A/N: More slow progress in the Mac/Dick relationship, but trust me, we're heading for something more... Thanx for the reviews! :-)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 9

There was apprehension in the way Mac knocked on the door to the Casablancas house this evening. She'd just got some confidence in coming here, felt she had a purpose and a reason that gave her the right to hold her head up when she greeted whichever staff member opened the door and looked at her with barely hidden disdain.

"Hey, Mr Phillips" she smiled at the severe man who answered her knock today, the usual butler-type guy, "Yes, it's that time again" she told him as he let her inside with a sigh.

He didn't appreciate her attempts at small talk and Mac knew it, but she tried anyway. It seemed wrong not to say a word, just because he now knew who she was and why she was here. They had to speak to each other or it would just be rude! Ushered through to the usual room, the smile on Mac's face faltered a little when she saw Dick. At least he was sober today, but that didn't mean she really wanted to face him.

Things were simple in the beginning, mostly anyway. She was here to teach, Dick was here to learn, and they were both holding up their own end of the bargain. Now things were getting all serious and complicated. Mac had started seeing different sides to the blond surfer dude who she'd always considered to be simple, shallow, and little else. She wondered if he hurt inside, because his parents didn't seem to care, because his latest romantic relationship was over, because nobody actually cared what he had to say. It made Mac quite sad to think of it, and quite uncomfortable if truth be told, not least because Veronica had put another idea firmly in her head that poor Mac would sooner not have. All that teasing about Dick liking her, it left a mark in the little brunette's brain that simply would not fade. It seemed impossible, if not a little flattering should it be true. Unfortunately, Mac was altogether inexperienced in such situations and felt all that could come of any of this was she was going to make a fool of herself, if Dick didn't beat her to the punch.

"You okay, Macster?" the very man himself asked as she realised she'd been standing there by the table staring at him without a word this whole time.

"Er, yeah" she shook her head, bringing herself out of a mini-daze as she moved around the table and sat down beside him, "Brain overload maybe? I don't know" she forced a smile as she opened her bag up on her lap and pulled out the books and papers she needed.

"Hey, that's not supposed to happen until after we study" Dick told her definitely as he picked up his pencil and readied himself to learn whatever Mac would teach him.

She didn't reply, just got on with the latest lesson. Whilst they were talking about math, Mac knew all the answers and had complete confidence in what she was saying. If she had to have any kind of real conversation here today, she feared how she would handle it, what twists and turns might be taken. Dick's life was none of her business and yet keeping her nose out of it and her opinions to herself might prove difficult if he decided she was the one he wanted to talk to. It was unlikely to happen, she told herself, but then who else did Dick really have to turn to? If it was a choice between her and a bottle, Mac would prefer to be nominated than allow her friend to become the newest member of Neptune's AA group.

"Hey!" Dick called, waving a hand in front of her face and making Mac physically jump, "You did it again" he smiled slightly at the weirdness of her zoning out on him a second time, "You sure you're okay?" he checked.

"I am" Mac nodded once, "I just... I was thinking... are you okay?" she asked then, closing her eyes and wincing a little when she replied, the words she'd tried to keep back had just escaped her lips.

"Me?" Dick smiled in spite of the fact he didn't exactly feel like the expression belonged on his face, "I'm... kinda wishing I had a beer right now" he said as he got up from the table and moved quickly out of the room.

Mac couldn't hear but he was cursing himself as he headed through the house, towards the refrigerator where he would find the beverage he craved. It was not at all what he meant to say when she asked if he was okay, but he was Dick Casablancas, he wasn't supposed to talk about deep and serious stuff, hell, he didn't usually think about it much until recently.

Dick was shallow, and he liked to be that way. Most of the time he was totally happy for the world at large to think of him as just a rich good-looking guy looking for a good time, because to all intents and purposes that's what he was. Of course, he was also human, and he did feel. He did hate that neither of his parents had little or any time for him, and that his brother was half way around the world without him. It bothered him that Logan was spending so much time with Veronica Mars, and he didn't like that when he actually tried to achieve something in school he was accused of cheating. There were a lot of things that bothered Dick that he only ever shared with a bottle of something stronger than that which currently sat in his hand. Still, the beer would do for now, and Mac's company ought to help, though he was fighting the urge to let her be one more complication in his life.

Dumping Madison was the easy part for Dick; she was being an absentee bitch lately anyway, so he barely noticed a difference now they were done. The problem was, moving on to just any babe that happened along didn't seem like it was going to work this time. Hot girls were aplenty in Neptune, and Dick knew with a little effort he could get laid every night of the week, but that wasn't what he really wanted anymore. Spending time with Mac seemed like it was changing him, not just making him a better student, but a better person. She was all full of opinions which she'd started to share lately, and Dick liked to hear them, liked to talk to her about them. They could hang out together and play video games, she wasn't too freaked out by his drinking yesterday, and she was without doubt the smartest chick he knew. Mac just handled everything so well, and it was amazing to Dick. Even he, dumb as he was prone to be, knew he was at risk of falling into that deep dark pit called love, even though the very idea seemed entirely insane.

Dick finished off his beer and reached for another from the refrigerator. Drunkenness was not going to help but it numbed his brain enough he wouldn't have to think about the complications for a while. Mac wouldn't be pleased when he couldn't even handle 2+2 never mind anything else Math related but...

"Hey" her voice behind him made Dick physically flinch as he turned to look and saw her standing in the doorway, leaning on the frame, "Look, Dick, this is dumb" she sighed, "We both know what's going on here..."

"We do?" he asked sharply - he knew she was smart but could she really read him so easily after such a short time of getting to know each other over Math text books and English essays?

"Yes" she said with a single nod of her head, "You broke up with Madison and you feel bad about it so you're drinking and not in a studying kind of a mood" she told him what she thought to be true, looking a little awkward about it in spite of making every attempt not to.

Dick didn't know how to respond to that. She was right, in a way. His break up with Madison was connected to all of this, but it wasn't what had him wanting to hide somewhere with a bottle till the world went away.

"I guess it's not easy" she continued, even as he turned his back on her, "Especially when everybody is talking about you, not that everybody is" she quickly amended, "I mean, I heard from Veronica and I think maybe Logan told her but... Yeah, stop rambling, Mac" she smiled nervously, rolling her eyes at her own silly behaviour as Dick took a slug from his beer bottle then turned to face her again.

"It's cool" he told her with a shrug and a somewhat forced smile, "I dumped her, so it's like... whatever, dude" he told Mac, who didn't look entirely convinced, "and I so don't care if bitches are talking... not you!" he added fast when he realised what he'd said, "Obviously, I didn't mean..."

"I know" she assured him with a small smile that he returned.

The pair started to feel awkward again then. They really weren't the sharing kind with their own friends, so this type of conversation with each other was just entirely weird, not least because they hadn't been talking buddies that long. He was a dumb 09er, she was practically a straight-A student and from the poorer side of town. They were as opposite as north and south and yet they got along so well, it was bizarre. At least, Mac thought, she was sure now that Veronica's theories of any romantic feelings on Dick's side of this relationship were unfounded. If he'd broken up with Madison, gotten drunk, and still hadn't made any real move on her, Mac felt safe enough that he wasn't going to. They could just be friends, like she was with so many other guys she knew. The slight disappointment somewhere deep inside would fade to nothing in time, she was sure.

"You think we could maybe blow off the Math tonight?" Dick asked her then, feeling like doing anything but that right now, "I'm thinking X-box tournament rematch?" he suggested, complete with over-dramatic arm-waving type gestures that almost resulted in beer spillage.

"How about a compromise?" Mac offered, folding her arms as she stood straight in the doorway, "We finish the page of problems we were working on, and you get at least most of them right, then we hit the consoles" she said, stern enough that he knew he ought to agree with her, but with enough of a smile that he knew she didn't want to seem mean.

"You got it, teach" Dick mock-saluted as he took a step towards the door.

"And I'll have a soda" she told him, pointing to the fridge as she walked away and Dick dutifully took two steps back to get her the drink she asked for.

The smile on his face was genuine by now, another ability Mac seemed to have lately. With so many positive points in all areas, Dick knew he was being some kind of fool keeping her at arms length when there was a chance he might get somewhere, but it was actually kinda cool just being friends right now, he considered, as he got back to the table and joined her, passing her a coke, and clinking his bottle against hers as she thanked him.

Being buds with a chick was the weirdest thing to Dick, but he could deal. In a lot of ways, life was looking up since he let Mac into his house, his life, and his head. Sure it was confusing as hell considering how this relationship of sorts would end up, but right then Dick decided categorically he wasn't going to think on it too much anymore. The Math gave him a big enough headache, the last thing he needed was to increase the pain by trying to figure out if and how he could date Mac. Right now she was being a great tutor and a friend, and he liked that. For now, he intended to let the matter lie, and concentrate on passing his classes when he needed to, and kicking girl butt on his X-Box when Mac allowed him the chance. Yeah, in a lot of ways, life was good for Dick Casablancas.

* * * * *

Even after hours in her company, Dick didn't want Mac to leave. They studied then hung out, playing computer games and eating take-out, til his tutor and newest friend told him she really did have to go home. If for no other reason, she said, it was a school night.

"We should totally do this some night when you don't have to leave so early" he told her as she stepped out of the front door, and turned to face him on the porch, "Like a Friday or whatever, 'cause you could totally stay over, we have like a gazillion rooms" he said, hands making an explosive-type gesture to show just how much space there really was in his house - as if she hadn't noticed.

"Uh, yeah, maybe" Mac said, feeling a little awkward, after all, her Mom and Dad were hardly likely to react well to her telling them she'd like to stay over at a boy's house, especially not a boy like Dick Casablancas who had somewhat of a reputation, "Not this Friday, obviously" she said, wondering why he looked blank at her, "I mean, aren't you going to the 80s dance at school?" she checked.

"Dude, that dance is gonna suck!" Dick exclaimed with disgust, "Only 'tards are going to that... well, and couples who want to make out in a different decade or whatever" he told Mac who nodded slowly.

"Oh, right" she agreed, "Well, I'm not going either. Even if I wanted to I couldn't" she explained, though she wasn't sure why, "It's my parents anniversary so there's an 80 percent chance I'm going to have to baby-sit my little brother" she rolled her eyes at the thought.

Dick looked oddly at her for a moment before replying;

"That's a probability of four in five" he told her, like a proud first grader who just learnt to tie his shoe or something.

It was kind of adorable actually, Mac realised, if not a little odd and she smiled as she nodded he was correct.

"Right" she said, "Um, well, I should be going so, I guess I'll see you" she added with a half-hearted wave before she finally made it out the door.

Dick leaned in the doorway, watching the brunette as she got into her car and drove off out of the main gates. Friends was cool, he liked that he had someone like her in his life. She was the best tutor, she talked a lot of sense for a chick, and she had mad skills in computer games that he never thought a girl could have. Yeah, he liked her a lot, and the fact she was hottest geek he ever met didn't hurt either.

To Be Continued...