Chapter Seven
The SAT
All Allison can do now is wait. Things are rather boring with Brian doing his physics thing and Bender working with his uncle most days. With her parents gone so much, the majority of the housework falls on her shoulders, so she throws herself into house cleaning to help pass the time until she hears from the Art Institute.
Saturday afternoon Allison is scrubbing the vegetable bin from the fridge when the doorbell begins ringing, as if someone were leaning on it. Someone is leaning on it. It is Bender, who brandishes an envelope with a flourish.
"Your mail has come, madame."
A sound like a squeal escapes her and she snatches the envelope from Bender. But then she is shaking. Bender guides her into the living room and pushes her onto the sofa. Her hands are so unsteady she hesitates to open it.
Bender gets out his switchblade and snaps it open. "Let me." She relinquishes the envelope and he slits it open and returns it to her. She pulls out the sheet of paper.
Dear Allison,
The Admissions Committee has carefully reviewed your application to the Art Institute. After much consideration I regret to inform you that we are unable to offer you a place in the Class of 1990 as your application stands. Your essay and pen and ink drawing are superior, but your low math SAT score, combined with average grades in academic subjects, do not allow us to accept you at this time. However, if you improve your math SAT score, we will be happy to review your application again.
We appreciate the interest you have shown in the Art Institute and look forward to hearing from you again.
Sincerely,
James D. Kingswood.
Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid.
"Well?" Bender asks.
She sort of laughs and cries at the same time.
"Here, read it." She hands him the letter.
Bender reads it and folds it up.
"Well, all you have to do is pull up your SAT. They practically said they would accept you."
"I'm terrible at math!" Her hope turns to despair.
"But we happen to have one very smart guy around. Brian can teach you enough so that you can go in, spit it out while it's fresh in your mind, and then forget it for the rest of your life."
"Well, okay... Yeah, that might work. When is the next SAT?"
"We can call the tech college admissions office on Monday and find out. In the meantime, I have some mail too." Bender shows her a manila envelope she hadn't noticed in her eagerness to read her own letter. "Let's see what it is."
He unfastens the metal tabs, opens the flap and pulls out a heavy sheet of paper. He holds it up. It's his graduation diploma.
Allison gives him an exuberant hug.
Brian is enthusiastic about tutoring Allison. He wants to start that very night, instead of watching MTV and HBO as usual. Bender vetoes this idea, but Allison agrees to start the next day.
The next day both her mother and father are home, so Allison goes to Brian's house instead. She finds that with one-on-one tutoring she manages much better than in a big class. They start with very basic multiplication and division problems, move on to fractions and decimals and then begin algebraic equations. Mrs. Johnson asks Allison to stay for dinner. Sitting down with others to consume home-cooked food is a novelty, one that Allison enjoys. They have meatloaf, cauliflower in cheese sauce and hot rolls, with pound cake and strawberries for dessert. Mrs. Johnson seems to enjoy Allison's praise and hearty appetite. Brian wants to continue after dinner but Allison begs off. Her brain feels stuffed to overflowing with information, as if any additional information would cause her brains to leak out of her ears.
The next SAT is Saturday, June twenty first, just a week away. Allison studies hard every day, then works with Brian in the afternoon. The evenings are spent reviewing the day's lesson. The only deviation from this is the traditional MTV/HBO Saturday night.
In a shorter time than seems possible, it is time to take the SAT. Her nerves smooth out when she sees her test problems. The information pounded in by Brian is all at the top of her mind, ready to be used. She moves through the math portion quickly and confidently.
Bender and Brian are waiting for her when the test lets out. Bender sees her big smile and whoops, clapping her on the back. Her thanks to Brian are profuse and heart felt and make Brian blush. To celebrate, Bender shares his joint with both of them. They hoot and giggle all the way to Allison's house. A half hour later they devour two whole pizzas, Brian and Bender arguing over the last slice. In the middle of their raucous festivity, Allison's father comes home. They sober up and hush each other. As it happens her father chooses to ignore them, but all the fun is gone, so the guys take their leave.
Allison lies in bed with the radio on, relishing her evening. She hasn't thought about it in a while, but she recollects her pre-detention life of solitary hell. Life is so different now. She searches her mind for the fantasies she lived for in the old days, but comes up empty. Instead, she drifts on the last of the reefer, remembering random scenes from her new life. Andy appears and she relives their kisses, but their last argument intrudes. Instead, unbidden, comes the image of Bender asleep in her bed. She gets up to look at the portrait on her easel. She looks for a long time.