Common Ground (The Common Ground Trilogy Book 1)

by Barry Chaison

  On any normal occasion, that would have been music to my ears. But after witnessing Liam’s emotional breakdown, I was curious. Anytime Liam was challenged, he seemed to clam up and pout. There was something more to him, but I couldn’t figure it out. Annie didn’t look in the mood to talk about anything, so I agreed.

  “Okay Ann, whatever you think is best,” I said in my best attempt at sincerity.

  “Well, I don’t feel very good, I think I’m going to hit the sack…” she yawned, slamming the door behind her without another word.

  **************************************

  “So, it ended pretty badly huh?” Steph said the following Monday over breakfast after I finished retelling the date.

  “Ended badly? The whole night was a disaster!”

  “And you haven’t seen her since then?” Hope asked.

  “No, I have, she was in and out all weekend but we didn’t talk at all. She came in, changed out some clothes and left again. I think she’s pretty mad at me.”

  “What’d you do? Doesn’t sound like you did anything,” Steph said.

  “I don’t know. Maybe it was because I took a few shots at Liam about their fraternity? All I remember was she was so latched onto him, that anything offensive I said she took personally. It’s getting kind of scary how much of a stranglehold he has on her.”

  “Hmmm,” Steph said thoughtfully, “let me talk to her. I’ll find out what’s going on.”

  It was strange to hear that someone else besides me would be talking to Annie about her problems. Things were not the same, and I was slowly losing my best friend because of some jerk.

  “See, this is why I don’t date!” I yelled, throwing my fork down. “I get dressed up in that fancy dress, let you guys make me over, and everything still goes to crap. My date was a slob, Annie’s date was a jerk, and my best friend is mad at me for some unknown reason! I don’t get it.”

  “Relax,” Hope said, looking around uncomfortably at the many students who had looked over at my latest public nightmare. “Forget about it for right now. Let Steph talk to Annie and see what’s going on. You can’t do anything else until then. Just go to class and focus on something else for a while.”

  “You’re right,” I panted. “It’s just that he’s ruining my life!”

  “We know,” Steph added remorsefully. “Let’s just take it one step at a time, okay?”

  I nodded shortly and bade goodbye to Hope and Steph before heading out for another Monday of classes. Normally, Mondays always seemed to be much more solemn on campus for all students. A majority of them had unkempt hair and bags under the eyes, and were trudging along to class silently. But, the mood on that specific day was more depressing than any other one before. It seemed like my mood had spread to everyone else as I walked slowly towards class. Sour faces greeted me with every new person, even the professors seemed unapproachable. A haze of gloom had spread across campus that morning, and it wasn’t until Professor Woodward’s class started that I finally understood why it had been magnified more than ever.

  “Good afternoon class,” Professor Woodward said that morning, as he strode into our classroom with his briefcase in one hand and a mug of coffee in the other. “I hope you all had a good weekend and didn’t spend it all studying,” he joked. His happy-go-lucky attitude was not greeted with the normal chuckles as everyone in class just stared blankly at him.

  “If any of you haven’t noticed, Halloween is next Friday. But, before you all leap out of your chairs in excitement, let me remind you that it also means it’s time for mid-terms!” he continued, not taking notice of the flat lining class.

  A huge collective sigh emanated from the desks around me, and many students slouched deeper into their desks. With all of the craziness that had been happening, the idea of getting ready for midterms caught me completely off guard.

  “I’m sure you will have midterms in most of your other classes too. However, in this class, I like to do something a little different than a traditional exam,” he said, standing tall in front of his podium at the front of the room. His announcement seemed to intrigue the class enough that most of them sat up fully and refocused their attention on him with curious glances.

  “Most professors prefer to give essays, multiple choice tests or extensive projects. That’s not my style. I favor more unconventional ways to challenge you,” he continued.

  Students looked around at one another, trying to decide if he was pulling their leg or not. A few actually looked excited as though he was about to announce there would be no midterm at all.

  “Before you get too excited, I want to remind you that you still do have an exam,” he reassured, turning his back to the class.

  He took a few long strides towards the two white boards behind the podium. He picked up a marker and scribbled a few words that nobody could see. The moment he turned back around, and the board became visible again, another collective sigh filled the room.

  ORAL EXAMINATION

  Maybe I missed out on some bad joke because most of the class had pulled out their planners and started hastily jotting down notes. An oral examination didn’t seem so bad, but since I’d never actually taken one, seeing everyone’s immediate reaction didn’t bode very well. Timidly, I raised my hand.

  “Yes, Zoe,” he replied pleasantly.

  “Um, what exactly is an oral exam?”

  “I’m glad you asked. It is exactly as it sounds. Instead of having you sit down with a paper and pencil, each of you will come to my office individually where I will ask you questions and you, in turn, will give me an oral response. The test usually takes about half an hour, depending on your preparedness and quality of answers,” he said, looking around the class again.

  “So, do we get to use notes?” a tiny girl in the opposite corner of the room had asked without raising her hand.

  “Oh, no, definitely not,” he laughed.

  The few students that didn’t know what an oral midterm was started to look extremely panicked. They too pulled out their planners and notebooks and began to scribble away. Everyone seemed to be in their own little world while Professor Woodward stood at the front of the room with an amused look on his face.

  “Relax everyone, relax,” he said calmly after a moment of observation. “Just take a deep breath and listen to me. Don’t think of this as a test. Think of it more as a discussion between you and me. All I do is ask you questions, and you give me answers. I may have you elaborate on certain answers if I’m curious, which will only help you build on your strengths. Many of my students in the past have found this method much more preferable to traditional exams. I’ll give you a study guide today and pass around a signup sheet. I’ll start giving exams next Monday, and will go through next Friday. Just put your name by the date and time you’d prefer to come in, and don’t be late,” he finished as he took some papers out of his briefcase and passed them around.

  The sign-up sheet started on the other side of the room, where four students immediately leaned over the poor girl who sat in the desk and tried to jot their names down. As it finally made its way to my desk, I looked down and saw that there was only one spot left, Friday afternoon at three. Even though Friday was the furthest time away, I wasn’t surprised to see it be the only remaining time slot. Nobody in their right mind would want to take a midterm on Halloween afternoon, especially if given the choice. I sighed as I jotted my name down and gave it back to him.

  “Now that that’s been taken care of, let’s get back to our discussion from last Friday,” Professor Woodward said as he pulled his chair to the front of the podium and sat down, facing the class which sat around his table in a horse shoe pattern. “If you recall, we were starting to discuss some traditional characteristics of angels and demons.”

  “Hang on,” the tiny girl in the corner asked again without raising her hand. “When you say characteristics, you mean, what do they look like?”

  “That’s part of it,” he responded, putting his hands o
n his knees. “Characteristics can go beyond just the simple physical appearance of someone or something though. For example, do you think they would have special abilities?”

  “You mean like superheroes?” a skinny, freckle faced guy next to me asked in a nasally voice. He looked and sounded similar to an old-school sci-fi nerd that wanted to know everything about the possible existence of supernatural beings with extraordinary powers.

  “I guess you could say that. If you are referencing special abilities that go beyond traditional human limitations, then yes, that’s part of it,” he responded conversationally. I felt the urge to participate, but nobody else in the class knew Professor Woodward had given me a copy of his book. Not wanting to draw any extra attention to myself, I sat there with my arms folded across my chest and did my best to listen.

  “Some religions view angels and demons as messengers from God or the Devil, whereas others view them as guardians or warriors of heaven and hell. I’m sure you’ve all heard or read about guardian angels? Well, there are a lot of people in the world who truly believe that there are supernatural beings who fight for the souls of mankind,” he said, telling the class things I’d already read about numerous times in his book.

  Slowly but surely, my mind started to wander when I turned my focus to Professor Woodward’s book. For weeks, it had taken up all of my thoughts and energy. On a daily basis, I explored and dissected every new page in an attempt to learn as much as I could about angels and demons. That specific subject seemed to be his main area of expertise because a good portion of the book revolved around that topic. The examples, descriptions and arguments he used were so clear and concise that I couldn’t help but think that he secretly knew that angels and demons were actually real. But, every time the thought came into my head, I laughed it off because it sounded preposterous.

  My inability to get involved in the discussion made the hour long class feel more drawn out than normal. It wasn’t until I noticed some of the students packing up their bags that I came back to reality. I looked up at the clock and noticed class had run overtime. Professor Woodward was still engaging a handful of students who were sitting on the edge of their seats, literally, listening to him moderate the lively debate that had broken out.

  “Then let me ask you this Ben,” Professor Woodward said to the sci-fi geek next to me. “Would you believe angels and demons could take the form of humans?

  “I don’t know,” he shrugged. “Maybe not. That would mean they would look just like you and me, which is absolutely ridiculous.”

  “Be careful Ben, what is ridiculous to one person may be completely real to another,” Professor Woodward warned, raising his thin eyebrows above his even thinner frames.

  “True, but if they really did exist, why would angels and demons want to be like us? They are supernatural beings… I would assume that they would look different. Maybe supermodels are angels and professional athletes on steroids would be demons. They don’t look normal, they are special.”

  “Interesting observation Ben, maybe you are on to something,” Professor Woodward laughed. “I think that’s a good place to stop for today. Remember, you have that study guide now, don’t wait until the last minute!”

  As everyone around me packed up hastily and practically ran out of the room, Professor Woodward lingered a little longer than normal at his table. He slowly started putting random papers back into his bag while some students said casual goodbyes to him. The moment I stood up, he called out to me.

  “Zoe, do you have a minute?” he asked.

  A small lump started to build in the back of my throat. The memories of the last meeting we had after class came rushing into my head. There was no way my emotional state could take another beating. With everything that was going on with Liam and Annie, school was supposed to be the one constant. Timidly, I approached his table.

  “Yes Professor?”

  “You were quiet today. Everything alright?” he asked.

  “Oh,” I exhaled, my pulse returning to normal. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just that since I’ve been able to read your book and nobody else has, it didn’t seem right for me to participate. I’m sorry.”

  “You finished it already?” he gasped. “I didn’t think even you could have finished it so quickly. It’s taken some of my closest friends months to really get through the whole thing. I’m very impressed.”

  “Thanks,” I smiled. “It was one of the most fascinating books I’ve ever read. You really know a lot about the subject.”

  “Believe me, I’ve spent more years than you know studying about angels and demons. If I had a nickel for every hour put into that book, I’d never have to work again for two lifetimes!” he joked.

  I smiled uneasily, not really sure how to respond.

  “I’m eager to hear your thoughts,” he added after a moment. “It should make for an interesting midterm next week. I see that you got stuck at the very end though, that’s unfortunate. But, knowing you, I’m sure we’ll get through it in no time.”

  “Yeah, I’ve never taken an oral midterm before so who knows?” I replied.

  “You’ll do fine. Just make sure you don’t forget to breathe,” he laughed.

  “Would you like me to bring your book back then?”

  “Actually, you hold on to it for a while. I’ve got quite a few extra copies so I can afford to part with one. Use it, study it, but most importantly, don’t lose it!”

  No teacher had ever given me a book to keep before. Then again, no teacher had ever been close friends with my parents before. The thought that he had offered me the book for good only because he was a family friend started to build in my mind. It was unchartered territory, which always made me feel uncomfortable and nervous.

  “Will do,” I stuttered. “Anything else?”

  He studied me for a moment behind his glasses. “Not today. Just study hard and take care of yourself the next two weeks. Midterms can really get to students.”

  I nodded, thanked him for the book and left the room, wondering how many other professors would assign midterms.

  As expected, Professor Woodward wasn’t the only teacher that warned students about midterms that week. With each passing day, my schedule for the following week filled up quickly. It seemed that my professors didn’t think much of holidays, as all of my tests had been conveniently scheduled on Halloween. The only class that didn’t have a midterm was Yoga, which made me sad. Mr. Himani wanted us all to concentrate solely on midterms. If there was ever a time I needed an hour of relaxation, midterm week was it.

  Halloween approached faster than I had expected, and the night before all of my midterms finally arrived. I had spent a majority of the week locked up inside studying, keeping my distance from any potential distractions. It didn’t help that Annie had come back home for the week and was still giving me the silent treatment for no apparent reason. She remained detached all week, locking herself in her room while she studied. Even with all of the drama, I felt a sense of pride knowing that her transformation into a college student was finally complete. That image lingered in my thoughts while I scribbled a random equation in my Statistics notebook. Out of the blue, a soft knock rapped my door.

  “Zoe?” Annie’s muffled voice asked from behind the door.

  “Just a sec,” I replied, leaping out of bed and opening the door. “What’s up?”

  Even though Annie had developed a beautiful tan in Vegas, she looked ghostly pale standing in my doorway. Deep, dark bags shadowed her usually graceful green eyes and her normally well put together hair was frizzled all across her shoulders and down her neck. She looked sick and very tired.

  “I just wanted to tell you that we’ve got a party to go to tomorrow night.”

  “Wait a second. Are you alright? You look terrible.” I distressed.

  “Don’t worry about it,” she answered shortly. “Midterms have beaten me down this week.”

  “Amen to that,” I sighed, shaking my head. “Are you sure every
thing else is alright though?”

  “I’m fine!” she snapped. “All I had to tell you was to be ready for a party tomorrow night and find that costume I got you a few weeks ago.”

  She looked as agitated as she sounded, which started to get me heated.

  “Hang on… You don’t talk to me for almost two weeks and you just force me to go to a party? What’s that all about?”

  “I’m trying to say that we’re having a Halloween party,” she hissed. “Here, tomorrow night. And I’d appreciate some help cleaning this place before people get here. You think you can handle that?”

  “Here?” I asked incredulously. “I thought the Betas were having a party?”

  “Chill out Zoe. The party will start downstairs at Hope and Steph’s,” she said coldly. “We’re going to use our place as a backup in case too many people come over and we need more space. Chances are we won’t even need to use it.”

  “You didn’t answer my question. What about the Betas?” I asked again, more assertive than before.

  “Look, can you do it or not?” she snapped.

  “What’s your problem?” I shouted, rage filling every inch of my body. “Why the attitude?”

  “Forget it,” she yelled as she turned and walked back to her own room, slamming the door behind her.

  I stood in the hallway, breathing heavily, my entire body shaking in anger. Not only was my mind filled to the brim with angel and demon history, it also had to deal with an overzealous and emotionally unstable best friend. It was very eccentric and scary to see Annie act so rashly. Things usually just ran off her back, even when we had disagreements in the past. But, something was different about her, especially since the double date. While my mind ran through everything, I decided that the only solace was to take a break and let my mind relax. Any more action that night would lead to potential disaster the next morning. I walked through the apartment, in a last ditch effort to clear my head.

  When I turned the corner into the living room, the filthiness of the apartment struck me for the first time. It appeared to suffer from midterms along with us. With barely enough time to get a full night of sleep in, cleaning was one of our sacrificial lambs. Old cups, half filled with water or orange juice were scattered all over the TV room. Random blouses and workout clothes were hanging over the two leather chairs, while a thick layer of dust had built on the TV screen. Candy bar wrappers and a few pizza boxes were spread all over the floor, and even some textbooks were hanging over the side of the futon. The place was an utter disaster. If I didn’t help Annie clean it, she probably would be stuck cleaning all night. Even though Annie’s attitude didn’t help, and it wasn’t exactly the way I had envisioned spending my post-midterms time, there was no other choice but to help her once Professor Woodward let me go the next day.