Here is the next one, shorter than normal, but as I said- this was originally supposed to be part of chapter 9. I went back and forth and tweaked Eric and Angela's discussion a few times, but hopefully I struck the right tone. It is new for me to do a slower relationship build with them, lol.

Thanks so much for your feedback and reviews. :-)

George Feeny exited his back door and took a deep breath. The petunias he recently planted were coming along nicely and added a wonderful aroma to the evening air. He was about to head into his little greenhouse to do some necessary maintenance when a moving shadow caught his eye. It took all of a few seconds to identify the mystery visitor. "Eric, what are brings you here? Was I expecting you?"

"No."

"Is everything all right?"

"Great."

He was very quiet-monosyllabic even- which was not like him in the slightest. Normally George would hear him standing outside and shouting like a loon. "Are you sure about that?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're sitting alone in my backyard at dusk. That is not the typical greeting I get. Usually you're pounding on my door and bellowing my name."

"So you do like the Feeny call," Eric concluded.

"It's obnoxious."

"Mr. Feeny, can we talk?"

"My door is always open, Eric." He took a seat in the other chair. "The floor is yours'."

"We're outside. No doors or floors here."

"Eric, speak."

"I'm a good person, right?"

That was not what George expected to come out of the young man's mouth. "Of course you-"

"I know I'm not the smartest and I don't always make the best decisions, but I like to think I'm an overall good guy. I try to help my family, my friends, and I keep you company so your only buddies aren't flowers. And I even did the Big Brother Program…at least until Tommy got adopted. But they told me as soon as I'm ready they can match me up with another kid."

"You are one of the finest people I know. Is your head in the clouds on occasion? Yes, but you do the right thing when it counts. You're there when people need you."

He wanted to be encouraged by Feeny's examples, but kept hearing Cory and Shawn over and over in his head. "Do you think I'm stupid?"

"Eric, you know the answer to that. I've told you before: you are one of the brightest students I've ever had the privilege of teaching and I truly believe you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. You could get passing grades in your sleep…and you have!"

"You're just saying that because it's your job to encourage me."

"I never say anything just to say it. Your issue is that you often succumb to fears and insecurities that manifest as laziness…extreme laziness. Do I think you're stupid? Not in the slightest. You're a young man trying to find his way in the world and who needs to have a little more faith in himself."

"Thanks," he replied half-heartedly.

"Where is this coming from?" Silence was his answer. "Does this have anything to do with Angela?"

"How did you know?"

"I have eyes. Not to mention things I overhear in the gossip mill that used to be my classroom."

"Cory and Shawn aren't giving her a hard time, are they?"

"I don't believe so, at least not while I'm within earshot. Now tell me what is at the root of this sudden self-examination? Actually," he added as he stood, "assist me in the greenhouse while you're telling me."

Eric eyed his mentor suspiciously. "You want my help with your plants?"

"What's so odd about that? You and your siblings have helped off and on over the years."

"There's fertilizer involved, isn't there?" He was always recruited to help when it was fertilizer time. Was there a hidden message in that?

"The bag is up against the side of the garage."

He sighed before getting up to retrieve the bag, scrunching up his face when the odor seeped out as he heaved it over his shoulder. "You know, Feeny, I was at the store the other day and they advertised this fertilizer that was guaranteed not to stink up everything in sight."

"No smell tends to mean synthetic. I prefer organic." George entered the greenhouse and switched on the overhead lights before going to check the temperature and humidity settings. "The plants seem to agree and it's a small price to pay for the beauty they provide."

"Why don't you just let stray cats wander through? Can't get any more organic than that."

"Enough with the fertilizer," he scolded, tossing a pair of gloves Eric's way. "Tell me what's on your mind."

He waited until they were well underway with the plants before speaking again. "I had a pop quiz in my statistics class today."

"Ah, I see. Well, if you'd like we can set aside some time to go over the material so you can do better next time."

"No, you don't understand. I did-well, it's not great, but it's better than the last couple pop quizzes. I got a C+."

Mr. Feeny smiled. True, he still believed Eric was capable of earning higher marks, but it showed progress, especially for a pop quiz. And statistics was a difficult course. "Congratulations. I'm relieved to see you're continuing on an upward trajectory."

"What? Look, I know it's not the best grade in the world, but it's not a tragedy."

He shook his head. "Trajectory, Eric."

"Speak in English, Feeny."

"You're onwards and upwards. Your grades are continuing to improve. That's a good thing."

"You could've just said that. Angela's study tips really pay off. I wasn't even nervous when Professor Hayes sprung the quiz at the end of class. And let me tell you, some people were seriously panicking. Even the brainiacs."

"Angela's been helping you study?"

"She made me flash cards and quizzed me when we were on the road. I never knew when a question was coming or what the subject would be."

"Good approach, keeps you on your toes."

"Yeah, she even figured out a way to relate a lot of the questions to either weather or TV and movies. It's so much easier to remember that way."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"You want to know something funny?"

"I'm all ears."

"When I got the quiz back the first thing I wanted to do was show Angela."

"She's been helping you study and you two have been cultivating quite a friendship. That doesn't seem funny to me."

"Normally the first person I want to show a sort of good grade to is you. Then eventually my parents, but not today."

"What did Angela say?"

"Nothing. I didn't get to show her the C yet."

"C+." It was obvious Eric didn't come over to discuss his grades. "Is there something else on your mind?"

"I like Angela…a lot."

Now they were getting somewhere. "I suspected as much." George picked up a pair of gardening shears and removed some dead leaves. "Have you talked to her about how you feel?"

"Oh, we talked the whole ride home."

"And does she feel the same?"

"Yeah, she does."

"Then I fail to see the issue."

"Other people are the issue." He tossed aside the trowel. "No matter what happens someone's going to be unhappy. If we decide to be more than friends people are going to turn against us. If we don't… Angela and I are going to be miserable. Are we wrong?" Eric paced between the rows of plants. "Mr. Feeny, is it wrong for me and Angela to get involved since she has a history with Shawn?"

"Eric, I can't answer that question. Only you and Angela can determine the boundaries of appropriate behavior here."

"English, Feeny!"

"You and Angela need to be the ones to decide if it's right and if you can live with the consequences."

"What would you do?"

He shook his head. "Again, this is not my decision. Honestly, I'm not sure there is a right or a wrong here. It is a gray area though, don't get me wrong. As far as Cory and Shawn go-"

"They would never let up. They already give Angela enough trouble. I don't to put her through that."

"Don't you think you should let Angela decide what she can put up with? She's never struck me as the type of young woman looking for a knight in shining armor to fight her battles and go in for the save."

"What does it say about me if I kind of want to do that? And I don't mean in a male chauvinist way, just…I don't know how to explain it. If I can make her smile, suddenly that's the highlight of my day." He forgot about the gardening gloves he was wearing and ran his hands through his hair. "I don't know when this happened. One night I'm wandering through the museum wanting peace and quiet from my friends and suddenly someone who was barely my friend before is all I can think about!"

"I hadn't realized how smitten with Angela you are."

"Huh? No, I already told you, I like her a lot." He took a seat on a stool and leaned against the wall. "I see a different side to her than how she is with everyone else. I guess I'm different with her, too. And when we were down by her dad she was relaxed, happy, and carefree even. She wasn't looking over her shoulder for the latest matchmaking scheme to hit. I liked being able to do that for her, to give her that peace."

"Smitten, amorous, besotted, bewitched, enchanted," he prattled on in a humorous, teasing tone, "captivated, fascinated, dazzled-"

"Mr. Feeny," Eric whined. "I need help!"

His expression became more serious and he carefully considered his next words. "If I may, there is one thing I feel the need to point out. I've known you most of your life; ever since your family moved in when you were four. I've watched you go through many phases and experiments trying to find your place in the world and who you are. It hasn't been perfect. There have been many challenges and you've tripped and fallen on your face more than once."

"You'd better be heading for a big finish."

"Something has changed in you these past few months. True, one might miss it at first glance because of your outrageous antics and behavior, but it's all in the details. Your grades have improved and you're more focused. You got a job at school and you still help your father at the store. Now that I know the timeline, I can see things started to come together when you began spending time with Angela. It seems you have found someone who brings out the best version of you and inspires you to strive even further. Believe me when I say that finding that type of connection and influence- be it romantic or otherwise- is no simple feat." He offered a kind smile and put his hand on Eric's shoulder. "I for one think you'd be a fool to let that go so easily."

"Even if people turn against us?"

"Very few things worth having come easily and you and Angela need to decide if a relationship is worth that risk."

Eric nodded slowly, processing his mentor's words. "I guess you're right. I need to go talk to Angela." He jumped up at ran for the door.

"Oh, Eric," Mr. Feeny called after him.

"Yeah?"

"Do you have time for one more piece of advice?"

"Shoot."

"Shower first. Then talk to her. Outside of those who live and work on farms, I doubt any romance began with the scent of fertilizer in the air."

He realized his clothes were dirty and he reeked. He held up his hands, which were still covered in the gardening gloves. "Did I touch my hair with these things?"

"Yes."

"Ah!" He threw the gloves to the ground. "Bye, Feeny! Thanks!"

/

/

"Just a second," Eric called out when the bell rang again. He quickly ran the towel over his hair. He wanted to ditch the visitor and go see Angela before it got too late and he'd have to wait until tomorrow. He opened the door with the towel still covering his face. "Make it fast."

Angela was prepared for many things when she rang the bell: Jack answering, Rachel answering, even Shawn being there to see his brother. Eric coming to the door wearing his bathrobe with a towel on his head wasn't on that list. "Get all gussied up just for me? I'm flattered."

He quickly ditched the towel and tossed it behind him. "Oh, hi. I was-uh-I was just coming to see you."

"Dressed like that?"

"Well, no. I was gonna wear clothes and-and pants." He looked down, remembering his current state of undress. "I'll be right back. You can take whatever from the fridge if you want."

Once she was alone Angela wandered around the apartment. It was weird. This was the first time she's been here in months. So many memories of being here were wrapped up in Shawn. They made out. They watched movies. They celebrated Thanksgiving with family and friends. They loved here. They fought here. Eventually her gaze fell on the door and one of the worst of times came back to her. He shoved her against that door. True, he had been drunk and she knew he'd never soberly act that way, but it still scared the crap out of her when it happened. That wasn't why she was here, however. Angela was here because she was done with the past. She wanted to move towards the future. She did, however, need to know what role Eric wanted to play in that future.

"Sorry about that," Eric said as he came back into the room. He hesitated momentarily, trying to pick the best place to sit- with her on the couch or in the chair- before ultimate choosing the couch, though the opposite end of it.

"That's okay. So, why were you-"

He spoke simultaneously. "What are-" They laughed. "You go."

"No, it's okay."

"All right. I was going to ask what you're doing here. You?"

"Why were you coming to see me?"

Eric reached for his backpack on the side of the couch and took out his quiz. "I wanted to show you this. It's better than I've been doing on pop quizzes, especially in statistics."

She accepted the paper and smiled when she read it. "I knew you could do it."

"Let's not get too excited. It's still a C."

"C+ and only one percentage point below a B. I bet you get a B next time."

"We'll see."

"Stop selling yourself short. You're working hard and it's paying off."

Seeing her so enthusiastic made him a little more hopeful. "Professor Hayes did say if I keep it up it's not crazy to think I could end the year with a B, a low B, but still a B."

"That's great. I'm so proud of you." She handed the quiz back and shifted closer to him on the couch. "Tell you what, when you do finish the year with that B you'll get a night out, my treat. Seriously, whatever you want to do: dinner, museum, movie, concert…you pick. I'll even go to one of those blood and guts zombie movies you like so much."

"Really?" While she was fond of action and fight movies, Angela wasn't generally crazy about zombies. She'd willingly sit through one for him?

"You deserve it."

"So, this dinner and bloody zombie movie…would it be two friends hanging out or would it be a-a…"

"A date," she finished.

"Yeah, that."

"What do you want it to be?"

"I asked you first."

She took a deep breath. Her heart was beating so fast it was pounding in her ears. She was sure Eric could hear it as well. "I've been thinking a lot about us…our situation."

"So have I."

"You have?"

"It's been hard to think about anything else lately," he admitted, a sheepish expression on his face.

"For me, too."

"What have you been thinking?"

Angela sat up on her knees and stared at him. "I've been thinking about how much I like you. You treat me better than anyone has in a long time. I like the way I feel when I'm with you. I like the person I am."

"I like who I am with you, too. You encourage me and make me feel like maybe I'm not a total idiot."

"You're not, not at all. You're so smart. It just comes out in more creative ways."

Eric reached for her hands. "Are we saying what I think we're saying?"

"I am."

"Even if people give us hell?"

"If they're really our friends they'll get over it and learn to accept us in time. Besides, how will you ever know if something is worth having until you have to fight for it?"

Mr. Feeny said something very similar earlier this evening. "Good point."

They stared at each other, almost awkwardly until Eric began to laugh. "What is it," she questioned.

"I feel like I should have a varsity jacket to offer you or a class ring…something. I don't know, what's the college equivalent of deciding to be boyfriend and girlfriend?" He laughed again. "That sounds weird, too."

"You could agree that you're never getting your sweatshirt back."

"It's yours'."

"Thank you." Angela got as close to him as she could get and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You are forgetting one very big bonus to this whole boyfriend and girlfriend thing."

He rested his hands on her waist, hesitant at first. "What's that?" His response wasn't verbal. She crushed her mouth against his and he wondered how a kiss could be gentle yet so passionate at the same time.

She broke the kiss just long enough to say, "We get to do this whenever we want."

When her hands tangled in his hair Eric tightened his hold on her hips and pulled her into his lap. "Definite bonus."

Angela wanted the little voice in her head- the one that said they were moving too fast- to shut up, but when she felt Eric's hands under her shirt and going up her back, she knew she had to listen to that voice and get control of the situation. It was too soon. She put her hands on his shoulders and reluctantly pushed away, pleased to see he looked just as bowled over as she felt. "We should slow down a little."

He leaned his head back and rested against the back of the couch. "Yeah, you're probably right."

"Just so you know, sex is…it's going to be a while."

That wasn't what Eric had been expecting her to say. Not that he was expecting anything. "I'm sorry, what?"

"We need to talk about it first: our pasts, safety, preferred methods of protection and birth control…all that stuff. Nothing happens until we have that conversation."

"I didn't think anything was going to happen tonight." Though, he wasn't going to lie, it thrilled him to know she was thinking ahead already.

"Good." Her hands played with the hair at the nape of his neck. "I just…I've been burned in the past by jumping all in too soon. It might be a while before I'm ready."

"That's okay. I'd never want to rush you into anything you're not ready for. Can I ask you something?"

Angela steeled herself for a question about just when she would be ready. "Sure."

"You don't have classes on Fridays either, right?"

"Um…no, no I don't," she stammered out, confused. "Why?"

"Because if we're together I think the only acceptable thing for me to do is take you out on a date."

She matched his smile. "That would be the only acceptable thing."

"In that case, will you go out with me on Friday?"

"I'd love to."

"Great. Be ready at 10AM."

"In the morning?"

"Is there another 10AM I don't know about?"

"What on earth could we be doing that early?"

"It's a surprise."

"Oh, I don't-"

"Come on, you said you loved my creative thinking and imagination."

"Yes," she slowly responded. "I did. But-"

He brought a finger to her lips. "No questions. Just trust me." He wasn't going to say anything else, but figured one tip was needed. "And wear comfortable shoes."