The next two days challenged Marie in a different way. Mr. Edison told her all this right before her other tests. It was hard to focus enough to study, and it was especially hard to go to the S.E.A. She kept expecting someone to jump her and torture answers out of her. Maybe they didn't torture answers out of people, but she couldn't help but think the worst. She tried to do what Mr. Edison said and kept her head down and did what they asked. Being obedient to an organization she discovered was dangerous went against her soul, but she didn't know what else to do.

Marie flew through the Biology test on Wednesday, giving her more time to study the other tests. Mr. Edison kept his distance, and Marie was fine with it for now. She still had to process what was going on. Some background music started to play during the middle of the test, quiet, soft, but intense. Marie kept glancing at Mr. Edison out of the corner of her eye, but whatever he was thinking, he kept his expression blank.

Choir was the one she was most afraid of. She sat quietly as the class talked and laughed. Mr. Beethoven would take a student one at a time to sing any segment of the song he chose in a private room. Marie tried to fill herself up with the courage and confidence she needed to pass this test, since her friends weren't there with her. She glanced at the other sopranos and altos and realized she missed having a female friend. Sophie was amazing, but she missed her during normal school hours. She didn't want to seem ungrateful to her guy friends, but there was something about friendships with other girls.

Some sopranos, sensing her gaze, turned to look at her. Marie tried to give a friendly smile. One of the brunette sopranos' eyes trailed to Marie's second piece in her ear. The brunette turned back to the other friends, and Marie heard stifled whispers and giggles. A part of her withered from the hurt.

"Marie," Mr. Beethoven said.

Marie followed him to the small office. He kept the door ajar then glanced at the second piece over her ear.

"Here, let's have you sing these twelve bars," he said, handing her the music.

It was a relatively easy part. Marie started singing the twelve bars of song and could see Mr. Beethoven's face twist in pain. When she was finished, Mr. Beethoven said little except gave her permission to leave the office. She left feeling sick to her stomach. She knew she failed. She thought she was improving from her time at the S.E.A., but Mr. Beethoven must be super sensitive.

Marie sat down, staring at the ground as she listened to conversations she wasn't apart of, feeling the dark swirl of knowing she was failing a class. With a sigh, she pulled out her science book and started reading. There were other tests she could be studying for, but she needed this comfort right now.

English lit she took a written test about the short stories they'd read so far. She felt pretty good about the multiple-choice section but didn't feel nearly as confident on the essay section. It was difficult for her to express her feelings in writing.

She was almost glad the monologues for Drama already happened. She walked into drama with her friends to see everyone crowded around a list tapped to the side of the classroom. It must be the cast list for the one-act. Marie joined her friends looking at it.

Billy looked through the list. "I wonder who I'll play."

"Don't know who this character is, but he's probably the lead," Abe said, pointing to Billy's name toward the top.

Marie scanned the list. She saw Abe was part of tech, and glanced through the list, fully expecting her name to be on there. When it wasn't, she was surprised. She studied the list of characters. Albert's name was around the middle, probably some side character with a few lines. She finally found her name toward the bottom. She frowned.

"Camel part two? What does that mean?" Marie asked.

The guys looked for her name.

"I guess it means, um, camel. Part two," Billy said.

"Maybe it's an understudy?" Abe asked.

Albert gave him a look. "An understudy? For a camel?"

"I'll ask." Marie dropped her bag in her seat as she headed to Mr. Hitchcock.

Mr. Hitchcock looked up at Marie as she approached. "Hi. Um, I had a question about my part. What is camel part two?"

Mr. Hitchcock blinked a few times. "It means you're the second part of the camel."

"Second part?"

He nodded. "We have a two-person camel costume. We needed someone in the first part, and someone in the second part."

It was Marie's turn to blink a few times. "So... the butt. I'm the camel's butt."

"The second part, Marie," Mr. Hitchcock emphasized.

Marie tried to keep her face emotionless. "Okay. The second part."

She turned and headed back to her friends who had heard the entire conversation.

"I'm actually not mad," Marie said. "This is going to be pretty easy."

"Macbeth, Marie. I'm so jealous," Billy said as he looked at the cast list.

"What do you mean?" she asked before joining them looking at the list.

It didn't take her long to see it. Right above camel part two was camel part one.

"You're sharing a costume with Poe," Albert whispered.

Marie opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. In unison the four of them turned to see Edgar sitting in the back of the room, reading a book about mysterious hobo murders. Marie swallowed. Abe and Albert glanced at her with much compassion as Billy frowned in jealousy.

***

Marie studied hard for her next group of tests for Thursday. Again, she wasn't too worried for math, but she was for dance. They were going to be tested on the waltz, and she could never get the rhythm down. Trying to get her feet to follow a boxed pattern seemed simple, but the music complicated it in Marie's mind.

The idea was they'd get all the tests out of the way so they could have a more relaxing Friday with the scheduled pep rally to get the students pumped about the Marching Band competition. It took an embarrassingly long while for Marie to realize Friday was Presley High verses Lennon High. She wondered why the tension was high at the beginning of the week. She thought everyone was nervous about the tests. She should have known.

"Are you going to the competition tomorrow?" Albert asked as Marie closed her locker.

They were headed to drawing to take the last test before they had midterms to worry about. Marie tucked some of her hair delicately behind the second piece on her ear as she walked with him.

"Probably not. Competitions aren't my thing. And what with the extra three hours at the S.E.A., I'd rather stay home, put on sweat pants, and watch a movie," Marie said.

"Come on, it's us versus Lennon High! It's going to be epic!" Albert said.

"I'll think about it," Marie said.

"Which is your nice way of saying no?" Albert asked.

Marie gave him a guilty grin. "Maybe."

Albert sighed. "Fine. Are you ready for the drawing test?"

"Not really, but I was more freaked out about drama. This should be okay," Marie said.

They walked into the classroom a bit early. Mr. Ross had his basket out for homework. Marie sat at her desk and went through her backpack for her homework folder. Albert had his turned in and was back in his seat when Marie finally found her homework assignment. She walked up to the front and turned it in.

"Marie, thank you," Mr. Ross said. "How are you today?"

Marie smiled. Even though she wasn't great in drawing, Mr. Ross was always nice to her. "I'm all right."

Mr. Ross nodded and gave her a smile. "Glad to hear."

"I'll be happy when tests are over," Marie admitted.

"Don't worry, us teachers will be, too," he said, giving her a kind smile.

Another student had a question and took Mr. Ross' attention. Marie turned around and didn't notice another student until she almost face planted it into his chest.

"Whoa, sorry." Marie glanced up and was again rooted to the spot as Edgar gave her one of his soul wrenching stares. "Edgar! Hi! What's going on! Good to see you! I mean, you know. Good... good to see you!"

Edgar held his homework assignment in his hands, dark and heavily penciled in. Marie swallowed, wanting to run away, but couldn't force her legs to work.

"So." Marie was aware her voice had again risen a few octaves. "Looks like we'll be in... in the same camel costume for drama! That'll be super fun!"

Edgar just kept staring. Marie had no trouble filling the silence between them.

"I guess we'll be spending a lot of time together in drama next month. Won't it be fun?"

What did Edgar do to make her talk non-stop?

"We should, you know, get to know each other a bit better! I mean, we already did in English lit on our first day. That was... yes, that was something! But maybe we should keep... keep getting to know each other! Might make being in the costume a little more..." Marie chewed her lip, trying to find a word which wouldn't offend him. "Fun? Maybe? Maybe fun?"

Again Edgar did nothing but stare into Marie's soul. Why did she want to get to know him? She was frightened enough of his answers during English lit.

"For example, my dad is, he's a school teacher. For science. Teaches science. In classes. What... what does your dad do?"

Edgar opened his mouth which freaked Marie out. Why did she keep talking with this kid? She braced herself for his answer.

"My parents are dead. My adopted father is filthy rich and I hate him."

With that, Edgar stepped around Marie and placed his homework in the file before returning to his seat.

Marie let out a breath before returning to her seat, her legs trembling as she sat down. Despite all her fear, she did feel a small bit of compassion for Edgar.

"You okay?" Albert asked.

"Yeah." Her voice was still a few octaves higher than normal. "I'm okay."

Albert had a hand over his mouth, obviously covering a smile. A giggle came out of Marie, feeling the escape of the tension she felt as she gave Albert a playful push.