18 September 2008 A.D.
Honestly, Anna has no idea what she was thinking, signing up for a class that meets at eight in the morning.
Well, all right, she was thinking I need this to graduate.
But it's 8:07 am and the coffee hasn't kicked in and the professor just drones up there at the front of the room and if she thinks very hard and pays very close attention, then . . . then she realizes she doesn't remember a word he's said so far.
She looks down at the "notes" she's taking and discovers that she's managed to record the date (September 18, 2008) and then written the first three lines of "Hot N Cold," which probably will not help her with her next test.
Anna straightens in her chair, tries to stifle a yawn, and prepares to pay attention to . . .
. . . her hands, because she's not sure she likes the nail polish she put on last night. It looked darker and more orange than she thought it was going to. Yes, definitely the wrong color for her.
She steals a look at the clock. This class is going to drive her insane before the semester is over.
Anna spends the next half hour idly doodling on her notebook. Gareth, sitting next to her, is using his laptop to check his e-mail, and she's pretty sure Winnie is asleep with her eyes open. The professor seems unlikely to notice anything short of one of his students --
She hears the words in her head, clear as day and louder than thought.
Dean Winchester is Saved.
Anna stands, suddenly, more quickly than she should be able to, because she can't just sit there.
". . . Ms. Milton?" the professor asks, and her classmates turn to look at her.
And then her head is full, hundreds upon hundreds of voices, all speaking at once, jubilation and glory, chaos and cacophony, overwhelming and beyond overwhelming.
"Ms. Milton? Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," Anna says.
And then her eyes roll back and she collapses.
Well, all right, she was thinking I need this to graduate.
But it's 8:07 am and the coffee hasn't kicked in and the professor just drones up there at the front of the room and if she thinks very hard and pays very close attention, then . . . then she realizes she doesn't remember a word he's said so far.
She looks down at the "notes" she's taking and discovers that she's managed to record the date (September 18, 2008) and then written the first three lines of "Hot N Cold," which probably will not help her with her next test.
Anna straightens in her chair, tries to stifle a yawn, and prepares to pay attention to . . .
. . . her hands, because she's not sure she likes the nail polish she put on last night. It looked darker and more orange than she thought it was going to. Yes, definitely the wrong color for her.
She steals a look at the clock. This class is going to drive her insane before the semester is over.
Anna spends the next half hour idly doodling on her notebook. Gareth, sitting next to her, is using his laptop to check his e-mail, and she's pretty sure Winnie is asleep with her eyes open. The professor seems unlikely to notice anything short of one of his students --
She hears the words in her head, clear as day and louder than thought.
Dean Winchester is Saved.
Anna stands, suddenly, more quickly than she should be able to, because she can't just sit there.
". . . Ms. Milton?" the professor asks, and her classmates turn to look at her.
And then her head is full, hundreds upon hundreds of voices, all speaking at once, jubilation and glory, chaos and cacophony, overwhelming and beyond overwhelming.
"Ms. Milton? Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," Anna says.
And then her eyes roll back and she collapses.