Chapter #32Rachel, Who You Don't Know by: rugal b.   "Decide? Already?"
You give Fairfax a look of shock. You knew he'd want a choice by today but to have it ready when you've barely even walked into school? You'd had someone in mind before you'd gotten her but being put on the spot like this you're suddenly finding it difficult to commit. Maybe it's just anxiety though. You agreed to do it and there's little sense in backing out now.
"Well, yes," Fairfax states plainly, "because I really would like to get everything started as soon as possible. Preferably right after school."
"That soon?" you ask.
"We're behind schedule, in fact; I had been hoping to start last night remember?" He has a look of consternation on his face. "So please, Will, the sooner you've made your choice the better."
"Right, okay, yeah." you tell him as you do what you can to psyche yourself up. You head off to the side and out of the way in order to minimize the risk of anyone overhearing you and pull out the sketchpad. "I was looking this over a lot last night and after going over everything the one name that kept popping out for me was Rachel Burton."
"Rachel..." he says as he squints his eyes at the sketchpad. "I was hoping something more along the lines of, well, Kendra or Gloria or... well, I was clear right?"
"You were, yeah, but think of it like this," you say as you begin pointing things out on the pad. "you guys have the cheerleaders pretty well covered and most of them go out into different groups already so that's a lot of ground. But Rachel's part of the swim team, that's a group you don't have covered."
"I don't think it's necessarily about spreading ourselves out." Fairfax states.
"Isn't it?" you ask. "Because look at what groups Rachel's connected to by proxy. You have her in one with Anne Starkey, well Anne is dating Cameron Huber so that's the football team but that also includes the band too. She's also on the swim team with Andrea who you've got listed with the artsy types like Jelena Petrovic."
"But that doesn't mean that she hangs out with them, just --"
"But we don't know that she doesn't hang out with any of them either." you tell him. "Plus I know she is friendly with Deanna Showalter since I see them and Jamie Bornholm talking a lot as I'm going into the cafeteria for lunch and they're coming out. Deanna's a gossip so everything in the school is going to get filtered through her which means, you know, I can tap her as a source of information. Plus Keith's going to be Cindy and you have Cindy and Rachel in the same group which means one can be gotten through the other."
"But Deanna shares that group as well." Fairfax gives you a stern look. "If you don't want to be a cheerleader why not just go for Deanna directly?" he asks.
"Because," you start. Well because you've seen her hanging around Mansfield and if she's friendly with him then you don't think you'd want to be her. In contrast you don't think that you've ever seen Rachel with Mansfield. Not that you'd tell Fairfax that romantic bitterness is playing a part. "Well, because of the swim team thing I guess. Rachel just seems well placed to give us a lot of intel, if you want to call it that, from various places."
"Look, we had this worked out --"
"Yeah you did," you interrupt him, "long before I joined probably. So if I'm on the outside looking in anyway then what's the issue with letting me stay outside?"
Fairfax lets out a discontent sigh as he studies the pad and you notice a slackening of his shoulders and face. "Fine," he says as he hands the pad back to you, "if you want Rachel then you can have her but it's going to be your responsibility to figure out how to get a replacement done."
"But I don't --" you start but Fairfax's serious gaze cuts you off. "Okay, that's fair I guess. I mean I don't have any classes or even share lunch with her but I'll... I'll think of something."
"Good because I'm also leaving it up to you to figure out how to get Eva or Jessica out to the storage complex today as well."
"Them too? Why not Keith or Mike or --" Once again, however, Fairfax's cool gaze is enough to cow you. "Fine, I'll talk to Jenny or something," you sheepishly say.
* * * * *
Okay so you have to get not only Rachel out to the storage complex but one of the Garners as well. You managed to track down Jenny before first period and asked her if she shared any classes with Eva or Jessica. She does have a study hall during third with Eva so you tell her that's great because you have a favor you really need to ask of her so you'll drop by. Well that's the set up of one problem gone though who knows how the actual execution will go.
Rachel will undoubtedly be a much tougher nut to crack. The only time you reliably see her is, as you told Fairfax, when you see her and Jamie and Deanna exiting the cafeteria together. You share no classes and you've never talked to her so how in the blue hell are you even going to broach the subject?
It's why you're actually surprised when, after first period lets out, you start going your usual route to Hawke's class by going down the main locker corridor. It's as you're passing D-wing that you manage to see Rachel by herself. This is definitely fortuitous but you feel the knots in your stomach and your muscles tensing. She's headed your way though obviously not looking at you. Still this is as good a chance as you're going to get so with a deep breath you call out to her as she gets near.
She stops for a moment and looks around inquisitively. So you call to her again. That seems to get her impression as her gaze is suddenly directed at you. "Hi," she says as she approaches and though the tone isn't negative you can't mistake a bit of wondering at just who you are. "You needed me?"
"Oh, um, yeah." you say nervously. "I actually had a favor to ask you, uh, it's dumb but.."
But there's a sympathetic light to her eyes as she looks at you. "I get it, don't worry. It happens a lot." she states. "I've got study hall so if you're free do you want to join me in the library?"
* * * * *
"Oh god, I'm so sorry." she says with a bit of quiet laughter. "I'm just so used to people asking for that that I kind of assumed..."
Obviously you should be in Hawkes' class right now but really what's missing a day of boring movies compared to spending the period in the library in the company of Rachel Burton? However this little talk got off on a bit of miscommunication as she thought you had wanted a little help in a class: Muniz's or Montague's or anyone like that.
"It happens a lot?" you ask.
"Like you wouldn't believe." she replies. "I don't, like, advertise it or anything but I guess a lot of people feel like they can come to me for informal tutoring. I don't even know how that got started."
"That's rough," you tell her, "I mean if it's messing up your day and all."
"Oh no, definitely not. I don't mind it really; it's nice being able to help people out like that." she says. "I mean at first it was but I've gotten a lot better at scheduling these things out. I try and limit it to study hall and an hour after school if need be. Do it in groups for people who are looking for help in the same subject, that kind of stuff."
You actually spend a good while in conversation with her about various topics not even remotely related to what you wanted to ask her about. You find that she's surprisingly affable and down to earth and that allows the conversation to flow easily.
"But yeah, it was just really awkward so I kind of got out of there." you tell her in reference to the party at Catherine's. "I mean I felt really bad about leaving her there like that but, uh, parties aren't really my environment."
"God, tell me about it." she says with what feels like a wave of relief washing over her. "Jamie drags me to them whenever she can and I mean I do like talking to my friends there and all but the party thing scene is just... it's not me."
"That surprises me." you state. "I kind of assumed, uh, that you're the popular type and all so..."
"I don't think I'm popular," she says with a laugh, "but I guess I do okay. I've just never liked the parties though. I'm kind of a homebody in that respect. Just give me a nice book or, uh, a video game you know?"
That surprises you but it does lead into an exchange over a subject matter you're more familiar with as you both compare different things you're into right now. But as you check your phone and notice it's close to the end of the period you realize that you need to try and get back on track.
"Hey so, uh, I was wondering," you start with a bit of nerves. "After school I was going to, well..." You suddenly have to fight with your mouth try and form the words.
"Oh, actually I was just going to ask you about that," she says. ""I don't get to talk about this stuff a lot so it was really nice being able to do it. I actually don't have anything going on after school today so if you want to grab a quick bite to eat we can hang out. Um, if you're not doing anything yourself that is."
You're in shock at how things have turned out. Forty minutes ago Rachel probably had no clue who you were and now she wants to hang out after school? Well that makes your job of getting her out potentially a lot easier. Just bring it up to her and see if she wants to go. But after the disappointment with Lisa and the disappointment that Stephanie made you feel... maybe you will take her up on that offer. | Members who added to this interactive story also contributed to these: |
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