Boy Meets World
"All I Really Want"
Summary: What happens when the unexpected comes your way?
Rating: PG (nothing to see here folks, move on)
Setting: During 7th season, but kinda AUish. This is after Shawn and Angela get back together, but they are not living together in my story. Also, for the sake of convenience, Jack and Rachel are a happy couple. And Eric has some sense in his head. (I told you this was AU!) Also, I have played fast and loose with established facts. Sorry.
Disclaimer: They're not mine. Except for what is, of course.
Feedback: Wicked ones need love too! WickedWonder1979hotmail.com
For: Cooter, and Laine. (Ha-haw!)
Note: If you read this before, all I did was chapter it out for easier reading. If you wanna reread it though, don't let me stop you!
========================================================================
Chapter One
Topanga
"Oh my God."
My voice echoed through the empty apartment. I had forgotten that Cory had told me that he was going to Shawn's to do some guy activity. I was actually glad he was gone- I was going to need some time to think.
I plunked back down on the toilet seat heavily and peered at the plastic wand I was clutching. Every time I looked at it, I wanted something different to appear on it. The two pink lines, though, never faded or- anything. I, according to this test at least, was pregnant.
A rage built up inside me. I know in the books, they say that the woman feels the utmost joy and radiance at the thought of bringing a child into the world. All my mind was saying, "Why, why, why?" I started to rage for no reason except that it wasn't my fault. I remembered the problems I had on the Pill- mood swings, a 20 pound weight gain, sore breasts, and no period. In short, I felt pregnant.
Cory offered to take over the contraception while I got my hormones back on track. And everything had worked fine until an evening a couple of months ago. One time, and it's not even the right time, I reasoned. "No, sweetie, don't run to the store. It'll be okay. Besides, it's raining." I could have kicked myself for those words now.
Another thought ran though my head. What if... but then I pushed the thought out of my head. I'm not particularly religious, but I couldn't imagine not giving birth to this baby. It wasn't the child's fault that it's parents were still in college and broke and would remain so for the foreseeable future. Also, how would I tell Cory? He was delighted (albeit scared out of his head) about being a father when he thought I was pregnant before. Also, this time I would get to keep the check fron Nana BooBoo.
I finally got off the toilet seat. I changed from the sweats I was wearing into a pair of slacks and a blouse. If I was going to stress, I would have to confirm there was something to stress over. Before I left the the house, I picked up the phone. If I had to go through with this, I definately needed some support.
Angela
We sat in the student clinic. Topanga was silent, pale-faced, and grave. She held one of my hands tightly as we waited. Once she looked at me and I had a sudden flash of insight. 'She's scared out of her mind. She's usually the calm one, but she has no idea of what to do in this situation.'
When the nurse finally called her into the examining room, Topanga whispered fiercely, "I shouldn't even be here. I already know what the doctor's going to say."
I watched her go down the hall. Once she was out of my sight, I sighed and slumped over in my seat. As bad as Topanga's problem was, it was something that her and Cory would get through. I had major troubles, and no one to turn to. Topanga was understandably distracted, and Rachel and I weren't really close enough for me to start spilling secrets to. Out of the boys, Shawn couldn't find out, at any cost, Cory and Shawn were too close for me to tell the other one something I didn't want both of them to know, and Jack and Eric, again, I didn't know well enough to start telling personal things to. That left Mr Feeny and my dad. My dad already knew, and I really didn't want to tell Mr Feeny something that would make him look at me with anything less than respect. I wouldn't take that chance.
I sat there musing a while longer, until Topanga came back down the corridor. She looked shaky and she was still paler than I would have liked to see her. She sat back down next to me and said in a small voice, "They said that they were rushing the results though the lab. We can wait here, or if you want to go to the student union-"
"What do you want to do, honey?" I asked, putting an arm around her shoulders.
"I want to wait. But if you want to go meet Shawn somewhere..."
I winced, thinking of Shawn's face if he ever found out the secret I was keeping from him. "If you want me to stay, I will."
We ended up waiting for about two hours, each of us lost in our own thoughts. When the nurse called Topanga's name again, we got up and walked into the doctor's office together. We sat down in the chairs as the doctor came in.
"Well, Ms Matthews, it appears that you will be having a child in seven months." I watched as Topanga's face went from ivory to chalk white. "I know that you weren't hoping to hear that, but you do have other options."
"I could never abort a child, Doctor."
"I understand, but I was talking about maybe putting the child up for adoption. There are lots of people who would love to raise a child, but cannot have one." He handed Topanga a business card. "Why don't you give Stella Runyon a call. She's a social worker, and she can help you with things you need. Well, I think that wraps everything up. Here's a prescription for prenatal vitamins, and a directory to find a OB/gyn. I'm just a general practioner. Any questions?"
We shook our heads quietly, stood up, shook hands with the doctor, and walked out. Once we were outside, Topanga stopped and drew a deep breath.
"I've got to see Cory now. I know he's over the boys' apartment, and Shawn's there. Are you coming with me?"
"No girl, I'm going to go and do some studying for tomorrow's exam. Call me tonight, okay?" I gave her an extra big hug. "Everything's going to be okay." She didn't know that I was trying to reassure both of us.
Topanga
As I walked down the corridor of the apartment building, I thought about the best way to ask Cory to come home with me without making him worry or sounding like a nag. Usually I just told him what to do, but I had a irrational fear of making him upset so that he wouldn't leave me and the baby. As it turned out, I didn't have to worry. Standing outside the apartment, I could hear the men- boys really- yelling about something they were watching on television. I knocked on the door, and when no one answered, I pounded with the side of my fist. A sudden silence decended inside the apartment, and then Eric answered the door. For some reason, his shirt was buttoned wrong. He was eating a Ding-Dong, and when I looked at his face and saw crumbs on it, and smelled the chocolate, I got severely nauseated. Throwing a hi to the guys, I ran into the bathroom and turned on the water as I proceeded to lose my breakfast and lunch. After I wiped my face dry, I came back out to find four pairs of eyes trained on me. "I needed a potty break," I offered lamely.
Satisfied with that explaination, the men went back to watching the tv. I went behind the couch and touched the top of Cory's head. "Hey, when you coming home? I need to talk to you," I whispered.
"'Kay," he said briefly. "Go, Red Wings!" Still cheering, he stood up and inched his way to the door. He pulled me out into the hall and hurriedly pressed the elevator button.
"What are you doing?" The elevator came and we got inside. Cory held the DOOR CLOSE button until the doors shut. Then he turned to me. "Thank God you came! Shawn was holding me hostage. You know I hate hockey. So, what did you want to talk about?"
"It can wait until we get home. Since when you hate hockey?"
"Since forever," Cory said vehemently. "Anyway, I felt guilty because I haven't spent as much time with Shawn lately. So I just couldn't get up and walk out."
I let Cory yammer on about Shawn and hockey and about Eric's latest stunt that involved Hostess snack cakes. Just hearing about it made me want to throw up again. When we got back to our apartment, I put on my tea kettle and tried to build up my nerve. Cory sat down and watched me with worried eyes as I paced back and forth in front of the couch. Finally I sat down and faced Cory. I took one of his hands and placed it on my heart. He said, startled, "Your heart is beating like a triphammer."
"I'm nervous," I said simply.
"Don't be. Whatever it is, we can get through it."
I moved his hand down to my stomach. "I know..." I faltered, started again, "I know you can't feel anything yet, but there's a little person in there."
He moved his hand over my abdomen frantically. His eyes met mine, and I could see the tears there. We hugged wordlessly, and I finally let the tears I had been holding inside flow. When we finally let go of each other, he said, "Do we know when?"
"About seven months from now."
"Two months pregnant? But..." I shot him a look and I saw the wheels in his head turn. Finally he said, "Oh. Next time, I make the trip, right?"
"Most assuredly. Now, I have to call this lady. She's a social worker, and the doctor said I have to find an OB/gyn."
Cory nodded. "Maybe you can use the one my mom had."
Then we looked at each other. "We have to tell our parents..." I said.
"Shawn," Cory listed.
"Angela already knows."
"Jack and Rachel."
"Eric and Morgan."
"Feeny."
Then we said together, "Nana BooBoo!" and laughed.
Angela
I walked aimlessly around campus. I was trying to avoid anyone I knew, because I was sobbing as if my heart was breaking. I'm an emotional person, but not a cryer by any stretch. I just felt so down, and I knew why, even though I didn't want to admit it. An important anniversary was coming up for me, and I didn't have anyone to share it with. Impulsively, I ran to my room and picked the phone. I dialed anxiously and waited.
"Hello?"
"Dad? It's me, Angela."
"I know. How's my girl? Still getting those A's, I hope."
"Grades are good. I was feeling a little down, though."
"Why?"
I didn't want to tell him exactly, so I said, "Next week is May 17th."
"Oh. Well, you just need to get your mind off of things. How about making a visit to dear old dad?"
"I can't, finals and all. Maybe after this semester's out."
"I'll look foward to it.Good-bye."
And he hung up. I stared at the receiver numbly as the dial tone sounded. When it turned into that loud "hang up" sound, I finally set the phone on the cradle. At least this time he spoke to you, I reasoned. I did decide to take his advice, though, and try to find something to occupy my time other than myself. I walked out of my apartment with a renewed sense of purpose. I knew the perfect place to look.
Eric
"Therefore, we can conclude that the Civil War was not only fought for slavery, but for important social and financial reasons. Any questions?"
Eric, recognizing the end of the lecture, straightened up and tried to look attentive. He made a mental note to ask Feeny what the social and financial reasons were. As the class was dismissed, Mr Feeny called out, "Mr Matthews, may I see you for a minute?"
Eric made his way to the front of the lecture hall as the crush of students thinned out. He waited for the last student to leave before he said, "You wanted to see me?"
Feeny slipped off his glasses and looked at him with his "Don't even think about anything" look. "Eric, while your grades have significantly improved over the last few months, your performance could still be better. Since you are graduating this year, I have arranged for you to have a tutor."
"Is it you?" Eric asked hopefully.
"No. Eric..."
"Is it Cindy Crawford? I heard she's smart. Or maybe Katarina Witt."
"Eric! Pay attention. Her name is Victoria. You will meet twice a week, right after my class. You start today. Any questions?"
Eric sighed and resigned himself to the inevitable. "All right. Where do I meet this... Victoria?" "She should be arriving at your apartment in fifteen minutes. That should give you enough time to get there and clean up that pigsty you call home." Mr Feeny patted him on the shoulder. "Again, let me stress that you have made vast improvement. I just think that you need some extra help with the dates."
Eric walked out of the classroom grumbling. He didn't want nor need a tutor. As he walked across campus, he looked at a girl that looked like Angela, but she was moving too fast for him to catch up to her. Shrugging his shoulders, he continued walking. He actually made it back to his apartment with time to spare. Instead of attempting to straighten up the mess, he went to the kitchen and grabbed a Twinkie. Unwrapping it, he sat on the couch and ate it while he took off his shoes and began scratching his toes.
A knock on the door sounded. Eric got up, deliberately unbuttoning and rebuttoning his shirt wrong. When he opened the door, he faced a surprised girl. For some reason, she reminded him of Topanga, although they weren't physically simular. Victoria was short. Eric had a good six inches on her. Her skin was the color of coffee with a lot of cream in it. Brown almond eyes locked on his. Her hair was in two spiky ponytails on either side of her head. She was wearing a shirt that said "Devil" and a pair of bell-bottom jeans. All together, she gave the impression of being a hippie. Sure that he was in for an easy time, Eric let her in and offered her a Devil Dog because of the shirt.
She wrinkled her nose. "Thanks, but no thanks. I make it a rule to never eat things with sweet lard inside of them. Could I have a glass of water, please? Then if you want, we can get started."
After he brought her the drink, he said, "So, Victoria, why do you tutor?"
"Please, call me Tory. Victoria is my aunt. I tutor because I needed to fufill a volunteering commitment for a scholarship I received. I asked Mr Feeny if he knew of any faculty who could use a free tutor for their department, and he referred me to you."
"So, what did he tell you about me, Tory?" Eric asked, scooting closer to her on the couch.
"Only that you were smarter than you acted, you like weird pranks, and that you have a very close group of friends that you tend to get in trouble with."
"Pretty accurate," Eric allowed.
"Well, time to get started. Mr Feeny said that your'e working on the Civil War, but the dates and battles were throwing you. Tell you what. Let's draw a timeline. Men tend to be visual learners, and if you see the dates in your head, it might help you to remember them. While we're drawing, I'll tell you why each battle is important. Do you have some markers?" At Eric's head shake, she said, "I have some in my car. I'll be back, okay?"
As soon as the door closed, Eric hurriedly picked up the clothes that were strewn all over the apartment. He rebuttoned his shirt correctly and was busy clearing the coffee table when Tory walked back in. He leaped up and took a heavy backpack from her.
"Good God, woman, do you have rocks in here?" he gasped.
She smiled. "No, just a few hundred books. I read a lot."
"Oh." Eric watched as she pulled out the supplies and a glasses case. Slipping them on her nose, she said, "Nearsighted. Now, let's begin with the beginning of the war."
A couple of hours later, they admired the finished masterpiece. All the battles fought were in red, the dates in blue, and important people in orange. Eric shook his head in amazement. "When you suggested this, I didn't think it would work. But seeing this in front of me- I might actually get a C this time."
Tory laughed. "Aim high, Eric. Your are getting an A on this."
"If you say so."
"I know so." Tory linked her arm through his. "Now let's go get ice cream. Hard studying deserves a reward."
"All I Really Want"
Summary: What happens when the unexpected comes your way?
Rating: PG (nothing to see here folks, move on)
Setting: During 7th season, but kinda AUish. This is after Shawn and Angela get back together, but they are not living together in my story. Also, for the sake of convenience, Jack and Rachel are a happy couple. And Eric has some sense in his head. (I told you this was AU!) Also, I have played fast and loose with established facts. Sorry.
Disclaimer: They're not mine. Except for what is, of course.
Feedback: Wicked ones need love too! WickedWonder1979hotmail.com
For: Cooter, and Laine. (Ha-haw!)
Note: If you read this before, all I did was chapter it out for easier reading. If you wanna reread it though, don't let me stop you!
========================================================================
Chapter One
Topanga
"Oh my God."
My voice echoed through the empty apartment. I had forgotten that Cory had told me that he was going to Shawn's to do some guy activity. I was actually glad he was gone- I was going to need some time to think.
I plunked back down on the toilet seat heavily and peered at the plastic wand I was clutching. Every time I looked at it, I wanted something different to appear on it. The two pink lines, though, never faded or- anything. I, according to this test at least, was pregnant.
A rage built up inside me. I know in the books, they say that the woman feels the utmost joy and radiance at the thought of bringing a child into the world. All my mind was saying, "Why, why, why?" I started to rage for no reason except that it wasn't my fault. I remembered the problems I had on the Pill- mood swings, a 20 pound weight gain, sore breasts, and no period. In short, I felt pregnant.
Cory offered to take over the contraception while I got my hormones back on track. And everything had worked fine until an evening a couple of months ago. One time, and it's not even the right time, I reasoned. "No, sweetie, don't run to the store. It'll be okay. Besides, it's raining." I could have kicked myself for those words now.
Another thought ran though my head. What if... but then I pushed the thought out of my head. I'm not particularly religious, but I couldn't imagine not giving birth to this baby. It wasn't the child's fault that it's parents were still in college and broke and would remain so for the foreseeable future. Also, how would I tell Cory? He was delighted (albeit scared out of his head) about being a father when he thought I was pregnant before. Also, this time I would get to keep the check fron Nana BooBoo.
I finally got off the toilet seat. I changed from the sweats I was wearing into a pair of slacks and a blouse. If I was going to stress, I would have to confirm there was something to stress over. Before I left the the house, I picked up the phone. If I had to go through with this, I definately needed some support.
Angela
We sat in the student clinic. Topanga was silent, pale-faced, and grave. She held one of my hands tightly as we waited. Once she looked at me and I had a sudden flash of insight. 'She's scared out of her mind. She's usually the calm one, but she has no idea of what to do in this situation.'
When the nurse finally called her into the examining room, Topanga whispered fiercely, "I shouldn't even be here. I already know what the doctor's going to say."
I watched her go down the hall. Once she was out of my sight, I sighed and slumped over in my seat. As bad as Topanga's problem was, it was something that her and Cory would get through. I had major troubles, and no one to turn to. Topanga was understandably distracted, and Rachel and I weren't really close enough for me to start spilling secrets to. Out of the boys, Shawn couldn't find out, at any cost, Cory and Shawn were too close for me to tell the other one something I didn't want both of them to know, and Jack and Eric, again, I didn't know well enough to start telling personal things to. That left Mr Feeny and my dad. My dad already knew, and I really didn't want to tell Mr Feeny something that would make him look at me with anything less than respect. I wouldn't take that chance.
I sat there musing a while longer, until Topanga came back down the corridor. She looked shaky and she was still paler than I would have liked to see her. She sat back down next to me and said in a small voice, "They said that they were rushing the results though the lab. We can wait here, or if you want to go to the student union-"
"What do you want to do, honey?" I asked, putting an arm around her shoulders.
"I want to wait. But if you want to go meet Shawn somewhere..."
I winced, thinking of Shawn's face if he ever found out the secret I was keeping from him. "If you want me to stay, I will."
We ended up waiting for about two hours, each of us lost in our own thoughts. When the nurse called Topanga's name again, we got up and walked into the doctor's office together. We sat down in the chairs as the doctor came in.
"Well, Ms Matthews, it appears that you will be having a child in seven months." I watched as Topanga's face went from ivory to chalk white. "I know that you weren't hoping to hear that, but you do have other options."
"I could never abort a child, Doctor."
"I understand, but I was talking about maybe putting the child up for adoption. There are lots of people who would love to raise a child, but cannot have one." He handed Topanga a business card. "Why don't you give Stella Runyon a call. She's a social worker, and she can help you with things you need. Well, I think that wraps everything up. Here's a prescription for prenatal vitamins, and a directory to find a OB/gyn. I'm just a general practioner. Any questions?"
We shook our heads quietly, stood up, shook hands with the doctor, and walked out. Once we were outside, Topanga stopped and drew a deep breath.
"I've got to see Cory now. I know he's over the boys' apartment, and Shawn's there. Are you coming with me?"
"No girl, I'm going to go and do some studying for tomorrow's exam. Call me tonight, okay?" I gave her an extra big hug. "Everything's going to be okay." She didn't know that I was trying to reassure both of us.
Topanga
As I walked down the corridor of the apartment building, I thought about the best way to ask Cory to come home with me without making him worry or sounding like a nag. Usually I just told him what to do, but I had a irrational fear of making him upset so that he wouldn't leave me and the baby. As it turned out, I didn't have to worry. Standing outside the apartment, I could hear the men- boys really- yelling about something they were watching on television. I knocked on the door, and when no one answered, I pounded with the side of my fist. A sudden silence decended inside the apartment, and then Eric answered the door. For some reason, his shirt was buttoned wrong. He was eating a Ding-Dong, and when I looked at his face and saw crumbs on it, and smelled the chocolate, I got severely nauseated. Throwing a hi to the guys, I ran into the bathroom and turned on the water as I proceeded to lose my breakfast and lunch. After I wiped my face dry, I came back out to find four pairs of eyes trained on me. "I needed a potty break," I offered lamely.
Satisfied with that explaination, the men went back to watching the tv. I went behind the couch and touched the top of Cory's head. "Hey, when you coming home? I need to talk to you," I whispered.
"'Kay," he said briefly. "Go, Red Wings!" Still cheering, he stood up and inched his way to the door. He pulled me out into the hall and hurriedly pressed the elevator button.
"What are you doing?" The elevator came and we got inside. Cory held the DOOR CLOSE button until the doors shut. Then he turned to me. "Thank God you came! Shawn was holding me hostage. You know I hate hockey. So, what did you want to talk about?"
"It can wait until we get home. Since when you hate hockey?"
"Since forever," Cory said vehemently. "Anyway, I felt guilty because I haven't spent as much time with Shawn lately. So I just couldn't get up and walk out."
I let Cory yammer on about Shawn and hockey and about Eric's latest stunt that involved Hostess snack cakes. Just hearing about it made me want to throw up again. When we got back to our apartment, I put on my tea kettle and tried to build up my nerve. Cory sat down and watched me with worried eyes as I paced back and forth in front of the couch. Finally I sat down and faced Cory. I took one of his hands and placed it on my heart. He said, startled, "Your heart is beating like a triphammer."
"I'm nervous," I said simply.
"Don't be. Whatever it is, we can get through it."
I moved his hand down to my stomach. "I know..." I faltered, started again, "I know you can't feel anything yet, but there's a little person in there."
He moved his hand over my abdomen frantically. His eyes met mine, and I could see the tears there. We hugged wordlessly, and I finally let the tears I had been holding inside flow. When we finally let go of each other, he said, "Do we know when?"
"About seven months from now."
"Two months pregnant? But..." I shot him a look and I saw the wheels in his head turn. Finally he said, "Oh. Next time, I make the trip, right?"
"Most assuredly. Now, I have to call this lady. She's a social worker, and the doctor said I have to find an OB/gyn."
Cory nodded. "Maybe you can use the one my mom had."
Then we looked at each other. "We have to tell our parents..." I said.
"Shawn," Cory listed.
"Angela already knows."
"Jack and Rachel."
"Eric and Morgan."
"Feeny."
Then we said together, "Nana BooBoo!" and laughed.
Angela
I walked aimlessly around campus. I was trying to avoid anyone I knew, because I was sobbing as if my heart was breaking. I'm an emotional person, but not a cryer by any stretch. I just felt so down, and I knew why, even though I didn't want to admit it. An important anniversary was coming up for me, and I didn't have anyone to share it with. Impulsively, I ran to my room and picked the phone. I dialed anxiously and waited.
"Hello?"
"Dad? It's me, Angela."
"I know. How's my girl? Still getting those A's, I hope."
"Grades are good. I was feeling a little down, though."
"Why?"
I didn't want to tell him exactly, so I said, "Next week is May 17th."
"Oh. Well, you just need to get your mind off of things. How about making a visit to dear old dad?"
"I can't, finals and all. Maybe after this semester's out."
"I'll look foward to it.Good-bye."
And he hung up. I stared at the receiver numbly as the dial tone sounded. When it turned into that loud "hang up" sound, I finally set the phone on the cradle. At least this time he spoke to you, I reasoned. I did decide to take his advice, though, and try to find something to occupy my time other than myself. I walked out of my apartment with a renewed sense of purpose. I knew the perfect place to look.
Eric
"Therefore, we can conclude that the Civil War was not only fought for slavery, but for important social and financial reasons. Any questions?"
Eric, recognizing the end of the lecture, straightened up and tried to look attentive. He made a mental note to ask Feeny what the social and financial reasons were. As the class was dismissed, Mr Feeny called out, "Mr Matthews, may I see you for a minute?"
Eric made his way to the front of the lecture hall as the crush of students thinned out. He waited for the last student to leave before he said, "You wanted to see me?"
Feeny slipped off his glasses and looked at him with his "Don't even think about anything" look. "Eric, while your grades have significantly improved over the last few months, your performance could still be better. Since you are graduating this year, I have arranged for you to have a tutor."
"Is it you?" Eric asked hopefully.
"No. Eric..."
"Is it Cindy Crawford? I heard she's smart. Or maybe Katarina Witt."
"Eric! Pay attention. Her name is Victoria. You will meet twice a week, right after my class. You start today. Any questions?"
Eric sighed and resigned himself to the inevitable. "All right. Where do I meet this... Victoria?" "She should be arriving at your apartment in fifteen minutes. That should give you enough time to get there and clean up that pigsty you call home." Mr Feeny patted him on the shoulder. "Again, let me stress that you have made vast improvement. I just think that you need some extra help with the dates."
Eric walked out of the classroom grumbling. He didn't want nor need a tutor. As he walked across campus, he looked at a girl that looked like Angela, but she was moving too fast for him to catch up to her. Shrugging his shoulders, he continued walking. He actually made it back to his apartment with time to spare. Instead of attempting to straighten up the mess, he went to the kitchen and grabbed a Twinkie. Unwrapping it, he sat on the couch and ate it while he took off his shoes and began scratching his toes.
A knock on the door sounded. Eric got up, deliberately unbuttoning and rebuttoning his shirt wrong. When he opened the door, he faced a surprised girl. For some reason, she reminded him of Topanga, although they weren't physically simular. Victoria was short. Eric had a good six inches on her. Her skin was the color of coffee with a lot of cream in it. Brown almond eyes locked on his. Her hair was in two spiky ponytails on either side of her head. She was wearing a shirt that said "Devil" and a pair of bell-bottom jeans. All together, she gave the impression of being a hippie. Sure that he was in for an easy time, Eric let her in and offered her a Devil Dog because of the shirt.
She wrinkled her nose. "Thanks, but no thanks. I make it a rule to never eat things with sweet lard inside of them. Could I have a glass of water, please? Then if you want, we can get started."
After he brought her the drink, he said, "So, Victoria, why do you tutor?"
"Please, call me Tory. Victoria is my aunt. I tutor because I needed to fufill a volunteering commitment for a scholarship I received. I asked Mr Feeny if he knew of any faculty who could use a free tutor for their department, and he referred me to you."
"So, what did he tell you about me, Tory?" Eric asked, scooting closer to her on the couch.
"Only that you were smarter than you acted, you like weird pranks, and that you have a very close group of friends that you tend to get in trouble with."
"Pretty accurate," Eric allowed.
"Well, time to get started. Mr Feeny said that your'e working on the Civil War, but the dates and battles were throwing you. Tell you what. Let's draw a timeline. Men tend to be visual learners, and if you see the dates in your head, it might help you to remember them. While we're drawing, I'll tell you why each battle is important. Do you have some markers?" At Eric's head shake, she said, "I have some in my car. I'll be back, okay?"
As soon as the door closed, Eric hurriedly picked up the clothes that were strewn all over the apartment. He rebuttoned his shirt correctly and was busy clearing the coffee table when Tory walked back in. He leaped up and took a heavy backpack from her.
"Good God, woman, do you have rocks in here?" he gasped.
She smiled. "No, just a few hundred books. I read a lot."
"Oh." Eric watched as she pulled out the supplies and a glasses case. Slipping them on her nose, she said, "Nearsighted. Now, let's begin with the beginning of the war."
A couple of hours later, they admired the finished masterpiece. All the battles fought were in red, the dates in blue, and important people in orange. Eric shook his head in amazement. "When you suggested this, I didn't think it would work. But seeing this in front of me- I might actually get a C this time."
Tory laughed. "Aim high, Eric. Your are getting an A on this."
"If you say so."
"I know so." Tory linked her arm through his. "Now let's go get ice cream. Hard studying deserves a reward."