Chapter 3

Eva glanced at her watch for what felt like the fiftieth time in the past five minutes. As per Kate’s instructions, she had to waste time until she was allowed back home, and she was slowly getting bored already. After fifteen minutes of pushing her limp lettuce lunch around her plate, she had had enough. Her mind was racing over the morning’s events, and as it did, she found herself revelling in her own self-pity and fretting about her situation. After three and a half minutes of complete freaking out, she finally decided she would pay a visit to the psychology section of the library. Surely there had to be some self help books there, and she could pass the time, as well.

She pushed through the library entrance barrier, and wrestled her huge bag through the small space as if it were filled with a great big writhing crocodile. Once on the other side, she squinted up at the huge section index...Psychology was on the first floor and on the third row. Once there, Eva began to scan the book titles; “Abnormal Psychology for Beginners,” “The Benefits of Electro therapy,” “The Big Book of Psychopathic Symptoms,” and “ 101 Treatments for the Criminally Insane”. She wasn’t exactly sure what she was looking for, but with a long sigh; she pulled the excessively heavy hard-backed books into her arms and headed for the issue desk. She struggled through the tightly spaced rows with her books and bag, but when she finally turned the corner, she came face to face with the back of Shawn's head. Despite her initial urge to swoon at his lovely dark brown locks, her heart started to race and the all too familiar fear was building once again. Eva knew she had to get away, and avoid being seen so that she wouldn’t have to humiliate herself by talking to him. This was going to end up horribly.

Before she knew it, she was silently backing away around the library corner, commando style. As she silently cleared the corner she stooped low to monitor his movements through the space in the bookshelves. He was reading a sheet of paper and then glancing round as if he were looking for something. He moved as if he was going to head down the row in which Eva was hiding and in seeing this, she began to back down the row. Still going backwards down the aisle, she started going faster. She had to make it out of there before Shawn spotted her! Her feet were moving so fast that she could hardly keep up with them, well that was until she hit the shelving, and went full whack backwards into it. The impact jolted the books from the cradle of her arms, causing them to scatter across the tiled floor with a clatter, and Eva bounced off of the shelves like a rag doll, all arms and hair flailing around as she squealed.

She fell forward on her knees, making a loud, “uhhh” sound as they hit the floor. Eva hadn’t got a clue what had happened, and all she knew was that now she was on the floor and that her head was hurting like hell. She reached out to the back of her neck and felt the shooting pain going through it. She was about to stumble upwards when a friendly voice awoke her from the panic.

“Hey, are you all right?” The voice from behind her asked. Eva began fight the hair off her face so she could see to whom was talking to her.

“Uh...yeah. I'm fine,”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t see you. I was sorta into this book and...Did I hurt you?”

Finally, Eva got her hair in order and looked up at the guy who had knocked her to the ground. As she saw those familiar green-blue eyes, she squealed in shock as if he was Freddie Krueger himself. In a feeble attempt to reverse time, she clamped her hand tightly over her mouth and watched as Nick’s face scrunched up in confusion. He couldn’t ever remember being that scary to look at!

He noticed the scattered books and bent down to pick them up. Eva watched in despair as she watched his long, lean and quite sexy arm reaching for, “The Benefits of Electro Therapy”. Eva knew that if he saw the title of the book, he was going to know for sure that she was a 100% genuine freak. What could she do to stop him picking it up... spew on him? Faint? Scream (again)? Before she knew what she was doing, she had pointed down the aisle and shouted,

“Look it’s Gwyneth Paltrow!”

Of all the things she could have said, why oh why, did she have to say that?

Nick looked at Eva; unsure of whether she had really just said, “look it’s Gwyneth Paltrow,” or maybe, he had just imagined that. Before he had a chance to resume what he was doing, Eva leapt at the scattered books and allowed her shaking fingers to pick them up. She managed to just about collect up the books; she stood up, never once managing to make eye contact with the very confused Nick. She smiled, still looking at the floor and quietly mumbled,

“Nice meeting you again.... Erm...must dash.”

Before Nick could mutter anything in reply, she was gone.

He glanced around the empty aisle in disbelief. She had disappeared completely from the aisle and all that was left was himself, standing alone and confused. It was then that he noticed a small brown tattered book on the floor. He slowly bent down to pick it up, reading the title as he went.

“She must have forgotten this one...”The Big Book of Psychopathic symptoms”??? I’m not gonna ask!”

He grinned as he picked up his own book from the shelf and headed for the Issue desk.

By the time Eva had reached the red painted door to her house she was traumatised, the words “Look it’s Gwyneth Paltrow!” kept repeating through her every thought. What had possessed her to attempt such a surreal distraction technique, even spewing on him would have been more acceptable. As she walked up the stone steps to the door, it flew open; Kate stood on the other side, grinning maniacally.

Don’t Kate; I’m leaving the course...trust me...it’ll be easier on everyone.

Eva pushed past Kate and headed for the kitchen, she needed hot chocolate with marshmallow comfort. Kate shut the front door and followed her into the kitchen, where she was now frantically pouring a whole bag of marshmallows into a mug.

“Oh No! Eva, what have you done? You know you shouldn’t have attempted first contact with out some kind of guidance!! “

“It’s not like I had a choice Kate! It just happened.”

Kate pulled out a chair.

“Eva, sit! And tell me what the damage is.”

As Eva explained what had happened in the library, Kate couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“I cannot believe you actually said “must dash”... middle aged, frumpy women in tweed jackets say “must dash”!!

“Kate? Did you miss the part when I said “Look its Gwyneth Paltrow”?

“That's unimportant, it has comedy value...now, lets fix this mess, come with me into the front room, I've made a few preparations.”

The front room was a mess of magazines, books and DVD’s. Eva hesitated at the door slightly before Kate pushed her in and guided her to the sofa.

“Sit!” Kate barked. Eva sat, and watched Kate as she picked up a clipboard and put on her glasses.

“Kate...you don’t wear glasses.”

Kate rolled her eyes. “It’s all about image Eva...Now pay attention! I have compiled a series of activities for you to undertake. All of the tasks you will complete have been based on factors that I have decided are vital in developing a friendly, natural and confident relationship with an individual. Okay section one focuses on familiarity. I am familiar to you, hence you can talk to me. Nick will be familiar to you, you will talk to him. Tonight's task is to watch these two DVD’s until you feel like you know him!”

“...Kate...this is sto..”

“SHUSH! Do not turn your nose up until you have tried it! Now I have cooked you a delightful vegetarian...umm...thingy from the freezer. You are to go to bed and focus hard on Nick.”

“Its ten past three in the afternoon!”

The power was going to Kate’s head. “You have plenty of time to focus then!” Kate then loaded Eva’s arms with DVD’s, a dodgy hot chocolate and a cold plate of vegetarian pasta and pushed her all the way upstairs, into her room and shut the door behind her.

It wasn’t exactly torture for Eva to be locked in her room, forced to watch a gorgeous man parade about on screen but, Eva cringed every time she saw him. Her thoughts drifted between Terminators, Taboo’s and “Look it’s Gwyneth Paltrow!”. Before she knew it, she had drifted into a deep and dreamy sleep.

When she woke the following morning Eva felt good, her dreams were filled with images of stubble faced John Connor and stoner faced Gavin Strick...Maybe this might work!

Eva heavily made her way downstairs to the kitchen...she needed caffeine to prepare for the scary rehearsals ahead. As she shuffled her way into the kitchen, Kate was sitting at the dinner table crunching down some milky cereal. Eva didn’t even look at her, she was focused on the steaming cup of coffee waiting for her by the microwave.

“Kate! Sorry ...but, I’m going to drink your coffee!”

Kate watched as Eva gulped it all down before mumbling, “no problem...what are friends for?”

That did not sound like Kate!

Eva whipped her head round to see Nick Stahl sitting at the table munching breakfast...or at least she thought it was Nick Stahl, until she realised Nick Stahl didn’t live in her house and didn’t wear pink t-shirts to bed. Eva stared hard at Kate.

Kate looked back at Eva innocently, “Fooled ya!” she giggled.

Eva stared back...she couldn’t believe Kate was wearing a mask of Nick Stahl’s face. What was the world coming to? Kate didn’t say a word, still wearing Nick Stahl’s face she picked up her empty bowl and dropped it into the sink before casually making her way out of the kitchen, shouting “Hurry Up Eva....you don’t want to be late for rehearsal with lovely Mr. Stahl!”