My first "published" work

The Project 

by Robert Breen

Ray arrived at the study table on the second floor of his school's library to find his partner already hard at work. His partner on this project was a beautiful, buxom brunette whom he had been eying all quarter. From what he had pieced together, she was smart, always receiving the highest grade in the class, and she always hung around a bowl-cutted football jock. Annie was her name, and at the current moment, she was sitting at a table, her nose in a thick book about Napoleon. She was surrounded by shelves and shelves of more books on various historical subjects.

“Looks like you've been here awhile.” Ray pointed out, sliding his backpack off and setting it next to the chair across from Annie.

“Oh, yah. I've been here for two hours, ever since my class let out.” she said nonchalantly

“What!? Why didn't you tell me? I have no classes on Fridays, I could've met you here.”

“I'm sorry. I didn't know. I also had no way of contacting you.”

“I mentioned in the email I sent that I have no classes on Fridays.” Ray exclaimed emphatically.

“You did? I didn't see it.” Annie spoke dryly and showed no emotion.

“I see. Well then, let's exchange numbers so this doesn't happen again” Ray used a sincere tone.

Annie's eyes widened. At last, she looked up from her book, startled. She said nothing, so Ray smiled to ease the tension.

Annie made a half-frown, realizing she had talked herself in to a trap. Reluctantly, she pulled out her phone and exchanged numbers with Ray. After that, she immediately returned her gaze to her book. Ray took a seat across the table from Annie.

“Where do you get off being this way?” Ray asked, with a little force.

“I'm sorry, but I have somewhere to be in twenty minutes, so I can't stay very long.” Annie replied, quickly.

“So you're just dumping me with all this research and not even getting me up to speed with where you are!?” Ray was becoming irritated.

“I'm sorry.” Annie started to say.

“Stop saying that!” Ray shouted.

“But that is the way the cards have fallen.” Annie finished. She forced the words out of her mouth.

“Can you at least look away from the book for a second?”

Annie looked up at Ray, then quickly returned her focus to the book. She then started typing notes in to her Macbook.

Ray couldn't take it anymore. He slammed Annie's book shut. This caused Annie to turn toward him and stare. “Look, if we are going to work on this project together, we need to learn to get along. I don't know what your deal is, but maybe if I start by talking a little about myself, that will take the edge off.”

“Please, spare me.” Annie quipped dramatically, raising her arm to her forehead and tilting her head back.

Ray glared. “Fine. How about you tell me this, you look smart and act smart. Why is it you hang out with that jock all the time?”

“You mean Gary? He's a really nice guy and I'll”

Ray cut her off again. “Cut the crap!”

Annie drew heavy sigh while simultaneously blinking a few times. “Alright. If you really must know, I hang around him because I know I am smarter then he is and I can look good next to him. Also, I am unsure of anyone else in the class.”

“So you are just trying to improve your image as a smart chick?”

“You could say that, I guess.”

“So you don't hang around smart people like yourself because you're afraid their intelligence will overshadow yours?”

“What are you, a psych. major or something?”

Ray scoffed at this. “So that explains why you don't sit by me."

“You think you're smart or something?”

“Take that back!” Ray yelled.

“How do I know you really are bright like you think you are?”

“You dare to question my intelligence and my integrity? Give me one reason I shouldn't leave right now and force you to do this project all by yourself!”

“You'd fail the project.”

Ray took a moment to think this over. “Dammit. You're right.”

Annie smirked. She had won that round.

Ray used the next few minutes to cool off. He sat back in his chair, his feet resting on the table, not saying anything. Annie returned to her research. After awhile, Ray spoke up. “Tell you what, ask me anything. Any three questions and I'll prove to you I am as smart, orsmarter, than you.”

“Not smarter. And how do you know I won't just ask you three questions I don't know the answer to and and tell you you're wrong because I can?”

“Use wikipedia. I think we can both agree that the information on there is more or less correct.”

Annie thought this over. Looking at Ray, she said “You've got a deal. I'll ask you any three questions I want, and if you get them ALL right, I will consider you as smart as myself andmaybe we can hang out together.”

“Sounds fair to me. Although get rid of that maybe.”

Grudgingly, Annie agreed. “Fine. Give me a minute to find my first question.”

“What was your High School GPA?” Ray asked out of curiosity while Annie typed furiously on her keyboard.

“4.0, You?”

“3.8” came the mild response.

“Nice. Alright, here's the first question. What is the birthplace of James Polk's opponent's running mate in the 1844 presidential election?”

Ray was stunned by the exactness of the question. “Starting off hard I see.”

“Not, this is actually not that hard.” Annie said casually

Ray looked at her, questioning her most recent statement. “Alright. Well, let me think.” He kept his hands on the table to prove he was not using his phone to cheat. After some time, he came up with his response. “Millstone, NJ” he said.

Annie was surprised. She didn't reply right away. “Very good. Now how did you know that?”

“My old man, he was obsessed with the Presidents. He read so many books and watched so many documentaries, he knew nearly everything associated with every election.”

“Are you serious? My dad was the same! Did you get dragged to Lincoln's boyhood cabin too?” Annie asked, changing her serious mood into a more lighthearted one.

“I most certainly did, and I have the pictures to prove it. I was majorly disappointed the cabin wasn't even still there.”

“I was too! I at least touched his family's well”

“Wish I has done that.”

“Anyway, next question. I hope you watch old movies. Who was the screenwriter for the film noir classic The Lost Weekend?”

“Are you kidding?”

“No, I hardly ever kid.”

“I've only seen that movie about fifty times. I'll go with Charles Brackett.”

“You sound pretty confident.”

“I should be. I read the opening credits every time I watch it.”

“Well, you're right. I'll admit, I'm a little impressed. Do you watch Turner Classic Movies often?”

“Only three or four times a week. It's one of my favorite channels.”

Annie smiled quickly, more to herself than to Ray.

“Alright, last question. This is for all the marbles.”

“Do you watch a lot of TCM?” Ray asked.

“Yes” came the faint, shaky reply.

Ray suspected Annie was getting nervous, but he said nothing.

Annie spent a good amount of time searching for her last question, she wanted to make it count. Ray was starting to zone out when the question was finally asked. He snapped back to attention, making sure not to miss a word.

“Alright, what is the exact distance of one lightyear?”

Ray's eyes grew wide. “Can I give an approximation?”

“Sure.” Annie agreed.

“Well, let's see. I've only seen every episode of The Universe, I know I know this one.” Ray closed his eyes, hoping it would allow him to think harder.

“You watched The Universe too?” Annie asked, incredulously.

“Heck yah.” came the reply, his eyes still closed.

Annie couldn't help but give a wide grin. She beamed at Ray as she talked. “Tell me then, why did they stop making new episodes?”

Ray opened his eyes again. “My theory is that they covered every known topic in the Universe and ran out of episode ideas.”

Annie was impressed. “That's a good one.”

“What's your theory?” Ray asked, curiously.

“I'll tell you later.”

Without warning, Annie reached across the table, grabbing Ray by the shoulders and kissing him right on the lips. At first, Ray was dazed, but after realizing what was happening, he went with it. They made out for a few more seconds before pausing. “Best research project ever!” Ray exclaimed.

Annie pulled him in once more. A while later, they took another pause. “Where have you been all my life?” Ray asked.

“At my desk, studying. How about you?”

“Where have I been all your life?” Ray repeated. “At my desk, studying.” He grinned even bigger as he said these words. “I always thought this would how it would turn out. I wondered why I never found anyone like myself. I assumed they were like me and were sitting behind their desk, studying. Turns out I was right.” He said to himself.

“Too much talking” Annie complained. She pulled him in once more.

After their next break, Annie suggested seductively “Let's take this back to my place.”

Ray beamed at her, as if wondering if this was really happening.

“Unless that is not protocol. I've never done this before” Annie followed up, quickly.

“I never have either. Let's take it back to my place instead, that way I can impress my roommate.” Ray concluded.

Silently, Annie fell back in her chair and began packing up her things. Ray saw this and did likewise.

As they rose from the table and headed out, Annie asked “Does this mean we are dating? Or are we just friends?”

“From what I've been led to believe, we are just friends. But this can lead to dating.” Ray assured her.

“Yay!” Annie smiled.

"And by the way, the distance of one light year is 5,878,625 million miles"

Annie giggled.

They walked out of the library, hand in hand.

THE END