Transitions Parts VII-VIII Author: S. Hughes Email: Shughes002@yahoo.com Rating: PG-13 Summary: A look at another episode in the life of young Nicholas Fallin. Author's Note: Proofreading and some plot points are by Erica. Author's Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of a character in this story to any person living or dead is purely coincidental. Likewise, any resemblance between an organization depicted in this story and any such actual organization is purely coincidental. --+-- Nicholas had been home two weeks and he was already going stir-crazy having to stay in bed. For Christmas, Burton had given him a new television with an Atari game set, on top of the Walkman. These were little extra gifts that Burton bestowed upon Nicholas out of sympathy for his immobile status. Even though those presents provided him with much needed entertainment, he was still bored and craved physical activity. Mary had done her best to make the richly decorated, first-floor bedroom feel like a teenage boy's room, but Nicholas missed the privacy his own room upstairs offered. The spare bedroom Nicholas resided in was off the marble foyer, across from the breakfast nook in the kitchen, and right next door to his father's study. Due to Nicholas's proximity to highly trafficked areas, the daily sessions with the physical therapist, and the visiting nurse, he felt like he never had time alone. Nicholas was starting to feel stronger and stronger each day. The pain in his leg was decreasing, except of course during his physical therapy sessions. During those times, it was not uncommon for him to get teary-eyed and wince with every exercise. Thankfully, Dr. Bennett prescribed some pills to help alleviate the pain and Mrs. Portis was more than willing to dispense of them when she sensed that Nicholas was in any sort of discomfort. The physical therapist was having Nicholas perform a wealth of upper-body strengthening exercises and was even beginning to teach him how to use crutches. She gave stern orders to Burton and Mary that Nicholas was not allowed to practice without her present, as she didn't want for him to experience an unnecessary fall. Nicholas accepted the boundaries without too much fuss, but he was sick and tired of Stacy, his nurse. Part of his problem stemmed from the fact that she had to help him with everything, including going to the bathroom, taking showers, and changing clothes. Burton had initially requested for a male nurse, but since none were available, Nicholas had no choice but to accept the awkwardness of it all. Nicholas was embarrassed that he needed assistance with these activities, especially since he was fifteen years old. Worst of all, Stacy was teaching Mary how to help with these routines so that care could be provided around the clock. There were many times in which Nicholas would snap at the nurse and refuse her help. These acts of disrespect did not go unnoticed by Burton and consequently, there were numerous stern lectures administered. Medical clearance to go back to Wellington Academy hadn't been granted despite the winter term having started. Burton made arrangements for all required work to be sent to the house. Thankfully, Burton maintained communications with the Upper school of Oxridge Academy, Nick's previous school, and they were willing to provide Nicholas with private home tutors to assist him with his studies. One of the home tutors was Nicholas's former math teacher, Mr. Allen. Three afternoons of the week, Mr. Allen would come to the Fallin residence to work with Nicholas for two hours. Nick appreciated the instruction, but he found Mr. Allen's unrelenting sternness occasionally unbearable. The teacher didn't tolerate any sort of laziness, even if one's leg was in a cast. "Nicholas, why didn't you answer these essay questions?" Mr. Allen asked angrily as he sat next to Nicholas's bed reviewing the work that was assigned to him as homework the day before. "I didn't understand the directions." Nicholas said while avoiding eye contact with his teacher. As Nicholas glanced away, he made a mental note that he can't take four codeine pills again at one time. The extra pill he opted to take prevented him from thinking clearly and therefore, he was unable to focus on the writing assignment. In addition, Nicholas also felt the task was pointless, but he didn't dare express that to Mr. Allen either. "Nick! I don't buy that for one minute! You're too smart for that nonsense." Mr. Allen said with a disapproving look. "Now, lets get something straight here, Nick. Your father is paying both Wellington and Oxridge to help you get through this medical leave and you need to take this seriously. Just because you are not living in a dorm room and putting on a school uniform, doesn't mean that you are not being graded on your academic performance. A broken leg shouldn't stop you from doing the best schoolwork that you can. Remember the basketball game in your last year at Oxridge, when Deaver sunk the winning shot even when he was sick with the flu? We won the league championship!" "I didn't watch the game." Nicholas said sarcastically, as he was reminded again of how much trouble he will have playing basketball once the cast is removed. "Now, would you like me to tell your father that you are doing 'C' work, because that is about where your performance level resides?" Mr. Allen threatened. Nicholas continued to look down at the pile of unfinished work lying on top of his bed. All he could think about was how stressed he felt trying to meet everyone's expectations. Between his father, Mr. Allen, and the physical therapist, Nicholas thought he was going to explode. What Nicholas wanted to say was, "No! I don't care what you tell my father about my performance, because I hate Wellington and if I fail, maybe he will let me go to a public school like everybody else!" Instead, Nicholas became deflated and said, "No sir. I'm sorry. I'll try harder." Despite his anger and frustration, Nicholas really didn't want to have to endure another of his father's stern lectures. "I'm glad to hear that. Now let's get to work." Mr. Allen said as he opened the calculus book and started on the day's lesson. Nicholas diligently paid attention and promptly answered all his tutor's questions. ..... "Okay, for homework tonight, you are to do #1-35 on page 211. Okay?" Mr. Allen said while jotting down the assignment into Nicholas's homework journal. "Yes, sir." Nicholas said. "And...you are to finish the essay questions you failed to have prepared for me today. Is that clear?" "Yes, sir." Nicholas said, already dreading the wealth of work that awaited him. Just then, Burton entered the room. "Mr. Allen! How are you?" Burton said politely as he waited for Mr. Allen to stand before shaking the scholars hand. "Good, Mr. Fallin." Mr. Allen stated while he gathered his briefcase. "So, how is Nicholas doing?" Burton asked as he picked up the history book that was resting on the bedside table. "Well, he is doing fine...getting a bit lazy on me, but otherwise fine." Mr. Allen said with a quick, displeased glance at Nicholas. "Really?" Burton asked with a stern glance at Nicholas. "Well, I assure you Mr. Allen that I will put a stop to that immediately." "Oh, well, Nick and I already discussed the necessary changes that need to made. I don't think we will have any more problems." Mr. Allen said, realizing that his comment probably would lead to some sort of disciplinary action and he was starting to feel a bit guilty. Nicholas sat there secretly hoping that Mr. Allen didn't leave the room. Nicholas knew that he was in for a major lecture the minute he left him alone with his father. As Burton showed Mr. Allen to the door, Nicholas quickly reached into the bedside table drawer for his codeine pills. Mrs. Portis had accidentally left the bottle by his bed and he promptly placed them in his drawer. He swallowed two with the little bit of juice that was left in his glass from earlier, and prayed that they would kick-in soon. His leg wasn't bothering him too much, but he felt he should take some just in case. Taking the pills made him feel better, whether his knee hurt or not. "Nicholas! No TV, no radio, and no video games until further notice." Burton stated sternly as he entered the guest bedroom and slammed the door behind him. Over the last few weeks, Burton was slowly becoming less indulgent with Nick, while demanding more of him from his academic studies. Burton was also seizing this opportunity to teach Nick to be a man, by overcoming physical adversity and concentrating on schoolwork. From past experience, Burton also knew that if he could keep Nick's mind on academic endeavors that Nick wouldn't be so inclined to dwell on his damaged leg. "You are to focus on your studies just like you would if you were away at school. Your apathy is unacceptable and I will not tolerate it, nor will Mr. Allen. Is that clear?" Burton said looking down at Nicholas who was lying in bed with his eyes averted to the rich, warm tones and granular patterns of the hardwood floor. "Yes, sir." Nicholas said quietly. "Now get your homework out and start working." Burton said as he marched out of the room and slammed the door on his way out. "Is everything okay?" Mary asked innocently. The sound of a door slamming twice in such a short period of time caused her to leave the kitchen where she was preparing dinner and step out into the foyer. "Well, actually, no." Burton said with his hands on his hip. "Nicholas is falling behind in his schoolwork and I'm not pleased. I knew that this medical leave was going to be a fiasco." "Oh." Mary said feeling somewhat responsible for the problem since she was supposed to be in charge during the day. "He is not to watch television, listen to the radio, or play video games. If you hear or see him using any of those things, you are to call me immediately." Burton said as he stormed into his office. Mary could feel the tension in the house and it was stressful. It bothered her that Burton was so strict with Nicholas. She could appreciate Burton's sincere desire to provide the very best of everything for his son, but sometimes she felt his expectations were unrealistic. Nicholas was never allowed to just be a 'teenage boy'. The oven timer went off and Mary began to plate up some lasagna to take to Nicholas. She was hoping that he might actually have an appetite tonight. The nurses at the hospital informed her that he was admitted already ten pounds underweight for his age and height and he left the hospital having lost an additional five pounds. This bothered Mary, as she knew that good nutrition was essential in the healing process. Furthermore, it told her that the staff at Wellington was doing a poor job of monitoring the diets of their students. Mary knocked lightly on the door and then entered Nicholas's room with a large tray. "Hi there, sweetie. You hungry?" Mary asked with a warm smile as Nicholas lay in bed with school papers spread all over the blankets. "No, not really." Nicholas said without looking up from his work. "Nicholas, you need to eat something. I made the lasagna you like?" Mary said, hoping to coax him into eating. "I'm not hungry, but thank you." Nicholas said with a quick glance up to Mary. "Well," Mary paused as she thought about her options, "I'm not leaving until you finish everything on this plate." Nicholas looked up at Mrs. Portis with a surprised look. Normally he could get away with being a picky eater and she never put her foot down. For some reason, he knew she was being serious and he immediately obeyed out of fear that she might go and get his father. "Okay. I'll eat the lasagna." Nicholas said in defeat. "Good! Here you go!" Mary said, using her usual cheery tone as she placed the tray on Nicholas's lap. She was amazed that her quiet threat worked! Nicholas put his schoolwork aside and ate every bite of the lasagna while Mary tidied the room up and folded discarded clothes that were lying on the floor. The food did taste good and he realized he was hungrier than he thought. Recognizing that the lasagna was going down without a fuss, Mary quickly headed into the kitchen to cut a slice of chocolate cake that she had baked earlier in the day. "Okay, how about some desert? I made this chocolate cake just for you!" Mary said as she reappeared in the room and handed Nicholas the cake. Nicholas loved chocolate cake and it didn't require any additional prodding on Mary's part to entice Nicholas to swap his dirty lasagna plate for the rich, heavily frosted cake with a mound of ice cream on top. Within minutes the cake was gone and Mary made yet another nutritional intervention. "Good, now finish your milk please." Mary said handing Nicholas a tall glass of cold milk. "Yes, ma'am." Nicholas said as he took the glass and gulped down all of the milk. "Now, what was so hard about that?" Mary said teasingly. "I can't possibly let you get any skinnier!" Mary said with a smile as she retrieved his empty dishes. "Mrs. Portis? I am almost out of the pills Dr. Bennett prescribed. Do you think we could get some more?" Nicholas asked inquisitively. "Wow. Are they almost gone? I can call his office tomorrow and see if we can get a refill, okay?" Mary said with a puzzled look. "Do you have enough to get you through your therapy session tomorrow?" "I should." Nicholas said, hoping that he had done the math correctly in his head. "Okay, sweetie. I'll call first thing in the morning." Mary said as she approached the door. "Thanks, Mrs. Portis." Nicholas said with a charming smile as he grabbed the remote control to turn on the television. "Nicholas!" Mary warned, "Your father said no TV, remember?" "Oh yeah. I almost forgot." Nicholas said with a hint of panic to his voice. "I don't think you want your father to come back in here. That would not be a pleasant scene." Mary said with a caring expression. She immediately noticed the disappointment on Nicholas's face and she promptly replied, "You know, Nick, your father is only looking our for what is best for you. He truly is concerned about you and he talks constantly about how awful it must be for you to have a cast on your leg and to be immobile." "You mean, how awful it is for HIM to have me here with a cast on my leg. He just wants me out of his hair so that his life won't be disrupted." Nicholas said in a curt, sarcastic tone. "Nicholas, you know that's not true!" Mary said with a genuinely concerned expression. "Whatever." Nicholas muttered under his breath. Mary did not want to engage in a nonproductive argument with Nicholas so she quickly returned to the kitchen with the dirty dishes and went to inform Burton that dinner was ready. Like his son, Burton claimed he was not hungry and that he had a ton of work he needed to get done. "I'll tell you what, Mary. I would love to grab a bite to eat, so long as I can continue to work. How about you fix a plate and I'll eat in here?" Burton said sensing that he had disappointed her by not wishing to sit down to a traditional meal. "Okay, I'll plate some lasagna, salad, and bread and I will be right back!" Mary said with a relieved smile. .... Burton worked late into the night and Mary had popped in hours earlier to tell Burton that she was going to bed. Since Nicholas was home, Mary was living full-time with the Fallins, having assumed one of the guest bedrooms upstairs as her own. It was 1:00 in the morning and Nicholas awoke to a sharp, deep pain that ran the length of his leg and up through his back. The pain was so intense that it took his breath away. Consequently, he couldn't even find the strength to call out for assistance. He reached for the light on the bedside table and nearly knocked it over. After the light was on, he fumbled through the drawer to find his pain pills. He grabbed the bottle and poured the last three pills that were in there into his hand. Unfortunately, his water glass was empty and he was not one who could chew or swallow pills dry. Desperately needing relief, Nicholas thought about his options. Should he call out and hope that Mrs. Portis heard or should he try to work his way to the bathroom on his own? The visiting nurse had allowed him to get to the bathroom almost entirely by himself the other day so, maybe he could do it? Out of anger from his earlier scolding session with his father, Nicholas decided to venture to the bathroom on his own despite the fact that he could hear his father in his study next door. After carefully swinging his heavy, plastered leg over the side of the bed, he began to inch his way to the bathroom. He was pleased with his progress until the sharp pain returned. This time, it was ten times worse and it was terribly debilitating. He collapsed to the floor and immediately started to shake with chills. Burton, who was still working hard in his office next door to Nicholas's room, heard a loud 'thud' and he immediately looked up from his papers. Burton listened carefully and only silence remained. Sensing that something wasn't right, Burton jumped out of his chair, briskly walked out of his office, turned the foyer chandelier lights on, and flung Nicholas's door open. He saw the bedside table light on, but Nicholas was not in bed. He promptly looked to the side of the bed and there was Nicholas, shaking and in a heap on the floor. "Nicholas! Nicholas!" Burton shouted, stricken with panic. "Nicholas! Can you hear me?" Nicholas was coherent, but in immense pain and shock. He found the strength to nod so as to confirm for his father that he could hear him. Although the pain was intense, the fact that Nicholas had overdosed on his codeine and was feeling unusually dizzy prior to getting out of bed certainly did not help matters. "Mary! Mary! Come quickly!" Burton yelled as loud as he could, praying that his sharp cries would be heard upstairs. "Nicholas, put your arms around my neck. I'm going to pick you up and move you towards the bed. Try not to move your leg, son." Burton said with worry. He was not trained in how to properly move someone with a broken leg and he feared that he would cause more damage by attempting to help. Just then, Mary appeared with her robe wrapped around her pajamas. "Oh my God! What happened?" Mary shrieked as she saw Burton picking up a very limp and pale son. "I don't know, Mary! I just got in here! Call his nurse will you?" Burton said as he gently placed his son on top of his bed. "Right away!" Mary said as she flew into Burton's office to use his phone. Meanwhile, Burton grabbed Nicholas's heating blanket, turned it on, and draped it over his shaking, weak body. Burton pulled up a chair and tried to diligently rub his son's skinny arms, hoping to generate some body heat. "She's on her way. Should I call for an ambulance too?" Mary asked with worry in her eyes as she reentered Nicholas's room. "I don't know, I don't know. Why don't we wait until Stacy gets here?" Burton said with a deeply anxious expression. Nicholas lay there with his eyes shut. His head was spinning and he had the chills. His leg was throbbing and he felt as if he could pass out from the pain. "Nicholas? What were you doing, son? Did you fall out of bed?" Burton asked quietly, hoping to get some answers so he could make sense of what had transpired. Nicholas wanted to tell his father, but he couldn't find his voice. Part of him was just being spiteful and stubborn due to the fact that he was reprimanded earlier about his schoolwork. Another part of him, however, felt that it was pointless to explain the scenario, as his father would show little interest or empathy anyway. If it didn't involve his academic performance, Nick knew that it was a waste of his time and energy. As he lay there with his eyes closed, Nick couldn't help but think of his mother and how desperately he wished she could be there for him. Whenever Nick was sick, Anne used to sit by him all day, fluffing pillows, placing cold washcloths on his forehead, rubbing his back, feeding him homemade soup, and catering to his every whim. His father presented a stark contrast to the nurturing and patient demeanor of his mother. Burton was generally unsympathetic, relying solely on hired help to deal with the nastiness of nursing a bedridden and hobbling son. Nicholas was beginning to feel some relief from the sharp pain just about the time that his nurse arrived. Mrs. Portis sat in the large formal living room that offered a direct view of the circular drive in the front of the house, waiting anxiously for Stacy's arrival. Having already been briefed over the phone about the situation, Stacy was briskly ushered down the hallway with her bag full of equipment the minute she knocked on the door. When Stacy entered the room, she asked Burton to step aside and she began to quickly examine Nicholas. Feeling comfortable that no additional damage was done to the leg she looked over at the two worried onlookers and said," Well, I don't think we need to call the ambulance. I'm going to give him something for the pain and we'll need to closely monitor him through the night." Stacy took Nicholas's blood pressure and then began to prepare an injection. She was a phenomenal nurse and she talked gently to Nicholas, trying to keep him informed about what was happening the entire time. Knowing that Nicholas hated shots, she apologized to him for what she was about to do, but that didn't keep her from briskly inserting the needle into Nicholas's arm. Nicholas naturally began to whimper, but he knew that the pain in his leg would go away soon. Within minutes, Nicholas felt the meds beginning to work their magic and it didn't take long for him to experience a state of euphoric bliss. Stacy, Burton, and Mary all sat around the bed as they waited for Nicholas to slowly fade into a peaceful sleep. "What do you suppose he did?" Stacy asked curiously, trying to make sense of the scene. "I have no idea!" Burton said with astonishment. "I was working in my office and I heard a loud noise. When I came in here, I found him on the floor!" "Was he right next to the bed?" Stacy asked. "No. He was a few feet away from the bed." Burton said while pointing to the location in the room where he found Nicholas. "I bet he needed to go to the bathroom and he didn't want to bother one of us to help him." Mary said shaking her head in disappointment. "Okay, well if that is the case, then we need to establish some new rules. He should not be getting out of his bed. Period." Stacy said sternly. "I let him do the majority of the work on one of our trips to the bathroom today, but that was only to enhance his confidence that he is improving. He has been so depressed lately that I felt he needed that experience. I guess that was a bad idea after all!" Stacy said with an uneasy smile. After an hour had passed, all three of them were starting to fade. Burton cleared his throat while lighting his fourth cigarette and said, "Well, ladies. I think you both should go to bed. I can sit here with Nicholas. Go on...you need your rest." Burton said with a prodding tone. "Stacy, you can head home if you would like? We can handle it from here. But, thank you so much for coming as quickly as you did." Burton said, realizing that Stacy wasn't going to budge from her chair. "Okay, but I will be back first thing in the morning. We really need to call Dr. Bennett and inform him about the incident so that he can decide whether or not Nicholas should be seen." Stacy said as she stood up and straightened her shirt. "I'll show you to the door." Mary said with a yawn. "Mr. Fallin, I'm going to head back to bed from there if you are indeed okay down here by yourself?" "Yes, Mary, I'm fine. Go and get some sleep." Burton said with a smile. Alone with Nicholas, Burton felt compelled to pat his son's head, running his hand through his golden, curly locks. Nicholas was finally starting to get some color back into his cheeks and he looked peaceful. As Burton sat next to his son, trying to calm his nerves with each puff of his cigarette, he couldn't help but recall all the nights that he had missed the bedtime rituals and was forced to kiss his son goodnight long after he had already fallen asleep. Anne ran a tight ship and Nicholas was allowed one bedtime story after he had brushed his teeth, placed his school uniform out on his desk chair, and prepared his school bag. Anne would lie next to Nicholas in bed and read a chapter out of whichever book they were reading at the time. She would let Nicholas turn the pages and she encouraged him to ask questions if they came across a word that he did not know the meaning of. Nicholas used to love that quiet time with his mother and he especially liked it when she would get so engrossed in the story that she would read an additional chapter, even if it meant staying up past his bedtime. Burton tried to make it home in time to listen to the story too. That was a rare event and even more rare were the times in which Anne would let Burton do the reading. Watching Nicholas sleep certainly brought back some sad, but wonderful memories. He remembered one particular night when Nicholas was incredibly tired and cranky. Anne, who was not usually the one to discipline Nicholas, told him at dinner that due to his bad behavior, he wasn't going to get to hear a bedtime story. Nicholas was so crushed by the consequence that after looking at him, one would have thought he had just been severely punished in Burton's office. It was then that Burton realized how connected Nicholas was to Anne and how meaningful those mother/son moments were to him. ..... Light was finally entering through the heavy drapes and Burton stretched his arms and yawned. Nicholas was still sound asleep and Burton quietly got up from the chair and headed out into the foyer. Mary was already in the kitchen starting the coffee. "Morning, Mr. Fallin. How is our little patient?" Mary asked with a warm smile. "Good. I didn't hear a peep out of him the entire night. Wow...that coffee smells great!" Burton said as he started to remove his tie that he still had around his neck from work the day before. "I'm going to head upstairs and take a shower. Could you do me a favor and call Sheila at the office. Just tell her that I won't be in for a few hours and to cancel my morning appointments. I want to be here when we call Dr. Bennett." Burton said as he started to walk out of the kitchen. "Sure thing." Mary said as she reached for the phone. ..... Dr. Bennett was called the minute his office opened and Burton explained the accident that happened during the night to him. Dr. Bennett didn't feel that it was necessary to have Nicholas come in, as he already had a routine check-up with him in two days. Feeling satisfied that Nicholas would be okay; Burton proceeded to get ready to leave for the office. Before leaving, he peeked his head into Nicholas's room once more. Nicholas was sound asleep with his blankets perfectly in place. Burton was convinced that Nicholas hadn't moved one inch since receiving the sedative from Stacy. Burton closed the door quietly behind him and softly called to Mary to let her know that he was leaving. "Mary. I'm taking off for work. Call me if Nicholas's condition changes or you need anything, okay?" Burton said as he was wrapping his cashmere scarf around his neck. "Thanks, Mr. Fallin. Hopefully that won't be necessary!" Mary said with a radiant smile. "Did you check on Nicholas? Is he still sleeping?" "Yes, I did. He is out cold." Burton said with a chuckle. "Good. I'll leave him be then! Stacy would be here in a few minutes so I will let her be the one to wake him up." Mary said while twirling the dishtowel she had in her hands. "Okay, well I will see you later." Burton said as he headed towards the garage. "Bye! Have a good day!" Mary replied cheerfully as she returned to the kitchen. ...... Stacy arrived, as did the physical therapist, and there was lots of activity in the house. Nicholas tried to pretend that he was sleeping to avoid the PT session, but he wasn't convincing enough. Mary went and picked up a refill for the Tylenol with codeine while Nicholas was performing his usual series of painful exercises. She knew that he would be in need of relief before it was over. The day had gone without any major dilemmas until Mr. Allen arrived promptly at 4:00. Stacy was heading out the door as Mr. Allen was approaching so; Mary was unaware of his presence. Mr. Allen showed himself to Nicholas's room and was immensely frustrated at the fact that none of the assigned work was completed. Nicholas was actually sleeping when Mr. Allen entered the room and he had forgotten all about the homework. The three pills he had taken a few hours earlier were making it difficult for him to focus. "Nicholas! I've had it! You never used to be this apathetic about your schoolwork!" Mr. Allen shouted. "Why do you insist on wasting my time?" Mary heard the scolding session all the way in the family room at the other end of the house. She quickly began to make her way to Nicholas's room. "I'm sorry, Mr. Allen. But..." Nicholas began to say as he sat up and rubbed his eyes of sleep before Mr. Allen interrupted him. "Nick! I am not interested in listening to excuses." Mr. Allen said with a sternness Nicholas had never heard from him before. "If you were at Oxridge, I would send you to the Headmaster's office and let him deal with you! Is your father home?" "No, sir." Nicholas said, feeling thankful that he was indeed out. Just then Mary knocked on the door that was partially ajar. "Mr. Allen? Could I see you for a minute?" Mary said with a tense smile. Mr. Allen spun around on his heels and headed out into the hallway with Mary. "Um...Mr.Allen, we had a bit of an emergency here last night with Nicholas. He had a fall and the nurse had to come and give him quite a few sedatives to keep him comfortable. Nicholas has been in and out of a deep sleep all day as a result of the medication and I thought you should make you aware of that." Mary said twiddling her thumbs, feeling nervous about confronting the strict teacher. "Oh. I didn't know." Mr. Allen said with an understanding nod. "I'm sorry. I really should have called you and simply cancelled the tutoring session for the day." Mary said. "I've just been really busy around here and it slipped my mind." "Don't worry about it. I feel bad that I scolded Nicholas like that. I just assumed he forgot about the assignments." Mr. Allen said as he straightened his sport coat. "How about we reschedule for Friday? That way Nicholas will have a few days to get his work completed." Mary said, trying to reach a compromise with the relentless scholar. "Sure. That's fine. Let me grab my briefcase and I will be on my way." Mr. Allen said as he turned to reenter Nicholas's room. Nicholas sat there in bed with his shoulders rounded, waiting to be reprimanded some more. "Nicholas. I hope you feel better and I'm sorry that I was a bit gruff earlier. I was unaware of the awful night you had. I'll see you Friday, okay?" Mr. Allen said sympathetically as he picked up some papers off the chair and reached for his briefcase. "Yes, sir." Nicholas said glancing up for a moment in surprise. He couldn't figure out what just happened. One minute his teacher was ready to tear him apart and the next minute he was quietly retrieving his things and leaving without another word. Nicholas heard the massive front door to the house shut and then footsteps heading back down the hallway to his room. Mary peeked in and said warmly, "Nicholas? Are you okay?" "I'm fine." Nicholas said with a relieved smile. "I heard Mr. Allen in here and I'm sorry that I wasn't able to explain the situation to him before he entered your room." Mary said with a concerned smile. Nicholas was shocked that Mary was willing to stick up for him like that! His father would have never stepped in and taken the time to explain why the homework wasn't done. Worse yet, Burton would have joined in on the scolding session. "I'll let your father know about the change in tutoring plans, okay? Now why don't you try to get some more sleep? You look really tired." Mary said with a wink and a smile. "Yes, ma'am" Nicholas said with the charming 'Fallin' smile as Mrs. Portis tucked the blankets around him, helping to make him cozy for a late afternoon nap. Nicholas slept for a good part of the day and just before dinner, the phone rang. Mary was worried that it would wake Nicholas so she quickly answered. The caller was, Jason, Nicholas's roommate from Wellington, and he sounded very eager to talk to Nicholas. "Hello. Fallin residence." Mary cheerfully said. "Hi. My name is, Jason. I am Nick's roommate at Wellington and I was wondering if Nick was available to come to the phone?" Jason asked politely. "Jason! Hi! This is Mrs. Portis, Nicholas's nanny. It is so good to hear from you! How are things going at school?" Mary asked with enthusiasm. A few other students from Wellington had called earlier in the week to speak with Nicholas and the calls always seemed to improve Nicholas's attitude. "School's okay, but I am definitely ready for spring break!" Jason said jokingly. "Well, hang in there. I think you have quite awhile yet before spring gets here but, they say time flies when you are having fun!" Mary said with a chuckle. "Well, let me go and see if Nicholas is up. I know he would love to talk with you, but he has been in a deep sleep for a few hours now. Hold on for one moment, okay?" Mary stated as she quietly put the phone down. When Mary approached Nicholas's room, he was quite groggy, but awake nonetheless. 'Nicholas, Jason is on the phone for you! Are you able to take his call?" Mary asked with a pleasant smile. "Really? Can I talk to him?" Nick asked with excitement. "Of course, Nick! Why do you think I came to get you?" Mary asked with a puzzled expression. What Mary didn't know was that Burton tended to be a stickler when it came to the use of the phone and on more than one occasion, he denied Nicholas phone privileges if his schoolwork wasn't done or it was too close to bedtime. "Here, honey. Let me extend this phone over to you and once you are on, I will go and hang-up the phone in the kitchen." Mary said as she stretched the phone over and placed it on Nicholas's bedside table. "Thanks a lot, Mrs. Portis!" Nicholas said as he picked up the phone. Mary winked as she quietly left the room and shut the door behind her. Within seconds, Nick heard the click of the phone in the kitchen and he promptly began talking. "Hey, Jason! What's going on?" "Not much, Fallin! How are you doing? Is your leg still in a cast?" Jason asked curiously. "Yeah. It sucks! It weighs a ton and it is starting to smell pretty bad." Nicholas said with a chuckle. "Oh, gross! Good thing you are not rooming with me! If you smell worse than usual I think I would have to throw you out!" Jason said sarcastically. "Very funny! What smells in our room are all the dirty clothes that you've thrown on every inch of the floor." Nicholas said in retaliation. "Well, I should probably tell you that all of my smelly crap is occupying your side of the room now too." Jason said teasingly. "That doesn't surprise me one bit. I would expect nothing less from you, Jason." Nick said with a laugh. "So, how are classes? Are you staying out of trouble?" "Classes are fine, but I can't say that I am staying out of trouble. Since you have been gone, I have forgotten to set the alarm clock a few too many times and never quite made it to first period, sometimes second, too," Jason said with mischievous laugh. "Jason! That's not funny! What happened?" Nick asked curiously. "Well, the first couple of times I had to go to Saturday detention, but the last time I had to take a trip to Dillman's office," Jason said, sounding much more serious now. "That's a bummer," Nick said, knowing full well what a trip to the Head's office entailed. "Well, Mr. Walters is motioning for me to get off the phone so I better get going. I hope you get back here soon. Shoot! I might even clean up the place before you come," Jason said chuckling. "Thanks. I can't wait to see you, but I have to say, I am not excited about going back to that prison." Nicholas said as he thought about all the restrictions and rules the place enforced. "Yeah. It sucks. No doubt about that. But, at least we can be miserable together, right?" Jason said with an upbeat tone. "Yeah, whatever. I'll talk to you soon." Nick said knowing that Mr. Walters was probably breathing down Jason's neck. "Yeah. Talk to ya later!" Jason said as he hung-up. As Nicholas placed the phone back on the receiver, he thought for a while about Wellington and how much he really did despise the school. Even though he hated the fact that he was stuck in bed, it sure beat having to adhere to a thousand different rules and having absolutely no freedom. He was convinced that his father chose Wellington over all the other possible boarding schools just so he would have to suffer. ..... A few weeks had passed and the cast on Nicholas's leg was finally removed, but Dr. Bennett ordered him to wear a brace to provide additional support during the transition. Nicholas was elated at the new level of freedom he was able to experience and he was especially excited about the fact that Mary and Burton decided that he could return to his old room. After the physical therapist watched Nicholas negotiate the stairs a few times, she gave her stamp of approval on making the room change, as long as someone was present to monitor the trips up and down. With the cast gone and the ability to move about freely on his own, Nicholas was feeling more and more like himself. Mr. Allen was still coming three times a week to help Nicholas with his schoolwork and the physical therapist made a point to show-up a least once a day to torture him. Nick, however, wasn't sorry that Stacy's services were finally superfluous and he barely acknowledged her "goodbyes" once she knew that he didn't need her nursing care. Overall, things were looking brighter. The codeine pills provided tremendous relief from the pain and they helped Nicholas deal with the daily stress of having to contend with his father too. The snow was finally melting from the sidewalks and Mary and Nicholas spent every afternoon doing something fun together. Each day was filled with a new adventure, as Mary would take Nicholas out to lunch or to the movie theater to watch a matinee. She also took Nicholas shopping on several occasions to purchase new clothes since his drastic weight-loss prevented much of his wardrobe from fitting. Mary did her best to make Nicholas's stay at home enjoyable and she thoroughly cherished the opportunity to care for him. As a matter of fact, Mary was overly protective and concerned about Nicholas's welfare to the point where she would cancel his tutoring sessions if he looked the least bit tired or distressed. Overall, Nicholas was comfortable with the routine and each day at home made him despise the thought of returning to boarding school more and more. .... Burton had arrived home from work earlier than usual and Nicholas was sitting in his room watching television. He heard his father's voice in the hallway downstairs and he immediately turned the TV off and opened his math book. Now that he was feeling better, Burton was enforcing the usual household rules. One of which being the '30 minute' TV rule. Nicholas was only permitted to watch TV for thirty minutes a day both during the week and on the weekends. Nicholas hated the rule, as it meant that he had to check-in with Burton ahead of time to let him know what it was he wanted to watch. Mary couldn't hear the television from downstairs so; he would frequently turn it on throughout the day, always being careful to listen for footsteps outside his door. "Nicholas! Nicholas!" Burton yelled from the bottom of the stairwell. Nicholas grabbed his crutches that were leaning against his bedside table, slid off the bed and began to make his way to the door. He opened it and started to move carefully down the hallway, so as not to bump the console table that held a freshly cut, elegant, arrangement of flowers in an expensive vase. Nicholas leaned over the banner and called to his father. "Yes, Dad?" Nicholas said with a hint of apprehension, concerned that his father had heard the television. "Can I see you for a moment, please?" Burton said as he began to walk away from the stairs, while looking through the mail. Clearly he was assuming that Nicholas was going to respond with a 'yes', as he did not wait to hear a reply. Nicholas slowly worked his way down the stairs with his crutches. He took a deep breath as he limped down the slippery marble floor to his father's office. Nicholas approached the heavy, mahogany door that led to his father's office and he knocked softly even though the door was ajar. His father insisted that Nicholas always seek permission before entering this room and Nicholas never challenged that rule. "Dad? You wanted to see me?" Nicholas said tentatively while balancing on his good leg. "Yes. Come in." Burton said as he leafed through some papers that were on his desk and put out his cigarette in the ashtray. Burton was still dressed in his suit from work, with his glasses placed on the tip of his nose. Nicholas hobbled in and began to shut the door behind him, as he knew that his father was going to ask him to do so anyway. "Have a seat, Nicholas." Burton said as he pointed to the chair in front of his desk without looking up from his work. Nicholas slowly sat down, stretched out his braced leg, and laid his crutches on the floor next to the chair. Nicholas sat in silence, waiting for his father to indicate what the meeting was about. He didn't want to start by apologizing for the television being on if that wasn't the reason why he was called into his father's office. "Nicholas," Burton finally said as he removed his glasses and placed them down on top of his papers, "I spoke with Mr. Dillman, the Headmaster at Wellington, and we have made arrangements for you to return to school next week." A wave of shock and disappointment came over Nicholas as he looked up at his father. "When next week?" Nicholas asked as he grit his teeth. "Saturday. I purchased flight tickets assuming you would want a few days before the school week started to get settled in." Burton said as he tapped his gold pen on the desk. "Dad...I don't want to go back. I mean...my leg is still bothering me and I can barely get around the house! How am I supposed to walk all over campus, make it to my classes on time, and get up and down the stairs?" Nicholas said as his face started to get red with frustration and anger. Burton was a bit confused by Nicholas's response. He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his mustache. "Nicholas, what do you mean you can't get around? Didn't you just go to the mall yesterday with Mrs. Portis? As far as I can see, you have become quite deft at moving around with those things!" Burton said pointing to the crutches that were on the floor next to the leather chair where Nicholas sat. Nicholas just sat there fidgeting while Burton continued on with his lecture. "Nicholas. What did you think? That I was going to let you stay at home for the rest of the term?" Burton asked with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "I don't know. Maybe." Nicholas said as he looked down. "Well, Nicholas, that was never going to happen!" Burton said chuckling quietly as he reached for his glass of scotch that was resting on a marble coaster on his desk. "Dad, please let me stay home a little while longer?" Nicholas begged. "I promise I will try harder in the tutoring sessions and I won't create any problems for Mrs. Portis!" "Nicholas. You're being ridiculous! Mr. Allen and Mrs. Portis have nothing to do with this!" Burton said as he took a sip of his scotch. "What am I going to do about the physical therapy and stuff?" Nicholas said, trying to appeal to his father's rational side. "Dr. Bennett has contacted Yale's Medical Rehab Center and they will be assisting you there. The school nurse at Wellington will provide you with weekly transportation to and from the clinic. Okay?" Burton said with a tense smile. "Everyone is going to make fun of me, Dad! I still can't walk without the crutches and I will be the laughing stock of the school!" Nicholas said angrily. "Nicholas. Calm down. You're making it sound like it's the end of the world!" Burton said with a perplexed smile. "That's because it is, Dad. You don't understand!" Nicholas said with a squeaky, high-pitched tone to his voice. "Nicholas. Stop whining!" Burton scolded with a stern look and a shake of his finger. Nicholas just sat there. He knew he should reply with a 'yes, sir', but he didn't want to give his father the satisfaction. "Nicholas, you need to remember that you got yourself into this mess. Don't forget, young man, that YOU were the one who chose to disobey me. YOU were the one who wanted to party with a bunch of rowdy college students and YOU were the one who got drunk and went down a ski trail that you had no business being on!" Burton said sternly as he leaned forward at his desk, staring at the top of his son's bent head. Nicholas's temper was rising and he despised the fact that his Dad was blaming him for everything. "Well, if you didn't have a phone glued to your head the entire time we were on vacation then maybe I wouldn't have gone off with those college guys. You're always working on office crap!" Nicholas yelled as he quickly raised his head and stared defiantly at his father. "Nicholas! That's enough!" Burton bellowed as he gravely stared at Nicholas. "It's true!" Nicholas yelled, trying very hard to prevent tears of frustration from forming in his eyes. "And the part about drinking...how can you possibly find fault with me? You constantly have a drink in front of you! I drank one time and now you have me labeled as an alcoholic!" Nicholas shouted as he pointed his finger at his father's glass of scotch sitting on his desk. "That's enough, Nicholas! Go to your room! Now!" Burton shouted in exasperation. Nicholas just sat there and stared angrily at his father. He knew he should obey the order, but part of him wanted to seize the opportunity to tell his father exactly how he felt about everything...boarding school, the loss of his mother, his lousy ability to be a supportive parent...the list goes on and on. "Nicholas! I asked you to go to your room, now go!" Burton said sharply while feeling bewildered by his son's blatant act of defiance. "You are grounded until you leave here on Saturday. Is that clear?" Burton yelled as he stood up from his chair and pointed to the door of his office. "Is that clear?" Burton said even louder due to the fact that Nicholas had not given a response. "Fine! It's not like there is anything to do around here any way!" Nicholas yelled as he fumbled for his crutches and quickly scurried out of the office. "Fine!" Burton yelled, just as Nicholas hobbled out of his father's office, leaving the door ajar behind him. Burton sat back down in his chair and quickly gulped the rest of his scotch. As Nicholas was briskly limping down the hallway to go to his room, he passed Mrs. Portis who was carrying clean linens to the upstairs hall closet. "Oh, Nicholas. Dinner is almost ready so why don't you get cleaned up, okay?" Mary said, oblivious about the heated argument that had just transpired in Burton's office. "I'm not hungry!" Nicholas said rudely as he limped into his room and slammed the door. Mary was shocked by his behavior and for a brief moment, entertained the idea of entering his room to see what the problem was. After giving it some more thought, she decided it was best to let it go and she preceded to head back downstairs. On her way to the kitchen, she saw that Burton's office door was open and the faint sound of country music could be heard out in the foyer. Not wanting to dinner to go to waste, she peeked her head in. "Mr. Fallin?" Mary politely asked. "Yes?" Burton said with an irritated tone. "Dinner is almost ready." Mary said cheerfully through the doorway. "I'm not hungry." Burton stated in a firm tone. "Okay." Mary said meekly, clearly recognizing a pattern. "Well, if you change your mind, feel free to holler." Mary went back into the kitchen and ate dinner alone, in peace and quiet. PART VIII As Nicholas sat on the plane, thoughts of how miserable school was going to be ran through his head. The tension between Nicholas and his father had not dissipated at all during the remainder of his stay at home. It was not uncommon for them to pass each other in the hallway without exchanging a word or even a glance. Meals were terribly awkward too, as neither Burton nor Nicholas would engage in a conversation that dealt with issues aside from school business matters. Mrs. Portis felt helpless. She knew both of the Fallin men well enough to know that their stubbornness was unbreakable. Thankfully, Burton did not share with the administration at Wellington any of the details regarding the ski accident. Consequently, Nicholas didn't have to feel embarrassed when he saw Mr. Davidson, the assistant Headmaster, at the airport waiting to pick him up. After retrieving the luggage and loading the school car, Mr. Davidson broke the silence by asking, "So, was the skiing fun before you had your fall?" That was one thing that Nicholas couldn't stand about Mr. Davidson. He would say the dumbest things and think they were hilarious. Furthermore, Mr. Davidson honestly believed that he was well-liked among the students and ironically, no one could stand him. The only good thing about Mr. Davidson was that he was oblivious to the majority of mischievous acts committed by the boys attending Wellington. "Yeah, I guess." Nicholas said with an annoyed tone as he looked out his window. "Well, I'm pretty sure your roommate will be excited to see you. He has been asking all week when you were coming back." Mr. Davidson said with a smile as he glanced over at Nicholas. Nicholas missed Jason too, but he would never admit it. Jason was a troublemaker, always dragging Nicholas into some crazy mess, but he was also a genuine friend, someone he could confide in. "We received quite a lot of work from Oxridge over the last few months and your performance has been duly noted in our academic records. Based on your stellar grades, I am guessing everything went okay working with the tutor?" Mr. Davidson asked, recognizing that all his attempts to engage Nicholas in a conversation had failed thus far. "Yes, sir." Nicholas said as he continued to stare out the window. "Well, " Mr. Davidson said as hit the button to open the massive, wrought iron gate at the end of the long, winding drive leading to the school, "We're here!" "Great." Nicholas said as he rolled his eyes. As they pulled up to the main, brick building, covered with ivy, Nicholas felt every muscle in his body tense. He couldn't help but wonder what the boys would say about his accident and the fact that he needed to use crutches. With the help of several staff members, Nicholas soon found himself back in room 203 of Ogden Hall. The room looked exactly the same, except for the few personal belongings that Jason had allowed to accumulate on Nicholas's side of the room. Within minutes, several of Nicholas's classmates were popping in to see Nicholas and to check out the damage to his leg. "Hey, Fallin! What the heck did you do to yourself?" Brandon, one of Nicholas's corridor mates teasingly asked as he plopped down on Nicholas's bed. "Hi, Brandon." Nicholas said, trying to ignore his comment while unpacking his clothes. "Seriously, Fallin, how does someone go on a great ski trip, nearly take-off their leg, and have to stay at home for two and a half months?" Brandon said in his standard sarcastic tone. "Brandon, I just had a fall. That's all." Nicholas said feeling self-conscious of the fact that he couldn't even stand-up for very long without leaning on his crutches. "Did the surgery hurt?" Brandon asked while fidgeting with Nicholas's suitcase lock. "You're gonna break that, Brandon." Nicholas said with annoyance as he pulled his suitcase away from his friend, "And no, the surgery itself didn't hurt. It was all the therapy crap afterwards that killed." Just then Jason entered the room and pounced on Nicholas, nearly causing him to fall over. "Nick Fallin! You're alive!" Jason yelled while ruffling up Nicholas's short, but curly locks. "Jesus, Jason! I won't be alive for long if you try that stunt again. I can barely stand on that leg! What makes you think I can hold your large ass too?" Nicholas said as he wadded up a t-shirt and threw it at Jason's face. Jason caught the shirt and said, "Hey, did you hear the new rules around here?" Nicholas quickly glanced at Brandon and then shot a concerned look back at Jason. "No. What do you mean 'new' rules? What dumb idea did Dilbert come up with now?" "Apparently Dillman, or should I say, Dilbert, has decided that we are no longer capable of making appropriate choices when it comes to dress attire on the weekends." Jason said with a disgusted smirk. "So, what does that mean?" Nicholas asked curiously. "You didn't notice a certain fashion theme as you were escorted up here?" Jason said pointing his finger at himself and then over to Brandon. Nicholas quickly put two and two together. "Man, you gotta be kidding? We have to wear our school sweater on Saturdays now?" Nicholas said with a whine as he momentarily stopped unpacking to fully absorb the unfortunate news. "That's not all, Fallin. We have to be in full uniform, coat, tie and all, for every meal on Sundays. No more casual dress on Saturdays and strictly formal school attire on Sundays. Lovely, huh?" Brandon chimed in as he rolled his eyes with disgust. "It's bad enough that we are stuck in formal attire all week long, and now are weekends are shot too." "Yeah, I wonder how many girls I can pick-up at the mall on Saturday wearing khaki pants, loafers, and a navy blue sweater that has a dorky emblem on it? I'm guessing that my chances are slim to none." Jason said with a calculating expression. "Who are you kidding? Your chances were slim to none even before the new Saturday dress code!" Nicholas said as he reluctantly searched through his dresser drawers for the dreaded "Wellington sweater". As he was sifting through his clothes, he recalled just how excited he was while packing his suitcase for the ski trip with his father. Two and a half months later, he is stuck hobbling around on crutches feeling miserable. "Very funny, Fallin." Jason said as he lay down on his bed. "Oh, and the other new rule is that the television is off limits on school nights. So, I guess that means we'll have even more quality time to memorize useless facts." Jason said as he tossed his football up in the air while staring intensely at the ceiling. "Great." Nicholas said as he pulled out his desk chair and sat down. "I hate this school." "Well, it's your own damn fault you only managed to break one leg. Had you done it properly, you would still be at home nursing two damaged appendages!" Jason said with a loud chuckle as he faked a pass with his football to Nick. "Thanks. I'll remember that for next time." Nicholas said as he slipped the scratchy wool sweater on over his head. "About the sweater thing," Nick said while fixing his clothes, "What is the plan for when it gets hot around here? There is no way I am wearing this heavy thing all spring!" "Come on, Nick, you know Dillman as well as I do! By then he will be have come up with another bullshit idea. Does that answer your question?" Jason said with a sly smile. "Are you capable of saying anything without being facetious?" Nick said with a curt glance over to his friend who continued to bounce the football off the ceiling. "Facetious. Good SAT vocabulary word, Fallin. By the way, did you know that it is the only word with all the vowels present and occurring in traditional fashion? A, E, I, O, U. Cool, huh?" Jason said with a self-amused chuckle. "You are a nerd." Nicholas said while shaking his head in awe. "Hey, Fallin, when are you gonna be fully mobile again? You do know that the big Ogden House versus Stanton House ball game is in two weeks." Brandon said with a wink. "I doubt I will be out there playing!" Nicholas said with a sigh as he looked at the bulky brace on his leg. "Plus, when has Ogden Hall ever won the basketball challenge? Something tells me that my participating won't change the course of history." "Fallin, where is your House spirit? I'm appalled. This is the year that we go all the way!" Jason said as he sat up and reached over to give Brandon a high-five. "Dream on." Nicholas said as he shook his head. ...... Six o'clock came much to soon on Monday morning. Jason was thoroughly annoyed that Nicholas kept hitting the snooze button and he finally jumped up and turned on the bright room light. "Fallin, you are driving me crazy. Turn that damn alarm off!" Jason yelled as he flopped back on his bed. "Sorry, Nicholas said as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. "I'm not used to the whole alarm thing anymore." "Whatever." Jason said as he buried his head under the blankets. "Do you want the shower first or not?" "Yeah. I'm up." Nicholas said as he carefully tried to bear weight on his bad leg for a moment while he got out of bed. A sharp pain radiated up his leg and it served as an unpleasant reminder of the long healing process that lay ahead. "Holler when you're out, okay?" Jason said as he rolled over in bed. Nicholas grabbed his plaid, school flannel bathrobe and headed for the bathroom. He could already feel the nervous jitters overtaking him as he thought about the stress of trying to get back into the school routine. While waiting for the water to warm in the shower, Nicholas brushed his teeth and contemplated taking some of his pain meds. After all, he did feel a sharp pain earlier and he didn't want to deal with a throbbing leg the entire day either. As he rinsed the toothpaste out of his mouth, he reached into the top drawer underneath the sink for his pills. He opened the bottle and decided on a whim to take three pills instead of the prescribed two. Two pills no longer alleviated the pain and consequently, he felt it was pointless to follow Dr. Bennett's orders. After his shower, Nicholas put on his school uniform, straightened his tie, ran his hand through his hair, and headed back into the room to wake Jason. Nick and his roommate had established a morning routine that worked well for both of them. Nick was fast and quiet with his morning rituals and this allowed Jason to sleep a few minutes longer. Then while Jason was getting ready, Nicholas would take advantage of some quiet study time. The system worked well, assuming one of them remembered to set the alarm. At breakfast, Nicholas was shocked to learn that the school nurse would be assisting him in the dining hall for all meals except dinner. At Wellington, breakfast and lunch were set-up in a standard buffet format that required students to place selected food items on a tray. Despite the informal nature of obtaining the meal, strict dining etiquette rules were enforced and the tables always had tablecloths with proper silverware. Dinners, however, were very formal affairs, resembling meals that students might experience at a family dinner. The dinner items were placed hot on the table in large serving dishes and food was passed around. Since Nicholas was unable to carry a tray and use his crutches, the administration felt that a personal assistant was essential for meals that did not follow such a format. Ms. Williams, the school nurse, was a very nice woman in her late fifties and she was on her twenty-fifth year with the school. She was a quiet, reserved woman, who lived in a dorm suite, much like the majority of the faculty. Nicholas liked her well enough, but her presence was beyond embarrassing. Once Ms. Williams helped Nicholas to the table and removed the food from the tray for him, he prayed that she wasn't going to plop down next to him for the duration of the meal. Thankfully, he was spared the humiliation. "Nicholas, I'm going to grab my breakfast and sit with the other faculty. If you need anything, just raise your hand, okay?" Ms. Williams said with a pleasant smile. "Thank you." Nicholas said with sincerity. Josh, one of Nick's classmates from Latin yelled down the table, "Hey, Fallin! What's the deal? You have to have a nanny at school now?" Jason couldn't resist the opportunity to join in the fun, so he immediately took a jab. "Yeah, his father tried to get his nanny from home to come back to school with him, but she said 'no' when she heard about the new Saturday dress code!" "No way! Fallin, you have a nanny back home?" Josh asked with a loud laugh. Nicholas shot a disgusted look in Jason's direction. Jason knew how upset and embarrassed Nick was with his father for insisting that he still have a nanny at home. Nicholas felt betrayed and hurt that Jason would shout that information out for all to hear. "No, I don't have a nanny. She's my Dad's housekeeper." Nicholas said with his head bent. He was an awful liar and he was sure that all his classmates at the table could see through his story. Jason recognized that he was out of line and he gave Nick an apologetic smile. A few minutes later, Mr. Dillman stood up at the head table and loudly cleared his throat so as to get the attention of the students. The boys immediately stood up to receive him, an act of respect that was required whenever the Head of the school entered a room or addressed the student body. The room became instantly quiet, except for three boys in the far back of the dining hall that were clearly clueless. "You boys in the back," Mr. Dillman shouted while pointing his finger in an accusatory fashion, "See me in my office after breakfast!" If it wasn't quiet before, it was dead silent now. The boys at Wellington all learned the hard way when it came to the importance of showing complete respect to all authority figures. Wellington was notorious for producing well-mannered, intelligent, and successful gentlemen and they implemented severe consequences to ensure that the tradition was upheld. "As you all know," Mr. Dillman began to speak with a hint of annoyance still in his voice from the earlier disruption, "We have a few important dates coming up that I want to remind you of. Midterm exams will begin next week and consequently, we will be enforcing quiet study hours starting this afternoon." A few groans could be heard in the crowd and Mr. Dillman promptly and sternly reprimanded the students. "Boys! That will be enough. Some of you desperately need to take these exams seriously so you aren't "stuck" here, as some of you might say, for another year! Now, moving on. Our Co-ed March Dance with Linden Academy will be next Friday here in our ballroom beginning at 8:00. And no, you do not need to wear your uniform, but a suit is required. Next on the agenda is the Basketball Challenge between the two houses. It is expected that ALL boys will participate in this event in some capacity and House meetings will be held next week to organize that event." As Mr. Dillman cleared his throat before continuing, Nicholas could see that all the boys were glancing over at him. Clearly they were worried about Nick's ability to partake in the event and the Ogden boys appeared to be nervous that Nick might cause them to lose points. Nicholas's mind began to race as he tried to think about how he could participate without being the cause of another horrible defeat. "Remember, boys," Mr. Dillman began to say in a serious tone, "This is a time-honored event that is designed to develop teamwork and school spirit. The game shall be played fairly and in accordance with our honor code. In addition, I have decided that the game will be placed on hold until after exam week. If either House is terribly unruly during the midterms, than I shall cancel the entire thing. Understood?" 'Yes, sir's' could be heard ringing throughout the dining hall as the boys glanced at each other with slightly lowered heads. "Good! Now off you go to class!" Mr. Dillman bellowed with a tone of satisfaction. He was a power-hungry sort of man and he loved the fact that he could command dutiful behavior and respect from his students. Books were not allowed in the dining hall so all the boys had to rush to their assigned lockers in the academic wing to retrieve their necessary class materials. Nicholas, along with the other students, was accustomed to placing his books in his locker before heading to the dining hall each morning. It was a rare event to not have homework in every single class so; transporting heavy textbooks was a daily ritual. "Hey, Nick. Let me help you, okay?" Jason said with a kind gesture as he saw Nick struggling to throw his backpack over his shoulder. Students were not permitted to carry bags, but the staff made an exception for Nick due to his injury. "I got it." Nick said curtly. "Nick, listen, I'm sorry I said anything at breakfast about the stupid nanny thing." Jason said with a sincere expression. "Yeah, whatever." "Nick, I'm really being serious. I'm sorry." Jason said holding Nick back by his arm. "Okay, thanks." Nick said glancing down. "Alright. I'll see you in Calculus. Have fun in your Latin class!" Jason said with a loud chuckle as he ran the opposite direction down the hall. Nick hated Latin and Mr. Matherson was known for being one of the meanest teachers at the school. As Nick turned the corner into his classroom, he took a deep sigh and prayed that he could make it through the next 60 minutes. The class went by incredibly slowly and after taking lecture notes for 45 minutes, Mr. Matherson passed out a difficult worksheet that he ideally wanted to have completed by the end of class. Nick took one look at the assignment and had no idea what to do. He glanced around the room at the other boys and no one appeared to have a confident expression on their face either. Mr. Matherson never liked to be asked questions and consequently, everyone sat there dumbfounded. Recognizing that he was getting nowhere fast with the worksheet, Nick quietly turned to the boy behind him and asked what he got for number one. Before the student could respond, Mr. Matherson yelled at Nicholas from his richly stained, heavy desk across the room. "Mr. Fallin! Is there a problem I should know about?" "No, sir." Nicholas said while staring at the wooden top to his desk. "In case you have forgotten since your sabbatical, there is absolutely no talking in my class. Is that clear, Mr. Fallin?" "Yes, sir." Nicholas said while his feelings of disgust for the man were rekindled. The bell finally rang and Mr. Matherson dismissed them after ordering them to complete the worksheet for homework since they were all lazy, blah, blah blah. Nick darted out of the room as fast as his crutches could carry him. "Nick! Wait up!" Jason yelled from down the corridor. "Hey. What's going on?" Nick said as he swapped his Latin book for his thick Calculus text from his locker. "I was just talking to Rob and he suggested that since you can't play basketball for our hall, you could be the House mascot! How does that sound?" Jason asked with excitement. "You gotta be kidding me?" Nick said with a look of disbelief on his face as he shook his head. "First of all, do we even have a mascot? Secondly, there is no way that I am going to dress up as a tiger, bear, or whatever the hell you think an Ogden mascot looks like!" "Nick, where is your House spirit? Come on! I went to a lot of effort to find a way to make you feel included and you won't even give the idea some thought!" Jason said with disappointment. "Jason, thanks for thinking about me, but really, I'm fine just sitting on the sidelines cheering you guys on." Nick said as he began to hobble in the direction of his second hour class. "That's it!" Jason said as he skipped along side Nick. "That's perfect! You came up with the best idea of all, Nick! Tradition has it that whenever House challenges took place, there would be a cheering squad. I know it might be lonely as the only cheerleader, but we could make sure that you have a real uniform to wear and everything!" "Jason, I liked your mascot idea better." Nick said while shaking his head in disbelief. "Well, let me know what you want to do later. In the meantime, I guess we have to pretend to care about derivatives in Calculus for the next hour." Jason said as he plopped down next to Nick in his usual desk in room 112. "Yeah, I guess you are right." Nick said with a deep sigh that signified how much he dreaded the class too. The day seemed to take forever, as Nicholas was no longer used to the endless hours of sitting, taking notes, and trying to absorb enormous amounts of information. Lunch was awful and to make matters worse, several boys made a point of yelling at Nick for being too slow in the hallways and stairwells. Nicholas felt awkward and frustrated at the whole ordeal, and he longed desperately to return home to the comfort of his own room. The boys at Wellington saw Nicholas as the typical rich, introverted kid, who got sent to boarding school to enable his parents to acquire greater financial success by working long hours and having tremendous social freedom. Most of the students tolerated each other, but it wasn't unusual for Nick to feel that he was barely extended that generosity. On numerous occasions, Jason would tell Nick that the guys didn't really hate him, but rather, they were jealous of him. Nick, however, did not buy the lame argument. It didn't help matters that word was going around that Nick was using his Sony Walkman in his room for entertainment while the T.V. deprived boys were left with nothing. The school authorities had apparently overlooked the device, because the school sweep for Walkmans around campus occurred last January when the boys got back from Christmas vacation. As an intellectually gifted student, Nicholas possessed an amazing ability to comprehend and apply new knowledge rapidly. As a matter of fact, it was not uncommon for Nicholas to grow impatient with his fellow classmates when they struggled with new material. Consequently, Nicholas was in the highest classes permitted for his age and grade level. This, however, did not prevent the daily boredom Nicholas encountered as he was forced to pay absolute attention to a lecture that he grasped within the first five minutes. Unfortunately, Nicholas was not skilled in hiding these emotions, as the occasional eye roll generated out of annoyance and idle chatter he engaged in to help pass the time, led to frequent bouts of disciplinary action. At last the school day was coming to an end and Nicholas was grabbing his Physics textbook out of his locker for seventh period. As he stood in front of his locker, he thought about all the homework that he had to do for the evening and he quickly let go of the notion that he was going to be able to hang out with his classmates in the common room for a round of cards. Just then, Mark, one of Nicholas's least favorite classmates, came around the corner and slammed Nick's locker door shut. "Oops. I'm sorry. Did you need something out of there?" Mark asked with a sly expression on his face. "No." Nicholas said as he looked down and glared at Mark out of the corner of his eye. Mark was the only student at Wellington that Nicholas felt confident was despised more than him. Each year, Wellington would award one scholarship to a boy who could not afford the high tuition costs. Although very bright, Mark lacked any and all tact and many of the boys were baffled by why the administration would have let him in on a full ride. Wellington valued manners and etiquette as much as intelligence and morals so it made sense that the decision to admit Mark was seen as a bizarre event. "I hear you are going to be our cheerleader at the big game. This I gotta see!" Mark laughed loudly as he looked around the hallway to see if he had an audience. Nicholas tried to ignore his comments as he quietly began to dial the combination to his locker. Just as he was pulling on the handle to the door, Mark slammed his hand on the locker once again. "I thought you said you didn't need anything out of your locker, Fallin?" Mark said as he leaned against the locker with a devilish smile. The one-minute warning bell resonated throughout the marble hallway and Nicholas knew that there was no way he was going to make it to Physics class on time. If he wasn't on crutches and no severe consequences would ensue, he would have hauled off and decked Mark, but he knew that he was at an extreme disadvantage and was better off walking away. Nicholas adjusted his backpack, void of his required Physics text, and began to move away from Mark. "Oh, let me help you with that." Mark said as he grabbed the shoulder strap on Nicholas's backpack. The abrupt and strong tug pulled Nicholas backwards, causing him to lose his balance on his crutches. The shiny, marble floors did not make for a very soft landing as Nick hit the ground. "See ya later, Fallin!" Mark said as he walked off with a quick glance over his shoulder at Nicholas who sat on the floor with his crutches lying in every direction. Before getting up, Nick examined his leg and pressed on his knee in the locations that his physical therapist taught him to examine. There was no significant damage done, but Nick could feel the pain radiating up his leg. He slowly got up and felt in his school suit coat to see if he any painkillers on him. Sure enough, he found three and he scooted along the floor to the drinking fountain to swallow them quickly. The final bell for seventh period had already rung, and Nicholas was dreading the thought of opening the door to his class. He peeked inside through the glass in the door and Mr. Jacobson was already writing equations on the board dealing with the flux of ions through a closed system with internal semi-permeable membranes. Not wanting to get in any more trouble, Nicholas slowly opened the heavy door, praying that it wouldn't creak in the process. As he walked in, everyone turned in their desks to see whom the tardy pupil was. Nicholas was mortified and he tried to figure out where to sit without drawing any more attention to himself. Mr. Jacobson must have developed a new seating chart, as no one was in their usual seat. Ed was now sitting in his old seat, so Nicholas slid into the far right desk. "Mr. Fallin? Is there some reason why you are late to my class?" Mr. Jacobson asked while he continued to write on the board with his back towards the class. The saying that teachers have eyes in the back of their heads must be true. "No, sir." Nicholas said as he saw Mark staring at him with an amused expression. "See me after class, Mr. Fallin. In the mean time, why don't you open your book to page 263 for me and explain the Menten Kinetics Equation you see in the top left." Nicholas panicked as he remembered that he didn't have his book. He quietly leaned over and asked Todd if he could borrow his book for a minute. Before he could finish his sentence, Mr. Jacobson had turned around and caught sight of the situation. He began to approach Nick's desk with a very displeased expression. "Mr. Fallin, it appears as if you not only blessed me with your presence in a tardy fashion, but you also came unprepared." Mr. Jacobson said in a sharp, scolding tone as he tapped his fingers on the top of Nick's desk with his right hand and on top of Todd's desk with his left hand. All eyes were on Nicholas and he wanted desperately to disappear under his desk. "I'm sorry, sir." Nicholas said sheepishly. He wanted to explain the whole thing to his teacher, but he knew that Mark would only make it worse for him if he even thought of opening his mouth. After all, causing physical harm to another student is grounds for expulsion. "Perhaps a trip down to Mr. Dillman's office is necessary?" Mr. Jacobson asked with a threatening tone to his voice. Nicholas didn't know what to say. He desperately wanted to avoid that scenario, but he didn't know how to prevent the inevitable. He looked down at his desk with rounded shoulders as he awaited the dreaded command to go see the Headmaster. Mr. Jacobson recognized that Nicholas was collapsing into a little ball right in front of him and he figured that he would spare the boy this once (given that it was his first day back and all). "Mr. Fallin, look on with Mr. McLane and kindly answer my initial question I posed to you." Mr. Jacobson said as he gave Nick a half-smile and meandered back towards the front of the class. Nicholas gratefully did as he was told and led the class in a thoughtful, analytical discussion that apparently pleased Mr. Jacobson enough that he completely forgot that he had requested that Nicholas stay after class. As the students were filing out of the classroom, Mark made a point of timing his departure so that he and Nicholas were squeezing through the door at the same time. "Very slick, Fallin. I gotta hand it to you. You clearly know how to get yourself out of a punishable offense. Perhaps I should start being nice to you since your skills might be of use to me in the future." Mark said with his usual devilish chuckle. "I don't want your friendship, Mark, and neither do half the other guys here. You are one of the most manipulative people I know and for as miserable as you are at this school, I don't understand why you stick around? After all, you, unlike the rest of us, have a choice." Nicholas said as he continued to shuffle down the hall amidst a crowd of boys anxiously trying to get to their lockers. "Rah, rah, rah! Great pep talk, Fallin! Are you preparing for your cheerleading responsibilities, because I can't wait to see you in the cheerleading outfit that our hall designs for you. See ya, Fallin!" Mark said as he sauntered down the hall picking on other boys as he went. ..... Nicholas was engrossed in his studies at his desk when Brandon and Jason walked in. He glanced up quickly and then returned to his work. "Nick, we have a meeting in the common area in ten minutes. Are you coming?" Jason asked as he plopped down on Nick's bed. "No, I'm not. I have way too much work to do and incidentally, you are in no position either to be goofing around. Exams start next week!" Nick said with an anxious tone. "Nick, you have to go! Everyone is planning the details for the House Challenge." Brandon said pleadingly. "Look. I don't play sports, I don't want to be a mascot, and I have positively no interest in being the "house cheerleader'. So, I wish you guys would let the whole thing go. Okay?" Nick said with enough seriousness that Jason knew to back off. "Fine, Nick. If that's the way you want it." Jason said as he got up from the bed. "Just don't complain to me if the majority of the students assign you a task. Not attending makes you fair game!" Jason said with a sly smile. "Whatever." Nicholas said as he turned the page in his Latin book. .... "Here you go, Nick." Jason said as he threw a wad of clothes on Nick's bed and shut the door behind him. "What is that?" Nick asked curiously. "Your cheerleading uniform. You can thank Mark for that." Jason said as he pulled out his chair to his desk, sat down, and opened his math book. "Are you serious?" Nick said as he unfolded the tacky male cheerleading uniform. "I refuse to put this on! Are you guys all nuts?" Nick asked in exasperation. "Fallin, I tried to tell you that you should go to the meeting. Mr. Walters even approved of the group's decision so I guess you will have to take it up with him." Jason said as he began to scribble a response to the first Calculus problem in his notebook. "Where is Mark?" Nicholas said as he rose from his chair and slammed his book shut. "Probably in his room studying since quiet hours started ten minutes ago." Jason said with his finger to his lips, signaling to Nicholas that he had better keep it down. "I'm going down there right now! I've had it with him! Pushing people around is merely a game to him and no one around here will stand up to him!" Nicholas said as his face became red with anger. "And I suppose you think you're going to go down to his room and knock him out?" Jason said in a mocking tone as he pointed to Nick's leg to remind him of his blatant disadvantage. "Plus, you'll get punished and possibly expelled. Something tells me that either consequence won't be well received by Burton Fallin." Jason said with a serious tone that forced Nick to consider the reality of such actions. "I know. You're right. But..." Nick began to say before Jason interrupted him. "But... nothing, Nick. Let it go! Everybody hates Mark. You know that! So, let someone else deal with him. Eventually he will get what is coming to him, but you need to keep your nose clean." Jason said in a parental tone. Jason was an interesting character, as he could lend the best advice, but then fail to follow it himself. Nick loved that about Jason and he knew that Jason genuinely cared about him. "Fine. I won't go down there. But, I am NOT wearing that stupid cheerleading outfit. Period." Nick said as he sat back at his desk and tried to focus on his schoolwork. "Fine." Jason said with a sigh as he flipped the page in his Calculus book with a puzzled look on his face. .... Midterm exam week was stressful and mentally draining. Wellington was infamous for treating exams as if everyone's future success rested on each and every one. Strict quiet hours were enforced, the free-time hour in the evening was banished, and bedtime was 30 minutes earlier than normal. The administration strongly believed all the studies that showed that extra sleep would increase one's capacity to engage in higher order thinking. So, it naturally made sense that the faculty would alter the sleeping cycle of their students during the intense week too. Nicholas felt confident that he performed well on all of his midterms, but until he saw his scores, he wasn't going to get overly excited. On top of the stress of exams, Nicholas continued to find it difficult to readjust to boarding school life and he also missed Mrs. Portis. The boys were less than friendly and he was sick of being yelled at in the halls to 'hurry up' or 'get out of the way'. It didn't take Nick long to realize that his pain pills provided a quick escape from the depressing realities of his life. On more than one occasion, Jason caught Nicholas popping pills during random hours of the day and he was never afraid to address the situation. "Nick, what the hell are you doing? You just took three pills less than a few hours ago! You're gonna get sick from that crap!" Jason said as he lifted the medicine bottle off Nick's desk to read the label. "Jesus, Nick! You're only supposed to take three per day for the pain and I see you taking three at a time every three hours." "Don't worry about it, Jason. My doctor says I can take as many as I need throughout the day to manage the pain. I'm fine." Nick said as he grabbed the bottle away from Jason. "I don't know, man. You get really spacey when you are on that stuff. Your eyes glaze over and you are barely able to hold a conversation. If I were you, I would throw them out and try taking regular aspirin if the pain gets intolerable." Jason said while shaking his head to show his displeasure. "Duly noted." Nick said he walked away. "Hey! Are you gonna go to the dance tonight or not?" Jason said recognizing that he had hit a sore spot with Nick and consequently, felt the need to change the subject. "I don't know. Are you going?" "Yeah. There's nothing else to do around here and I am sure not sitting in this room studying!" Jason said as cleared off his desk and placed his feet up. "I don't know if I should even bother since I can't dance. All of those girls will completely laugh at me, so what's the point in going?" Nick asked while fidgeting with the stapler on his desk. "When did you physical therapist say you could try walking without the crutches?" Jason asked curiously. "Soon, but certainly not by tonight!" Nick said "Bummer.' Jason said just as someone knocked on the door. "Come in!" Jason yelled from his desk, not wanting to get up. As the door opened, music could be heard coming loudly from the hall. Now that exams were over, boys were playing their stereos quite loud and running up and down the halls, trying to let off some steam. "Nick. Can I talk to you for a second?" Brandon asked as he peeked his head in and motioned for Nick to step out into the hall. "Sure." Nick said with a confused look on his face. Once the two of them were alone in the hall, Brandon approached Nick and quietly whispered in his ear. "Hey. I have a huge favor to ask. Do you think I can bum some of your pain pills off from you?" Brandon asked while looking around nervously. "Why?" Nick asked curiously. "Look. It's not for me. It's for someone else. They wanted to be to ask you for them since we are friends." "I don't know, Brandon. Who wants some?" "That's the thing, Nick. I can't tell you." Brandon said as he started to fidget. "Listen. This person is prepared to pay you whatever you want for them, okay? So, name your price." "You are crazy! They're not for sale! It's not like I have an unlimited supply. I have to have the nurse contact my doctor each time I need a refill and trust me, it is getting harder and harder for me to acquire them!" Nick said with a nervous chuckle, not really wanting to part with them since money was not an issue for him. "All right. What if I were to tell you that if you give me ten pills, I could make the whole Ogden Hall cheerleader nightmare go away. Would that change your mind?" Jason asked curiously. "Perhaps." Nicholas said reluctantly. "Well, give it some thought and let me know before the dance, okay? I'm serious, Nick, things will be a lot better for you around here with some of the guys if you share the goods." Jason said with a serious and convincing tone. "Fine. I'll talk to you later, Brandon." Nick said as he turned slowly on his crutches and headed back into his room. "What did he want?" Jason asked with an odd expression. "Nothing. He just wanted to tell me some stuff about the game." Nick said realizing that his lie sounded stupid and totally far-fetched. 'Well, I'm going to shower and get ready. You going or not?" "Yeah. I'm going to go. I'll shower after you, just don't use up all the hot water, okay?" Nicholas said jokingly. "Whatever!" Jason said knowing full well that Nick was the usual guilty person when it came to that.. Once Jason left the room, Nicholas pulled out the bottle of pills and poured the contents out onto his bed. He counted each one carefully and then contemplated the thought of parting with ten pills of the 'miracle drug'. After careful consideration, he decided to go ahead with the transaction and hope that Brandon was being honest about solving the cheerleading house dilemma. All he could do was trust that things would go as planned. TO BE CONTINUED