- 7 -
Fake
Mary bumbled her way through English class. It was her worst subject. She took forever to read a book and took even longer to write an essay. Even at her best, she managed average grades, and average grades in a prep school meant you sucked. Her class was currently reading through some book about an Italian guy who went through the levels of hell. Appropriately, the teacher's name was Ms. Heck, and the class was starting to feel a bit like one of those levels until the blessed bell finally rang. Mary gathered her stuff and went to Physics, her final class of the day. She found a surprise when she got there.
Abandoning his usual seat in the back with his buddies, Carter sat on the front row in the desk next to hers. That seat was normally empty, and Mary liked to put her book bag on it.
"Hello," he greeted when she sat down.
She lowered her voice to a whisper. "What're you doing here?"
He looked at her curiously. "I am here for class."
"No, I mean what are you doing in that desk?" she asked. "Don't you normally sit in the back?"
Carter glanced at the back row. His friends shot back some icy glares.
He looked at her again. "I will move if that is what you want me to do."
The bell rang.
Mary sighed and put her bag on the floor. "No, forget about it."
Mrs. Stanton began the lesson. Mary took some notes, but after scrawling down a few lines, she stole a subtle glance in Carter's direction. He was still looking at her.
Mary made a silent gesture with her hands. "What?"
Carter didn't seem to understand what she was saying. He made a similar gesture.
Mary stared at him. She made the "what" gesture again just as Mrs. Stanton turned from the board.
"Miss Phan," she said.
Mary cringed. "Yes ma'am?"
"Is there something that you and Mr. Maxwell would like to share with the rest of us?" she asked.
Several people giggled, and Mary felt herself turn beet red. "No ma'am."
Mrs. Stanton looked at Carter. "Where's your stuff?"
He wrinkled his brow. "My stuff?"
"Yes, your stuff," she repeated. "Where are your notes and textbook?"
"Oh," he said. "I do not have those items with me."
"Where are they?"
"I do not know." He said. "But I will search for them if you wish."
More giggles.
"That'd be nice, but it doesn't do you any good here now," she said. "Miss Phan, please share your book."
Great, Mary thought. Not only did Carter take her book bag's spot and get her in trouble, she had to share her book with him, too. She was starting to get irritated.
"Thank you," Carter said. "But that is not necessary."
Mrs. Stanton peered over the top of her confetti-colored glasses. "Is that so? Have you read through and memorized your whole textbook then?"
"No ma'am," he said. "Not all of it. But parts of it. It contains several errors."
Mary looked back and forth between Carter and the teacher. What was going on?
"Like what?" Mrs. Stanton asked.
"In the beginning," he said, "the authors wrote that the universe is made of three dimensions—space, time, and matter. With matter being mass over energy."
"And?" she said.
"The writers did not account for the other dimensions," he said.
Mary. Was. Floored. She had never heard a single smart thing come from Carter's mouth. In fact, she had been convinced that the only way people like him managed to pass from grade to grade was because he cheated or paid people to do his homework.
Mrs. Stanton blinked. "Mr. Maxwell, I'm not going to get into a discussion with you now about errors and theories. But if you like, we can talk later. Until then, share a book with Miss Phan and bring yours next time." She turned back to the board to continue the lesson.
Mary looked at Carter. He was smiling, and she suddenly wanted to smack him with her book. But she did as the teacher said and moved it between them so that they could see it together.
When the last bell rang, Mary started to leave with the others, but Mrs. Stanton said, "A word, Miss Phan and Mr. Maxwell."
Mary sighed and went up to the teacher's desk with Carter.
Mrs. Stanton removed her glasses. "I realize you both are dealing with some things right now. Considering what happened last week. I want you both to know that if either of you are having any trouble at all, I am here to help."
"Thank you, ma'am," they said in unison.
"But I also want you both to know that class will continue as normal, and I will not tolerate any disruptions while I'm teaching," she said. "If you need something in particular, please discuss it with me before or afterwards. Otherwise, I expect you to behave yourselves. Understood?"
They nodded. Carter a bit more dramatically.
"Good." Mrs. Stanton put her glasses back on. "I'll see you both tomorrow."
Mary turned and walked out of the room as fast as she could.
"Mary?" Carter asked as he followed.
"What?"
"You are upset."
Captain Obvious makes another appearance. "I'm annoyed," she clarified.
"Because of something I did?" he asked.
"No. Yes. Just…never mind."
"If you will tell me what I did to annoy you, I will make every effort to—"
She stopped and jabbed her index finger at him. "You wanna know what's annoying? This. Following me, asking dumb questions, not using contractions. It's all very annoying, Carter."
He looked at her in surprise. "I do not…use contractions?"
"No, you do not." Of all the English-y things Mary learned over the years, contractions were the only things that she remembered.
Carter cocked his head to the side. "She has noticed?"
What was his deal? Now he was talking like she wasn't standing right in front of him. "Uh, yeah she has noticed," Mary said. "It's kinda hard not to notice someone talking like a robot."
His expression turned to confusion. With a hint of fear. It was as if he had accidentally revealed something that he wasn't supposed to.
Mary took advantage of his distraction and left the building. She crossed the street and boarded the waiting bus, which closed its doors just behind her. She took a seat near the middle and hugged her bag.
Sienna was wrong, Mary thought. Carter Maxwell wasn't just different. He may have looked like him and sounded like him. But he wasn't the same person anymore.
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