Don't Stand So Close to Me Read online

  “Well done, Quinn,” said Miss Fernandez. “As you can see from this great visual, class, one infected person quickly becomes four who become twenty who become seventy. That is exponential growth. Can we get a round of applause for Quinn?”

  People clapped as I sat down. I was just relieved to take my seat and get out of the spotlight.

  “And what do you think a solution to this type of growth might be?” Miss Fernandez asked.

  “Nobody should have any contact with Isaac?” Reese offered.

  Everybody, including Isaac, laughed.

  “You’re laughing, but that’s exactly what we need to do. By reducing our contact with each other, the hope is that we will stop this virus from spreading exponentially.”

  “I still don’t really get it,” Sam said.

  “Let’s see if I can explain it another way,” said Miss Fernandez. “I’d like to hire one of you to work for me, doing various chores around my house. You’ll start after breakfast and work until dinnertime. I’m willing to pay you one dollar for your first day.”

  “What a rip-off!” Noah yelled.

  “But I promise that the next day I’ll double your pay. So you’ll get two dollars.”

  “Still no way,” Noah said.

  “And each day I will continue to double your pay from the day before. Anybody interested in taking me up on my offer now?”

  “How long do you want us to work for you?” I asked. I figured I knew where this was going.

  “Three weeks.”

  “I’m in. I’ll take the job,” I said.

  “That’s a bad move,” said Noah. “You’re basically working for nothing!”

  “Actually, Noah, Quinn has made a very good decision. I’ll show you why.”

  Miss Fernandez erased all my circle art from the whiteboard and made a grid. There were three rows and seven columns, representing the three weeks. She wrote $1 in the first grid box, then $2, then $4. By the end of the first week, $64 was in the seventh box. In the second week the first grid started with $128 and went to $8,192. The third week began with $16,384. Miss Fernandez kept writing. The class got a bit noisy as students started to understand.

  “So even though I started by paying Quinn only one dollar, at the end of three weeks, I will be paying her slightly more than one million dollars for her work that day. That is exponential growth. Do you all understand what it means now?” Miss Fernandez asked.

  “It means I’m definitely going to ask Quinn to marry me,” Isaac said.

  Some kids gave him the laugh he was after. I gave him a scowl.

  “Well, I’m pretty sure Quinn will make another good decision about that,” Miss Fernandez said with a smile. “Any more questions?”

  Rachel put her hand up. I was a little surprised. She was nice, but hardly ever spoke up in class.

  “This physical distancing or whatever is only going to be for a couple of weeks, right?”

  “I can’t imagine it will last any longer than that,” Miss Fernandez said. “But we’ll just have to wait and see.”

  Rachel looked less worried, and I felt better too.

  “Now gather up your things. And don’t forget to take home some reading material. You’re welcome to borrow anything you like,” said Miss Fernandez, pointing to the shelves of the class library. “I want you all to have a nice, relaxing break. But not too relaxing!”

  Chapter Three

  We stood at the door, giving each other goodbye hugs. There was a lot of drama going on, but I wasn’t totally sure why. It was just three weeks, not forever. While I was hugging people, I couldn’t help but think about the circles I’d drawn on the whiteboard. If somebody did have the virus already, then a whole bunch of other people were going to be infected now. But I didn’t want to be rude. These were my friends.

  Reese and I headed across the schoolyard, our backpacks filled with books. We had grabbed as many as we could.

  Up ahead Isaac was playing a game of three-on-three with the guys. The game looked like a hybrid of basketball, football and wrestling. Between the shoving and the name calling, you’d have thought they really didn’t like each other if you didn’t know they were friends. As we got closer, the ball went flying and Noah chased after it.

  “Are you walking home with us?” Reese asked Isaac. He usually did, since we all lived so close to each other.

  “We’re almost finished.”

  “Two minutes and we’re gone,” I said.

  He turned to his friends. “Is anybody keeping score?”

  “I thought you were,” Darius replied.

  “Okay, in that case, how about whoever gets to six points first wins.”

  Mrs. Reynolds came around the corner of the school. She was always outside for our arrival, lunch and dismissal. She came toward us. I gave Reese a little nudge so she’d notice her.

  The boys kept playing. The wrestling component seemed to be the biggest part of their game.

  Mrs. Reynolds came up and stood beside us. “What kind of game are they playing?” she asked.

  “It’s an Isaac original,” I replied.

  “Excuse me!” she called out. They all stopped. “I’m afraid you gentlemen will have to stop playing now. The directive I received from the district is that students are to leave the school property immediately.”

  “Couldn’t we just—”

  She silenced Isaac with a glance. “Immediately.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I wish you all a safe extended break,” Mrs. Reynolds said. She turned directly to me. “Quinn, please pass along my thanks to your father for the work he’s doing.”

  “Sure. Of course.” It felt weird to be singled out. But I knew my dad would appreciate hearing those kind words.

  Mrs. Reynolds left, and Reese and I started to walk home, not waiting for the boys to say their goodbyes. We were only partway across the schoolyard when Isaac caught up to us.

  “Whoa. What a day!” he said.

  “Yeah, I can’t believe what just happened,” Reese said. “My parents didn’t mention any of this to me.” Reese’s mother taught at the local high school, and her father was an elementary-school teacher.

  “I can,” Isaac replied.

  “And what makes you so smart?”

  “Not smart, but I do listen. I heard my mother on the phone last night with the mayor. She was talking about school closures.”

  “And you didn’t say anything to us?” Reese asked.

  “My mother has a gun. I try not to get on her bad side,” said Isaac with a wink. “Seriously, though, last night it sounded like just talk. Nothing had been decided.”

  “Did you know anything, Quinn?” Reese asked.

  “Not about the schools closing, but like I said in class, my dad has talked a bit about the virus. It’s worse than some people think.”

  “But not that bad,” Reese said.

  “My dad says that nobody knows how bad it could get.”

  “If it means an extra-long holiday, that’s not so bad,” Isaac said.

  “What are you going to do with all that extra time?” I asked.

  “Oh, you know. Sleep in, play video games, hang with friends. Maybe create a funny video that goes viral and makes me famous. Mom will be working most of the time, so me alone in the house, unsupervised, is a dream come true.”

  Isaac’s parents had separated a few years back. He joked about loving all the freedom, but I knew it had been hard on him. It still was. His father now lived halfway across the country, and Isaac really missed him. I knew they talked on the phone almost daily, but that was different than living under the same roof.

  “What about you two. Any plans?” Isaac asked.

  “Some of the same stuff and, of course, reading,” I said. I didn’t mention the canceled trip to Mexico. Even if we weren’t going now, there was no point in rubbing it in.

  “We borrowed a lot of books,” Reese said, twisting so Isaac could see her bulging backpack.

  “Th
at many books would get me through the next three years,” he said.

  “Really?”

  “Okay, the next three decades.”

  We were still laughing when we got to the corner where Reese would keep going straight but Isaac and I would turn. She lived two streets over from us. She gave me a big hug.

  “No hug for me?” Isaac asked.

  “No way. I heard you were infected,” she said with a smile.

  “See what you started?” he asked me. “Let me set the record straight. First off, I am, in fact, infected, but it’s with joy and happiness. I spread those around in an exponential way. And second, your loss.”

  “Whatever. Goodbye, Quinn. See ya, Isaac,” said Reese.

  We walked for a bit in silence and then Isaac asked, “This is why you canceled your trip, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah. Hospital staff were asked to postpone any trips.”

  “Thought so. Same for the police department. My mother canceled time off for all officers for the next few weeks. And she told me she wasn’t going to be home a lot right now.”

  “Oh. I didn’t know that.”

  “I think they’re being a little paranoid,” Isaac said.

  “Better safe than sorry.”

  “Yeah, yeah, and look before you leap, and safety first is safety always, and the grass is always greener on the other side.”

  I didn’t want to get into this discussion. My dad had plenty to say about people who weren’t taking this seriously. “I don’t think that last saying of yours works.”

  “It depends on how high the fence is. You could get hurt if you fell.”

  “Okay, whatever you say. See you later.” I started up my driveway.

  “See you tomorrow, Quinny,” he said. “Three weeks off!” he added, pumping his fist in the air. “Woo-hoo!”

  Chapter Four

  I was in the kitchen when I heard footsteps. I looked up just as my father came up from the basement.

  “Hey, Dad. I didn’t know you were home.”

  “Hey, Q-Cat.” He was the only one who called me that. “I got in about twenty minutes ago.”

  “Oh. I didn’t hear you.”

  “I came in through the garage door and went straight into the basement.”

  “Why didn’t you use the front door?”

  “I wanted to be able to change out of my scrubs, put them straight into the washer and have a shower.”

  “I didn’t know you do that after every shift.”

  “It’s just been the last few days.”

  “Oh.” I wasn’t sure if that was a good or a bad thing. “Did you hear about schools being closed?”

  “Yes. It’s all over the news. I think it’s a very wise precaution.”

  I noticed he had several red lines on his face. “What happened to your face?

  He put a hand to the bridge of his nose. “Those are just pressure marks from the mask and face shield I have to wear when I see patients.”

  “You don’t usually have those marks.”

  “I don’t usually have to wear PPE—that’s short for personal protective equipment—as much as I do now. Hey, you hungry?”

  “Depends. Are you making dinner tonight?”

  “Yes indeed.”

  “Is Mom working late tonight?”

  “Not too late. She’ll be home by six or six thirty. Do you want to help me with dinner?”

  “If I help, does that mean I don’t have to do any of the cleanup?”

  “Sounds fair. Come on, I want this to be a special meal.”

  “Please pass the potatoes,” my father said.

  I took a couple more for myself and passed the bowl down to him. He piled them on beside the meat and asparagus. He had a lot of everything. My father was definitely a meat and potatoes guy.

  “You’ve had quite the appetite the last week or so,” my mother commented.

  “I’m burning it off. Long days, working harder, running faster. Anyway, how was work today?” he asked. My mother worked for a bank.

  “Busy. We had a full staff meeting today, and they’re talking about setting us up to work remotely.”

  “What does that mean?” I asked.

  “It means I might start working from home. A lot of what I do could be done by phone or video calls.”

  “That might be good,” my father said.

  “It certainly would cut down on the commute. But it will create some real challenges too,” she said, turning to me. “But we’ll figure it out. So, Quinn, how was your day?”

  “It was a very normal day until it wasn’t. I guess I get a really long spring break now.”

  “What a shame we had to cancel our trip,” my mom said with a sigh.

  “Yes, the timing is unfortunate,” said my dad. “But this is not the time to be leaving the country. I wouldn’t be surprised if some people end up having to cut their trips short.”

  “Yes, I know you’re right,” Mom replied. “I just was so looking forward to a little time in the sun. So tell us how your day went.”

  “It was hard. I’m exhausted.”

  My father’s words surprised me. He was always so positive. He loved being a doctor.

  “Things are ramping up,” he continued. “We had almost double the cases admitted today than we had yesterday.”

  “But it’s still not too bad, right?” I asked.

  “No need for you to worry. I just wish we had more information. There are different opinions about how the virus is spread. We’re not even sure just how long it lasts on different types of surfaces.”

  “Like clothes?” I asked.

  “Yes.”

  “And that’s why you came in through the side door, changed your clothes and showered downstairs?”

  My father nodded. “But I’m not sure that’s enough.”

  My parents exchanged a long look. “Quinn, we want to let you know something, so there are no surprises,” my mother said.

  My father nodded. They both knew surprises made me uneasy.

  “There is going be a change in our living accommodations,” my father said.

  “We’re moving?”

  “No, no, that’s not what I mean,” he said.

  “And it will only be a temporary change,” my mother said. “Your father is going to start living in the basement.”

  “What? Why?”

  “To minimize contact with you and your mom. I don’t want to risk passing anything on to you. I’ll come and go through the side door and eat and sleep downstairs.”

  My mother reached out and placed a hand on his arm. “Are you sure this is necessary?”

  “Better safe than sorry.”

  I smiled slightly. I was remembering that I had just said the same thing to Isaac.

  “I need to make sure you two are safe.”

  “But who’s going to make sure you’re safe?” I asked.

  “I’ll be careful. I’ll wear all the right equipment when I’m working, wash carefully and sanitize everything.”

  “Quinn,” my mother said, “we just have to trust that your father will do everything he can to take care of himself. But we don’t want you to worry. Everything is going to be fine. Now, who’s ready for a special dessert?”

  “I am,” my father said, raising his hand. “Unfortunately I think all we have is ice cream.”

  “All we had,” my mother said.

  She got up, disappeared down the hall and returned with a box that I recognized before I even saw the name on it. McCormick’s Bakery. I knew that inside the box would be a pineapple upside down cake—my favorite.

  Chapter Five

  I heard the sound of a basketball hitting the pavement and thumping against a backboard. I knew it had to be Isaac. I put my shoes on and went outside. Isaac was shooting hoops on his driveway. I grabbed my bike and walked it onto the driveway and across the little grass strip between our houses.

  “How’s it going?” I asked.

  “Day five seems to be as sucky as da
ys two through four,” he replied. “Wait, that reminds me.”

  Isaac picked up a big piece of sidewalk chalk from the driveway and walked onto the road. He made a thick line through four other thick strokes. I didn’t understand, and then it came to me. It was a tally of the days that had passed.

  “I saw a movie about people in prison. This is what they did to keep track of the days,” he explained.

  “You’re not exactly in a prison.”

  “Not just prison, but solitary confinement,” he said.

  “Some people have it a lot worse, you know. At least you have your mother with you. And me living next door.”

  “I guess you’re right. And my prison does have video games, Netflix and all the food I can eat. I’m pretty lucky.”

  “How’s your mom doing?”

  “Working a lot, like I guess your dad is. She pops home once in a while but probably just to make sure I’m not getting into trouble.”

  “What happened to all the amazing things you were going to be doing on break?”

  “I don’t know. It’s different with nobody to hang out with. Physical distancing sucks, and my mom says I’m supposed to stay close to home. You going for a ride?”

  “Yes, Reese and I are going to see her grandmother at the Vista Villa Lodge.”

  “Can I join you?”

  “I thought your mother said you were supposed to stay close to home.”

  “Staying close is a relative term. How far away is it?”

  “Maybe fifteen minutes. You sure you want to come?”

  “It’s better than what I’m doing now. Hang on, I’ll get my bike.”

  We rode along the bike path. There were lots of people out—walking, riding and jogging. Not just kids or a person or two, but whole families. The paths and parks were busy. It seemed like every swing was being used, and the leash-free areas were full of dogs and their owners.

  “It’s good to get out and get moving,” Isaac said.

  “Really good to get away from my parents,” Reese said. “They’re freaking out.”

  “Why?”

  “They’re trying to sort out distance education.”