Chapter Nine

The following morning Hallie was walking towards her first class. As she was walking through the hall, Spencer met up with her.

"So how was dinner last night?" asked Spencer.

"Dinner was good," said Hallie.

"So did pretending to have a cold work?"

"It was working, but then I did something that Annie wouldn't do."

"So your parents know the truth about you?"

"They do, but something is going on at Harvard. Annie told mom about it, but she won't tell me. Because of what is going on my parents are not insisting we switch back."

"Perhaps Annie is just saying that."

"I don't believe that's the case. Before Annie told mom, Annie did tell me that something was happening that she didn't want me to know just yet."

"Perhaps I can talk to Annie and find out what's going on."

"If you call Annie, Annie would know exactly why you called. Thanks for the offer, but it won't work."

"Okay. So Hallie, how far did you get on the assignment in Hill's class?"

"I'm still doing research on it. What about you?"

"Same here. After I got home last night I saw a part that I sure could have used your help on, but I didn't have a way to ask you."

Hallie slightly chuckled. She then asked, "Spencer, is that your way of asking me for my number?"

"I guess it wasn't very subtle."

"Not at all."

"Well, I would like to be able to call you if I do need your help on our assignments."

Hallie pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen from her book bag. After writing down the number to her phone and to Annie's phone she handed the paper to Spencer. She then said, "The first number is to my phone and the second number is Annie's. Right now I have Annie's phone, so use that number."

"Will do. Just in case you would want to ask me a homework question, do you want my number?"

"Sure."

Spencer wrote down his number and handed it to Hallie. Seconds later Hallie and Spencer were walking into their classroom.

After class, Hallie and Spencer went to the café. When Hallie saw Angela and Tracey sitting at the back table Hallie and Spencer joined them.

Just as Hallie and Spencer were taking their seats a waitress came over and took their drink order.

"I'll be back with your order," said the waitress. She then walked away.

Hallie looked at Angela and asked, "So where is everyone else?"

"Lawrence should be here soon, but Helen and Robert are in class," said Angela. Angela then saw Penelope Wright walking in. "Oh god, look who just walked in."

Everyone turned to look.

"I've been seeing that guy on campus," said Spencer. "What's wrong with him?" Angela and Tracey laughed. "What?"

"That person is Penelope Wright," said Hallie.

"That's a woman?" asked Spencer.

"Yep and she has the hots for Colby," said Tracey. Tracey then tried to hold back her laughter. "Hallie, you should probably go over there and straighten her out."

Hallie looked at Tracey in a distasteful manner and said, "Tracey, I think you've been around Helen too long. You are starting to think like her."

"Lighten up, Hallie," said Tracey. "I'm just having a little fun."

"At someone else's expense. She can't help how she looks."

"Yeah, like you would join her at her table and get chummy with her."

"There are a lot of people who I wouldn't sit at a table with, but I don't go around making fun of a person on how that person is dressed or if a woman gets called sir everywhere she goes or even when a woman refuses to wear a bikini just because of a good size birthmark." Tracey looked at Hallie in a shocked manner. "What's wrong? Did you hear something you didn't find funny?"

"Okay Hallie, I think you made your point," said Angela.

"Hallie, Annie is a lot more fun to be around," said Tracey.

"Annie doesn't like your kind of fun any better than I do," said Hallie.

"Did Annie tell you this?" asked Tracey.

"Tracey, you don't have to be told," said Angela. "Just watch what Annie does when you and Helen start making fun of someone."

"Annie doesn't do anything," said Tracey.

"Yes she does," said Angela. "Annie either starts a private conversation between her and Colby or excuses herself and leaves the table."

"If she feels that way then why does Annie hang around us?" asked Tracey.

"For the same reason I do," said Hallie.

Angela had a surprise expression on her face.

"And why is that?" asked Tracey.

"Because when you're not making fun of someone you are actually a good friend," said Hallie. "I think Helen can be a good friend too if she stop trying to show she's better than everyone else."

"Angela, how do you feel?" asked Tracey.

"I feel you and Helen can ease up on making fun of people," said Angela.

"Okay, I guess I just learned what my vices are," said Tracey.

Lawrence walked into the café.

"Tracey, you didn't have this vice, until after high school graduation," said Hallie. Angela watched Lawrence as he walked towards the table. "However Helen had her vices long before I knew her. I'm able to ignore her… some. I just can't ignore her and you."

"Lawrence is here," said Angela.

Everyone turned to look.

After Lawrence walked up to the table, he gave Angela a kiss.

As Lawrence was taking a seat next to Angela, Spencer whispered in Hallie's ear, "Hallie, I'll be back in a minute." Hallie looked at Spencer in a curious manner. "I need to use the john."

"Okay," said Hallie.

Spencer got up and left the table.

Lawrence looked in Penelope's direction and said, "I see Colby isn't going to be too happy when he gets here in a few minutes and sees Penelope."

"Hallie, I'm not trying to make fun of anyone, but to show Penelope that she has no chance with Colby, perhaps you should give Colby a hug when he gets here," said Tracey.

Hallie grinned in a distasteful manner.

"There seems to be some tension here," said Lawrence.

"We exchanged friendly dialogue before you came in, that's all," said Tracey. Lawrence had a curious expression on his face. "Things are fine though."

Lawrence said in a skeptical manner, "Good." He then said in a normal voice. "Oh before I forget who would like to go to a ballgame tonight?"

"What ballgame?" asked Hallie.

"There's a football… Hallie I'm meant to say there is a soccer match playing tonight," said Lawrence. "I'm able to get twelve seats for tonight's game."

"I would love to," said Tracey.

"I'm in too," said Angela.

"Hallie, what about you?" asked Lawrence.

"Lawrence, how soon do you need to know if I would like to go?" asked Hallie.

"I would need to know by three o'clock."

"I will let you know before then."

"Hallie, you should come," said Angela.

"I agree," said Tracey. Hallie showed a pleasant grin on her face. "You should come. I really think it would do you good to attend."

"I really appreciate you guys wanting me to come along, but I would like to think about it," said Hallie. "I'm not certain if I'm ready to go to something like that."

"Okay, no pressure," said Angela.

The waitress returned with the drinks.

In the men's room Spencer took out his cell phone and got out the paper with Hallie's phone number on it. He then dialed the number.

At Harvard's cafeteria, Annie sat down alone at a table with her breakfast. Just before taking a bite of food the music from her phone sounded. After getting her phone she looked at the number before she answered.

"Hello?" asked Annie.

"Hi Hallie, it's Spencer," he said.

"Spencer, I think Hallie gave you the wrong number. I'm Annie."

"Oops, I'm sorry. Hallie gave me both numbers and I got them confused. I hope I'm not interrupting your class."

"I wouldn't have answered the phone if I was in class."

"I'm glad I'm not interrupting. Annie, while I got you on the phone can I ask you something?"

"What do you want to know?"

"Hallie believes something is going on at Harvard. I was just curious of what's going on."

"Nice try Spencer, but it's not going to work."

"What's not going to work?"

"You knew exactly who you were calling. Now I don't know if Hallie put you up to this or you took it upon yourself to call me. Either way I'm not going to tell you what is going on."

"Okay, you caught me, and for the record Hallie had nothing to do with me calling. In fact she told me not to because it wouldn't work."

"You should have listened to her."

"I thought I could at least try."

"Spencer, I'm not trying to be rude, but I actually sat down to eat breakfast, so I'm going to let you go."

"Oh, of course, bye."

"Bye."

After clipping his phone back on his belt, Spencer left the men's room. Seconds later he was taking his seat. He then asked, "So did anything interesting take place while I was a way?"

"Hey, you like sports you said," said Lawrence. "Would you like to see a… a soccer match tonight?"

"Soccer?" asked Spencer.

"Spencer, he's avoiding the word football," said Hallie.

"Hallie, I just didn't…" said Lawrence.

"Lawrence, I completely understand and I appreciate what you're doing," said Hallie. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," said Lawrence. "So Spencer, are you in?"

"Hallie, what are you doing?" asked Spencer.

"I haven't decided yet," said Hallie. "Don't let that stop you from going and enjoying the game though. If I don't go to the game then more than likely I will be going home anyway."

"Hallie, I have just decided I'm going to get you a ticket anyway and you can decide if you would like to use or not," said Lawrence.

"If I don't go I would be wasting a seat."

"It won't be the first time a seat remained open; besides that would give you the option of joining us later in the game if you would like," said Lawrence.

"Okay, get me a ticket, but at this point I don't know if I will use it or not."

"As I said you don't have to use it. So Spencer, what about you? Should I get you a ticket?"

"I'm in," said Spencer.

"So I'm thinking eight tickets for sure," said Lawrence.

Angela saw Colby walking in and said, "Hallie, Colby's here."

Hallie turned to look. After looking at Colby she turned to look at Penelope. She then said, "I'll be back in a second."

As Hallie was walking away from the table, Spencer noticed Tracey smiling at Angela. He asked, "What's going on?"

"Hallie is going to give Colby a hug in front of Penelope," said Angela.

As Hallie walked up to Colby she gave him a hug followed by a kiss on the cheek.

"Hallie, what are you doing?" asked Colby.

"Penelope is here." Hallie gestured with her head towards Penelope. Colby turned to look. "I'm not certain, but I think she's here to see you."

"Did I do anything to lead her on?"

"I'm afraid so. In high school you came across towards her as a knight in shining armor and saved her dignity. By you doing that she thinks you like her."

"All I did was to stop a few people from making fun of her."

"Apparently with her that's all it takes. Also from what I know, you never actually told her you weren't interested."

"I'm with Annie and she knows that."

"But you never told her that she has no chance with you even if you weren't with Annie."

"I always thought that telling her I'm not available was enough."

"Now you know it's not."

"Hallie, can you go and tell her I'm not interested?"

"All that would do is make Penelope think that I'm… actually Annie, is threatened by her. That's why Annie would never do it. Well we should join the others or you are more than welcome to join Penelope."

"Although warped, I'm glad to see you are getting your sense of humor back," said Colby.

Hallie just grinned. They then went and sat down at the table.

At Harvard Annie was walking through the halls towards her classroom. As she walked pass one of the classrooms she saw Mr. Atkins, a teacher in his mid-twenties, pulling out a life-size resuscitation dummy from a large carrying case. Just after walking pass the room she stopped and thought for a second.

The classroom was empty except for Mr. Atkins. He was placing the dummy on a mat on the floor as Annie walked into the room. Mr. Atkins turned to face her. He then said, "Ms. Parker, you're not one of my students."

"I'm sorry, but for some strange reason I'm having difficulty remembering names," said Annie. "Who are you again?"

Mr. Atkins looked at Annie in a curious manner and said, "Ms. Parker, we never officially met. Last year I've seen you at the football games with Scott Knight."

"Good… Oh, not good that we never met. Good that I'm not completely losing my memory. So what is your name?"

"You should call me Mr. Atkins. So, what can I do for you?"

"Actually I'm curious about the policy on taking one of the dummies off campus."

"As a student it is quite simple. It is strictly against the rules. As for a faculty member we have to sign a form and put up a deposit. "

"If I can prove that I'm financially capable of putting up the deposit, would there be anyway for me to borrow a dummy for this weekend?"

"For what reason would you need a dummy?"

"Just recently I signed up to instruct a group of young teenagers on CPR, but I failed to read the pamphlet all the way through before I signed up. When I am to instruct the group I'm supposed to bring my own resuscitation dummy. Since I don't have one, I'm slightly in a bind."

"I suggest for you to go back to wherever you signed up at and tell them that you don't have a resuscitation dummy."

"I had already done that; however, since it is this weekend that I'm supposed to instruct the group, they don't have the time to find another volunteer. Financially I am certainly able to buy a resuscitation dummy for this weekend, but since this is a one time thing, I was hoping I didn't have to."

"You are financially secured enough to buy your own resuscitation dummy?"

"Absolutely. I can provide you with proof if you would like."

"That won't be necessary. Ms. Parker, you just need this dummy for this weekend?"

"Just this weekend is all I need it for."

"Now this is strictly against the policy, but if you are being honest with me about being able to put up a deposit, I will sign the dummy out for you."

"Thank you, Mr. Atkins."

"You are to put up the deposit though."

"That won't be a problem."

"I'm not sure what the deposit is at the moment, but if you come back in about ninety minutes I will be able to tell you how much it is."

"I will be back and again thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Well, I've better get to class," said Annie.

Mr. Atkins watched Annie as she was walking out of the room.