This is all non-J/H bits - drat.

That afternoon Mr Trent didn't show for their history class on the west lawn. It was only the rise of European nationalism in the runup to 1848, no big deal. Ham thought Mr Trent was meeting with the Dean before Dad left. Jake, tired now, was just relieved to drowse in the shade.

A breeze rustled the leaves of the tree he was lying under. The dogs were near the water scamming vulnerable freshmen into running and throwing sticks for them. Dad always claimed they'd treat a burglar the same way. Ham watched idly. Will was fifty yards across the lawn, babbling to Finn. Will was respectful of all adult authority. "It seems kind of weird" Ham observed cautiously. "He's only going to be away for the weekend."

Jake half sat up, saw who Ham was talking about, and flopped back down on the grass. "Father figure."

"Will has a dad. I'm pretty sure." Will could have Ham's dad too, for the asking. The Dean was totally impressed by his brains and his attitude.

"Scout says he has some kind of deal with Mr Krudsky." Jake sounded sleepy.

All night hacking, Ham thought disapprovingly. He poked the other boy in the ribs. If Jake wore fewer layers, this heat wouldn't wipe him out so much. "What?"

Jake opened his eyes and squinted. The sun had moved since he got settled. He shifted to follow the shade before explaining. Either Will's dad drank, or beat him. Scout, sworn to secrecy, had been casting out dark hints. Jake, who clearly suspected Scout of over dramatizing, explained that, then collapsed in a pointed fashion.

"Can't he keep a secret?" Ham was shocked. One thing he knew for sure. If he told Jake anything, Jake would be like a swiss vault. Even if it was hot, or shocking, or.. he could be sure of his friend.

Oblivious to Ham's smug reflections, Jake lay with his forearm thrown up to shield his eyes. All Ham could see of his face was his mouth. "Scout? A secret? Nope."

Ham felt sorry for Will. Aside from his brains, which, yeah, was a big aside, he didn't have the breaks. No money, a mean dad; this was why he was so driven. "Poor Will."

"That's what Will feels, yeah."

Sometimes Jake made no sense at all. "Huh?"

"He's so sorry for himself. Why add to it." Jake added inexplicably "I saw him with his mom. His mom's cool."

At sea, Ham said "Well, moms -" Moms had to love you. It was hormones, or something.

"A long way ahead of Scout's mom" Jake judged crisply.

Was Jake judging mothers on some sort of scale? Ham was going to ask for details, but then the Dean called him. He must be about to leave. "Coming, Dad."

He jumped up but paused. Jake was staring at him with a weird grieving look, like he was Luke Skywalker being corrupted by Darth Vader. Ham frowned at himself. He thought the most freaky things around Jake.

"See ya when I see ya" Jake said. The expression had passed. Jake had big parent issues. And no dad. That was why he got like this when Ham was being son-of-the-Dean.

Ham stood awkwardly, not wanting to go, until his Dad called him again.

:

In the car park, Ham could see a checked off list in the Dean's hand.

draft timetable & pass to Sheri before leaving
appointment w bank
must return first edition to Ffoulkes
exact change for toll
compose speech re logistics (economies of scale, deals with suppliers)
dryclean lucky suit
pack cellphone
& laptop
& barcharts
& asprin

The Dean made a speech designed for a six year old, about Ham being the man of the house while he was gone, and taking care of his mother.

"Dad. I'm six - no, seventeen."

"It's still true" the Dean protested. "I do want you to give Kate your company."

Ham hadn't been spending so much time with Mom lately. There'd been Jake, and Dad. And school, and Jake. And other guys who weren't Jake. And Dad. And Jake.

Dad had been spending more time with Mom. Those arguments. Were he and Mom all right? Hamilton wasn't going to ask. Dad was tired and down. Well, that was nothing new. Mom looked stressed. Now, that was new.

Ham had better make some time for Mom. He could ask about the project she was doing with Finn, show an interest.

But, when he went to talk to Mom, she was preoccupied. She was tidying the Art room. "Not now Munchie. I'm busy."

"Busy. That project with Finn, huh?" Ham said knowingly.

Kate stared at him. "Project with Finn? What are you talking about?"

"Well, I've seen you meeting each other lately -"

"We run into each other - it's a small school - it's adult,work - not interesting." She slammed a cupboard door shut before the foolscap could slide out all over the floor.

That was totally fractured English from Mom. Mom and Dad had this big thing about speaking in sentences. He'd heard Mom pick up the head of the English department on his grammar. "Yeah. I figured it was some kind of English/Art crossover. Anything I can do?"

Mom looked uncomfortable. "No."

Hamilton was relieved. "Okay. Finn and I don't really-"

"What?" When he didn't answer, Kate coaxed "..Hamilton?"

Hamilton looked away. "We don't do well together. He thinks I'm dumb, and I don't like him. I mean, I totally respect him -" he added hastily. His parents were all about respect for the faculty.

Kate said very definitely "Finn has nothing to do with you, Munchkin." She stopped moving round the room briefly.

Huh? Finn was his tutor. Oh well, the point was to spend time with Mom. Letting it go, he asked "Do you want me to help you make supper tonight?"

The uncomfortable expression returned to Kate's face in full force. "Actually, I have a meeting."

"All evening?" Microwave time. Crap.

Kate frowned, annoyed and a bit guilty. "It might take a while. We're discussing whether to include Emily Dickinson in the syllabus."

The syllabus was too male, yada yada. Hamilton had heard Mom ranting about this. "But, Emily Dickinson? She's the Death Lady poet." Not to mention, she was the kind of poet who he didn't know what she was going on about until Will made a speech. And frequently after Will's speech he had to take the Message on trust.

"Are you putting in a vote for Jane Austen?" Kate asked sweetly.

"No!" Horrifying thought. Mom would never get Finn to teach Austen, he told himself. It couldn't be done. Wait, it wasn't an either/or thing. He suggested George Eliot. Dad's favourite book was Middlemarch. "You might get her past Finn's girl-dar."

Kate grinned. "I think they broke the news about George Eliot's true gender sometime during his English degree. Imagine his shock."

"Yeah, but Finn always claims we'd have problems taking women writers seriously."

"You don't agree?" She was curious.

Ham had a problem taking the nineteenth century seriously, but it hadn't stopped the faculty assigning him to read Thoreau. "That's Finn's argument. I bet, say, Scout, or Harry never heard of Mary Ann Evans. So, smuggle a woman writer into Rawley under a man's name."

Kate laughed aloud. "Subversive."

When he dropped by Will and Scout's dorm they were talking about Finn and something Fleming. He caught the end of it - his name? what was that about? "Rumour? What rumour?" he demanded.

Scout turned to him, caught and guilty.

"This rumour wouldn't happen to concern me?" Hamilton demanded suspiciously.

"Something Ryder said" Scout said.

The three of them could see Ryder through the window. He was getting in Jake's face, and Jake was giving him that "who are you and what are you doing on my planet" look he reserved for guys too stupid to talk to. Distracted, Ham watched them. Ryder was a jerk.

"..so, are you with?" Scout was saying.

Ham had missed what he'd said. "What?"

"It's Saturday night. We're all going to Carson. I think it's illegal for a teen to stay in on Saturday night" Scout urged.

"I'm staying in" Will corrected him. "Putting up shelves."

"Krudsky the rule breaker" Ham joked. "Actually, I'm staying in, too. I'll have the house to myself." There was something he wanted to do.

"So, "we're all" translates as, you and Bella" Will teased Scout.

Scout seemed to be okay with that.