A/N: Hola, friends! Summer vacation's been treating me pretty nice so far. A lazy streak may hit me, though. You never know. I'll try to update rather quickly, but no promises. Thanks to everyone who's stayed with me so far! You rock! Please review…

"Mally, would you sit up?" Natalie reprimanded her friend as they tried to study in her bedroom, sounding strangely like her mother. Her friend Mally was currently laying on her bed, her chemistry book draped over her stomach, as she let her head hang off the edge, the blood rushing to it. Hey – it was better than doing chemistry.

When Mally let out a strange groan and still didn't move, Natalie swatted her forehead with her notebook, eliciting an 'ouch' from her friend. She finally sat up on Natalie's bed pretzel style, reluctantly pulling her humongous textbook onto her lap. Natalie was trying her best to tutor her friend in one of her personal best subjects, but she wasn't taking very well. She'd really tried at first, but now she was just getting frustrated again. Chemistry just wasn't for everyone, Natalie decided, but she'd probably major in it in college herself. She was getting frustrated also that she couldn't explain it clearly to her suffering friend.

"Mally, you need to concentrate. Quit fooling around, or you'll never pass." Natalie hated that she sounded like her parents, but now she could see where they were coming from when she was in one of her whiny moods, like Mally was now. She couldn't help but feel sorry for her friend, though. It had been a week now since she'd found out her birth mother was dead. She'd been pretty mopey and angry at school, and not much fun hanging out. Natalie knew both Nick and Sara had been talking constantly to her, but still trying to give Mally her space. They still made it clear, however, that she wouldn't been slacking off with her schoolwork. It wasn't mean – Mally was seeing a counselor, and she was still perfectly capable of A's and B's. Besides, being in school helped Mally take her mind off her mother. But she still hated chemistry and wanted to stab herself whenever she looked at her textbook.

"Okay, let's review." Natalie said matter-of-factly. "How do you find the atomic mass for Selenium?"

"I demand a new question." Mally said, in a partly frustrated, silly, but still depressed mood.

"No. Answer that one. You know how to do it. We just reviewed it ten minutes ago."

"I'll take obscure knowledge no one cares about for eight hundred, Alex!" She mocked her friend. Mally didn't know why all of a sudden she was so satirical and sarcastic. She truthfully just didn't know how else to act. There was so much pain inside of her right now. Pair that was adolescence and a now failing chemistry grade, and you had Mally right now.

"Alright, that's it." Natalie slammed her notebook down on her bed and stood up, finished. "I'm trying to help you, but you're not even trying!"

Mally felt deeply hurt. She knew she was being a pain in the ass, but she was hurting right now, and she expected her only friend in the world right now to be more understanding. Mally had trouble just coming out and saying her feelings to anyone, so when she was bothered, she tended to act up and be especially annoying. Sometimes Natalie just didn't understand her ways.

"Fine! If that's how you're going to be!" Mally jumped up with tears in her eyes. "I'll get someone else! Thanks for being a great friend!"

Natalie didn't say anything, merely opened her bedroom door for Mally to leave. Her friend stormed out and down the stairs. She walked home in tears. It was 5:30 in the afternoon.

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Nick was at the stove fixing supper in an irritated mood. He'd been at home on a stormy day with two cooped-up, cabin fevered three year olds, and he had been about ready to snap. Then on top of that, he received a notice from Mally's school that she was now failing chemistry. Nick hated to push her, especially after all that had happened recently, but he couldn't allow her to give up and get an F. Though he knew it would be painful for both of them, he'd have to have a serious talk with her and threaten consequences. At least she was over at the Grissoms' right now studying with Natalie.

The front door flew open and in walked a distressed Mally. Nick hated that the first thought in his mind was 'oh, god, what's happened NOW'. He just didn't feel like he could take much more drama in his life. Not that what Mally was feeling wasn't important, but her stress had in turn given him more stress. She plopped herself down at the breakfast bar across from where Nick was stirring some noodles, and immediately clunked her head down on the surface, letting out a frustrated moan.

"Tough day, baby?" Nick asked in a concerned voice. But Mally knew that tone all too well. It meant that he knew something was going on with her. He'd found something out that would cause her to have a tough day, and he was waiting for her to explain it to him.

"Daddy, not now. Please." She begged him, her tone whiny and tired.

"Then when would be a good time, Mally? After I let you fail your chemistry class?" He put down the wooden spoon and leaned on the counter with both hands, a serious expression on his face. Mally finally got the guts to look up at him, her chin resting on her forearm. She gave him her best 'feel sorry for me' expression, knowing it wouldn't work, but it was worth the try every time.

"I got a notice from your school today. Fifty six percent? That's unacceptable and you know it."

"Daddy, I'm trying. I really am." Her voice was laced with emotion, but no tears appeared. If he knew anything about his daughter, Nick knew that her tears were genuine. And the absence of them at this moment further confirmed that she'd completely shut down, and that she really wasn't trying. He crossed his arms before continuing.

"You were going to help sessions, Mal, and your grade was improving. Natalie's been helping out, but Gil and Catherine tell me you're not cooperative with her, and you're not doing the work."

"They ratted me out?" Mally protested, and then realized she'd just confirmed her father's suspicions. "Daddy, I had been trying, but I'm no good at it, so yeah, sorry. I gave up after almost an entire school year of trying. I'm so going to hell."

"Language, Mally." Nick reprimanded her. "No one is good at everything, including you and me, but that doesn't mean you can just give up. I thought I raised you better than to just stop trying." He tried to guilt trip her.

"I know you're still upset about your mother, but that doesn't mean you can neglect your schoolwork."

"I'm getting A's and B's in everything else." Mally pointed out.

"I'm aware of that, and I'm proud of you, but an F is not okay. There is no way you can try at something and completely fail, Mally. We've never had to have rules about grades before, but I think I'm gonna have to start making them."

"Dad! Why? I'm trying! I really am!"

Nick let out a loud sigh, hating that it was coming to this. He hoped this wouldn't push her farther away, but he couldn't sit back and let her fail. They'd figure out some other way to help her.

"I was willing to let one C slip out, but then it turned into a D, and now it's an F. Your mom thought I should've done something before now, but I wanted to give you time, and I could see you were trying. But, Mal, you've given up. We will get you more help if you will take it."

Mally just stared at the counter, listening to her father's lecture. She'd always known grades were important to him, and she'd always gotten good grades, except for this one class. She didn't see why one bad grade was such a big deal. Mally just kept digging deeper and deeper into her hole of chemistry, until now that it was almost too late.

"Sweetheart, if you don't pull your grade back up to passing in the next week, I'll have no choice but to ground you until it is."

"You can't ground me because of my grades!" She stood up from the stool angrily, glaring at Nick.

"I will if I think you need it. I will not stand here and watch you put forth no effort. Sometimes life is hard, and you have to learn not to just give up."

Mally was crying now as she scowled at her father. She couldn't believe he was trying to do this to her. He didn't know what it felt like to fail at something. To feel completely worthless by merely looking at a chemistry book. It's not like she didn't try. She did, and it didn't help. Who wouldn't give up after six months of failure? Mally felt her anger boil up, and she was seething.

"I hate living here!" She screaming at him. Nick willed himself to stay calm. Luckily, the twins were outside playing on the swingset and didn't hear. "I hate being in this family, and I can't wait until college!"

Mally kept crying as she ran for the stairs, upset beyond words. She couldn't understand how her father could be so cold and misunderstanding. She'd just found out her birth mother was dead, and the household climate had been less than chipper. How could he expect her to work at a time like this? And she was getting all A's and B's in her other classes. Who cares about one F?

Nick shook his head, telling himself that she was just upset. She loved being in this family. She loved him, Sara, and the twins with all her heart, but she was just going through a tough time. Part of his job as a parent was to make sure she kept on track, even when times were rough. She couldn't learn that when she's feeling a little down and life gets hard, that she can just quit. He didn't quit when Carolyn left him, or when he found out she was dead. But Mally was just a kid. He hoped he wasn't being too hard on her. In his heart, he felt this way was right.

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Natalie Grissom walked a little solemnly down the stairs of her home to where her parents were finishing the dishes before heading to work. She'd told them all about the incident with Mally, and they knew Nick was going to start coming down hard on his daughter. Natalie felt bad for her, but she'd never seen her friend just give up. It really bummed her out that Mally was having so much trouble, but she didn't know how to help.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Catherine asked her daughter, sweeping back a piece of fallen hair behind her shoulder lovingly.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'll just engross myself in my homework like I always do, and everything will be peachy." She saw the disapproving look on her parents' faces. "Just kidding. I'll probably call her later to see how she's doing."

"Good girl." Catherine kissed her head.

"Hey, did you get the mail in today?" Natalie asked her parents.

"I threw it on the counter, honey." Gil told his daughter as he put on his jacket. It was mostly bills these days, and wasn't in the mood to deal with them today. Natalie rushed to the pile, always on the lookout for a letter from Stanford. She sifted through the pile and found it.

"Stanford!" She yelled, immediately ripping at the official envelope, her hands trembling. Natalie quickly skimmed the page, looking for any key words. Finally, she saw it.

"We are pleased to inform you that you've been accepted into the incoming freshman class at Stanford University!"

Natalie started jumping up and down repeatedly, screeching and squealing. Her parents let out audible proud gasps, and pulled together for a family hug.

"Honey, that's great!"

"That's wonderful! We're so proud of you." Natalie heard them say, and she couldn't be happier. She relished in the feel of her parents' arms around her, and their kisses on her head. Natalie actually started crying at the joy of it all. She was so excited at the prospect of college, and from getting out of Las Vegas. Not that she didn't love her parents, but she was ready to get out. The fact that her parents were genuinely proud and happy for her filled Natalie with a warm, fuzzy feeling she hadn't felt for a while.

Gil finally pulled away, a little teary eyed.

"Now how are we gonna pay for it?" He laughed a little, patting Natalie on the back. Catherine gave him a knowing smile. They'd gotten Lindsey through college, and Natalie was thankfully their last kid.

"You could sell one of your kidneys on the black market." Catherine suggested to her husband, gently stroking her back.

"Or you could put some of your insect collection up on ebay." Natalie joked, knowing how important his bugs were to her father.

"Very funny." He gave Natalie another hug and kiss before clearing his throat. "Alright, we've gotta get to work, sweetheart, but we're so proud of you."

"Thank you, daddy!" She told him, and kissed her mother again. As her parents left, she allowed herself a little victory dance. Woo hoo!

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The phone rang in the Stokes residence, but Mally didn't really care for once. She sat in her room on her bed, her chemistry book open, fuzzily taking in the words through tear-stained eyes. Dinner had been decidedly solemn, as it had been the last week. Mally went straight to her room afterwards and forced herself to crack the books. She still did care what her parents thought of her, and it bugged her that her dad was so concerned with her academics to threaten grounding her. Even if she didn't agree, Mally still wanted to make her father proud.

Mally heard a knock on her door, and Sara peeked her head in.

"Phone's for you. It's Natalie." She told her stepdaughter. Sara smiled sympathetically at Mally as she passed the cordless to her. Mally sighed and accepted, not really in the mood to talk.

"Hello?" She answered glumly, flipping the pages of her books around mindlessly.

"Mally, guess what?" An excited Natalie bubbled.

"What?" She was just as glum.

"I got into Stanford!" She squealed, dancing around in celebration.

"Congratulations." Mally told her friend, trying to sound upbeat, but Natalie didn't feel the love.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't, Natalie. Maybe the fact that you snapped at me, and when I got home, I was in deep shit."

Natalie's eyebrows shot up in surprise and defense. They had fights sometimes, but all was forgiven almost instantly with them.

"I'm sorry, Mally. I didn't mean to upset you. But I was really trying to help you, and you didn't want to work. I have a lot of homework to do myself."

"Yeah, well you must have ratted me out to your parents, because they told my dad I was slacking off! And now my dad's threatening to ground me if I don't bring my grade up!"

"Mal, I didn't say anything, honestly!" Natalie said defensively. "They must have overheard. I would never do that to you! I'm sorry you're in trouble, but it's not my fault."

Mally huffed on the other end, not wanting to accept the explanation, but knowing it was probably the truth. She just wanted someone to blame for all this pain that was going on in her life. That meant that she was still in control, and it was other people who were causing all this grief.

"I'm sorry." Mally finally said, and then burst out in tears, putting her hand over her eyes. "I just don't know what to do anymore."

Natalie listened to her friend cry, not knowing what to say. She didn't know what it felt like to fail. Natalie had always succeeded at everything she tried. She had just been accepted to Stanford, for crying out loud.

"It's okay, Mally. I would be frustrated too." She said softly, sitting on her own bed and waiting for her friend to calm down. "What exactly did your dad say?"

"He's giving me a week to pull a passing grade, and then I'm grounded until I pull it up." She reported shamefully. Mally was a senior. She was almost eighteen years old. She shouldn't have to put up with being grounded at this age.

"That sucks." Natalie agreed. "But, Mal, if you don't pass chem, you'll have to take it again at summer school to get your diploma."

Mally's heart dropped. She hadn't even thought about this class being a requirement for graduation. Mally had to pass this class to get her diploma. This was her last semester of high school, so there was no next year. It was a new situation for her, being in danger of failing a class. Mally imagined the embarrassment of having to take summer school, and not being able to graduate with her friends. Suddenly, she was determined. Determined to get that grade up one way or another. Mally truly believed she wasn't capable of learning the material of that class. How the hell was she going to pull this off? Mally felt sick inside as she thought of the possibilities.

"Mally, I'll still help you. But I can't help you unless you're willing to work."

"I know." She sobbed, feeling like an annoying little kid.

"So are you going to work?"

Mally seethed in a few deep breaths, hating how righteous her friend was sounding right now. Little Miss Stanford taking pity on her shit for brains friend.

"You know, thanks for the offer, but I think I'll pass." Mally said, and hung up the phone. Natalie called 'hello' a few times into the phone, not believing her friend would actually hang up on her. Especially when she was trying to be nice. She couldn't help it if she was smart. Damn smart, at that.

Mally felt a little high and mighty after refusing Natalie's offer. She didn't know why she had, but Mally felt like finding some other way. Natalie was her friend, though she might be a little angry right now, not her tutor. Mally would find someone else. Some other method. She lay down on her bed and started plotting exactly how she was going to pass this damn chemistry class.