Sorry it took so long guys, been busy with school and all. This one is still in Charlie's perspective cuz I promised you guys Don and Alan and Grace obviously doesn't know them yet. Enjoy!


Chapter 4


"You're late."

This was the only greeting I received and the only one I really expected. Neither looked up from their meal at my entrance, not even Dad to make his comment. I stood there, bag still slung over my shoulder, watching them continue as if I still had yet to arrive, and not really sure if they still wanted me to sit when they were already half-finished.

This is when Dad decided to raise his head and say: "You gonna just stand there or are you gonna sit down and tell us why?"

Sighing, I dropped my bag to the floor (ignoring the look that was shot at me for doing so) and plopped down across from Don. When no-one questioned me further, I reached across the table and started lobbing mashed potatoes onto the plate that had been set for me.

"So?" Don prompted between munchings.

I stopped spooning. "So what?"

"What happened? Paper grading? Some breakthrough equation that couldn't wait?"

"No, I uh," I hesitated, then realized there was nothing unusual about the reasons for my tardiness that I needed to conceal. "I had a tutoring session that went late."

"Tutoring?"

"Yeah."

"You tutor? Since when?"

"Since someone asked."

Don shook his head and returned his attention to spearing a green bean with his fork. "Wouldn't think you'd have the time. So how'd it go?"

"Fine. Good."

"Good?" Don echoed.

I nodded. "Yeah."

Don chuckled slightly and again went back to his own meal. "When I'd ask you for help with my homework, you would always get frustrated with me."

"Well, Grace is a little more willing to be helped," I insisted. "And…smarter than most of the others I tutor. In a completely different way than me." I allowed a slightly wistful smile. "It's rather stimulating really."

I was busy chewing for quite a while before I noticed the both of them staring at me, eating utensils suspended in mid-air. I glanced back and forth between them before saying: "What?"

"Grace is it?" Don ventured when Dad said nothing. "So it's a girl?"

"Yes Don. It's a girl. As is over half the world's population."

He sat back in his seat with a little knowing smile and I was suddenly reminded of the few times in high school when a girl would show interest in me and he would take great delight in torturing me about it. "And she's stimulating?"

"Intellectually stimulating."

Dad was still silent during all of this and it was beginning to unnerve me. Whenever he remained still in these sorts of conversations, it was generally due to the fact that he was enjoying my misery as much as my brother. But there was no amusement evident on his face and I shifted in my seat uneasily.

"How old is she?" he ultimately put in.

I hesitated, though I'm not sure he noticed. "She's a freshman, Pop."

He lapsed back into silence at this and now Don seemed to sense the tension. He cleared his throat pointedly and made an obvious attempt to change the subject. "So Terry's going to New York for a few days; she tell you?"

I shook my head again, still discreetly watching Dad. "No."

He went on about it for a bit, and I can vouch that not a word of it was interesting and he knew it. So when Pop rose from the table and began gathering our plates, mumbling that he was going to start the dishes, he didn't seem too surprised. Though his eyebrows did raise a bit when I offered to help him. I took the potato bowl off his hands, ignoring his protests and followed him into the kitchen, leaving Don alone to stack up the rest.

I followed Dad over to the sink where he dropped in his load, then reached for mine to do the same. He was still eerily quiet.

"You okay?" I finally asked.

He turned to me and unfortunately, he had his "lecture face" as Don and I liked to call it. "So who's this girl?"

I swallowed and busied myself with the silverware. "She's just a student."

"You like her?" he questioned, startling me a bit with his candor.

I looked back up at him, attempting to look resolute. "She's a student," I said, as if the that was the answer in itself. And really it should have been. Logic seemed to be failing me lately though.

Luckily, it wasn't failing my father. He paused, allowing his eyes to drift down for a moment in thought, then he patted my shoulder and began running water in the basin. "Just as long as you keep that in mind."

We finished the remainder of our task without another word spoken between us and I was glad of it. 'Cause I sure as hell wouldn't have known what else to say.


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