The Research Student:

A dark grey Cadillac pulled up into Central at ten a.m. Inside, a young female college student was fidgeting nervously. Her long blonde hair was pulled back into a braid. It took all of her self-control not to re-braid it for the seventh time. She tried her hardest to keep her hands busy with anything in her teal and aqua shoulder bag that she could grab so she wouldn’t do so. Her marble grey-blue eyes were filled with burning glee. Her heart was pounding at her slightly heavy bosom. She had her nails painted dark teal because the paint smelt and tasted too bad for her to even consider biting them. Her grey and dark blue school uniform was neatly pressed. The girl nearly drove the cleaners insane on how neat it should look. Her black and red binder was perfectly label as with its content inside. Same with her pink glitter gel pens in the flap of the binder. The college student was excited to do her work here. She spent months trying her hardest to transfer to Amestris. It was a massive headache, but it was all worth it in the end. Now, for the fun part!

The driver turned around to her. “Are you sure this is the right place?” he asked her. The girl nodded in joy. “Yep!” she said with a heavy British accent. “I’d recognized Amestris from any picture!” “So why exactly do you want come to this place anyway?” the driver questioned. The college student grinned in pride. “To observe, study, and research!” she chirped. The driver was confused at first. “Study what?” “Sex!” the college student answered boldly. Then, the driver put two and two together. “So you’re studying to be a sex therapist?” he asked. “Sexologist, actually.” the girl replied. “I’m studying with an old friend of my teacher’s. This is part of my training. Pick a city and study the sexual human nature of the people in it. I chose Amestris because of the fact of military. I have a theory; men in the military get pretty lonely when on active duty. So I figured, this would be a good place to start.” The driver was impressed. “Good luck on your research!” he said. “Thank you,” the research student replied.

Then, she opened the car door and got up. The girl paused and got back in. She stepped out again and paused. She did this little quirk about five times. The driver stared at her confused. The girl saw him and ran to his window. “Sorry,” she said. “Little habit of mine. I’m a bit OCD.” “Okay… *Sweat drop on the driver’s head*” The girl laughed nervously, paid him, and walked away quickly. But then, she returned and asked, “Did I pay you the right amount?” “Yes.” the driver said. “You did.” A pause came over them. “Are you sure?” she asked. “Yes, you did.” the driver assured her. “You might want check…” the girl pointed out. The driver sighed and rolled his eyes as he did so. The girl watched closely. “Yep,” the driver said. “This is the right amount of change.” The college student sighed in relief to him. “Cheers, pal.” she said. Then, the Cadillac drove away and left her standing alone. The research student pulled out her card and read the address on it. “281 Wes Grove.” the girl read to herself. Then, she headed down the road.

Matt was in his room at the Clover Inn around that time. He was reading the agreement that Ralph made for him last night. A knock came on the door. “Come on,” he called without even looking up. The door opened. Poppy, his young girlfriend, walked in. “Hi Matty!” she called out. “Hey, Pops.” the rock god said without looking up. Pops eyed him curiously. “What’s you reading?” she asked. “A document that I had Ralph write for his latest scam.” he answered. The glow in his girlfriend’s face broken into cinders. “Another one?” she asked. “Yep!” said Matt. Poppy walked over to him in order to read along with him. “How do you trust him on this one?” she asked. “I don’t,” he boyfriend replied. “That’s why I made the little trud write this document up before I decided anything. Rolo may have been a cheap bastard, but he wasn’t stupid! He taught me to read every contract and legal document before I signed it. That’s how he’s been able to stay in the music business for so long.” “Ah.” Poppy said. “I see.” “Yep.” Matt said. Then, they continued reading.

When they were finished, Pops turned to him and said, “Well, it looks legitimate. He doesn’t seem to be sneaking in anything and it clearly states that he won’t change a single thing without talking to you first. Plus, it’s notarized, twice at that. Seems to me that he really wants you to help him make this scheme take off.” Matt said nothing. Her boyfriend took one last hard look over the agreement to make sure he didn’t miss any of the fine print. Matt rose to his feet. Poppy watched him closely. “Where are you going?” she asked. “To make copies of this,” he answered. “Come with me to be my witness.” “Okay,” his girlfriend said. Then, they headed for the downstairs lobby.

The research student finally came to the right address. She had gotten lost many times but, she was in the right place now. The place looked lavish and beautiful. (After all, doctors can afford things like that, you know.” The girl drew in a deep breath and knocked on the deep hunter green wooden door. “Coming!” a woman’s voice called from inside. The college student waited patiently. She began counting the leaves on a nearby oak tree. The door quickly brushed open. A woman stood in front of it staring at her guest. She had short deep violet hair to her neck. Her eyes were a hazy amber. She was dressed up in her sleeveless dark red dress that hugged her nicely shaped body tightly and long white doctor coat. She was clearly heading for work. The woman stared at the girl confused. “Uh… I’m sorry,” she called out. “Are you lost or something?” The college girl looked up from her counting at her host. “Oh,” she said. “There are at least 500 leaves on that tree over there.” The woman still stared at her confused. “Uh… okay….” she said. A long fat pause passed over them. “Oh!” the college student called out. “Are you… Are you Dr. Howard?” The woman kept staring at her. “Yes,” the doctor answered. “Why?” The college student perked up. “Great!” she called out. “I’m Simone Williams, the sexologist student from London University sent here by Mr. Colins, my sexology professor.” That took about five seconds to register in Dr. Howard’s brain. Then she smiled broadly. “Oh!” she exclaimed. “So you’re the bright girl that Professor Colins kept bragging about!” “Yep!” the college student nodded in joy. “That’s me!” “And he also said something else about you. What was it?” the doctor added. Simone became nervous by that remark. “Please don’t let it be what I think it is!” she thought in a panic. Her mentor then smiled brightly. “Now I remember what it is!” she exclaimed. Simone’s face was all in a huge panic. “Oh no!” she thought. “Here it comes!” “Professor Colins said you were the one with a serious case of OCD and that you were a little crazy!” Simone just stood there was a sweat drop on her head. “At least they didn’t call me a basket case!” she thought. Dr. Howard pushed the door open wide with a huge smile. “Come in!” she said. “Gladly!” Simone chirped after she recovered. Then the girl walked right in. The doctor closed the door behind them.

“I’m heading off to work now. Your room is already set up and I put a laptop in it as well. I also put some paper on the desk as well. Don’t go into any of the room closed off and there is food in the fridge for you. If you are going to leave the house and stay out after I get here, then leave a note of telling where you are going. If there are any problems, call me. The hospital’s and my mobile’s numbers are on the door of your room.” Dr. Howard explained clearly as she showed Simone around the lavish house. She was amazed at what a doctor would do to make their house look presentable. Dr. Howard cleared her throat. Simone quickly looked up. “Any questions?” she asked. “No, not really.” Simone answered. Her mentor smiled. “Good,” Dr. Howard said. “I really wish I could see Professor Colins face after you overload him with information from your stay! I also heard you have tendency to go on and on with a project.” The evil-genius tone of that statement made Simone a little uncomfortable. “Do I really go on that much in my work?” she thought in distress. Then, Dr. Howard walked straight to the front door. “Bye now!” she said in a perky voice. Then, the door slammed shut. Simone just stared long at it. She finally collapsed back into the smoky green armchair. “She’s just like Professor Colins!” the college student thought with a sigh. A huge sweat drop formed on her head. This was going to be a long project.