Chapter 13

We parted ways, Madison and her parents heading up the steps while Nikki introduced me to another of her friends.

"Dan, this is Kellen. We went to school together last year. Had some of the same classes." She smiled at Kellen. "Kellen, this is my husband, Dan."

Kellen was about the same height as Nikki, carried probably an extra twenty or thirty pounds, well- distributed, as it can be with young girls, lending her a softly rounded, cushiony look. Her hair was a non-descript brown, enhanced with some streaks of blonde, and she had glowing brown eyes. I smiled at her. "Hi, Kellen. I'm happy to meet you."

Kellen smiled back, her eyes obviously sizing me up. "Oh, I'm glad to meet you, too. Nikki's told me a lot about y'all."

"Good stuff, I hope," I replied.

Nikki was still holding my hand. Property. Me. Hers. "Kellen was surprised when I showed up married," she said.

Kellen giggled. "Nikki, I'm not the only one who's surprised."

"I bet. I have friends just as surprised, too," I said. "They're learning to live with it. Friends'll do that." I knew that my friends would. There might be a few people who are in my range who I can't quantify as 'friends', though, but that's another story.

"We'll see you around, Kellen," Nikki said, tugging my hand. "I want us to get good seats in the auditorium."

Indeed, the auditorium was filling up pretty fast, and we found a couple of seats and sat there, waiting. Nikki waved at several people she recognized, including a couple of teachers, which meant that I was on the receiving end of some rather curious looks. I could understand that. I would imagine that it is not too common for a high school sophomore to bring her forty-something year old husband to school.

The auditorium ended up being packed. The principal spoke, talking about the hardships caused by the crowding, admitted his hopes that the storm-damaged school whose students had joined his normal load would be ready to accept students after the Christmas break. Then he dismissed the meeting, encouraging the parents to tour the school and meet the faculty.

Nikki and I didn't get in a hurry, letting the crowd thin out a bit before we stood. I got Nikki's introduction to a few more students as we navigated the halls.

She led me into a classroom. "This is English class. Mizz Leslie was teaching freshman English at the old school. This year she's here, teaching sophomore English, so she knows me."

Miss Leslie was finishing up a conversation with another set of parents when she saw Nikki. And me.

"Hello, Nikki," she said.

"Hello, Mizz Leslie. This is my husband, Dan Granger. Dan, this is Mizz Leslie Baker. This is my second year with her."

I extended a hand to shake Mizz Leslie's. "Hello. Happy to meet you."

"I have been interested in seeing you, also," she said. "Nikki has surprised me."

"I can imagine," I said. "Nikki has surprised me as well." I did my best 'aw, shucks' smile.

Somebody called Nikki's name, and she backed away. Mizz Leslie stepped a little closer, her voice low. "Mister Granger, she's a lot smarter than her grades indicate."

"You can call me 'Dan', and yes, I know. We've talked. What makes YOU say that?"

"I watched her in class last year. Worried about her, what with her mom's behavior being what it was, so Nikki got extra attention. She idled through a 'C' average. I've read what she writes, and there's an intellect there that I hoped we could get her to use to its potential."

"I'm glad to hear that. I think you'll see a different attitude this year. I'm giving her room to..."

Nikki eased up and finished the sentence. "He's given me a place where I can feel safe and cared for and he's encouraging me. I don't have to worry at night when I go to sleep. I'm safe. Secure. And HE values learning." Nikki smiled. "Like YOU do, Mizz Leslie."

Mizz Leslie's face softened. "Thank you, Nikki. Dan, she says you do have one shortcoming, though."

My turn to look concerned. "She did?"

Nikki was grinning. Mizz Leslie said, "She says you're doing a very poor job of exploiting her."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Mizz Leslie, you have no idea how much that weighed on me. But no, you can't exploit your best friend."

As we turned to leave, Nikki told Mizz Leslie, "See! I told you..."

"Indeed you did, Nikki," Mizz Leslie smiled.

Back out into the halls, we crossed paths with Madison and her parents. Larry waved. "Coffee. At Carnie's, after this!" he said as we passed.

"Gotcha," I said.

Nikki flashed her eyes at me, smiling. Next stop was her algebra classroom. "Mister Jenkins, this is my husband, Dan Granger." Nikki was anxious to tell her teacher that I was an engineer and that I'd already helped her with her lessons and that further, she'd been able to help some of her friends.

"Mister Granger, you're a bit of fresh air," Mister Jenkins said. "So much of what I teach is outside the reach of most parents' ability to help."

"We're not out of the woods yet," I laughed. "The first time she cracked that book, I broke out in a sweat. Flashbacks from some hard days in high school."

Nikki giggled. "I told 'im he needed to get his head in the game, Mister Jenkins. He knows this stuff."

Jenkins smiled. "You just keep up the work, Miss Nikki. What'd you make in Algebra 1?"

"'C's'," she said softly. "But I didn't try hard. This time I'm trying. And I have support."

I smiled. "She's got support."

He laughed. "More than a lot of kids get. She says that she and Madison are studying together."

"That's what she said. Madison seems to like working with Nikki."

"I'm just passing on what Dan explained to me," she said.

"Doesn't work for everybody," I said, looking at Mister Jenkins. "Nikki WANTS to get a handle on this stuff."

"Uh-huh. I have a difficult time explaining the need for quadratic equations to kids who're hoping for careers as rap artists."

"I wouldn't want to try teaching like that," I said. "It's gotta be a calling."

Jenkins smiled. "That's what I keep telling myself." He looked at Nikki. "Madison says you're a big help."

We worked our way up the hall, stopping in the classroom that Nikki announced was chemistry. That was Mr. Sorensen. Ten years older than me, just looking at him. Nikki introduced us.

"Engineer?" he asked.

"Yessir," I said. "Electrical."

"I was hoping 'chemical'," he said.

"Sorry," I said. "My parents raised me wrong."

He laughed. "Still. Engineer." He looked at Nikki. She was holding my hand."

"I have to get used to that."

"That we're married?"

"Yeah, THAT too. No, the idea that I have sophomores in this class. It's usually a junior class. Hurricane got us working outside the normal lines."

"I heard that," I laughed. "I don't suppose you get to make as many loud noises and noxious smells as we did when I took this stuff."

"Kinder, gentler world," he said. "We're lucky if they let us use water and baking soda these days."

I sighed. "I remember how some of the things my chemistry teacher showed us really got my curiosity piqued."

"Myself also," he said. "But the school's so worried that somebody will drink a beaker full of something nasty these days, or make a bomb."

"Everything's a potential hazard."

"You know that and I know that, but there's a huge section of the population that doesn't know that, and they think that if we just stick to 'authorized' materials, we'll be perfectly safe."

"Uh-huh," I laughed. "Until somebody's mom decides that the toilet cleaner might work a bit better if she adds some bleach."

"Introduction to Basic Chemistry, Home Edition," he laughed.

Nikki looked at the two of us quizzically. "What's that get you?"

"A cloud of green gas, baby," I said. "Maybe I'll show you one day. Outdoors."

Mr. Sorensen looked at me. "You know, even THAT is a federal crime now. Something about using materials in an unauthorized manner for other than their intended purposes."

"Everybody's a criminal these days," I sighed. "So many new laws and regulations, you've GOT to be violating at least one every day."

"Oh, I know. But I'll still teach them chemistry. And hope that it gets into the heads of a few of them so they can go out and keep this world going." He smiled at Nikki. "Miss Nikki, I'll do my best for you. And ask your husband about some of those creative things we used to do."

"I know some of the things Dan used to do with chemicals. Energetic ones," Nikki said proudly.

"Oh?" asked Mr. Sorensen.

"Army engineer, lieutenant. Used to blow up things for fun and profit."

"The wrong part of chemistry stuck to you," he laughed.

"Oh, I thought it was pretty fun, considering some of the circumstances, ' I said.

"Ah, the days of our mis-spent youth," he said.

"You?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing that exotic. I left as an infantryman. Not even an officer. Used the GI Bill to go to college, and now here I am."

"Oh, yes ... US Army. The path to success." I laughed. "We need to get together and talk. I noted the ring on his left hand. "Maybe you and the missus can come over for dinner one day?"

"That sounds good. Let me discuss it with her."

"Great! Nikki can work out the details."

We moved on, meeting her history teacher. Pleasant lady. What can I add? We chatted briefly, Nikki smiling the whole time.

After we'd made the loop, I asked Nikki why we missed the technology teacher.

She looked almost exasperated. "He's an assistant football coach. He's not gonna spend a lot of effort with technology class. We have it because the state says they have to offer it. It's not gonna be much." She sighed. "We have more modern equipment at home, and you've shown me more technology in two days than I expect to learn in a year."

"Oh."

"I'm just making sure I see what he wants so I can get an 'A', baby," she said. "I can get the knowledge outside of school. All I need from school it that 'A'."

That was the conversation we were having as we headed to the exit. When we got there, Madison and her parents were standing there, Madison excitedly chatting with a couple of other teen girls. When she saw us, she squealed, "There she is!"

Nikki grinned. "Hi!" And then there was another round of introductions as curiosity-seekers wanted to meet the forty-year old guy who married one of their contemporaries. All I could do was smile and NOT look like a leering child molester.

Larry came up behind me. "Bud, you know what's going on here, don't you?"

"Pretty much so," I said. "I sort of expected..."

"When they get loose, we'll go have a cup of coffee up the road."

"Sounds good, Larry," I said. He and I and Sherry waited while their daughter and my wife giggled with a few others of the same age.

"Uh, Dan," Sherry said, "you don't get a strange feeling watching her? A schoolgirl?"

"Hon!" Larry blurted.

"Oh, forgive me if I sound negative, Dan. I don't mean it that way," she said. "Just curious."

"Oh, don't worry about it, Sherry," I answered. "Short answer is 'no', but honestly, sometimes I do wake up and wonder. But she doesn't act like an airheaded teen."

"Neither does Maddie, most of the time, but I can't picture her married to somebody Larry's age, either."

I laughed as Larry shook his head. The group of girls broke up and Maddie and Nikki joined us.

"We're gonna follow Dan and Nikki up the road to the diner," Larry said to Maddie."

"Oh, cool!" she chirped.

Nikki captured my hand. "Then we'll see you there."

The two families headed in opposite directions, since they'd parked in a different lot. In the truck, I asked Nikki, "So, little one, how do YOU think it went?"

She was smiling, so I knew it couldn't be too bad. Giggle. "That last group, the ones Maddie and I were talking to before we left?"

"Yeah?"

"Consensus is that you're geeky hot."

"Wow! A subset of 'hot'," I answered.

She was still smiling. "Yep. A subset. But hot, nonetheless."

"I suppose I should be happy."

"I'm the one that's happy, guy. I knew you were hot. But I love you, so I'm prejudiced. It tickles me that others validate my tastes." Another giggle.

"I am glad your group validates your tastes."

Giggle. "What does YOUR group say about ME?"

I thought about some of the comments. I repeated one of the 'G-rated' ones. "Dammit, Dan, she's a cutie! There were others about going to jail and whether it'd be worth it."

"Nice to know," she said.

We pulled into the parking lot of the little diner alongside the Reynolds SUV and all walked in together. The lone waitress seated us in a corner booth and took off to scare up coffee and donuts.

Larry broke the ice with "Gee, THAT was fun!"

"Daaa-addd!" Madison whined. But she was smiling. I gathered that Larry was a humorist.

"I thought it was informative," Sherry said. "I suspected that the crowding would be an issue, merging two schools after the hurricane. They do seem to be working through it."

Nikki said, "Yes, ma'am. One of the ways they work through it is putting sophomores in Junior classes. Like me in chemistry."

Larry looked surprised. "You're taking chemistry? That's my degree!"

"How'd you end up managing a shore base, then?" I asked.

"Long story. Chemist. Drilling mud. Next thing I know, I'm in the big office at the place."

I laughed. "You're complaining?"

"Nope! Not me. Money's good. I'm home most nights."

Sherry patted his arm. "That's mostly good..."

"Mo-ommm!" Maddie said.

"What about you? Where do YOU work?" Larry asked.

I explained to him what I did and how that worked for me. "I don't have to do overnights very often," I said. "Haven't since we got married."