Chapter 4

The main part of the morning classes ended and there was a rush to get in the dorm. That prevented any further discussion as we continued to pour over what we would have to do. Looking at my watch, I said, “Let’s go eat. It’s about that time and all this brain work has made me hungry.” I grinned and she grinned back at me.

We went to the cafeteria, put food on our trays, and sat down to eat. I prayed, out loud, though still softly. I asked God to bless the food and my new friend as well as watch over Melody. Agnes joined me in the amen. She looked at me smiling.

We ate and talked quietly. She said, “After our meals, I want to check on Melody.” I nodded and looked up to see Melody in the line.

I said, “You won’t have to look far to find her. She’s in line. You can wave her over to join us.” She nodded at that but then went to Melody to make sure she would join us.

She came back as Melody went through the line. “Melody is going to eat and go to class. She went to the campus police station and filed charges against Mike. She said they took pictures of her eye and the bruises on the rest of her body. I’m glad. I think that took a lot of gumption on her part.”

Melody joined us then. Agnes took her hand and then mine. I stretched across the table to take Melody’s other hand. I prayed for her healing and for her food. I gave a gentle squeeze to each girl’s hand and released them. Agnes echoed my amen. Melody’s eyes had tears. We started to eat.

Melody said, “I went to the campus police and filed charges against Mike. They had a woman officer take pictures of my bruises and eye. Mike had already been picked up by the county sheriff’s office. The police lady explained that they explained about his father being the police chief in his hometown. The deputy told her that he, Mike, will get an unpleasant surprise since their sheriff didn’t like officers from another jurisdiction trying to interfere.”

She had offered that information. Agnes nodded and then asked her about her classes. She had afternoon classes starting at one like ours did. We all finished eating and left for our appropriate buildings.

Agnes and I went to the same building though different classrooms. I asked, “I would like to see you after my history class, Agnes.”

“I would like that, Eric. I’ll wait for you in the common room of my dorm. See you later.” She went into her room and I continued down the hall to my classroom. Geography was okay. It would be a fair bit of reading. After it let out, I went to the room where I had left Agnes and sat for my history class. It would also entail a lot of reading. After it was over, I went to the girls’ dorm common room to meet Agnes.

I walked into the common room and she waved at me. She was seated at a table with two other girls with a seat available to her right. She waved me into it and said, “Hi, Eric. I’m glad you showed. This is Amanda and that’s Tracy.”

“Good afternoon, ladies. I’m Eric.”

Agnes smiled broadly. “He’s Eric the Red, my personal Viking.”

Tracy said in a low voice. “I would like one of those myself.”

Both Tracy and Amanda were quite pretty but Agnes was, in my mind, spectacular. Besides, I already liked her personality.

I sat with them and we compared our history handouts. They were identical. That wasn’t very surprising since it was the same course taught by the same professor. We went over the reading list and calendar finding everything was the same. I looked at Agnes’s sheet and determined her sheet and mine were both copied on the same machine. There were some small scratches that were also identical.

We went through the lesson plan and put together a rough plan for working together. I hoped that Agnes would want me with her for that studying and reading. The four of us talked for a while agreeing in principle to meet regularly. Amanda and Tracy left. Tracy stroked my arm as she left.