Chapter 54: Final Exams

December 3, 1981, Rutherford, Ohio

"Well, that went south pretty quickly," I said.

"They're playing hardball with you," Mr. Winston said. "It was always a possibility, but I didn't think they'd go that route; they didn't with your dad or sister."

"But they did with my mom?"

"Yes, for the same basic reason. I believe they are under heavy pressure from someone to charge you with something; anything. And unless I miss my guess, it's likely Mrs. Laramy from Family Services. She is certain abuse occurred, and having the Prosecutor say there's insufficient evidence to charge you puts her, and Family Services, in a very bad position."

"You asked a very interesting question of Doctor Orosco during the hearing," I said. "About her cases."

"Because I'm reasonably certain she has NEVER found a situation where there was no abuse. The tactics she used on your sister and your mom were what tipped me off."

"On my mom?"

"She told your mom you were abusing your sister in no uncertain terms, then asked your mom, 'What would you say if I told you Elizabeth admitted Michael abused her?'. Think about that for a moment."

I did and saw the 'parlor trick' that Doctor Orosco had used. She didn't actually say that Liz had admitted it, but she certainly implied she had.

"She implied Liz said something without actually claiming Liz said it," I said.

"Yes. And Elizabeth reported to both Doctors Paulus and Mercer that Doctor Orosco insisted you had abused her and that Doctor Orosco accused her repeatedly of covering for you. Elizabeth told Doctor Newton and the investigators the same thing."

"So now it's about some bureaucrats covering their butts?"

"So it would seem."

"This entire situation is making me lose faith in our system."

"Don't go too far down that road, Michael. It has flaws, but I daresay you wouldn't want to live in the Soviet Union or Red China."

"Sorry, I'm not anti-government; I'm anti-stupidity. Unfortunately, those two seem to be converging here."

"Trust the system, Mike. For all its flaws and warts, it usually gets to the correct result."

"Usually?"

"There are always going to be difficult cases. Most of the time, it's not being able to convict someone who is actually guilty. But, sometimes, innocent people are caught in the snares. My job is to make sure that doesn't happen to you."

"So this farce of an interview, what does it mean?"

"I think they were looking for you to lose your cool and say something intemperate. Suspects often do. You're a pretty cool customer. You were in Family Court; and you were when Deputy Kessel brought Mrs. Laramy to the house."

"If I lose my cool in an Emergency Room, somebody could die."

"And my job is to make sure nobody prevents you from getting there. Head back to school, and I'll keep you posted."

"I'm actually going to walk across the street to the Admin building and see my dad."

We shook hands, and I walked across the street to the Admin building, took the stairs to the second floor, then continued down the hall to the Property Division offices.

"Hi, Mike!" the receptionist, Mrs. Vogel, said, greeting me.

"Hi, Mrs. Vogel. Is my dad available?"

"He is. Go on back."

She buzzed, and I went through the low, swinging door into the office and went to where my dad sat. He had a small private office, and I went in and shut the door.

"Hi, Dad," I said.

"Hi, Mike. You're early."

"Mr. Winston put a stop to it because the investigators were simply trying to provoke me, arguing that I admitted crimes under oath. What really bothers me is I thought the job of an investigator was to find the truth, but it appears that they only care about finding evidence against me, not for me."

"Don't lose faith in the system, Mike. It's not perfect, but it seems to get the right result most of the time."

"That's what Mr. Winston said, but I'm just afraid of being one of those cases which DOESN'T get the right result. How is Liz doing?"

"OK. She's seeing Doctor Newton, but it's going to take some time."

"That Orosco «сука» (suka) really did a number on her and only made things worse." ("bitch")

"I agree with you on that sentiment. Mr. Winston is preparing malpractice claims. Do you need to get back right away?"

"I should. I need to study for next week's final exams."

"You'll be at the Mills' for Christmas week?"

"Yes. And at Nancy's house for the week before and after."

"That seems pretty serious."

"Let's just say we're working on it."

"Would you mind if your mom and I came to visit so we could meet her?"

I grinned, "It's not THAT serious yet, but I also wouldn't mind if you came to visit."

We said 'goodbye', shook hands, and I headed back to McKinley.

December 7, 1981, McKinley, Ohio

"Ready for the biology exam?" Angie asked when we met on Monday morning to run.

"Except for church, prayers, and my date with Nancy on Friday night, I've done nothing but study. If I'm not ready now, I never will be."

"What concerns me is that this is just our first semester!"

The elevator arrived, and we got in for the ride to the ground floor.

"Part of this is about weeding out the kids who don't belong here or have made a bad choice of major. Some people just aren't cut out for college-level math and science."

"All I can say is I'm glad I'm getting this stuff out of the way early on. My education courses won't be nearly as tough as chemistry, calculus, and biology!"

"You have to do student teaching, right?"

"Yes. That's why education is effectively a five-year plan. I need to get what amounts to a year of observation and student teaching before I can receive my license."

"How does that work? I mean, who decides where you go?"

"The assignments are worked out with the Department Chair and my advisor. I'll be either around here or Cincinnati or Dayton, so I can either live on campus or at home."

The elevator deposited us on the ground floor, and we walked quickly to the gym to run on the indoor track. After our run, we showered, dressed, said our morning prayers, and joined the gang for breakfast.

The biology exam was tough, but I'd studied plenty. I completed all the questions in the allotted time and was confident I had the answers correct. I waited in the hall for Angie, Jason, and Pete, and when they came out, we went to the student union to get some coffee.

"That test was a bear," Angie said when we sat down.

"I'm sure you did fine with all the studying we did," I said. "You knew the material."

"And I'm sure your lab grades were good!" Jason added. "Mike was your partner."

"And so are her homework grades," I added. "She has a B if she simply passes the test; an A if she receives a B or better."

"What are we doing for the rest of the day?" Pete asked.

"Studying!" Angie, Jason, and I all said in unison.

December 11, 1981, McKinley, Ohio

"I'm going to miss saying morning and evening prayers with you while we're on break," Angie said after our last exams on Friday morning.

"Would you like to get together during break?" I asked.

"You mean like a date?" she asked apprehensively.

"I mean two friends having lunch or dinner. I can drive to Cincinnati from West Monroe."

"An hour-and-a-half just for lunch or dinner?"

"It's not a big deal for me to drive that distance, and I'd like to do it."

"I don't know," she sighed.

"It's OK, Ang. We'll see each other in January when you come back."

"Thanks. I'm working through things with my counselor. Speaking of counseling, how are things at home?"

"Liz seems to be doing OK, but I'm still not allowed to talk to her. I'm supposed to hear something from our family attorney early next week."

"Will you call me when you know something?"

"Of course."

"Do you have a prayer book I can take with me?"

"I'll give you mine. I can get a new one at church on Sunday morning; I have the prayers pretty well memorized, so it won't be a big deal."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. When will your parents be here to get you?"

"About 4:00pm. That way, I can have my counseling session."

"OK. Want to hang out until then?"

"Sure!"

We had lunch with the gang and then went back to my room to listen to music. Clark left just after 1:00pm when his mom arrived to pick him up. Everyone else left at some point during the afternoon, and when I walked Angie to her counseling session, we seemed to be about the only ones left on the floor. The dorms wouldn't officially close until Saturday morning, so I could hang out until it was time to meet Nancy at the Quick Mart.

I sat in the counseling offices and read while I waited for Angie to complete her session, then walked her back to the dorms. I carried her bags downstairs for her, and when her mom arrived, I put them in the car for her.

"Mom, this is my friend Mike Loucks. Mike, this is my mom."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Stephens."

"Nice to meet you, too, Mike. Angie tells me you've been a big help in biology and calculus. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"I'll see you in three weeks, Mike," Angie said.

"See you then!"

She didn't offer a hug, so I didn't try for one, though she had kissed me on the cheek earlier after her counseling session. I waited for Angie and her mom to drive away, then went back up to my room. I put on Shake It Up by The Cars and started packing the things I'd need at Nancy's. I was very glad I didn't need to remove everything from my room during Christmas break as I would over the Summer.

Just as Victim of Love started, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to find a nice-looking brunette girl I'd seen around the dorm but who I didn't know.

"You're Mike, right?"

"Yes."

"I'm Melody. I think we're the last two on the floor. Would you mind if I hung out with you? I hear you have an awesome album collection."

"I'm here until about 8:00pm, so that's fine with me."

"Cool. That's when my sister will be here from Youngstown to get me. Where are you from?"

"West Monroe, about forty-five minutes west of here."

"You're pre-med, right?"

"Yes, you seem to know a lot about me!"

"What? Your name; you have a cool music collection; you're pre-med. Hardly an FBI file!"

"True. What's your major?"

"Political science. I plan to go to law school."

"Anything in particular you want to hear when this album finishes?"

"No, just whatever you want to play."

The A-side of Shake It Up finished, so I flipped the record to the B-side. I offered her a drink, which she accepted, and I got two bottles of Coke from the mini-fridge.

"I haven't seen you at any parties," Melody said.

"I'm not the party type."

"So what do you do?"

"Study, mostly. I also work on Saturdays, and I go to church on Sundays. Otherwise, what we're doing now. Or I read. Occasionally, I play chess with Pete."

"Sounds like a fairly mundane existence."

Not if you counted all the things that were happening OUTSIDE of school, that was for sure. But that wasn't something to talk to Melody about. And hopefully, they'd mostly go away, and I wouldn't have to worry about them.

"You're pre-law; you know you need good grades and a strong LSAT. I need perfect grades, and I need to hit the MCAT out of the park."

"You don't date?"

"I'm actually going on a date tonight," I said.

"Hasn't everyone left?"

"She's a local girl, not in college."

"Steady?"

"No. Do you date?"

"I've been out with a few guys, one pretty often. But nothing to write home about. There's a guy back home, but I'm not sure a factory worker and a lawyer are a good long-term match. He decided to go to work instead of college."

"What's the concern?" I asked.

"Educational differences? Serious income differences?"

I shrugged, "So? If you love a person, are those things important?"

"It wouldn't bother you if your wife made more money than you do?"

I chuckled, "There's a VERY good chance that will happen if I marry someone with a college degree. It's a good ten years before I have a really nice income, and then I'll owe the government or the banks a chunk of it to pay back my student loans. And if I marry in med school, she's going to have to support me. So, no, I guess it wouldn't bother me a bit."

"Most guys would. Their manhood would shrivel up to nothingness. And what would I talk to him about?"

"If you marry a doctor, what do you talk to HIM about?" I asked. "Unless I marry another doctor, or possibly a nurse, I won't exactly be able to talk much about work at home except in a general way. And honestly, I suspect medicine will be the LAST topic my wife will want to hear about. I'd expect her to be more interested in our relationship, the house, the kids, sex, the PTA, whatever."

"I hadn't thought of it that way."

"You and I are both going into very specialized fields. Just as some of my friends are. So unless you plan to marry a lawyer, it really doesn't matter so long as you have a good relationship."

"That does sound practical and logical, too. Would you marry a lawyer?"

"Is that a trick question? Or are you checking to see if I have a low opinion of the legal profession?"

Melody laughed, "It wasn't a proposal, if that's what you meant."

"It could have been heard a certain way."

"Not without making sure we're compatible first! So unless you plan to ask me to bed right now, it's not a proposal."

"Interesting," I said.

"What? Would you EVER consider marrying someone without making sure you were compatible in that way first?"

"I can't imagine demanding a girl sleep with me as a prerequisite for marriage. That just seems wrong."

"So you think a girl should be a virgin when she marries?"

"That's up to her. What I'm saying is that for me to say what you just said would be horribly wrong. Not just for me, but for any guy. I'm not sure it's all that much better for you to say it."

"So you marry someone without doing it first and are potentially stuck with bad sex for the rest of your life? No thanks!"

"What is 'bad' sex?"

"Leave it to a guy to ask that question! Guys get off so easily."

"Are orgasms more important than love? Would you give up on your otherwise perfect match because you didn't have enough orgasms to make it 'good' sex? And don't you think that you can learn how to please your partner?"

"But why risk it?"

"Is your marriage going to fall apart because your husband is injured and can't perform? Even for, say, six months?"

"No, of course not."

"Why? He's not providing 'good' sex. Maybe not any sex at all."

"But he could."

I nodded, "So could the guy you don't sleep with beforehand. Look, I'm not a prude. I'm not saying I don't have sex. I'm saying don't make that your top criterion."

"It's not important to you?"

"Of course it is, but it's sure as heck not the number one or number two thing on my list! Or am I supposed to hunt for a sex goddess and ignore every other trait? I thought girls HATED guys who looked for girls based on their willingness to have sex or do whatever sexual stuff they wanted. From where I'm sitting, it sure looks like you have your priorities wrong, at least in the way you're thinking.

"Let's try a thought experiment. This is purely hypothetical, but let's say I am perfectly endowed, by whatever measure you want to use, and know every possible technique, and I can go for hours and get hard quickly after each time. I bring you to such heights of ecstasy that the pleasure overwhelms you, and you're unable to think straight for hours afterwards. But I'm a grade-A, class-1 jerk. Are you going to marry me?"

Melody smirked, "Are you? Could you?"

"Answer my question first."

"You've made your point. No, of course not. Now answer my questions!"

I grinned, "That's something you can only find out by personal experience."

"NOW, who's being a jerk?"

"Only further proving my point."

"You know, I think you're the first guy I've ever hung around who was trying to talk me into keeping my clothes ON rather than taking them off."

I shrugged, "I felt you were making a poor choice and simply argued the point. You're the future lawyer, and I beat you with simple logic!"

"So it's a battle of the wits, then?" she asked with a smirk.

"Doctors are logical AND smart," I chuckled.

"Oh, now it's lawyer jokes, is it?"

"I thought this was a battle of the wits! If I can put you off your game, I can win!"

"So how do we judge the winner? And what's the prize?"

"Bragging rights are good enough for me," I said,

Melody laughed, "If I win, I should make you prove your earlier bragging!"

"Ah, so now you think I made those claims? Come now, Counselor, I said it was hypothetical."

"But you wanted me to believe it was about you?"

I shrugged, "If that's what you think!"

"Can I ask a VERY serious question? No joking or teasing?"

"Sure."

"You have a reputation for being quiet and studious, and the only time you talk very much it's about school."

"One-on-one or with maybe two or three people, I can be like this. With groups? No."

"Introverted?"

"Pretty much."

"It fits. You're talking my ear off and having fun, but everyone thinks you're a boring nerd."

"There's an old adage — never judge a book by its cover."

"Will you do something for me?" she asked.

"What?"

"After break, ask me out?"

"Let's talk about it when you get back. OK?"

"Sure."

We listened to one more album before it was time for me to go meet Nancy. I shut everything down, unplugged the stereo and the fridge, and then Melody and I took the elevator down to the lobby. I walked her to the parking lot, where I tossed my bags into my car; then, when Melody's ride arrived, I waved goodbye and walked to the Quick Mart to meet Nancy.