Chapter 11 - Fame corrupts

I must stop nearly kissing people! Joanna scolded herself as she made dinner. She had practically run off when she thought Mina was going for a kiss. Her life was too messy at the moment, she had no time for going around almost kissing people. It simplified nothing. For now, she had to focus on her studies and of course remembering what happened that night in Macaroy Sherman's hotel room.

She met George the next day when they had assignment calculation together. They kept it professional like they had promised, though Bailey tried her best to embarrass them in a friendly sort of manner. She teased them, by asking Joanna loudly how her study session with her 'STUDY PARTNER' had been. Joanna sent her a look that told her to cut it off immediately. She quickly did and instead shifted the topic to the topic named 'Cameron'. She told Joanna everything about their date yesterday, what a success it had been, and Joanna was happy to hear it, but her thoughts were more than occupied with her calculations and trying to remember what had happened last Saturday night. If only Macaroy Sherman would return to this city so she could ask him. But then, if he did return, she didn't know how she would get a chance to talk to him.

"Joanna?" Bailey gently poked her on the shoulder, moving Joanna's focus away from the problem of her missing memories and the math problem on the paper in front of her. "Anyone home?"

"Yes, sorry, did you ask me something?"

"I was just wondering if you had solved the problem."

Joanna shook her head, "I don't think I can solve any problems at the moment…" her eyes glanced over the paper. "Oh, you mean problem 1.2? Have you tried multiplying by 1 written as something else: multiply by (2-y)/(2-y)." Joanna sneaked a peek at Bailey's calculations. "Yes. Just like that."

"OMG. Genius." Bailey laughed as she jotted down the solution to the problem. "To thank that the only thing I had to do was look at it differently. Multiplying by one… It doesn't change anything yet…"

Joanna stopped listening as something occurred to her: She had to look differently at her problems. Not change anything yet… "We don't have any classes after this right?"

"Noo…?" Bailey asked, frowning. "Are you getting any… good ideas? You have a wicked look on your face." Bailey's eyes widened. "No Joanna. No… I recognize that look: It's the same look you had just before you introduced me to Cameron, and though that was a good idea, it wasn't very kindly done of you."

"Well, I'm not a particularly kind person at heart, am I Bailey?" Joanna laughed wickedly, like the villain in a movie who had just concocted an evil plan or brewed a deadly potion.

Bailey made a sad face and pretended to cry, "well I rather hoped you would be."

Joanna continued laughing but it became increasingly kind instead of evil as it went on. "The ends justify the means Bailey, and I have great plans for my life so I think I will have to sacrifice a lot of… means."

Bailey looked scared, Joanna would almost have believed her crocodile tears, if she had started them now.

"Don't worry dear," Joanna said, "I have no plans of sacrificing my new best friend." She smiled at Bailey, who shook her head slightly.

"I certainly hope not – your ambition scares me."

"No harm in being a little scary," Joanna said and winked at Bailey. "Now, I think our intellect will be very scary if we can solve this next math problem. Have you seen it? It is insane."

Bailey looked down at her math problems. "I give up," she said. "this is just too mean, utter evil. Who came up with this problem?!" Bailey yelled and sighed to the heavens.

"That would be me?" George said – who had been silent for so long that the students almost had forgotten about their instructor - stood up from his chair and walked towards Joanna and Bailey. "Can I be of any assistant?"

Joanna invited Bailey home after class. Joanna had argued that surely Bailey would have to come with her, so she – as her study partner – could see her apartment, and they could continue their first scientific report. The deadline was only a week away after all.

Bailey accepted and they got to work almost right away, getting ahead and thinking that maybe university life wouldn't be that difficult after all. Except for the memory loss, first loves and famous people appearing and corrupting one's ambition, Joanna thought.

A quiet week followed, where Joanna experienced no new blackouts or memory losses. She considered this a win. Cameron and Bailey were going strong, being utterly and completely in love within no time, Joanna considered this slightly scary, but they were an entertaining couple to be around so what could the harm be? And since Mina and George both stayed in contact with her by text and George remained mostly professional when he was her instructor, Joanna thought even her love-life had the chance of becoming rather good. Of course, she had to decide who of the two she preferred the most, but Joanna was the type of person who wanted it all, so by the end of the week, she considered if she could have a relationship with them both. That would certainly be the preferable outcome – if Mina and George agreed of course. She would tell them later when she had figured out if they were both interested in her of course.

Macaroy Sherman returned to his house by the coast. It was a couple of hours drive away from the city where he was currently performing, so he figured he would have the time to drive there every evening the play was to be performed.

He returned to redesign his coast home since it had to be adopted to fit a married couple. He was planning to marry Joanna Charleston from the first moment he saw her.

He ordered an entirely new closet for his bride to be – after uncovering her dress size – with complimenting jewellery and other accessories.

Mr Sherman smiled as he looked out towards the offing and saw the sun being swallowed by the edge of the sea. His to-do list before the marriage had almost been completed: The clothes were there, the design of the home had been fitted to her likes and dislikes in interior design, the wedding and the following party was planned. The only thing there was left to do was marry her.