How Not To Fall Read Free Page A

“Next time ask for a second pair of eyes sooner. Nobody sees everything.”
    I nod, causing one tear to drip down my cheek, and it just makes me angry.
    â€œWell, I guess I’ve got some work to do,” I say gruffly. “I better get back to the lab.” I shove my stuff into my backpack. Charles starts packing up too.
    â€œMe too. Want me to wait here and let you have some time on your own, or may I walk with you?”
    â€œNo, we might as well show up together.” I start toward the door, and we make our way out into the cold March sunshine as I add, “That way when they see I’ve been crying, they’ll think it’s your fault instead of mine. ‘Charles, what did you do to Annie?’ And you can be like, ‘I pointed out an obvious error in her analysis, but only after turning down her highly inappropriate offer of sex.’ And Professor Smith’ll be like, ‘Oh, well, that explains that.’”
    He laughs. “As offers of sex go, I’d say it was as appropriate as it could be. Which is to say, not at all, but at least you made an effort not to sexually harass me.”
    As we cross Indiana Avenue onto campus I whine, “Man, what am I gonna do?”
    â€œAbout your data or about sex?” he asks. He’s teasing me now, and I respond by thwapping him on the arm with the back of my hand. “You’ll work your arse off and get the work done,” he says easily. “I hope you didn’t have plans for spring break.”
    I had planned to go home.
    That is not going to happen.
    Â 
    When I get back to the apartment that night, I lie on Margaret’s bedroom floor and tell her the whole story. She listens sympathetically as she tries on outfits for tonight, nodding and furrowing her brow as appropriate, with the occasional “No, you didn’t!” and “Oh my god, Annie.”
    â€œAnd now not only am I not going to get laid, I’ve embarrassed Charles, and I have a fuck ton of new work to do.”
    She doesn’t say anything; she just gives me a hug.
    â€œIs it because I’m not cute?” I whimper.
    â€œYou’re totally cute,” she contradicts. “You know, for an androgynous white girl.”
    Margaret’s girlfriend, Reshma, is Indian and femme, and Margaret is in love, so anyone who isn’t South Asian and into dresses and makeup doesn’t look cute to Margaret anymore. Margaret herself is Thai American and also femme, and when the three of us go out, it’s like Kelly Kapoor from The Office hooked up with London Tipton from The Suite Life of Zack & Cody . . . and they’re being followed around by Bobby frickin’ Brady. I stopped feeling cute a long time ago.
    I ask, “Is there some book I could have read that teaches you how to find out if someone would like to have sex with you without completely embarrassing yourself and them?”
    â€œProbably.”
    â€œIt’s not even the rejection I feel bad about, it’s how uncomfortable I made poor Charles. He doesn’t deserve that. I should have thought of that.”
    â€œWhat was it he said about sexual harassment?”
    â€œHe said at least I made an effort not to sexually harass him. I think he meant it was better that I was just like, Hey, you wanna? instead of trying to flirt with him or something.”
    â€œAnnie, you are many things, but a seductress is not one of them.”
    I wrap my arms around my head. “Quite the opposite, in fact.”

Chapter 3
    My Sort Is Still in the Lab
    A month passes.
    I’d tell you all about it, but here’s what it would sound like:
    I wake up, go to class, go to the lab, teach my dance class at the community center, go back to the lab, go home, and go to bed. Then I wake up, go to class, go to the lab, teach . . .
    Except the weekends. Here’s how the weekends go:
    I wake up, go to the lab, go to the library, and then I go home and go to