Chapter 35 Harper
Harper
The Saturday after Dean’s funeral, Orion and I stood as witnesses at Emery and Xander’s wedding, because somehow that was life now.
The best people died while others got married to separate—Xander marrying Emery to free her from her parents’ money so she could leave the state, not so he could be with her.
I couldn’t look at Orion. Admittedly, I’d freaked out at him at the party.
But for all I knew, he was still going across the ocean, and I couldn’t think about that now.
My mother barely left the couch. The light was going out in Dash’s eyes, and he spent more time with Mrs. Andolina.
I had to stay focused on NoSci—because we needed the money, and because if I stopped to breathe, I’d lose my mind.
Because Dean. Oh my God, Dean.
That sweet, kind boy who saw the best in everyone, the first person to welcome me to this snake pit of a school, was gone. Erased.
He’d been taking amphetamines—provided by Rhett—to keep up with his two jobs, school, and taking care of his parents. One had been unknowingly laced with fentanyl. It was so unfair I could barely breathe.
But I had to keep moving. Give my presentation. Try to keep my family from falling apart.
Last night I packed a duffel with my materials and made two trips to the car with buckets and samples. This morning—Thursday morning—was do or die.
I pulled on a deep-green dress scattered with tiny wildflowers, a mustard corduroy jacket, scuffed brown lace-up boots, and my battered leather satchel. I drew a breath, hoping I looked professional. Serious.
Dash was with Mrs. Andolina again. Mom was on the couch, smoking cigarettes—an old habit she’d recently renewed—a mug of coffee in one hand, the TV remote in the other, and last night’s wine bottle and glass arrayed before her.
She didn’t bother hiding the drinking anymore, and AA meetings were a distant memory.
“You look nice,” she said tiredly. “Where are you off to?”
“The Academy,” I said. “NoSci presentations are today, remember?”
“NoSci?”
“The Novus Prize for Scientific Innovation,” I said through gritted teeth. “The one with the $25,000 reward.”
“Oh, right, right,” she said. “Yeah, we need that money. The Airbnb business has been pretty dry lately.”
Her choice of words had me biting the inside of my cheek.
“Okay, so… I’m off,” I said at the door.
“Good luck, baby,” she said, her eyes glued to the TV.
“Thanks,” I murmured and went out.
At the Academy, in the STEM Wing auditorium, a table was reserved for each of the contestants for our presentations.
Hopeful students, about twelve of us, stood in a semicircle at their tables or spoke in animated but hushed tones.
On the stage was the award itself and space for the judges, press, and dignitaries from various universities. It all became really damn real.
I went to my table where my Ugly Buckets, sample containers, and laptop were ready. We would each have access to a PowerPoint, and tech wasn’t my strong suit; I wanted to ensure my slides were perfect.
Orion was at his table with his Gray Ooze experiment. His table looked neat, professional; his materials were top of the line while mine were cheap as hell.
It’s fine. It’s the content that counts.
Our eyes met. He looked tired but blank. His eyes completely devoid of any twinkle. I know he blamed himself for Dean because he’d thrown the party, and what was left of my shattered heart wanted to go to him. To tell him it wasn’t his fault. But I had almost nothing left in the tank.
Get through this presentation, and then…
But I couldn’t see beyond that. My future rested on the cheap plastic filtration system I’d devised that may have looked ugly but actually worked. And worked well.
After a few minutes, the judges entered, and the auditorium went silent.
“Good afternoon. I’m Dr. Milford Hargrave, head of our STEM department,” said a tall, thin man with a gray beard. “You know Dr. Ian Langford, and it is my honor to introduce to you, Dr. Regina Chen from MIT. We are your judges for today’s presentations.”
My heart began to thud as Hargrave explained the procedures, and my eyes found Orion. He smiled faintly. Sadly. And then the contest began.
I watched as the three judges made the rounds.
After what felt like an eternity, the judges made it to Orion’s table.
Orion was entirely checked out but came to life like a performer putting on a show to explain his Gray Ooze self-closing pothole polymer.
The judges seemed enchanted, impressed, and laughed loudly at his jokes. Even stiff Dr. Hargrave.
And then it was my turn.
“Right now, the system is designed for contaminated freshwater, especially in flood zones, using layered filtration and activated carbon to remove particulates, chemicals, and organic compounds. I’ve achieved 98 percent clarity.
Additional cleansing comes from sunlight, which heats the water, causing it to evaporate.
The vapor condenses and is collected here.
It doesn’t require electricity, only heat and time, so it could be scaled for disaster zones or remote communities.
The filtration unit can handle debris and pollutants, but I see no reason why, potentially, it can’t be expanded for desalinization too. ”
The judges took notes, seemingly impressed.
Langford wore an expression I couldn’t read and asked a bunch of questions—far more than I heard him ask anyone else.
I was prepared and answered everything thoroughly.
The judges took more notes, and I saw them take in the cheapness of my materials.
My cheeks reddened, but I held my head up.
“In times of sudden disaster, or in underserved communities, people can’t wait around for billion-dollar industries to swoop in and provide clean drinking water,” I said. “But they can start with an ugly bucket and a little bit of sunlight.”
The judges exchanged glances, and Dr. Langford laughed. “Bravo. Well said, Harper.”
I eased out a breath as they moved on. Orion approached slowly.
“That was brilliant,” he said.
“Thanks, but I don’t know. We’ll see,” I replied, hating how awkward and terrible and fucked up everything was now. “Yours sounded well-received.”
“Mine is crap. I just did it to keep my parents happy, that’s all. I’m not going to win shit.”
I bit my lip. I wasn’t so sure about that, but it was out of my hands. I’d done my best. That was all I could do.
His phone chimed a text. He glanced at it, frowning. “Mum and Father. They’re here for the awards ceremony tomorrow. They want to go to dinner.”
“That’s nice. They’re supportive—”
He barked a harsh laugh. “It’s a farce that I’m even here. I should have dropped out a long time ago. But they came all this way, and I blew off the audition, and Dean…”
“Audition? What audition?” I said, my pulse jumping.
He only looked at me sadly. Strangely. “Good luck, Harper.”
“Orion, wait.”
But he was already gone.
***
My classes were cancelled due to the NoSci presentations, but the last thing I wanted to do was go home.
Emery was busy preparing her prom decorations, and Tessa was in rehearsals for Les Mis, so I loitered at school until I couldn’t loiter anymore.
And then I remembered I’d left my laptop in the auditorium for the PowerPoint section of my presentation.
The auditorium was quiet, dark. I moved to my table to put my laptop in my old leather satchel and ran a hand over one of my “ugly” filtration units.
Come on, Universe. For Dash.
“Ms. Bennett. Working late, I see.”
I jumped, instantly tense all over. “Oh. Professor Langford. Hi.”
He wore khaki pants and a blue button-down shirt from earlier today but without his blazer. He flashed me a grin, his teeth white under the fluorescents as he approached.
A lot of the girls in school thought he was handsome, with his big blue eyes and swoop of thick gold hair. I guessed he was about the same age as Ezra Wolfe—late thirties—but I’d never felt comfortable with him. Just being in Langford’s space made me itchy.
“Your presentation was very good today,” he said, perusing my materials. “Impressive. The most impressive, honestly.”
“Professor Langford, as a judge, are you supposed to be telling me that?” I asked carefully. “Before the announcement, I mean.”
“You’re a bold young lady, aren’t you, Ms. Bennett? I like that. I like that a lot.”
He moved closer until he was right behind me, looking over my shoulder, his breath wafting over my neck. I suddenly wished I wasn’t wearing a dress. And that I hadn’t taken my jacket off.
“Your water-purification system is ingenious. I had a feeling you would pick something noble.”
The front of his thigh was now brushing the back of my leg. I took a step to the left. “I think I should get going…”
“I take it you adhered to all the rules stringently?” he asked. “No outside help?”
“Of course not.”
“I thought so,” Langford said. He leaned his hand onto to the table, half caging me in. “It’s just a little on the cheap side. Hargrave couldn’t get around that.”
I took another step away. “Excuse me?”
He stood up and crossed his arms, facing me. Standing close. “I’ve heard about your family’s plight.”
“Our plight?”
“Castle Hill is a very small town, Harper. People talk. My dentist, for instance. He told me all about a woman who was harassing him. A former employee named Maeve Bennett. She was begging for her job back because her roof had caved in. Causing a stink and making threats about exposing an affair.” He smiled.
“Some people will say anything when they’re desperate, won’t they? ”
“I…I have to go.”
I took a step back, my back hitting the edge of the table. He took a step forward and ran a finger down my bare arm. A cold shiver ran through every part of me.
“What are you doing?” I asked over the lump in my throat.