Liz?'
'Hmmm?'
'Did you hear what I said?'
'No, sorry, I-'
'You look like somebody conked you one, kid.'
'I met a guy tonight. Sort of a funny guy, at that.'
'Oh? He must be something if he can separate the great Rogan from her beloved texts.'
'His name is Edward Jackson Hamner. Junior, no less. Short. Skinny. Looks like he washed his hair around
Washington's birthday. Oh, and mismatched socks. One black, one brown.'
'I thought you were more the fraternity type.'
'It's nothing like that, Alice. I was studying at the Union on the third floor the Think Tank - and he invited me down to the Grinder for an ice-cream cone. I told him no and he sort of slunk off. But once he started me thinking about ice-cream, I couldn't stop. I'd just decided to give up and take a break and there he was, holding a big, dnppy strawberry, double-dip in each hand.'
'I tremble to hear the denouement.'
Elizabeth snorted. 'Well, I couldn't really say no. So he sat down, and it turns out he had sociology with Professor Branner last year.'
'Will wonders never cease, lawd a mercy. Goshen to Christmas -,
'Listen, this is really amazing. You know the way I've been sweating that course?'
'Yes. You talk about it in your sleep, practically.'
'I've got a seventy-eight average. I've got to have an eighty to keep my scholarship, and that means I need at least an eighty-four on the final. Well, this Ed Hamner says Branner uses almost the same final every year. And Ed's eidetic.'
'You mean he's got a whatzit photographic memory?'
'Yes. Look at this.' She opened her sociology book and took out three sheets of notebook paper covered with writing.
Alice took them. 'This looks like multiple-choice stuff.'
'It is. Ed says it's Branner's last year's final word for word.'
Alice said flatly, 'I don't believe it.'
'But it covers all the material!'
'Still don't believe it.' She handed the sheets back. 'Just because this spook -'
'He isn't a spook. Don't call him that.'
'Okay. This little guy hasn't got you bamboozled into just memorizing this and not studying at all, has he?'
'Of course not,' she said uneasily.
'And even if this is like the exam, do you think it's exactly ethical?'
Anger surprised her and ran away with her tongue before she could hold it. 'That's great for you, sure. Dean's List every semester and your folks paying your way. You aren't
Hey, I'm sorry. There was no call for that.'
Alice shrugged and opened 0 again, her face carefully neutral. 'No, you're right. Not my business. But why don't you study the book, too just to be safe?'
'Of course I will.'
But mostly she studied the exam notes provided by Edward Jackson Hamner, Jr.
When she came out of the lecture hall after the exam he was sitting in the lobby, floating in his green army fatigue coat. He smiled tentatively at her and stood up. 'How'd it go?'
Impulsively, she kissed his cheek. She could not remember such a blessed feeling of relief. 'I think I aced it.,
'Really? That's great. Like a burger?'
'Love one,' she said absently. Her mind was still on the exam. It was