Chapter 152: One Thing Leads To Another

Three days after Sophie had been to Jessie's house, Sophie and Warren were surprised by a knock on their door. It was Jessie, looking much better.

"Hi, can I come in?"

"Of course," Sophie said. They went into the living room, where they chatted, Jessie playing with Betsy. "You look a lot better," Sophie said.

"Well, I ate some. I still feel horrible. I'm depressed and I feel guilty. But I've been in my room crying for three days. Enough. I need to get a damn life."

"I think that's good, though you have reason to be upset," Sophie told her.

"A lot of reasons to be upset," she sighed.

"Maybe you should call Ryan," Sophie said.

"What would be the point? No, I'm just going to have to move on. But I'm not going to lie in bed feeling fucking sorry for myself. There are other fish in the sea, right?"

"That's the spirit," Sophie laughed.

A few days after that, they had gone over to Sophie's mother's house for a visit. They walked in to yelling and screaming. They went into the kitchen to see Ellen with her head in her hands.

"Hey, Mom, what's wrong?" Sophie asked.

"Oh, hi, kids."

"Gramma!" Betsy chirped.

"Oh, come here sweetie, you always make Gramma feel better," Ellen smiled. Betsy climbed into her lap. "It's your brother," Ellen said to Sophie. "He's driving me absolutely up the wall."

"Eric? He's always been a good kid," Sophie said. Eric was 16, and was finishing up his sophomore year in high school.

"Not anymore," Ellen said. "He's contrary, obstinate, disrespectful. He argues about everything. He's sullen, his grades are dropping."

"Sounds like hormones to me," Warren laughed.

"Oh, no doubt," Ellen agreed with a grin. "But he's not dating. He's picky, I think. I never see any girls around here. I know Charlie's talked with him about it, and Charlie told me that Eric said that the girls he likes aren't interested, and the girls that are interested he doesn't want anything to do with."

"He's a good-looking kid," Warren said.

"Yeah, but that sullen act only goes so far," Ellen pointed out.

"With some girls, it goes a long way," Sophie snorted. "Believe me, I know."

"Yes, true, but I don't think Eric is attracted to girls like that," Ellen said.

"Well, I don't know if he's really found one he's attracted to, then," Warren pointed out. "If he was really attracted to someone, I think the sullen bit would go away."

"Hmmmm, that's a good point," Ellen said. "Well, I hope he finds one soon because he's driving me crazy!"

When Warren and Sophie got to practice a few days later, June pulled them aside. "Guys, I need to ask you a favor. And, knowing you two, it's a huge favor, but I don't know where else to turn."

"What's up?" Sophie asked.

"Warren, would you be willing to skate with someone else for a week or two?"

"Why?" Warren asked.

"I have a young dancer here, Amy Lowell. She's 16. Two years ago, she finished second at Junior Nationals. Right after, her partner up and quit. So, last summer, she came here for a tryout with Walt Genzinger. I paired them up."

"And Walt made her want to cry, repeatedly," Sophie guessed. They had known Walt when they were here the year Sophie had the baby--they hadn't much liked him.

"Exactly," June sighed. "I've kicked Walt out of the rink, by the way. I thought Amy--who's as sweet as pie, incidentally--would tame him. I was wrong. Anyhow, Amy's without a partner again. She's good, doesn't want to quit, and doesn't want to go traipsing around the country looking for another partner. Her parents pulled up stakes and moved here when she came to skate with Walt. I need to find her a partner.

"What I've been thinking, though, is that it would be easier to find her a partner if I could get her to pass the Senior test. She's ready, and she's passed the Moves In The Field part, but I need a senior partner so she can pass the Free Dance part. That's what I need you for, Warren."

"Ah, you want me to skate her through her test?"

"Yes. I dug out the old Glenn Miller program and taught her most of it, since I was here for that one. It was either that or Riverdance, and I think Riverdance is too tough for her. Even the Glenn Miller, we'll have to cut down some--but she can handle enough of it to pass the test."

"What do you think, Pookie?" Warren asked Sophie.

"I think we owe June a lot, and should help her."

"Ah, hell with that," June said.

"Well, she's right, we do," Warren said, smiling. "Besides which, helping a talented young skater would be cool. OK, I'll do it."

Amy was a cute, petite blonde. And she was plainly over the moon about the developments. "You mean I'm going to get to skate with Warren Kelleher????"

"Yes, but don't get used to it," Sophie teased her.

"Oh! I mean, I'd never!"

"Relax, Amy, I'm just teasing," Sophie said, grinning.

"Oh," Amy said, visibly relieved. "OK. Well, I hope I can keep up with you!" she said to Warren.

"Don't worry about that," Sophie told her, "he's the best partner in the world--he'll lead you through it."

"Let's not get carried away," Warren laughed. "I'm the best partner in the world skating with you, that's an entirely different thing." He looked at Amy. "But you'll be fine."

"Great, let's run through it," June said.

After a week, things had gone amazingly well. Amy's test was in another week, and all concerned thought she'd be well ready for it.

Warren was holding up well--a good thing, considering he and Sophie were still spending time together on the ice every day, working on new programs.

"How's the knee, Snugglebear?" Sophie asked him that Friday at the end of the first week.

"Holding up fine. I get a minor twinge every so often, but I'm fine. So, how are you doing, watching me skate with another girl?"

"Believe it or not, I'm enjoying it," Sophie said. "Surprise, surprise. You're fun to watch. And Amy really is a dear. She's so sweet and appreciative, and she's in complete hero-worship every time she skates with you, which is cute."

Warren laughed. "At least she's not standing around mooning. She works hard."

"Yeah, and she's a lot of fun. Bubbly, happy, all that good stuff. I like her," Sophie said.

"I do too," Warren agreed. "I hope June can find her a partner after she passes Seniors, she's got talent."

"I was thinking about that. Maybe we should give Evan a call, let him know she's available."

"There's two problems with that," Warren said. "First is distance. She's resistant to leaving the Boston area, after her parents moved heaven and earth to move here in the first place; and Evan won't want to leave Detroit. The second problem is temperament. You and I both know that Evan is a pussycat underneath--but, on the ice, he's all business and tends to be a taskmaster. Shawna dealt with it fine, because she's no shrinking violet. However, if we teamed him up with Amy, I think Amy would be having flashbacks to the way Walt treated her. She'd be wrong, because Evan's not Walt, not even close--but I think she needs a lighter touch. I've been handling her with kid gloves all week, and she responds to that. Evan might put her off."

"Hmm, you've got a point. Well, after she takes the Senior test, I'll at least mention it to him--including all the reservations that you just said. If he knows that from the start--well, it can't hurt to let him know she's available."

"True."

That Saturday, Sophie left the house before Warren did, and dropped Betsy off with Ellen. Then, she did Ellen a favor.

"Hey," she said to her brother Eric. "Get your ass dressed. We're going out for breakfast."

"Uh, why?" Eric grunted.

"Because you're my little brother and I never see you! Now move it!"

"Okay, okay," Eric chuckled.

They went out to the pancake house. They settled in and ordered. While they were waiting for their food, Sophie talked to him. "Mom says you've been a bear lately."

Eric sighed. "Mom is a big huge pain in my ass."

"Well, of course she is, she's your mother," Sophie giggled. "I'm not hear to take Mom's side--I'm here to find out what's wrong. She says you're sullen and surly and miserable. That's not like you."

"Well..."

"I guessed hormones," Sophie laughed. Eric looked at her, startled. "I think I was right."

"Yeah, what would you know about it? You've been getting it regularly since you were twelve!"

"There are times when it hasn't been as regular as you think," Sophie laughed. "It's kind of hard to have regular sex when you're juggling school and skating and a baby--and your husband is in a knee brace. Trust me, I know all about hormones and frustration."

"OK, but at least you know it's temporary."

"True."

"And at least you know, well, I mean, you have done it..."

"Ah," Sophie said. "You're still a virgin."

"Yeah," Eric admitted, with difficulty.

"And not by choice."

"Not hardly." Eric took a breath. "But you know, Soph, it's not just that. It's not just sex. Do you know my social life has gone right to shit? You know my three best friends."

"Of course." Eric had been hanging out with the same three guys since grammar school.

"They all have girlfriends. They go out with them all the time. And, yeah, they invite me, but then I feel like a fifth wheel. And they're all so damn happy. And I don't have that."

"OK, why?" Sophie asked. "Eric, you're a good looking kid. You're smart, you're a nice guy--what's the problem?"

Eric sighed. "It's a lot of things. I'm picky, for one--I'll admit that. And it seems the girls I'm attracted to aren't attracted to me--and the ones that are attracted to me I have no interest in. I don't just want a girlfriend for the sake of having a girlfriend, you know?"

"Well, that's a good thing, you know," Sophie told him.

"Yeah, yeah."

"What do you like?"

"It's weird--I guess I like girls that are really outgoing. You know, bubbly. Which I don't get coming to me, 'cause I'm not like that."

"I told Mom, that sullen act only goes so far," she teased.

"I know, I know," he sighed. "I get tongue-tied around girls, you know."

"Yeah. That can be tough."

"Well, I guess I just have to keep looking."

"Good, but try to cut Mom a little slack, would you?"

"Yeah, yeah," Eric laughed. "I suppose."

After they ate, they got in the car. They didn't head to Ellen's house. "Where we going?" Eric asked.

"To the rink. Got to check up on Warren."

"What's he doing there without you?"

Sophie explained the situation. "So, he's working with Amy right now."

"That's cool," Eric said. "I hope your coach is able to find her a partner."

That's when a light went off in Sophia's head. Amy was cute, outgoing, bubbly--and the same age as Eric. In fact, she'd be attending Oceanview High as a junior, in Eric's class, the next year--she'd been homeschooled this year but didn't want to do that anymore, even if her skating career picked up. Maybe Amy'd be interested in a partner for something other than skating. Sophie grinned at that.

"What's the grin for, Sis?" Eric asked.

"Oh, nothing. Here we are."

They walked in, and Sophie pulled her skates on in the lobby. Then they walked into the rink.

Eric looked out on the ice and saw his brother-in-law skating with a cute blonde girl, who was laughing at something-or-other.

"That's Amy?" Eric asked.

"Yup," Sophie told him.

"Wow. She's beautiful."

"That she is."

"How old is she?"

"Sixteen. She's going to be in your class at Oceanview this year."

"What's she like?"

"Sweet, outgoing, bubbly, happy. She's a ball of energy. She's great."

Eric slowly turned to look at his sister with a smirk on his face. "Are you setting me up?"

"Actually, I didn't think of it until we were driving over here. When you asked me what Warren was up to, and I told you about Amy, a little light went on in my head."