Page 15 of The Reverse Cinderella
“Absolutely. I love being your study buddy.”
Piaget laughed. “Okay then.”
“Goodnight Piaget,” Max pushed in his chair. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She followed him to the door, “Goodnight.”
Max turned and for a second Piaget thought that he might kiss her. Instead he softly laid a hand against her cheek for a moment then smiled and walked away. Fighting the butterflies in her stomach, Piaget locked the door and leaned against it. She could really get to like him, she reflected.
True to his word, Max showed up the next day with pizza. Maybe he had noticed her fridge was a little bare and was trying to fill it up. Or he didn’t want Chinese two nights in a row. Either way, Piaget now had enough leftovers to get her through to the end of the week if she was careful. Piaget had made more cue cards and they sat on the couch as they went through them, trying to get her prepared for tomorrow’s test. After hours of cramming, Piaget felt like her head was going to explode trying to keep all this information in it.
Finally, Max set down the cue cards. “Okay, one more thing. Why is this your passion?”
“What?” Piaget looked at him blankly.
“Your teacher said that the very first question would be the most important,” Max explained. “If I were trying to fill a spot, I’d do an interview question like: why are you the person I should pick to fill this position? And you would answer why this is your passion.”
Piaget thought about it. “I’ve always wanted to be in broadcast. I hear people on the radio, especially talk radio, discussing the news and important things that are happening in people’s lives. Everyone has a different opinion and radio is a freedom to express ourselves and to communicate what our community feels. What it embraces, what it rejects, where it wants to direct itself. Radio connects us. Every day I turn on a radio and listen. I want to actively participate in the community through radio, to help direct the conversation, to be there in the moment, to belong to that community. I love it.”
Max smiled. “Now you’re prepared.”
“If that’s even on the test,” Piaget rubbed her tired eyes. “We should go over everything one more time.”
“No,” Max laid the cards down. “What you should do is go to bed and get some sleep. Tomorrow, go over this stack right here, these are the ones you’ve had some difficulty with. You don’t need to go over the rest because you know that information. Then after a good breakfast, go take the test.”
He stood and pulled her to her feet, giving her a hug. “You’re going to do great.”
Piaget leaned her head on his chest. He was so warm and comfortable. She must really be tired, she decided. “I just want this so badly.”
“The worst that can happen is that you don’t get it,” Max said supportively. “Then you will work hard and wait your turn just like you were going to before this opportunity came up. However, you did everything you could to get this spot and you should be proud of that. You’re going to be right up there, at the top of your class. I’m proud of you.”
“I couldn’t get there without my study buddy,” Piaget mumbled into his shirt. She had her eyes closed and could feel herself drifting a little.
“I think it’s time I left and you got to bed,” Max chuckled. He reluctantly let her go.
Piaget followed him to the door. This time Max cupped her face in both his hands. He lowered his head and kissed her, just a whisper against her lips. “Goodnight Piaget.”
“Good night.” Piaget locked the door after him and floated her way to bed, smiling the entire time.
Piaget awoke from steamy dreams of Max to find that she had been hitting the snooze button. A lot. She was going to be late! Suddenly wide awake, Piaget bolted from the bed and pulled on the first clothes she saw. Darting to the kitchen she grabbed her keys and bounced from foot to foot as she put on her sneakers, quickly lacing them. Forgetting her books, her purse, her phone, everything, Piaget locked the door and ran as fast as she could to the street. Thankfully, she had ten dollars in her pocket, so she hailed a cab to get to the college as quickly as possible. The fare was only six dollars, but she didn’t wait for the cabbie to make change, bolting to class.
Out of breath, yesterday’s makeup smeared, hair uncombed, she slid into her seat in Mrs. Brown’s class.
“Class, this is an open book test. You may keep your notes and textbooks and use them at any time. There will be no talking during the test,” Mrs. Brown gave Piaget a disapproving look over her lateness but continued talking. “Please take a copy and pass the rest back. Do not flip over your tests until I say so. To look at any of the questions before I give the okay is to automatically get a zero grade.”
She handed out stacks of paper and everyone handed them back in the rows. Piaget took a copy and passed the rest to the next student. There must be thirty pages or more. She swallowed thickly. She wasn’t prepared. She had left her textbooks at home. She had no notes. She hadn’t finished studying her difficult cue cards. She had no pen.
She had no pen! Frantically Piaget felt the pockets of her jeans. All she had were her keys and pocket lint. That was it. Piaget tried not to panic. Surely someone could lend her one before the test started. Piaget raised her hand.
“Turn over your test and begin. Remember, absolutely no talking.”
Everyone turned over their pages. Piaget slowly lowered her hand. Mrs. Brown had sat down at her desk and was marking papers from another class. She was ignoring the students in general.
Piaget turned over the test. Right there as the first question was just as Max predicted. Why should you be chosen to receive the open broadcasting spot? The most important question, the most important test of her life at this moment and she couldn’t answer it because she didn’t have a pen. Piaget put her head in her hands. She didn’t deserve the position, Piaget reflected. She was obviously unprepared. Piaget sighed and watched as others furiously scribbled down answers.
Adam caught her eye and he gestured as if to say, what are you doing?
Piaget mimed a pen and then put her hands in the air, shrugging.