[A/N. As with my other stories this chapter has certainly been a long time
coming, and I've nothing to blame but my own laziness I'm afraid. I'm
trying to update all my stories over this weekend, and then hopefully after
that I'll be a little more regular with them. However uni is back in just
over a week, so who knows whether this will happen or not? Anyway, enjoy
this somewhat short chapter regardless.]
SEVEN:
"So," I said when we were sitting down at the kitchen table with Alice clutching a glass of water. "Tell me what happened?"
"I guess I always thought I didn't have to study much, that I was naturally smart." Alice mused, looking thoughtful.
"Well you were!" I argued. "Alice think back to high school. You didn't study and you were top of the class regardless. If that's not naturally smart I don't know what is!"
Alice smiled weakly. "Well maybe college is different." She replied. "I just assumed I could carry on the way I'd done in the past and still get the marks. Turns out- you can't. And do you know what the worst thing was?"
I shook my head, and out of the corner of my eye saw Cary walk past on his way upstairs to change and put Lara down.
"The worst thing was when my parents saw my marks. They were so disappointed in me. My mother shook her head and said, "I thought you were destined for great things Alice. Maybe you should get used to the idea of working in a supermarket or something?" Dad's reaction was different- he yelled at me for a long time before finally sitting down and shaking his head like my mother had done. "You stuffed up big time Alice." He told me. "I hope for your sake you make it better. You're very damn lucky they let you keep your scholarship and put it down to the stresses of leaving home and first year at college. Next year they won't be so lenient, and I won't pay for you if they don't." And I'm failing still!" Alice finished and burst into fresh tears.
I hurried out of my seat and put my arms around her. "Alice," I said. "Come on. This isn't the end of the world."
"Maybe not the end of YOUR world." Alice replied. "Look at you Melody, you're married, you've got a daughter. You've got everything. Without this, without my degree, I will have nothing."
I didn't know what to say to that. I could have told Alice that I didn't have everything, that even though things seemed to be going fine now I always had my doubts about it, but I didn't. Instead I asked the question which had been on my mind ever since she blurted out her problems outside before: "Why do you think you're failing?"
She looked surprised at the question. "Why?" She repeated. "Because I'm stupid."
I shook my head. "We both know that's not true Alice." I said firmly but gently. "If you were stupid there is no way you would have gotten the marks you did at school, nor the scholarship for college, so think again."
Alice sighed and took a small sip of her water. "I guess," She muttered. "It could be a number of things. The first year I didn't really study, like I said. I just breezed through, thinking how easy it all was. When I got my marks I was in shock. It was like being hit in the face by a tonne of bricks. So far this year I've studied a lot. I spend most of my time studying to be honest. I've only been there almost two months, but I think I could count on one hand the number of times I've left my room for something other than study or food." She laughed a little at this. "My roommate thinks I'm strange."
"Who cares what she thinks?" I replied. "Now Alice if college has only been going for a few months is there time to pull your grades back up?"
"Plenty of time." She replied. "But I don't know how: I study all the time and for what? For fails?"
I looked thoughtful and then said slowly "Alice, has it ever occurred to you that you've basically gone from one extreme to the other? At first you didn't study at all, and now you're studying all the time. And what are the results? The same!"
A strange look crossed her face. "So I'm studying too much now?"
I shrugged. "I don't know for sure of course, but it's possible. If you only study and do nothing else..well college is about making friends and having fun as much as it's about studying Alice. You should go out more, join clubs, that kind of thing."
"That's easy for you to say." Alice said with a frown. "Everyone's always liked you Melody, you've always been part of the group.I'm different."
"Different how?" I demanded.
"Well I'm not pretty for one thing." Alice said, playing with the tablecloth and avoiding my eyes.
I was surprised to say the least. Alice had never seemed to be too concerned about her weight before- usually it was me worrying for her. But then I guessed surrounded by lots of pretty girls in college it was a little hard to be secure? "Alice, you're a great person. You're smart, funny and nice. Who wouldn't want to be your friend?"
"Do you really think that?" Alice asked, looking up in shock.
"Would I have said it if I didn't think it?" I replied. "Look Alice, the best thing for you to do is to get back to college and start enjoying it- but not to the point that you completely neglect your study again. The thing is you've got to find the right balance of work and play for you. And only you can do that!"
Alice nodded. "You're right Melody. You always were the practical one." She said.
"And you were always the smart one, so get back there and get the grades you deserve." I replied with a grin.
Cary came in then, cautiously as though he was worried to be interrupting girl talk. I gave him a reassuring smile to let him know it was all right. He sighed as he fell into a chair. "Melody you said that Lara always goes down fine." He accused me.
I raised an eyebrow. "She does." I said.
"Well not today." Cary said, pretending to wipe his brow. "She didn't want to go down at all. Maybe two months is the problem age?"
"I don't think it is." I said with a shrug. "Maybe she just wasn't tired?"
"Well I am." Cary said. "I think I might just go down to the workshop. I want to put a few finishing touches on Mr. Harrison's boat."
"Okay, I'll call you when dinner is ready." I replied. "Although you're probably not too hungry after that huge lunch at your Mum's?"
"Are you kidding?" Cary replied. "I'm starving- nice to see you again Alice."
"You too Cary." She replied.
"And Cary?" I called as he was on his way out. He came back and poked his head around the door. "Give some thought to that idea of your mum's about the boat launch. I think it could be a good idea, and it doesn't have to be too extravagant, just something to make everyone aware of your business?"
"Yeah, I'll think about it." He promised as he left.
"What idea?" Alice asked and I explained Aunt Sara's idea to her, ending with that I thought it would also help Aunt Sara because I sometimes got the impression that she felt as though she had lost Cary to me.
Alice nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, that's not a bad idea really." She said. "Exposure couldn't hurt, especially when you're launching a business."
"Yeah, will you come for the party?" I asked her.
"No, I don't think so." Alice said. "I'm planning on being too busy with my nice new balance in life."
I laughed. "Well in that case I forgive you- as long as I get a ticket to your graduation when you graduate top of your class. And when you achieve your goal of becoming a top lawyer I get free of charge services." I decided.
Alice laughed too. "Thanks for everything Melody. I seem to feel a lot better about everything now."
"Good." I said, glad to think that Alice was as happy as me..well close enough.
SEVEN:
"So," I said when we were sitting down at the kitchen table with Alice clutching a glass of water. "Tell me what happened?"
"I guess I always thought I didn't have to study much, that I was naturally smart." Alice mused, looking thoughtful.
"Well you were!" I argued. "Alice think back to high school. You didn't study and you were top of the class regardless. If that's not naturally smart I don't know what is!"
Alice smiled weakly. "Well maybe college is different." She replied. "I just assumed I could carry on the way I'd done in the past and still get the marks. Turns out- you can't. And do you know what the worst thing was?"
I shook my head, and out of the corner of my eye saw Cary walk past on his way upstairs to change and put Lara down.
"The worst thing was when my parents saw my marks. They were so disappointed in me. My mother shook her head and said, "I thought you were destined for great things Alice. Maybe you should get used to the idea of working in a supermarket or something?" Dad's reaction was different- he yelled at me for a long time before finally sitting down and shaking his head like my mother had done. "You stuffed up big time Alice." He told me. "I hope for your sake you make it better. You're very damn lucky they let you keep your scholarship and put it down to the stresses of leaving home and first year at college. Next year they won't be so lenient, and I won't pay for you if they don't." And I'm failing still!" Alice finished and burst into fresh tears.
I hurried out of my seat and put my arms around her. "Alice," I said. "Come on. This isn't the end of the world."
"Maybe not the end of YOUR world." Alice replied. "Look at you Melody, you're married, you've got a daughter. You've got everything. Without this, without my degree, I will have nothing."
I didn't know what to say to that. I could have told Alice that I didn't have everything, that even though things seemed to be going fine now I always had my doubts about it, but I didn't. Instead I asked the question which had been on my mind ever since she blurted out her problems outside before: "Why do you think you're failing?"
She looked surprised at the question. "Why?" She repeated. "Because I'm stupid."
I shook my head. "We both know that's not true Alice." I said firmly but gently. "If you were stupid there is no way you would have gotten the marks you did at school, nor the scholarship for college, so think again."
Alice sighed and took a small sip of her water. "I guess," She muttered. "It could be a number of things. The first year I didn't really study, like I said. I just breezed through, thinking how easy it all was. When I got my marks I was in shock. It was like being hit in the face by a tonne of bricks. So far this year I've studied a lot. I spend most of my time studying to be honest. I've only been there almost two months, but I think I could count on one hand the number of times I've left my room for something other than study or food." She laughed a little at this. "My roommate thinks I'm strange."
"Who cares what she thinks?" I replied. "Now Alice if college has only been going for a few months is there time to pull your grades back up?"
"Plenty of time." She replied. "But I don't know how: I study all the time and for what? For fails?"
I looked thoughtful and then said slowly "Alice, has it ever occurred to you that you've basically gone from one extreme to the other? At first you didn't study at all, and now you're studying all the time. And what are the results? The same!"
A strange look crossed her face. "So I'm studying too much now?"
I shrugged. "I don't know for sure of course, but it's possible. If you only study and do nothing else..well college is about making friends and having fun as much as it's about studying Alice. You should go out more, join clubs, that kind of thing."
"That's easy for you to say." Alice said with a frown. "Everyone's always liked you Melody, you've always been part of the group.I'm different."
"Different how?" I demanded.
"Well I'm not pretty for one thing." Alice said, playing with the tablecloth and avoiding my eyes.
I was surprised to say the least. Alice had never seemed to be too concerned about her weight before- usually it was me worrying for her. But then I guessed surrounded by lots of pretty girls in college it was a little hard to be secure? "Alice, you're a great person. You're smart, funny and nice. Who wouldn't want to be your friend?"
"Do you really think that?" Alice asked, looking up in shock.
"Would I have said it if I didn't think it?" I replied. "Look Alice, the best thing for you to do is to get back to college and start enjoying it- but not to the point that you completely neglect your study again. The thing is you've got to find the right balance of work and play for you. And only you can do that!"
Alice nodded. "You're right Melody. You always were the practical one." She said.
"And you were always the smart one, so get back there and get the grades you deserve." I replied with a grin.
Cary came in then, cautiously as though he was worried to be interrupting girl talk. I gave him a reassuring smile to let him know it was all right. He sighed as he fell into a chair. "Melody you said that Lara always goes down fine." He accused me.
I raised an eyebrow. "She does." I said.
"Well not today." Cary said, pretending to wipe his brow. "She didn't want to go down at all. Maybe two months is the problem age?"
"I don't think it is." I said with a shrug. "Maybe she just wasn't tired?"
"Well I am." Cary said. "I think I might just go down to the workshop. I want to put a few finishing touches on Mr. Harrison's boat."
"Okay, I'll call you when dinner is ready." I replied. "Although you're probably not too hungry after that huge lunch at your Mum's?"
"Are you kidding?" Cary replied. "I'm starving- nice to see you again Alice."
"You too Cary." She replied.
"And Cary?" I called as he was on his way out. He came back and poked his head around the door. "Give some thought to that idea of your mum's about the boat launch. I think it could be a good idea, and it doesn't have to be too extravagant, just something to make everyone aware of your business?"
"Yeah, I'll think about it." He promised as he left.
"What idea?" Alice asked and I explained Aunt Sara's idea to her, ending with that I thought it would also help Aunt Sara because I sometimes got the impression that she felt as though she had lost Cary to me.
Alice nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, that's not a bad idea really." She said. "Exposure couldn't hurt, especially when you're launching a business."
"Yeah, will you come for the party?" I asked her.
"No, I don't think so." Alice said. "I'm planning on being too busy with my nice new balance in life."
I laughed. "Well in that case I forgive you- as long as I get a ticket to your graduation when you graduate top of your class. And when you achieve your goal of becoming a top lawyer I get free of charge services." I decided.
Alice laughed too. "Thanks for everything Melody. I seem to feel a lot better about everything now."
"Good." I said, glad to think that Alice was as happy as me..well close enough.
