Chapter 4: Ivy and the Girls

"Ugh, I can't stand that mean old dean!" Helen lamented to Ivy. Ivy was starting to undress behind a screen, getting into a night robe. " 'Oh, you can't try for the band, they don't let girls in!' Half the previous flautists were girls, where's this coming from!?"

"I think he's either a rampant sexist or he wants to keep you in that English class his brother teaches. It conflicts with band, I think."

"Hmph. I know at least 3 gals in band right now. One of 'em's Lorelei Porter."

"Lorelei Porter is in band?"

"Sure! Bet she only does it 'cause of that Lightholler fella. The tuba guy, looks like Valentino?"

"Oh, I bet...isn't he a big deal in the band?"

"Only tuba player who can play more than 2 notes a measure. He wants to make it into a true solo instrument."

"Bold, I like it!"

"I figure."

Olivia came back and looked awkwardly at Ivy. "Oh...hi, Ivy."

"Hey, Olivia, you get what you were looking for?"

"I did, yes. Wh-"

"Olivia! I've been waiting to get my hands on you all day!" Helen proclaimed.

"For what?"

"For my Music History book." She said.

"Oh...Oh! I do have that with me, here." She walked to her drawer and unlocked it, handing the book over. "Thanks for reminding me!"

"Not at all, thanks for not losing it, I have a paper due tomorrow and I need to make sure it's all right."

"What's it about?" Ivy asked.

"Romantic era composers. Brahms, Chopin, Wagner, all that."

"Brahms?" Olivia asked. "I thought Brahms was classical?"

"Huh? No, no, Johannes Brahms, 1833-1897? Clearly Romantic era."

"Well, sure, he wrote IN the Romantic era, but clearly his biggest influences were Classical composers…"

"Just because his influences were classical doesn't mean he was!"

"Alright then." The two agreed to disagree. "You hear about Jack Waltrip?"

"What about him?"

"Apparently...he was caught in bed with another person from the football team."

Olivia gasped. "He's...he's a homosexual?"

Ivy shrugged. "Ah, c'mon, you probably know at least 5 or 6. I can confirm I do."

Helen looked over. "Well, I guess we know how you feel about them...how about you, Olivia?"

"I dunno, I'm just a little shocked is all. I guess it's fine, I mean...it isn't hurting anyone."

"That's exactly what I told Ruthie Childs, but she's insistent on hating him for it!"

"Seems a little childish to me."

"I think she just wanted to neck with him." Olivia quipped.

Ivy got up and arranged some things on her night stand. "Speaking of Necking, girls, I spent all day with Calvin." She winked.

"What, the reluctant romeo who you've been trying to win over for months, even after a few kisses?" Helen crossed her arms and smirked. "About time. How was it?"

"It was great! He's such a sweetheart. He sings well, too."

"You heard him sing?" Helen asked.

"Well, he started humming I dream of Jeannie, and I couldn't resist singing along. And out of nowhere, he just starts like some sort of Caruso!"

"He sounds lovely," said Olivia, "But does he have to kiss you that way in front of the door?"

Helen stifled a chuckle. "I'm...sorry?"

Ivy sighed and rolled her eyes. "He Never kisses me like that without some prodding, that was my fault. I like getting those, they're my weakness!"

"I bet you were being so dramatic, too, huh?" Helen stood up and posed dramatically, holding her hand up to her forehead.

"Oh, Calvin, my dearest, how I loathe that we must part! Leave me with one more kiss, my love, so that if I'm robbed away in the night I shall have the taste of your lips as a lasting token!" Olivia laughed and started, lowering her voice as much as she could.

"Ivy, my sweetheart, I would die for the opportunity to shower you with such loving kisses, but alas, I am needed elsewhere! Farewell, my love!" Ivy laughed too, playfully batting at them. "It was nothing like that! But I do appreciate the effort!" The room gradually calmed down, and a few more moments passed. The mood started to change.

Ivy looked out the window of their room and sighed. "I wish there could be a little...more for us here, y'know?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean in Europe I might at least be allowed to get a mathematics degree as opposed to a teaching degree that I'd probably end up not being able to use soon as I got married." She said. Helen nodded.

"Amen to that, I just want them to let me study with the composer here! Fanny Mendelssohn was a woman, she's got a whole 3 pages in the book! And they won't let me see him! HE even wants to see me, but apparently the university could get him in trouble for it and the music faculty could and would boot him."

"Why not see him in secret?" Olivia said.

"And risk someone thinking I'm seeing him for an affair?"

"Oh, relax, he's the youngest resident composer in university history, no one would think anything of it!" Olivia said.

Helen crossed her arms. "I hope he doesn't want to see me just because he thinks I'm cute." She rolled her eyes. "That would be the king of all disappointments, believe me."

"Pretty sure he's married." Olivia said. "My friend, Richard, told me he was wearing a wedding ring."

"I dunno, hasn't stopped men before. But he does come across as the kind of guy who'd be completely devoted. Maybe this is a safe bet."

Olivia looked over at Ivy. "What do you think?"

"Hmm? Oh, the composer thing? Yeah, you should just start seeing him! If the university won't let you do it on the level you may as well go behind their back. It's what I would do."

Helen nodded. "Alright, it's settled. I'll talk to him tomorrow morning. I see him at church, he plays organ."

"Oooo, organ? All the greats played organ...right?" Ivy giggled. "You two and your music, I barely know what either of you are saying half the time!"

"I feel that way with you and math. It's scary how big some of those problems get!"

"I'm still working on one right now, been at it for days." She said. She pulled out a long, stapled together sheet of graph paper. "This must be the hardest math I'll ever see in my life."

"What is it?" Helen asked. Ivy responded in a dramatic, dark, faux-spooky voice.

"Feast your eyes upon the darkest art of mathematics...Vieta jumping! Muahahaha!"

"What...is it?" Olivia asked, looking curious.

"Oh! Well, essentially, it's a proof technique. It proves if solutions are true."

"How's it work?"

"It's...long. Really long." She showed off a paper she'd picked up from the library. "Exorbitantly long." She said. "We start by-"

Olivia shook her head. "I dunno about abstract math at this hour."

"Oh, alright...you girls wanna talk about anything else?"

Helen shook her head, stretching. "I've been up all day," she said. "I'm gonna try and get some sleep. Ivy, you going to any parties tonight?"

"No, I've been walking all day too. I think I'm turning in early this evening."

Olivia nodded. "So we're all in agreement?" She turned off the lights and stretched.

"Goodnight, girls."

"Goodnight."