A/N: Mood swings again

"How's it going Sam?"

I smile, "It's kinda been a bad week Mike. Can I get some OJ and the paper?"

"May I speak frankly Ms. McCall?"

I didn't answer, it was not a question.

"Looking at your application, well you simply aren't up to the Pre-Law programs standards."

I stared blankly.

It made her uncomfortable. "Naturally, it's early in our weeding process…"

"Weeding? What am I? Crabgrass?"

"There's no need to be hostile, Ms. McCall."

"Did you have a point Ms. Baxter? Are you turning my application down? Is there something I can do to change your mind? Or is the decision already made?"

"Like I said, it's still early in the process, and seeing that your mother is the District Attorney, it could be awkward…"

"My mother has nothing to do with this. Either I get into the program because I'm a good candidate or I don't." I stood quickly and gathered my things.

She was clearly taken aback. "Well, your midterm marks are less than impressive. If you can bring them up by the end of the semester, there's no reason you wouldn't be considered. I just wanted to make it clear we only want serious students in our program. Based on their own merit, not that of their …family."

"All that's left is the Society page, Interested?" I nod. "Anything you want to talk about?" He hands me the juice and The Herald.

"Not really. Stupid stuff. "

I burrow myself into a corner table and pretend to read. So much stupid stuff.

"I didn't want you to find out like this."

"Well, there was a sure fire way to avoid that. You could have told me yourself. You could have even called. But no…I find out because I happened to be standing in the hall waiting for my appointment with Lainey. Is there anyone else who doesn't know that you and Liz are having a baby? Let me guess Jason, Lucky's been left out of the loop as well."

"Sam, it's not like that…"

"What's it like Jason?"

"Liz and I were hurting. Lucky's messed up, he's been sleeping around."

"So Liz felt it necessary to do the same?" I shouted. "Fine, okay, why you Jason?"

"I'd lost you."

"You lost me? You didn't lose me Jason, you threw me away. It's not the same thing!"

"I…I can't really go into it. I'm not sure the baby's mine, it's probably Lucky's."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" I pulled back. "I'm being ridiculous. We're over, you've been telling me that for months. Of course you moved on."

"Sam…"

"Just leave me alone Jason. Please, you've gotten to be so good at it, just do this for me now."

I refocus on the paper. Birth announcements. Lorenzo Alcazar and Skye Quartermaine announce the arrival of their daughter.
The roots of the Russian Revolution were possibly planted in during the reign of Alexander the first, eighty some years before the uprising in

Damn it….what year was it? 1914….1914…it was 1914 20 years before Mikkos was born. That's it…

1914. However, it would be the 1860s that spurred

Spurred something…crap…

Ugh...why was I stupid…why….why? "WHY!" I slammed my pen down and whirled around in my chair. Alexis stared at me from the doorway.

"Is everything okay in here?" She asked.

"NO! Why am I so stupid? You're not stupid. You don't have a stupid bone in your entire body! You do the New York Times Crosswords in PEN." I slammed my notebook shut and storm across to my window, hoping looking at the water would calm me down. It didn't. I turned back to Alexis. "Seriously, was Stavros dumb or is this a side-effect of inbreeding?"

Oh My God…I had just said that out loud. I REALLY was stupid. "I'm, I'm sorry Mom…I…"

"Dinner will be ready in about 15 minutes, if you'd like to join us." She walked away. I ran after her.

"Alexis, stop. That was a hateful thing to say…I…"

Alexis bit her lower lip. "I'd really appreciate it if you don't say anything like that in front of the girls."

"I won't…I promise." I was not sure what to say. So I just rambled. "This paper for World History is like 30 of my grade and its due in three days and I've been working on it for a week and I can't even come up with the stupid first paragraph. And my biology test came back and I really thought I was understanding everything and I got a 71. And there are all these little 18 years running around getting 95s without ever cracking a book."

"I get it Sam, you are stressed." Alexis replied quietly. She moved away.

"I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"I know." Alexis faced me. "I wish I could tell you what you need to hear right now."

"That I'm not stupid…that it's just stress…that you don't hate me."

"All of the above and more." Tears spilled down her cheeks. "But I can't."

Blood. One red drop, two, now three. Mike is whispering my name, he looks scared and so far away. I turn to meet his gaze, offer him a weak smile and my world turns black.