a conveniently selective memory

i had reviewed a period before. (this was really the only preparation i had done, but that's besides the point.) i'm four questions into the test, just getting over my separation anxiety from my calculator (poor thing, i bet it missed me, and i certainly missed it, writing out my multiplications), when there it was, the derivative of inverse cosine. the sherlock system (that's a file finding system, you silly, mac-less losers) in my head had worked wonders to find the quotient rule, but this file was corrupted, like those attachments you sometimes get; under the square root sign were strategies for playing hearts. (now this would be the time when i bang down the shift, option, apple, "q," and escape keys, knowing that some combination (i have no idea which), force-quits the current application.) so i do the best that i can: i curse and make stuff up.

twelve hours later, i'm sitting, fishnet-ed, next to a lipstick-ed rie, in a glittering theater, basking in applause. i haven't been to rocky horror in ages. and i mean ages, early july. (interestingly enough, the first time i ever went was halloween weekend, and chuck played the same halloween theme song this time—though now with some al-qaeda and bush references—as he did the night when i was a real virgin.) then the lights fall, and i am silent with antici—say it, say it—pation. i had been so afraid i wouldn't remember a call-back. but from some magically happy portion of my memory allocated to this sole purpose, out they came.