Watching.
Waiting.
Her mailbox clicks open.
Bills, advertisements, junk, and then like magic, there it is. I hoped for it, now I know it’s true. Boom. Red paper.
Smaller than the rest and easier to miss.
Interesting how it looks exactly like the one I was sent a few weeks ago. Clearly, the person behind the Dean’s List is also behind me being here. A faculty member? My dad? Lilah herself? She could easily send herself a letter to throw me off her scent. She lied back then; she could easily lie again.
She almost tosses it aside before finally noticing.
Fuck, there it is. The moment it dawns on her. You can’t fake that sort of reaction.
The panic sets in followed by the guilt, the fear, the complete…wait, my smile starts to fade. That’s not fear. It’s confusion. Why is she confused? What happened?
Her eyebrows pull together.
She reads it twice.
Then a third time.
What the hell?
Slowly, she folds the paper and shoves it into her pocket.
Not scared.
Not devastated.
Confused.
Really confused.
This catches my attention.
She reaches for her phone and answers it. “I know, I know, I won’t forget.” She pauses. “A club? Really? Ugh, crowds, loud crowds and drunk people, can’t wait! They better have good drinks or I’m leaving!” She pauses longer. "Hey, did you get that email today about The Dean’s List?"
Silence ensues. Interesting. I shift my weight and wait for her response.
"Yeah, same. No, I got one too but..."
Her voice weakens. "But it was weird."
Weird?
My jaw tightens.
Weird, wasn't the reaction I expected or hoped for.
"I'm thinking maybe it's a prank, maybe you’re right and someone’s just bored or something." She continues.
Liar. I snort to myself. No chance in hell she believes that, not even a little. After another minute she hangs up and turns.
That's when I step forward. Her entire body goes rigid.
Interesting.
