ERICA TIFFANY SMITH TO THE RESCUE

"I tell you, Professor, I don't know what to do with him," Skipper scoffed as he turned back around.

"I'm surprised he didn't try and pack his duck and frog," the Professor answered with a small chuckle.

"They wouldn't fit, and Gretchen is scared of the dark," Gilligan answered the man as he came back into the hut. "I put Herman and Hilda back in their trough," he told the Skipper, who sighed and turned away from him.

"Good - go make yourself useful, catch some dinner, and leave those animals alone," the Skipper ordered, and Gilligan left. The sailor turned to the Professor. "I do miss Erika… Man, I would do anything to have been her husband! You think she liked me, Professor?"

The scientist shrugged. "Personally, I don't see why you fancy her so much. All she cared about was kissing," he answered, and the Skipper rolled his eyes. Talking to the Professor was worse than talking to the naive Gilligan.

"Are you honestly telling me that in your entire life, you never REALLY cared for a woman? Come on, Professor! There's more life than experiments and textbooks!"

Roy Hinkley stopped, unsure how to respond. He had met a lot of women in his life, but none of them were interested in science, not since HER.

"Once, in the eleventh grade," he said, deciding the truth was best. The Skipper sat down, giving the man his full attention. The Professor sighed, trapped. "Liz Henley; my science fair partner… She was so smart and very beautiful… I wrote her a poem, comparing her to a flower. She was very shy but when you got to know her she was mesmerizing." He sat on the table and sighed deeply. "She was my first kiss, too. It was Valentine's Day. I gave her a flower and the poem and it was like watching an experiment come to life. Her lips were soft and sweet… She moved away after school ended, and I never saw her again. I could never kiss anyone after her." He stopped and turned to the Skipper. "As you saw on that silent movie we made, Ginger reminded me of Elizabeth and I don't want to get caught up in that business. Erika was the same way. It would seem I'll never be free," he added, and walked to the hut door.

"Please don't tell anyone else, Skipper, especially the girls. I want them to think I'm just not interested, not that I'm… afraid," he said, before heading out.

The Skipper stared, stunned, barely noticing Gilligan's return.

"I got some nice lobsters and fish… You okay Skipper?" he asked, and the Skipper nodded.

"Yeah. That was some woman, huh?" he asked, and Gilligan shrugged.

"She was nice, I guess," he said, not seeing the big deal about girls. The Skipper nodded and left, still dazed. "I hope no more girls come, they're so weird," Gilligan commented, picking up his diary.

Dear Diary,

Anuther visiater, a girl this tim. Ericka Tiffiny Smith, she wanted a husbind and a vacaten spot. Glad she didn't chose me. she liked the prafesser thou I dunt thenk he even liks wumen. Wer here still tho - girls cant give directuns

Gilligan