Chapter Fifty-Five. Rory
Rory
“That’s it for today. We’ll continue examining Hubert’s Essay on Time and the ways it can be used for constructing divergent temporalities next week,” Professor McGill said, turning to erase the board.
A wave of notebooks closing rose into a crescendo.
The weekend unfurled through every window, slippery and cold in the way only January afternoons could be.
Rory was shoving everything haphazardly into his bag when he heard, “Rory, Adam, can you stay for a minute?”
Rory froze. Had he forgotten to hand in anything? He was sure he’d handed in last week’s assignment, or was he confusing this with Lindow’s class?
“I don’t know if you heard about it,” Professor McGill said when the classroom had emptied of everyone but Rory and Adam, “but Aranrhod University is hosting a special program this autumn.” She scanned their faces.
“No? Well, it’s a semester-long exchange program loosely clustered around temporality and spatiality.
It’s very selective, with only a few students from each institute invited.
The two of you have done extremely well, and I believe you will greatly benefit from this experience.
” She paused, the tips of her fingertips resting on the tabletop.
“Do you think something like that could interest you?”
Under her gaze, Rory found himself nodding, the same way he’d nod if she asked if everyone had done the reading.
An automatic gesture, made almost instinctive after a year as a student.
Only after she looked away did her words catch up with him.
A full semester? In Aranrhod, all the way on the other side of the country?
“Great.” She clapped her hands together as if declaring the matter closed.
“Here is an overview of the program. All the details are here. Look it over, and let me know before the end of the month.” She placed a slim stack of papers on the table.
“Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. ”
In seconds, the sound of her footsteps faded, leaving Rory and Adam facing each other in the empty lecture hall.
“So,” Adam said, “what do you think? Are you going to do it?”
“I don’t know.” Rory riffled through the papers Professor McGill had left without really looking. “My girlfriend isn’t going to like it. Being gone for four full months?” He grimaced. “Are you going to go?”
“Sure.” Adam flicked through the papers on the table. “The program sounds amazing. And it’s the sort of thing that looks good on a résumé.” He gave Rory a self-deprecating smile. “But I hear you about the girlfriend problem. Been together long?”
“Ten years.”
“Wow.” Adam rocked back on his heels. “That’s a level of devotion I can’t get my head around. You were, what, ten when you got together?”
“Eight,” Rory corrected. “But it wasn’t always like that.”
“I bet.” Adam laughed, neatly folding the program and putting it in his bag. “Hey, a bit of a strange question, but are you the Blodeuwedd guy? The one who does the independent Blodeuwedd research?”
“Um, yes?” Rory answered, taken aback. “I guess I am. Why?”
Adam shrugged. “I always wondered if it was you, and never got a chance to ask. You’re sort of a local legend.” He flashed a smile, then chuckled at whatever expression Rory was making. “Sorry, I thought you knew.”
Rory shook his head, bewildered.
Adam chuckled again. “Well, see you next week, Rory.”
“See you,” Rory echoed, a moment too late.
In a daze, he wandered down the hallway, then down one staircase, and another, finally spilling into a courtyard full of stone owls and winter-dead climbers.
He realized he was still clutching the program, and leaned against the wall to go over it.
He skimmed through the first lines—“participants will be awarded the equivalent of a full semester credit … accommodations are included.” His eyes moved down to the list of courses, stretching two pages.
Each a tiny door, beckoning: Algebraic Manipulations and Numerology; Space and Spatiality; Divergent Temporalities and Their Construction; Advanced Introduction to Water Flora; Anchoring and the Problem of Time and Space.
Rory swallowed hard and shoved the pages into his bag.
This exchange program was perfect. He wanted it so much he could feel the wanting vibrating in his teeth.
But what the hell would he tell Daye? And even if she was okay with it, would it really be safe to be away for so long?
He’d be gone four months. A whole season.
And there would be no weekends at home, not with the travel back and forth taking days.
Anything could happen. Even now, anything could—
We have a solution, Rory reminded himself. It was working. There was nothing to panic about. But that did little to dispel the anxiety already unspooling in his chest.
He shook his head, exasperated. He tried to imagine what it was like, not being afraid. It must be nice, he thought, though he couldn’t really picture it. He rubbed his eyes. His excitement was slipping away, little by little.
“Hey, Rory!” He opened his eyes to see Maggie across the courtyard, waving as she made her way toward him. He waved back, grateful for the distraction.
“Long day?” Maggie asked.
Rory thought about telling her about the program, but … not yet. “Like you wouldn’t believe,” he said instead. “You?”
“The longest. Thank God it’s Friday. Are you heading to the train station? I’ll walk you.” She was already walking out of the courtyard without waiting for his reply.
Rory matched her pace. “Nah, I’m staying here for the weekend.”
“Oh, is everything okay with Daye?” Maggie darted a glance at him, then stopped in her tracks so abruptly that Rory took another step forward, and had to backtrack to her.
“Oh no.” Maggie’s eyebrows were bunched with concern. “Did something happen in the transition? It was supposed to be the first one she did by herself, right?”
“No, no, the transition went great.” Rory reassured her, trying to suppress the slight shudder that went through him at the memory of Daye standing in front of the mirror—one moment his Daye, and the next, a girl-shaped amalgamation of wilting flowers and rotting leaves.
How everything seemed different suddenly.
The scent of decay stronger. The flowers Daye pried out too soft, almost pulpy.
How could he have not noticed it, all those years?
The scent, the softness, how almost wet everything was?
Rory shook his head, forcing his mind away from those images.
“And Daye is fine,” he continued. “It’s just that it’s winter.
She can hardly stay inside, and it’s too cold to be outside with her.
And with the workload being what it is …
I don’t know. It seems silly to spend half the weekend catching trains to spend only a few hours together. ”
Maggie patted his shoulder. “That sucks.”
“Yeah, it kind of does.” He gave her a wry smile. “Plus, it’s super strange having a whole weekend to fill up.”
“What are your plans so far?”
“Takeaway dinner and catching up on readings?”
Maggie made a face. “Well, that’s settled, then.” She looped her arm through his. “You’re coming with me.”
“Dare I ask where we’re going?”
“Nope.”
“Okay then.” Rory chuckled, and let Maggie lead him through the maze of the university and out into the street. The smile on his face was becoming less rubbery as they made their way through the city, chatting about their classes and Elliott’s latest disaster date.
They rounded the corner to Hunter Square, and Rory spotted Elliott and Noah loitering next to an ice rink; Hanna and a few people Rory vaguely recognized from the university stood beside them, laughing while Elliott gestured grandly.
“Hey,” Maggie said, pausing. “I can’t believe I didn’t ask before, but do you know how to skate?”
“Of course I do,” Rory said. “Country boy, remember? Though I don’t think I’ve ever skated in an actual rink.” He eyed the neat railing circling the ice and the alarming number of children zooming across it. “Or with so many children.”
“Oh, I’m going to enjoy this.” Maggie rubbed her hands in anticipation, evil-villain style. Rory couldn’t help but laugh. She was already dragging him forward, calling to their friends. “Look what I found,” she said, thrusting him forward. “And guess what? He’s never skated in a rink with kids.”
And then Rory was surrounded by a crescent of evil, expectant smiles, the shrink-back-in-alarm kind. But it was okay, because Rory was smiling too. “How bad can it be?” he said carelessly.
“This,” Elliott said, gleeful, “is going to be epic.”