Final Exam Read online

Final Exam

  Copyright 2012 John Foltin

  Cover Art by Donna Casey

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  KEYS TO SUCCESS

  ANSWER KEY

  UNFORGETTABLE

  He Said

  She Said

  They Said

  CHAPTER ONE

  It all started with a simple newscast in January 2011. There was a story about the decline in graduation rates from universities and how hard it was for recent graduates to find work. It was followed by talking about the massive debts that students had from loans they took out to go to college and how long it would take them to pay them off.

  Why was this one newscast so important? Because it was watched by Alfred Wellington III. He was the son of Alfred Wellington II, the billionaire owner of one of the largest petroleum companies in the world. He had inherited the company and his father’s vast fortune recently after his father lost his battle with prostate cancer.

  He was a graduate of Harvard, receiving his Master’s Degree in International Business.

  He was different from his father in one aspect. His father was only interested in making money at the expense of others. He was more interested in helping others.

  When he saw this report, he saw an opportunity to use his newfound fortune to help those who needed it.

  He couldn’t help everyone, as much as he wanted to. So, he came up with a way to help those who were graduating and give incentive to those still learning.

  He came up with a contest. There would be a test given to anyone who wanted to take it. The top male and female score from each of the fifty states would win a spectacular prize. Since Wyoming only had one four-year college, he included the District of Columbia.

  The criteria: You had to be graduating in the spring of that year or had graduated in that school year from a four-year institute. You had to have a cumulative GPA greater than 3.0.

  The prize: Each person would win an all-expense paid trip around the world, visiting many major educational sites. Each person would win a ten thousand dollar gift card to spend as they saw fit. Most important to Alfred, each person would have his/her student loans paid in full.

  He wanted to be able to include students with many different kinds of majors. He considered this when making his test.

  As spring quarter started across the United States, all eligible students were made aware of this opportunity. Those that accepted would take the test on March 28. They were not told the content of the test, just that it covered a broad range of education.

  Auditoriums were filled with students. The test had a time limit of five hours. Cellphones were prohibited in the testing area. Each student received a booklet with eleven questions. The first ten questions each had a max of ten points. Question eleven was a tie-breaker.

  “Question one: List all of the plays by William Shakespeare.” There were thirty-eight blanks, one for each of the plays. For each correct answer, you received a portion of the ten allotted points.

  “Question two: List all of the sports that were in competition from the 2008 Summer Olympics and 2010 Winter Olympics.” There were fifty-six blanks, one for each sport.

  “Question three: Name the bones in the human body.” There were fifty-seven blanks, separated into different parts of the body.

  “Question four: Name fifty of the top hundred most profitable businesses of 2010.” There were fifty blanks.

  “Question five: Name the men that were elected to or appointed to the office of President and/or Vice President.” There were seventy-seven blanks.

  Question six was a series of twenty-five math questions, ranging from simple algebra to calculus.

  “Question seven: Name the artist.” There were twenty pictures of paintings along with their name, and the students had to write down who painted it.

  “Question eight: Name the books of the Old and New Testament.” There were sixty-six blanks.

  “Question nine: Name the elements from the Periodic Table.” A copy of the periodic table took up the entire page. The symbols were there, but blanks were left to fill in the name of the one hundred eighteen elements.

  “Question ten: Name the countries of the world.” There were one hundred ninety-nine blanks, as well as a map of the world. The question would be scored according to how the student chose to list the countries of the United Kingdom, whether as a group or individually.

  “Final question: Why should we choose you?” In case of a tie, this was how the choice would be made.

  A number of people walked out on the test midway through. For some, it was just too much for them. For others, the religious question offended them.

  Five hours later, the tests were collected and sent to a facility for grading. With as many tests as there were to grade, this would not be a quick process.

  A few weeks later, all the tests were graded. Each university had its top male and female. In some cases, there were ties. In that case, those were sent to Alfred to judge using the last question. In most cases, it involved massive loan debts that needed to be paid, some more than one hundred thousand dollars.

  With this test, there were no perfect scores. In fact, the top score was only a 93.8. To get an eighty on this test was an accomplishment.

  Once the one hundred winners were determined, letters were sent out. They would be flown to San Antonio for the first destination. The only request was that they wear a T-shirt of their college to Texas. They were told to bring clothes for all climates.

  On June 20, they all met. Among them were Daniel and Danielle Conley, a brother and sister attending Weber State and the University of Denver, respectively. For the sake of the story, we will concentrate on a select group.

  Christopher Boyd was voted Class Clown at Upper St. Clair High School. He was also a member of the Science Club. However, he struggled in college. In fact, he almost flunked out after two quarters. He eventually got serious and graduated from Case Western Reserve University with a degree in Chemical Engineering.

  Patricia van der Werf was captain of the Debate Team at Kenyon-Wanamingo High School. She was also voted Most Likely to Succeed. She graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Pre-Law.

  Douglas Forbes was Senior Class President at C.K. McClatchy High School. He was President of Pi Sigma Alpha fraternity at Stanford University. He lost his bid for Senior Class President. He graduated with a degree in Political Science.

  Leigh McElvain was a four-year letterer in cross country, swimming, and track at Shawnee Heights High School. She was given a full athletic scholarship to the University of Kansas. However, her sophomore year, she suffered an injury that prevented her from ever being a competitive swimmer again. As a result, she lost her scholarship. She still managed to graduate with a degree in Secondary Education with an emphasis in English.

  Chadwick Newton was a member of the Young Republicans Club at John F. Kennedy High School. He was the type of student who would use someone whenever he needed help, then discarded them when they were no longer of service. His idol was Donald Trump. It was only natural that he would graduate with a degree in International Business from Penn.

  Kristen Dougherty was head cheerleader at Robert A. Millikan High School. She was also Senior Class Secretary, Homecoming Queen, and Prom Queen. She was also a finalist
in the Miss Teen California Pageant. At the University of Southern California, she was a cheerleader and a news anchor for the campus’s television station. She was also a leader of Pi Beta Phi. She graduated with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.

  She was never the type who was able to keep a boyfriend. She wore a purity ring on her necklace, a sign that she was saving herself for marriage. When guys knew that they couldn’t score with her, they left her.

  Richard Thumberg was salutatorian from Kenyon-Wanamingo High School and a classmate of Patricia’s. In high school, he was very studious. However, when he arrived at Bemidji State, he underwent a total transformation. He became a vegetarian. He tried to go vegan, but wasn’t able to give up dairy. He would organize rallies on issues like the war in Afghanistan or government-run healthcare. In short, he became a hippie that was born forty years too late. He graduated with a degree in Philosophy.

  Mei-Xing Huang was valedictorian of Potomac Falls High School. She didn’t have time for a social life. All of her time went into her studies. The same held true when she went to Rutgers University. She never dated. As a result, she graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Pre-Med.

  Todd Wickham was voted Most Shy from Essex High School. He was a member of the Marching Band and the Drama Club. At Goddard College, he continued this trend. He was a recluse. Like Mei-Xing, he also never dated. He graduated with a degree in Creative Writing. Shortly before graduation, he won a national writing contest.

  One by one, they met in San Antonio. Kristen was one of the last to arrive. Do you remember the scene from Caddyshack when Lacey walked to the driving board and all the men stopped and stared, jaws agape? That was the reaction when Kristen walked by.

  Alfred was there to greet them. He distributed one hundred Visa debit cards, each one worth ten thousand dollars. He told them that the student loans would be paid at the end of the trip, which would end with meeting the President in Washington D.C. All meals will be provided. If they should choose to go elsewhere, it would be out of their own pocket.

  Two guides from Frommer’s would accompany them on their trip. They boarded the bus bound for their first destination, the Alamo.

  Once there, they toured the building. They saw the chapel, the Long Barrack, and the rest of the grounds.

  At the end of the tour, Christopher asked, “What about the basement?” Either he saw Pee-wee’s Big Adventure one too many times, or he had a great sense of humor. Apparently, it was the latter because that remark got a huge laugh.

  As he looked around, one person’s smile caught his eye: Leigh. It was love at first sight. Her smile, as well as her long red hair and green eyes, drew him to her like a magnet.

  It was then that Patricia, looking for the man who made the joke, saw her old high school sweetheart Richard. They were valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively, and dated off and on their senior year. Just as things were getting serious, they left for college. They tried to make the long distance relationship work. Alas, it only lasted six months, and they broke up.

  During the tour, most of the guys were jockeying for position near Kristen, including Chadwick and Douglas. Todd wanted to, but he knew his limitations. He knew he couldn’t compete with the other guys in the looks department.

  People collected different things. Douglas collected postcards from each location. Patricia collected refrigerator magnets. Todd collected T-shirts.

  After the tour, they checked into the Mokara Hotel for the night. The trip began in the morning. Before they left the Alamo, they drew numbers for their roommate. They had the option to keep this roommate the entire eleven weeks of the trip or switch out.

  On each of the beds was a packet. Inside that packet was a copy of the itinerary and a test. Each question pertained to a different stop on the trip.

  Attached to the test was a note. “Answer each question. At the end of the trip, you will turn in your test for a chance to win a Key to Success. Cheating is not encouraged, but it is allowed. Good luck to all. – Alfred Wellington III”

  That night, Christopher and Leigh took a walk down by the River Walk. They were fanning the spark that began at the Alamo into a flame. They had dinner at Biga on the Banks, then took a cruise on the river.

  Patricia and Richard talked about what they had done in the last three years. Patricia had dated a few guys, but nothing serious. Richard had dated someone his junior year, but she couldn’t compare to Patricia. He ended up breaking it off.

  Todd and Mei-Xing stayed in their respective rooms and went to bed early. They weren’t the kind of people who spent their nights partying. They had to study all the time to get their grades, so they sacrificed a social life.

  Chadwick and Douglas were among the group vying for Kristen’s attention at Howl at the Moon Saloon. They catered to her every whim, and she knew this. They stood and cheered when she was asked up to the piano bar to be serenaded.

  The next morning, they left for the airport. On the plane, Christopher and Leigh, still riding their high from the previous night, sat next to each other, as did Patricia and Richard. Seating around Kristen filled quickly, so Todd was delegated to the back of the plane. He sat next to Mei-Xing.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Six and a half hours later, the plane landed in Cancún. Once they got off the plane, they boarded buses for Aqua. The buses waited as they checked in and cleaned up. They had a two-hour trip to their destination, Chichén Itzá.

  By this time, Christopher and Leigh were inseparable. They were connected at the hand.

  The group around Kristen had started to thin out. Some of the guys knew she wasn’t paying them any attention and gave up. Chadwick and Douglas didn’t. In fact, Chadwick tried harder to separate himself from the pack.

  Along the way, they went through the colonial town of Valladolid and stopped for an archaeological dig at Ik-Kil. While there, Christopher and Leigh dug up a small fossil, their first collaboration.

  After the two and a half hour bus ride, they arrived at the Mayan ruins. The tour included the Pyramid of Kukulcán, the Observatory, and the Water Well, where the Mayans would perform human sacrifices. The guides told them about their customs.

  Todd and Mei-Xing soaked in all the knowledge and took plenty of pictures. They both walked the grounds, getting a more personal tour of the site. They were quickly becoming friends.

  Deep down inside, however, Todd wanted to be walking the grounds with Kristen. She didn’t know he existed, not with the mob around her.

  After a day of touring, they took the two and a half hour bus ride back to Cancún for the night.

  Christopher asked if he could switch rooms to be with Leigh. He was told that roommates had to be the same sex. They took this evening as a chance to relax away from each other.

  Richard and Patricia went out to Coco Bongo, looking to rekindle what they had. The three years apart seemed to vanish as the night went on.

  As usual, Todd stayed in. Besides his camera, he brought his laptop along to document the trip. He viewed this as an opportunity for a novel.

  Kristen wanted to try some Mexican food. She went to Puerto Madero with a few other girls. Some of the guys, including Chadwick, tried to sit at their table. The other girls chased them off.

  Early next morning, they left the hotel and caught a flight from Cancún to Mexico City. Two and a half hours later, they landed. After a quick check-in at the Camino Real, they travelled to Teotihuacán, another site of ancient ruins.

  They toured the Avenue of the Dead, the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon, and the Feathered Serpent Pyramid.

  The tour got Todd closer to Kristen than he had gotten before. She still didn’t acknowledge him, but he got a closer view of her. This gave him an ounce of incentive to try to talk to her.

  It was here where Richard and Patricia realized they may have been rushing to get back together. While they still wanted to continue reconnec
ting, they decided to slow things down.

  Christopher and Leigh were just the opposite. The night apart made him realize how important she had become in such a short time. He wanted to spend as much time with her as he could in whatever time they had. It was here at Teotihuacán where they shared their first kiss.

  As much as Douglas wanted to be with Kristen, he started to see that it just wasn’t meant to be. Chadwick thought different. He thought that she would be with him, whether she wanted to or not.

  After the tour, they went back to Mexico City. They had a very early flight in the morning, so a curfew was ordered.

  That didn’t stop Christopher and Leigh from checking the city at night. They stopped at Café Tacuba for dinner.

  Todd decided to change his story. Instead of just writing down about the trip, he turned it into an adventure. It would be about a man who searches for pieces to an ancient alien artifact. In the course of the trip, the main character met a woman and fell in love with her at first sight. She would accompany him on his quest.

  Todd would be the basis for the title character. Kristen would be the woman.

  The next day, they had an early flight from Mexico City. After nine hours, they landed in Cusco, Peru.

  They checked into the Hotel Monasterio. The hotel stood three thousand meters above sea level. The fifty bedrooms they stayed in were enriched with oxygen.

  After cleaning up, they boarded a train bound for Machu Picchu. Four hours later, they arrived at the ruins.

  They were able to tour Torreón, the Temple of the Sun. They were also able to tour the Temple of the Three Windows, Intihuatana, and the Temple of the Moon.

  Todd and Mei-Xing again explored together, taking plenty of pictures. Today, however, they were joined by Douglas. He put Kristen behind him and made his own path.

  Speaking of Kristen, even though her entourage was smaller, she still had a group following her. Part of the reason it was growing smaller was due to lack of interest from her. Another part was Chadwick driving them away.

  By the time they returned to Cusco, the sun had set.

  Nothing was going to drive Christopher and Leigh away from each other. With each passing day, their relationship grew stronger and stronger.

  Christopher and Leigh had dinner at Limo, among the newest and most stylish restaurants in Cusco.