In All of Infinity by H. R. Holt

doesn’t last for long. I mean, it’s good for
me that my father is as nice and as gentle as you say he is. I’ve
been blessed in that respect, I guess.”
     
    The older woman smiled, the wrinkles lifting
up on her face and making the crow’s feet beside her eyes even
clearer. She was often very strict, dressed sharply with her hair
fashioned into a tight ball on her head to accentuate her firmness.
Although some of the students spread rumors around about her, they
eventually got around to thanking her when it came to graduation.
She was the most popular and most unpopular teacher, especially
when it came to freshmen. There would be some teachers who gave
their students everything they wanted, but Ms. Smith only gave when
she thought a student needed something. It was why her retirement
was going to prove upsetting for most of the faculty and staff: she
had been their teacher as well.
     
    Reverie thanked her teacher again and
departed, thinking about what her father would say and why she was
so easily nervous around Ms. Smith. Reverie had met her and her
family years ago, even though she was clinging too closely to her
father’s side to connect with the Smiths. When he wasn’t looking,
Ms. Smith, who was married then with a flock of young
grandchildren, would give her a piece of candy. Reverie never told
her father about the secret candy, although she doubted he would
mind now. She wondered what happened to Ms. Smith’s husband, and
why her grandchildren hadn’t been in church for years, but
questioning without feeling as if she were prying wasn’t something
Reverie was particularly good at.
     
    As she walked down the hall, she looked
around her at all the faces, trying to avoid bumping into them. She
knew most of the students in York County High because she had seen
them somewhere before, even though she couldn’t recall where she’d
seen Isaac. When she saw him standing near Penelope, he turned to
her with a large smile on his face. The smile slid off his face
before she had a chance to return it. She knew most students, but
that didn’t mean she connected with them. Isaac’s grim expression
told her one thing: she didn’t belong here.
     
    When she stepped outside, she looked at the
sky and realized how dark it was. She knew there was the threat of
rain, so decided to put everything in her bag and continue on,
anticipating the rain. Since she wasn’t much for singing, like her
father was when he was alone, she decided instead to talk to
herself.
     
    Reverie hoisted up the key from around her
neck and looked at it, wondering if she was about to do something
she’d regret. What lay in the attic? Why was her father hiding it
from her? What had she heard last night? She attempted to answer
these questions audibly, finding that everything about the
situation was loaded. Almost as if her mind was infected, she began
thinking about Isaac.
     
    “Why doesn’t he like you? You told him that
he was just a friend, but he simply doesn’t want anything to do
with you now, and that’s that. Let’s face it, Rev, you aren’t his
kind of excitement. He likes Penelope, who can only devote herself
to him, not to studies or anything like that. It’s not like he’s
the prince of the high school, either. There are no actual princes
in all of America. You, bookworm, should know that. Another thing:
your life isn’t meager. You’re just undergoing something of a
crush. It happens to the best. It’s the worst who keep themselves
stuck in the crush. I’m sure you can pull out of it.”
     
    As Reverie considered what
she was saying to herself, a large smile forming on her face, the
sky above her exploded and rain began falling like tears from a
million angels. They were delicate and fell into her face, causing
her to smile brighter. She began rushing when she realized that she
was still dressed in her school uniform, laughing as she did. So
much for a walk home!
     
    When she reached the house, she darted up
the steps