Chapter 4: Calculus and Frank Pearl

"No, no, no," Frank said, shaking his head. "That's not how you're supposed to do it. Didn't you look in your textbook?" he asked.

Judy stared blankly at her work and chewed on a pencil. "I still don't get it," she said, flatly.

Frank scooted his chair over next to hers. "Here," he said in his ever patient voice. "Let me explain how you do this problem."

Judy squinted at the problem as she listened to Frank slowly explain each step.

"Try the next one," he urged. "I'll watch to see if you're doing it right."

Judy tapped her pencil on her chin as she studied Frank's work. She slowly began the next problem.

"Did you get this?" Judy asked as she waved her paper in Frank's face.

Frank nodded. "Yeah we got the same answer."

"Rare!" Judy exclaimed. "A++++ in Calculus here I come!"

Frank laughed. "If only it was that easy."

Judy smacked Frank on the back. "With your help, I bet I could," she said, laughing.

Frank awkwardly smiled around his braces and went back to work. Judy successfully did three more problems before getting stuck again. She hated asking her math teacher, Mrs. Doyle, for help. Mrs Doyle was currently very pregnant and very short tempered. If you asked a "dumb question" she also talked to you like you were three.

Judy inched her seat near Frank's, trying to get a glimpse of his paper.

"Miss Moody! What are you doing?" an unpleasant voice demanded.

Frank and Judy both turned around to Mrs. Doyle's scolding face. Mrs. Doyle was wearing what Judy guessed was a maternity dress but it looked like a bed sheet toga. It was though her small body was going to topple over at a gust of wind and she was in a bad mood.

"Nothing!" Judy exclaimed, giving her best "teacher" smile.

"Miss Moody..." Mrs. Doyle began. "This isn't a social hour. You are expected to do the class work I assign quietly! How are you going to learn anything? In life you have to apply yourself. Do you understand, honey!?" she snapped.

Judy frowned. "I already did the front page!" she said in defense to herself.

"Miss Doyle," Frank cut in. "Judy was asking if her process was right," he said, very politely. "It would be a shame to do the entire worksheet wrong."

All teachers liked Frank...even teachers like Mrs. Doyle. He participates in class, gets stellar grades and always does his homework. After his speech, Mrs. Doyle let Judy off the hook. Judy let out a breath of relief when the bell rang.

"Thanks for the back up in there," Judy said, pretending to wipe sweat off her brow. "I thought I was going to be eaten alive."

Frank shrugged like it was no big deal.

"Well...see you later!" Judy said walking off in the opposite direction.

Frank watched Judy disappear into the crowds of people. "I'd do anything for you, Judy Moody," he whispered to himself.

"Hey darling," a cheerful voice said.

Frank turned to see his girlfriend running towards him. Amy hugged Frank tightly.

"I missed you," she said. "How was Calc?"

Frank cleared his throat. "Yeah me too." he said.

Amy took a step back and studied his face. "What's wrong?" she asked. "You seem kind of down."

"Oh, it's nothing," Frank said, putting his arm around Amy. "Just ole Judy getting in trouble in math class," he laughed.

Amy laughed with him. "That's why we love Judy," she said.

Frank had an uneasy feeling for the rest of the day. His last two classes were both with Amy and somehow it felt strange. He quickly brushed off the scary thought that entered his mind; You still like Judy...

"No," he thought sternly to himself. "I like Amy. I love Amy and Amy is my girlfriend."

During the summer when Judy went to Britain again for vacation, Frank took the time to completely clean Judy out of his mind and heart. He's had a crush on her since kindergarten, when they danced the Maypole together but he knew Judy never felt the same toward him. But it was different now...Judy was his best friend and nothing else.

After his pep talk with himself, Frank felt better. As he and Amy walked to their last class, they held hands in the hall. Meanwhile, Judy was in her favorite class with Rocky. She only saw him at lunch and in AP biology.

Judy loved science. She loved learning about life and how everything worked. Most of all, she loved dissection. Most girls were squeamish but not Judy. She hardly let Rocky help during lab.

AP biology always blew by while Judy's least favorite classes never ended. The homework from calculus still haunted her.

In the evening, Judy sat at her desk with her calc homework. Her bedroom floor was littered with crumpled pieces of scrap paper. Her dinner sat beside her, cold and untouched.

"I don't get this," Judy sighed. She grabbed her homework, pencil and calculator and trudged downstairs. Mom was in the kitchen scrubbing the sink down.

"Hey Mom..." Judy said, smiling.

Mom's forehead wrinkled. "Judy...I'm a nurse, not a math teacher," she sighed. "Your dad is the one who understands this."

Judy tiptoed to the living room. Dad was hunched over the dining room table doing some important looking paperwork. Judy decided it was best not to disturb him. She slid on a pair of flip flops and walked out with math homework in hand.

She ended up in front of Frank's door. Since she was there anyways, she knocked on the door and waited for Mrs. Pearl to come get the door.

"Why hello Judy!" Mrs. Pearl greeted, warmly. "Are you looking for Frank?" she asked, eyeing her calculator.

Judy gave a sheepish nod. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Mrs. Pearl shook her head. "Come in, honey. I'll go get Frank."

"I'm the luckiest girl in the world to have you," Amy said, snuggling up to Frank on his bed. She paused before whispering "I love you" for the first time. Her heart fluttered as Frank's eyes widened.

Frank blinked a few times. "Me too," he said.

"I want to hear you say the words" Amy pressed. Her eyes were hopeful.

Frank swallowed and prepared himself to say it. "I love Amy" he kept repeating to himself in his head. This was the girl he wanted to be with. He leaned in toward Amy. Their eyes closed as their lips were about to touch.

"Frank!" Mrs. Pearl hollered.

The door swung open with Amy on one side of the room and Frank on the other. Both were red in the face and pretending to do something.

"Oh I didn't realize Amy was here" Mrs. Pearl said flustered as she saw the awkward scene.

Frank cleared his throat. "What is it Mom?" he asked.

"Oh, um...Judy is downstairs. She asking for you"

"Okay, I'll be right down."

"Are you sick?" Judy asked when Frank came trotting down the stairs. "You look like you have a fever," she said staring at his flushed face.

"It's nothing," Frank said. He held the paper up so Judy couldn't see his beet red face.

"What's wrong?" Judy asked again.

"Nothing..."

Judy and Frank both turned at the sound of the back door opening and shutting. Frank ran his hand through his short blonde hair and sighed.

Judy doodled a picture on her arm, avoiding eye contact. "Was that Amy?" she asked quietly.

"Oh, uh no," Frank said. "My dad is working in...in the...the garden," he fibbed.

"Oh...you sure?" Judy asked, suspiciously.

"Are you sure you're going to pass Calculus?" Frank retorted.

Judy laughed. "Alright then" she said. "Let's get working."