"Miss Tess!"

"Well, look who came to see me and didn't bring me any chocolate." Tess King's booming voice teases the young brunet male poking his head through the door, ushering him into her classroom. "Come in, baby!"

Andrew Michaels laughs heartily, pushing the door open, and holding up a box of her favorite chocolates. "I'm not an idiot, Miss Tess."

Tess' laugh is warm and rich as she opens her arms for her former pupil, affectionately ruffling his dirty blonde hair. He kisses her cheek and sets her gift down on her desk as she pushes him away to get a look at him. "You still look like you don't ever eat," she remarks, giving him a stern glance once she's looked him over. "I ought to bend you over my knee like you're my own son for lettin' yourself get this skinny!"

"It's genetics, Miss, Tess." Andrew shrugs, looking down at the loose denim shirt he tucked into a pair of rapidly fading and fraying black jeans. It balloons out over his waist, as most of his shirts do when they're tucked in, and only serves to emphasize his slender waist. "Mama's skinny, too. Dad's a pole. I was not genetically gifted with the ability to carry weight."

Tess just rolls her eyes at him and changes the subject. "What are you doin' here, baby?"

"Can't a guy come visit his favorite teacher?" Andrew presents her with a fake pout, slowly batting his eyelashes at her.

"No!"

"Fine," he caves with a playful roll of his bright green eyes. "I need a favor."

"Uh huh, what's what I thought." Tess purses her lips, pretending to be offended that he is not there just to see her. But, the truth is, she's pretty sure what the favor is and she is more than happy to do it. "Well, what is it? What do you need?"

"Well, I've started applying to medical schools and I need recommendations…" Andrew drawls a not-so-subtle hint, rather than straight up ask the question. "And glowing accolades from professors look real good."

"I bet they do." Tess turns away from him for only a second before dropping her hurt facade and laughing. "I'm sure I can write up somethin' for you, baby. Don't you worry."

"Thank you, Miss. Tess." Andrew laughs, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "Mind if I hang around? I don't have any classes and - "

"And, you don't want to run into Molly." Tess teases, settling in her chair. She motions to one of the students' chairs. "Pull up a chair."

"Give me a break, Tess. It was a rough breakup." Andrew pouts, turning the chair so he's straddling the back of it.

"It wouldn't have been so rough if the pressure hadn't been on for you two to marry." Tess reminds him gently, pulling a stack of assignments from underneath the box of chocolates he'd brought her. "Pressure kills a relationship, baby."

"Tell me about it." Andrew grumbles, crossing his arms on the top of the chair's backrest and dropping his chin to rest on his wrists. "Mama knew, though. She told me when I called that she knew I'd never marry Molly. "

"Mamas always know, baby." Tess laughs, sparing a glance up at him between making notes in the margins of an assignment. "But, you can't avoid her forever."

"I'm not." Andrew defends his actions. "I'm just avoiding her for now."

Tess laughs and returns to grading her papers while Andrew busies himself with a copy of the theology book they're reading in class. It's mostly quiet until the door opens and a meek voice barely fills the auditorium. "Tess?"

Both Tess and Andrew look up to find a petite little redhead in the doorway. The way his breath catches is enough to pull Tess' gaze and he tilts his head to reassure her that he is still breathing. She is beautiful, he can't ignore that, nor can he ignore the pretty way she smiles at the professor.

"Angel girl!" Tess is jovial, immediately standing up to scoop the petite woman up in a hug. "What are you doing here, baby?"

"I can't find my ancient religions book." her Irish lilt ties Andrew's stomach up in knots. Something only made worse when he realizes that it's her book, he'd been reading in his desperation to avoid his ex-girlfriend. "I think I left it here."

Tess comes to the same realization that Andrew had come to seconds before when she sees the book open beneath his hands on her desk. She just chuckles and points to it. She knows how this is going to go. "Andrew is reading it."

The little redhead looks over at him, painted dark lips open in anticipation of an introduction but Andrew is unable to find his voice. Instead, he snaps the book shut and hands it to her. "I'm Monica." she finally says when the shock of his abrupt actions has worn off. "If you care."

"You should be more careful with these books." he finally says, voice low and gruff. "Tess won't appreciate it if you lose her books."

"It's my book!" Monica snaps. As much as she already dislikes him, she can't ignore the twisting in her stomach. That drawl and those eyes, it was like a moth to a flame. She is hopelessly attracted to this man but headstrong in her contempt for him. "Tess couldn't possibly have loaned me something I already owned."

Andrew just raises a single blonde eyebrow at her. He doesn't doubt her, he just wants to hear her speak. Sure enough, it stokes that fire, flames so hot, he's sure to be burned.

"I'm not an idiot." she snaps, hugging her book close to her chest. She gives him a glare that could bury him six feet under before turning to Tess and softening considerably. "Thank you, Tess."

"You're welcome." Andrew grins, tipping his head to the side. His eyes are considerably darker than the bright jade of before and Tess recognizes that grin. He can be such an insolent brat, despite always presenting himself as a Southern gentleman.

Monica glares at him, spins so sharp on her heel, there's probably a scuff mark on the tile floor, and stomps out, floral dress swishing around the tops of her leather boots. Tess rolls her eyes at the both of them and turns to Andrew with a stern glare. "You!"

"What did I do?" Andrew holds his hands up defensively, hoping to project an air of innocence but he knows he's been had. By Tess and Monica.

"You're supposed to be a Southern gentleman!" Tess calls him out.

"I tried, Tess!"

"No, you did not." Tess rolls her big brown eyes at her former pupil, voice higher than normal, a shrill harshness to her usually velvet timbre. "You acted like a heathen! And, a coward! Now, I know she was no better but you're the only one still here!"

"I'm sorry but…" well, now it's awkward. The way he sees it, he can hightail it out of there like the coward he is, or he can gather his courage, admit the reason why he acted the way he did, and face Tess' wrath for treating one of her obviously favorite students so bad. "Look, Monica's a very pretty girl, Tess, and after Molly, I wasn't…"

"You like her." Tess gets the hint pretty quick. "I can't tell you or her how not to be antagonistic little fools but I can tell you that Monica's a different kind of fire so watch how you play." she gives him a funny look, one that speaks of the immense irony about to spill from her mouth. "I'd hate to see you get burned."

"Right, I'm sure you would, Tess." Andrew drawls sarcastically, crossing his arms over his chest. "And, Monica?"

"I'll speak with her but, you better quit this little facetious act and get over that Molly." Tess' lectures are matched only by his mother's and he'll be sure to take in every word. "Now, I know it hurts but she's with Jordan, now."

"Trust me, Tess, I'm well aware." Andrew grumbles, shifting uncomfortably. "I have to see it, everyday."

Tess just sighs. She knows how hard it had been on Andrew to lose his high school sweetheart to a cowboy from Colorado, who made promises, he probably couldn't keep. But, that did not excuse his earlier behavior. "I'll talk to Monica, but for now, it might be best, if you went home and thought about how you might fix whatever is clearly wrong with you."

Andrew is reluctant to agree, despite knowing that Tess is more than right. He does need to fix whatever is wrong with him, whatever had been wrong with him since his bitter breakup. He just kisses her cheek, wishes her well, and hurries on his way.

Maybe, the football game, tonight, would help. Utah is playing Mississippi and he could do with a less bittersweet reminder of home.

…

"Did you find your book?" Zoe Poplovich is painting her eyelids with sparkling white eyeshadow when Monica enters their shared apartment. Her lips would be painted a bright Christmas red to match the University of Utah's colors and the cheer uniform she would be donning when she was done applying her makeup.

"Yes." Monica grits her teeth, dropping her bag on the couch along with the aforementioned book. "And, I met a friend of Tess'."

"Oh yeah?" Zoe looks over at her friend, who looks displeased, to say the least. "Well, who was it? Why do you look like you've been fighting with someone?"

"Because, this friend was reading my book!" Monica's shrill tone alerts Zoe to the coming storm. She fluffs her blonde curls and follows her Irish friend to the kitchen, where she finds Monica chugging water like she'd been dying of thirst. "And, when I asked for it, he told me not to lose Tess' book because she wouldn't be happy as if he couldn't believe that it could possibly be my book."

"Well, did he know it was your book, Mon?" Zoe raises a blonde eyebrow at her friend.

Monica gets a little squirmy, obviously uncomfortable with Zoe's line of questioning. "No, I guess, not until I told him." she cuts off Zoe before she can point out the sour interaction was more her fault than Andrew's. "But, he was being mean. He didn't even introduce himself. Tess had to do it, and he practically tossed the book at me."

"And, you're too much fire, Mon." Zoe reminds her gently, wrapping a comforting arm around her friend's shoulder. She knows without the physical sign of affection, Monica could take this the wrong way. "As sweet as I know you can be, you can also be the fire that burns someone. I don't think I need to remind you of that poor guy at karaoke, last week."

"Zoe!" Monica cries foul. "I didn't even know him!"

"You didn't give him a chance, babe!" Zoe points out with a laugh. "You have to get to know someone!"

"Well I don't want to know Andrew." Monica spits his name bitterly.

Ooh.

Okay, so, Zoe didn't quite understand the acid in her voice when she first came in, but now that she hears the way Monica keeps saying his name, the emphasis she puts on every syllable, she's pretty sure she understands, now. And, it has nothing to do with their sharp-tongued first meeting and everything to do with how attractive he must have been to have Monica in such a tizzy.

But, her snicker of understanding only makes Monica whine; "Zoe, what?"

"Monica, you think he's cute!" Zoe finally laughs, resting her cheek on the top of her shorter friend's head. "You're only acting like this because you're attracted to him and you don't want to be."

"What?" despite sounding like Zoe had said something absolutely scandalous, Monica's face turns a rather dark shade of red. So dark, in fact, she almost matches her hair. "I am not!"

"Oh please, Mon!" Zoe rubs her arm, but it's patronizing and teasing, like the spark in her eyes. She's only pretending to soothe. "Maggie's not even here and she can see it."

"See what?" Maggie's arms wind around Monica's tiny waist in a friendly hug, resting her head on her shoulder. "Ooh, Mon's blushing. You got a boyfriend, now?"

"Mags! Where'd you come from?" Zoe tilts her head down to look at their other friend.

"Chemistry Lab." Maggie answers, turning her attention back to Monica. "So, Mon. Boyfriend?"

"No!" Monica jerks away from both of them. "I'm going to go get ready for the game."

Zoe and Maggie watch her head for the bathroom with raised eyebrows. When she's out of sight, Zoe explains. "She met someone, today, and she says she hates him but…"

"But, he's hot and she doesn't like thinking so?" Maggie guesses.

Zoe just nods and they both dissolve into giggles at their friend's behavior. She never took very well to being thrown even the slightest bit off balance by anything. They just hope she can keep focused on the game instead of her feelings, whatever they may be.

Utah plays Mississippi in their first game of the college season.