The Theory of Unrequited

by Len Webster

  “It’s not a surprise if you tell us,” Brandy, who sat to AJ’s left, said.

  Mr. Miller turned away from the board and smiled at the class. “It is if you act surprised.”

  “Still defeats the purpose of a surprise,” Brandy countered.

  Their physics teacher sighed. “Fine. I will bring in those chocolate cupcakes you all love so much. As in, Alex, will your mother’s bakery have enough for the class next week if I place an order?”

  The students in front of her turned around, their pleading eyes directed at her. AJ smiled. “Of course, Mr. Miller. Just give the bakery a call and let them know. They’ll take it from there.”

  Mr. Miller nodded. “There. Everyone happy?” Several students shouted their approval. “Brandy?”

  Brandy got out of her seat just as the bell rang. “Very. See you next week.”

  “See you all next week,” their teacher said as AJ began to pick up her pens, textbook, calculator, and notebook. “Oh, Alex. Could I get you to stay behind for a moment?”

  “Umm … sure, Mr. Miller.” She walked over to his desk, expecting him to sit down. AJ never got in trouble. In fact, Mr. Miller was her favorite teacher. She couldn’t think of anything she could have done wrong to be in Mr. Miller’s bad graces. “Is everything okay?”

  He smiled as he reached over and pulled open the top drawer of his desk. Then he produced a business card and handed it to her. AJ balanced her books and stationery in one arm and against her chest as she took the card from him.

  She stared at it, confused.

  “Professor Church?”

  “Yes. Professor Church.”

  AJ glanced up from the card. “I’m sorry, Mr. Miller, but why are you giving me a professor’s business card?”

  Chuckling, her physics teacher crossed his arms over his chest. “Alex, enlighten me. What do you want to be when you grow up?”

  “Seriously, sir?”

  “Seriously.”

  “My mother used to ask me that all the time. And before she’d even let me tell her, she’d say that I should aspire to be happy first and to continue finding happiness in what I decided to do with my life.”

  “Your mother is an exceptional woman, Alex.”

  “She is,” AJ agreed. “She found happiness in the culinary arts and made a business and name out of it. I want to be as ambitious as my mother and as determined as my father. And collectively, I wish to be as happy as my parents are. So with that in mind, I’d still like to be a physicist.”

  “And you believe it will make you happy?”

  AJ nodded once. “Eventually. When I have a theory peer-reviewed and published in Science Magazine. When I discover something revolutionary, and I’m awarded the Nobel Prize. I understand that it’ll take a lot of hours, years, and hard work to make it happen. But I believe that science is what will make me happy. No matter how much people think I’m a freak. It’s my dream.”

  Mr. Miller uncrossed his arms and let them dangle next to him. “Alex, having a career and a love of science doesn’t make you a freak. It’s a shame that high school will pollute such a brilliant mind as yours. You’re not a freak for being different. And don’t let stupid kids deter you from your dream and your own happiness. Someday, these kids won’t even realize that the latest gadget making their lives easier is all because of you. And that is why I’m giving you that card.”

  “That’s very kind, Mr. Miller. But why would I need Professor Church’s card?”

  Her science teacher grinned. “Because he’s head of the physics department at MIT.”

  AJ’s eyes widened. “What?”

  “We went to Caltech together. He’s now head of the department, and when I found out, I gave him a call and told him all about you. I know Stanford is still the ace in your deck of cards, but you should have options, and MIT should be at the very top of all those options. Not because that was your dream school, but because they’re one of the best institutions in the world. Brian is waiting for your call. He’s cleared his schedule and will be taking you on a private tour of MIT on Saturday. I know you work at the bakery on the weekends, but I’m hoping your mother understands that this is your future we’re talking about. It’s just for the afternoon. He’ll be happy to answer any question you have about the application process or the interview at MIT. Just call him and confirm that Saturday works.”

  AJ was floored by his generosity to put his neck out for her. “Mr. Miller, you’ve done so much for me. What about the others?”

  Mr. Miller dug his hands into his pockets and let out a sigh. “I’ve made similar arrangements for those who are determined to reach their dreams. But I have a lot of belief in you, Alex. And I think you just need a little bit of a push. You’re smart and have such potential.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Do you have any questions?”

  “Yeah. Just one.”

  He tilted his head at her. “And what’s that?”

  “Why are you teaching? Mr. Miller, I’ve read your studies in so many scientific journals. You were in The New York Times and wrote so many books that are recommended reads by so many schools. You’re my high school physics teacher. I feel like you should be a college professor.”

  Mr. Miller smiled, his brown eyes twinkled. “I became a teacher so I could inspire students like you, Alex. I wanted to teach the future of science. You and many of your classmates are that future. You have no idea just how unique you are. You understand concepts that most college students won’t ever understand. I wanted to inspire, but it is people like you who inspire me to continue. I look forward to reading your journal articles, Alex. I promise, I will read every single one of them.”

  Smiling, she glanced down at the card, knowing this was an opportunity of a lifetime. Just as she was about to thank him once again, a knock on the door had her turning her head to find Evan peering into the room.

  “Oh. Sorry, sir. I just saw AJ and was gonna tell her to get a move on, but I can see you’re having an important conversation. AJ, I’ll be waiting by your locker when you’re done.”

  “It’s all right, Evan. Alex is free to go. I’ve kept her back long enough. Alex,” Mr. Miller said, getting her attention. “Don’t forget to call Professor Church for Saturday.”

  AJ nodded. “I’ll call him today,” she promised and tucked the card into her back jeans pocket. “See you later, Mr. Miller.”

  “Have a good day, Alex.”

  “Bye,” AJ said and headed over to Evan. Once she reached him, she turned, and her best friend followed her down the hall until she reached her locker.

  As she spun her combination, Evan asked, “What was that all about?”

  AJ pulled the lock and opened her locker, returning her books into her bag. “Mr. Miller got the head of the physics department at MIT to give me a tour of the college and to give me some insight on the admission process.” AJ had reached for her calculus textbook and put it into her bag before peeking around her locker door to find the confusion on Evan’s face. “Why are you making that face?”

  Evan grasped the locker door and pulled it back. “MIT? AJ—”

  “I know.” She sighed as she pulled her bag out of her locker and then shut it. “I know, Evan.”

  “But why? He knows you’re going to Stanford.”

  “Stanford isn’t a sure thing, Evan.”

  Her best friend let out a short laugh. “AJ, if anyone is guaranteed a spot in college, it’s you. Your IQ rivals Einstein’s and come SATs, you’ll have the best score within ten thousand miles. And your dad is alumni. It’s in the stars. You’re going to be accepted into Stanford.”

  “You have so much faith,” she pointed out.

  Evan pushed off the silver locker he had been leaning against. “No, I just know the facts. AJ, you don’t need to tour MIT when we toured Stanford last
summer.”

  She knew it wasn’t a battle she would win with Evan. But something about MIT felt right, and she couldn’t let this opportunity Mr. Miller worked hard for her to get slip away. She couldn’t let him down. He had so much belief in her. And he was right; she couldn’t let Stanford be her ace. A royal flush meant having other cards in her hand, and MIT had to be one of them.

  Taking a deep breath, she gave him her serious “you have to let me win this time” look. “Stanford is still my choice. Stanford is still our future. But this is an opportunity of a lifetime that I’d be stupid not to take. He’s a professor at one of the best institutions in the world. He gets to oversee brilliance and discovery and ingenuity. I have to meet him. And I have to go see MIT. I might not be a student there, but I wanna be able to say that I got to stand in the same buildings, in the same rooms as men and women who have made discoveries that have changed not only science, but also the world. Three Nobel Prize winners did their Ph.D. at MIT.” She took a short breath and stepped closer to him. Then she gently set her hand on his arm and stared into his light brown eyes. “I want to be reminded that physics is still my dream. I want this professor to inspire me and say that I could someday be the head of the physics department at MIT, too. Or that I could work on projects that could benefit society. Please understand why I need to meet Professor Church.”

  Evan stared at her for a long moment, then finally nodded. “I understand, AJ.”

  “You do?” she asked in excitement and uncertainty.

  “I do. So to show you how much I support you, I’ll drive you to Cambridge for your tour.”

  “You will?”

  He grinned at her. “Of course. This is important to you, AJ. I want you to achieve your dreams, too, and that means satisfying your curiosity. And I know you don’t want to let Mr. Miller down. But am I allowed to stay in the car?”

  Warmth pooled in her chest.

  Her breathing seemed to be abnormally sequenced.

  And her fingertips felt numb.

  She didn’t care as she stared at Evan.

  Stared at the boy willing to give up his Saturday afternoon to drive her to a college she wouldn’t even attend just to make her happy.

  Her heart now beat at the realization that she’d been staring at him for too long with a smile on her face. AJ didn’t care. Not anymore. Normally, she’d tease him for being too nice, but the softness in his eyes didn’t scream “best friend” to her.

  Truthfully, she hoped it didn’t scream platonic either.

  AJ dropped her bag and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tight. “You’re the best, Evan.”

  He laughed softly as his arms wrapped around her, embracing her just the same. “I want what’s best for you, AJ. I always want what’s best for you.”

  And at that moment, she now understood why her misguided heart beat so abnormally against her chest.

  The truth was in the way she closed her eyes and got lost in their embrace.

  The truth was in the way she didn’t want to let go.

  The truth was that she was already falling inappropriately in love with her best friend.

  And she had only accepted the truth that she’d been in denial of for weeks.

  AJ knew that this could be a problem if she let herself fall even deeper than she suspected she already was.

  17 Cl

  chlorine

  AJ

  Now

  For the past two hours, AJ talked herself in and out of her plan. After she had showered, she put on a pair of tight black skinny jeans and a gray sweater that had the first seven numbers of Pi stitched on it. The sweater was a present from Uncle Julian, who was determined to find her the quirkiest science-related clothing. So far, he was doing a great job of making sure she was well stocked. There happened to only be one designer her uncle found, and according to Vogue, he was the thorn in the fashion industry. It didn’t matter to AJ; she loved what he designed, and she learned that all her pieces were unique, and he only designed for her at the request of her uncle and aunty. She was sure it was costing her uncle a lot of money, but since she was his favorite Parker, he had insisted. She would have to thank him for the new sweater.

  The sudden cool wind had AJ wrapping her arms around herself as she walked across campus toward Cameron Indoor Stadium. It was stupid to go since she was not a basketball fan, but she had already finished her homework and managed to crack the issues with her equation simulator. Also, Savannah wanted her to go, so AJ was going for her. Not to satisfy her curiosity when it came to the boy she only knew as Connecticut. He was a mystery because she made him one. She didn’t want to get roped into anything she couldn’t handle, and she was sure she couldn’t handle someone as confident as him. He didn’t have to know she went to his game. She’d watch him, and that would be that.

  Just as AJ made it to the stadium, arms wrapped around her, and she almost fell forward with an oomph.

  “I knew I’d see you here!” her roommate teased as she untangled her arms from AJ.

  AJ spun around to find Savannah even bluer than when she had left their room a few hours ago. “Your cheeks are blue.”

  Savannah grinned. Her blond hair was tied up in a high ponytail, showcasing her blue teardrop earrings. “Yeah. They’re painting faces over there. Do you want to show some school spirit?”

  “No, thanks. I’m just here to see what college basketball looks like.”

  “Suuure, Alex. Sure.” She reached behind her and pulled out a ticket from her back pocket. “I got two tickets because I had a feeling you’d show up. Ready to put a name to the guy who makes the name of these United States very sexy?”

  AJ groaned. “No. Not if you put it like that.”

  “I’m just teasing ya. Come on! The game’s about to start.” Savannah grasped her hand and led her toward the stadium entrance.

  It was crazy how many people came to watch a college basketball game. Before she knew it, she was climbing up the stairs to her seat. She glanced over her shoulder to see the cameras and people with mops going over the court. It was so different from baseball, yet the atmosphere reminded her of Fenway. The loud chanting and the sea of team colors. It almost felt as if she were home with the Red Sox fans.

  “This way, Alex,” Sav said as she dragged her down a row until she stopped and turned to face the court. They weren’t in the last rows, but they were still high up. The only time she had ever been so far from the main event was when Evan had her wearing a Rockies cap as they watched the game with the away fans.

  “What do you think?”

  “It’s different,” AJ replied as she watched Duke’s mascot, the Blue Devil, dancing with the cheerleaders. “I’m not going to lie; I feel like I’m out of my element.”

  Savannah smiled and then glanced down at her sweater. “Did you just make a science pun? What is on your sweater?”

  AJ laughed. “It’s pi!” she shouted as the crowd roared.

  “What?”

  “Pi.”

  Savannah’s brows furrowed. “Huh?”

  The cheers dwindled as the announcer’s voice boomed throughout the stadium.

  “Three point one, four, one, five, nine, two. It’s the value of pi.”

  “You’re wearing the value of a math symbol to a basketball game?”

  She nodded. “Yeah. Is that okay?”

  Her roommate laughed. “I think it’s terrific! We’re all wearing blue, and you’re wearing pi. I like that.”

  “Can I confess something?”

  “Sure.”

  “I have no idea how basketball works?”

  “And that’s okay.”

  “Ladies and gentlemen, your Blue Devils!” the commentator announced, causing both AJ and Savannah to look out at the court.

  She watched as the Duke men’s basketball team entered the st
adium in a line, their coach leading them out as they shook the hands of each Red Foxes player. AJ couldn’t make out who was who from so far away.

  “It’s okay,” Savannah said as if she could see AJ struggling. “Above the center of the court is screens. They’ll show each player. You’ll find out who he is.”

  “You already know who he is, don’t you?” AJ asked, taking her eyes off the court and squinting at her roommate.

  “I do.” The silly grin on Savannah’s face had AJ rolling her eyes. “They’re already announcing the team. You’ll miss him.”

  AJ sighed and glanced back up at the screens above the center circle. One by one, the Duke team was called out as images of each player was displayed on the screen. Savannah was not wrong. Duke had very attractive students. And the men’s basketball team was no exception. Just as AJ was about to sit down, a familiar face took over the screen.

  Connecticut.

  She watched as he took off his white jacket and set it on the seat by the court. He didn’t appear focused as he looked around.

  “Is he actually looking for you?” Savannah asked in awe.

  She shook her head. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  Then Connecticut turned in their direction and gazed out into the crowd. She could see it in his eyes on the big screen that he hadn’t found her. They were too high up for him to spot her and Savannah. And with the bad lighting, it was as if they sat in the shadows.

  The camera stayed on him as the commentator said, “Thirty-one. Landon Carmichael.”

  And there it was.

  The moment she found out Connecticut’s name.

  “Landon,” she said as her heart sped up in her chest, adoring his name as if it were a whispered secret just for her to have.

  “Yup. You, my pi loving friend, happen to hold the interest of Duke point guard, Landon Carmichael.”

  AJ took her eyes from the screen as the camera panned out to another player, and she gazed down to see him jog onto the court to warm up. She wondered what went through his mind as he turned and gazed back out toward the stand. She hoped he thought of her, but it was an insane thought since she barely knew him. She liked the idea that he could be interested in her, but AJ wasn’t stupid. She knew he didn’t really like her. He found her interesting. And maybe interesting was enough for them to be friends.