At the end of my EMT course there is a state certification test that has a written and a practical component. For the practical part, there are a couple emergency simulations for which we must demonstrate our skills and be evaluated. At these stations, we work with a partner and together assess the situation and care for the patient(s). On the first day of class, my instructor informed us that we were permitted to choose our partner for the state test, and that we would probably want to pick someone in class with whom we could practice and become comfortable. She emphasized that going into the test with a partner we trust will make the situation much easier and less stressful for us.

Right then, I began sizing up the class in order to find the perfect partner. To get to know each other on the first day, we played the name game in which you identify yourself with an adjective that begins with the same letter or sound as your first name. In addition to being a good way to learn names, it was also a great way to evaluate people for the role of Suitable Partner. Lazy Laney, for example, was marked off the list immediately. Particular Paula got a star.

There are a whole host of reasons a person might choose another person as a partner. Most people, I suspect, are trying to trade up, to ride on the coat tails of someone more capable than them. Or, sometimes people partner up to compensate for each other's limitations. This is no less manipulative, but it's much more fair since the exchange is symbiotic. In high school chemistry class, JLD and I were often lab partners. We were friends, and we complemented each other. He liked the science stuff but hated writing up the labs, and I was completely braindead when it came to chemistry but could rock out the writing part.

In EMT class, I am simply looking for someone as smart as me. Which sounds totally conceited, I know, but trust me when I say I am not suffering from delusions of grandeur. Not in this case, anyway. Based on class interactions and review games and general effort demonstrated, I am clearly in the top tier of the class. The truth is, when it comes to classwork I have never known any other tier. I have always been obsessive about my academic performance. This makes finding an appropriate partner even more important, and also decidedly more difficult.

By the end of the third class I had narrowed the field to two people, Paula and Gail. My first preference was Paula, but Gail was a close second. I happened to sit next to Gail in each class, and we had already begun to form a friendship. I had chatted with Paula some, too, but I didn't know her as well and also wasn't sure how I could maneuver into being her partner since she always sat across the room. Still, Paula was my top pick because she seemed to have a better grasp of the material and was also more confident in her ability. I made a point to make eye contact with her occasionally during the classes, to smile or crack a joke. I wanted to maintain a connection with her in order to keep her as a possible partner.

At the fourth class, when Paula came in she sat down next to me instead of in her usual seat. I recognized this immediately for what it was - a power play. I suspected she had singled me out just as I had her. During class we got our tests back, and since I was sitting between Gail and Paula, I could see both of their scores. Gail got an 86, and Paula got a 98. (My score was a 96. Substandard, I know.) That settled it for me - Paula was my best match. I started strategizing how I could secure her partnership. Soon.

Once more, Paula proved that we were on the same page. During break, she turned to me and said, "So, do you think when we start doing partner stuff, we could be partners?"

"Yes!" I quickly replied, and then added, "I'd totally already pegged you as a potential partner, too." She smiled.

When I got home that evening, I rushed over to where Rob was sitting. "Paula asked me to be her partner!" I reported breathlessly.

He chuckled and then rolled his eyes, because he has found this whole obsessive partner pursuit of mine a bit "ridiculous". Whatever. He's just jealous. Especially since I'll be spending Valentine's partnering with Paula.