Chapter 19: Scores

The April scores went up on a Monday at noon, and Lindy read mine before I did.

She was standing at my desk at the insurance office with my phone in both hands and her mouth open.

"Lindy."

"Don't look yet."

"It's my score."

"I know. Let me have this."

She turned the screen around.

The board listed every candidate in the state by number.

Under April, at the very top, was mine.

It was the highest April score in the whole state, and it was not close.

I read it three times.

The office around me went on typing.

Somebody's printer jammed down the hall.

I found I was standing, though I didn't remember getting up.

"Say something," Lindy said.

"I can't feel my hands."

"That's normal. Cry. I'll hold your coffee."

I sat down again and laughed.

Then I cried a little into my sleeve, at a desk full of claims files.

Lindy rubbed my back and told a passing manager that I had a cold.

My phone buzzed with a number I didn't know, from Fairmont.

I wiped my face and answered.

"Ms. Marlow? This is the dean's office at Hartley State."

"Yes."

"I'm calling about the funded fellowship. Your April score has been flagged by the committee."

My stomach dropped.

"Flagged how?"

"You have no October score on file," the voice said.

"The October list includes a candidate whose April score is two hundred and forty points below her October one."

"The committee wants to hear from both of you before it awards the seat."

"The fellowship dinner is Saturday evening at the Hartley Inn. You're invited. So is she."

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