Reverberating in the auditorium, the voice of Dr J.P. Cobrom filled the air. There was no defying the lecturer’s long-windedness, and the audience showed its lulling effect.

Teri sighed and looked at the man next to her.  His brow was stern with concentration as he listened and periodically jotted notes.

“How can you be so into this?” she whispered.  “I thought theory and unproven practices weren’t your thing?”

“I have a feeling these are on the brink of becoming reality,” Daniel replied.  “Then they won’t be theories any more.”

Teri rolled her eyes.  As Dr. Cobrom continued about the effects and benefits of a theoretical plant, her eyes began to wander across the faces of her fellow students.  Larry was asleep as always, although this time she couldn’t blame him.  Harley was drawing in his notebook.  Then Jake caught her eye; he was looking right at her gave a small smile.

As Dr. Cobrom began to outline the next class’ discussion, the auditorium filled with the sound of the students packing up their materials.

“Are you ready for lunch?” Teri asked as she shouldered her backpack.

“I’ve got to ask Dr. Cobrom a question.  I’ll catch up with you.”  Daniel grabbed his notebook and pen and headed for the podium as she followed the crowd of students out the doors.

“Rather boring today, huh?”

“Yes,” Teri glanced next to her and saw Jake Rivers, “I could hardly keep my eyes open.  Sometimes I envy Lenny.”  Jake let out a loud laugh.

“I bet it would be hard to get any sleep with the noise of pencil flying on the paper of that brownnoser you sit next to.”

“Daniel’s a nice guy.”

“Yeah, a nice guy…”

Teri frowned.

“What are you doing for lunch?” Jake asked.

“Going to the union with a nice guy.”

“I’d be honored...” he smirked charmingly.

“Jake, we had our fun.  Don’t start something you can’t finish.”  She turned her back to him and walked away.

“Oh, I’ll finish it,” he said softly as he watched her, then gritted his teeth as he stormed off in the other direction.

- - - - - - - - - -

“I always thought you had to live in a sorority house when you’re greek,” Daniel said as he pulled his car over outside Teri’s apartment building.

“No,” Teri replied. “just one year.  I did when I was a freshman.”  She sighed slightly.  “Thanks for the ride, Daniel.”  She leaned toward him slightly.  “I really appreciate it.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow for lessons then,” Daniel said rather quickly.

Teri smiled awkwardly.  “Yeah… I hope you’ve been practicing.  I think I found a new song for you to learn.”

He watched to make sure she got inside okay, then he sighed to himself: “Daniel, what have you got yourself into?”

- - - - - - - - - - - -

The soft mellow sound of a calming guitar stopped as it was interrupted by a knock on the door.  Teri came from the narrow hallway and crossed the frontroom.  When she looked through the peephole she resisted the urge to yell out ‘go away.’  She took a calming breath then unlocked the door and slowly opened it three inches.

“What do you want, Jake?” she sounded condemning.

“Just to talk,” his hands were in the pockets of his leather jacket, and he shrugged opening his coat.

“I’m not sure there’s anything you can say, Jake.”

“Let me in, I can’t say what I want to say through the door, or just in passing on campus.”

She just glared at him.  “This is the only option.”

His face contorted with the sharp lines of anger as he hit his hand hard against the doorframe.  “Let me in!”

“I knew you hadn’t changed,” she said, catching him once again resorting to his old habits of rage and force.  “You’ll just have to face the fact that not everything in life goes your way and no amount of force will make it, either.”

She saw Jake’s face soften slightly in the instant before she closed the door and a distant memory of a boy she once knew played at the edge of her mind as she turned the lock.

“Mama?” a small voice brought her back to the present and she turned to see the three year old in her pink footie pajamas standing at the edge of the hallway.

“What are you doing out of bed?” she teased as she swooped down and lifted the little girl into her arms.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Daniel sat on the couch in his living room, strumming a soft song on his guitar.  He relished in the way it relaxed him and wondered why he had never taken up an instrument before.

Peter came from his room and walked into the kitchen.

“It’s one thing to be dedicated,” he was saying, “But do you have to play so early?”

“Oh, sorry,” Daniel appoligized, then he looked at the clock.  “It’s almost eleven.”

“Well, I was at Laura’s till four.”  He came out of the kitchen with a cup of coffee.

“I have to practice some more before Teri gets here.”

“So,” Peter sat down in the big chair.  “Are you guys a couple yet?”  The look his roommate gave him, made him shrug in indifference.  “Better tell her that you only think of her as a friend, then.  I think she’s starting to love you.”

Daniel rolled his eyes at Peter’s toying.  “Why don’t you just go back over to Laura’s and love her some more?” Daniel retorted.

Peter looked struck by the idea.  “By George, I do believe that is what I’ll do,” he said sarcastically.  “What a bloody brilliant flatmate I have.” 

Daniel shook his head as Peter readied himself to go over to his girlfriend’s house.  When Teri’s knock came, Daniel opened the door and let her in.  Peter gave his regards and smirked dangerously at Daniel from behind Teri.  “Have fun kids,” he said as he left.  “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“Roommates,” Daniel said, trying to make a joke of it all.

Teri glanced over at Daniel’s guitar on the couch.  “Oh, so you did go with the classic style.”  She set down her own guitar case, and picked up Daniel’s instrument, and strummed a couple of times.  “This is a nice one.  You did a good job picking it out.”

“Thanks,” Daniel blushed slightly.  “I’ve been practicing that chord.  But I still can’t get that A to sound just right.”  He sat down next to her and she handed the guitar back to him and reached for her case.

“Well, that’s as good a place as any to start today.”

- - - - - - - - - -

As the lesson ended, Teri placed her case into her lap and set the guitar in.  After she shut it, she sat there on the couch watching Daniel finish up the lesson.  “Remember that song… the first one I taught you?” she asked.  “You should be pretty good at it by now.”

Daniel thought for a second, then placed his left hand fingers in the proper places and began to strum.  He smiled as he instinctively remembered the tune.  Teri smiled back.  It was a beautiful, yet simple melody.  As he finished the last chord, Teri leaned over and kissed him slowly on the lips.  Daniel’s body became tense.

Teri looked him in the eyes, he could feel her warm breath on his face as she waited for him to return the affection.  He didn’t know what to do.

“Teri,” he said comfortingly, and she immediately withdrew.

“You’re right,” she said.  “That was pretty unprofessional of me, at a lesson and everything.”  She grabbed the handle of her case and began to stand.  But Daniel put his hand on her arm.

“Sit back down,” he pleaded.  “I… I really like you Teri…”

“But…” she rolled her eyes.

“Teri, I would love to kiss you back, to return the affection I felt you give me.  But that would be… deceptive.  I just don’t have those feelings for you.”

“Daniel,” she stopped him.  “Whatever you do, don’t say anything about the world being an ocean full of better catches, or me being very beautiful or finding someone better.  I’ve heard them all before.  I’m not sorry I kissed you... but I thought it would be a little better received,” she kidded.

“I don’t want you to think there’s something where there isn’t.”

She looked at him for a moment, then she grinned.  “You’re a great friend, Daniel.”  She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.  Standing with her guitar case in hand, she turned to leave.  “See you Monday in Genetics.”

Daniel just sat on the couch for a moment.  He had just let a beautiful woman, who though he wonderful, whom had kissed him rather passionately when they were alone in his apartment, walk out the door.  Nah, Peter doesn’t need to know.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Botanical Genetics II was another class for seniors in botany and biology.  The class was only made up of about twenty-two students, but only half were there.  It was a tough course, and many stopped coming half way through due to the difficulty of understanding the Asian Professor.  They were content to get the information off the online notes, but that only covered half the material, so many that didn’t attend would just barely pass the course.

“An dis,” said Professor Vu, as he changed the slide.  “Es an Uropeen oak spiced wid a Norflk Eyesland Pin, tird generaton.  Wat ood be sum notible charistics?”

Jake Rivers scoffed as he saw Daniel’s hand in the air.

“Yez?” he looked at the boy in the front row.

“Rough bark and small prickly leaves,” Daniel answered.

“Vary gud.”

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Daniel cut through the small walkway between the botany and biology buildings as he headed for his next class.

“I don’t know why you even raise your hand.”

Daniel turned to see Jake Rivers behind him.  “Because I know the answer,” he retorted.

“Exactly, no one else even cares or understands the man.” Jake shook his head.  “I don’t know why you don’t just shout out the answers, save us all a little embarrassment when we don’t raise our hands.”

“Raising your hand is polite.”

“Yeah, polite…”

“Is there something you want, Jake?” he asked cautiously.

“Yeah, Lairdl… I mean Erikson…Why’d you go and change your name anyway?” he asked curiously as if they were friends.

“Erikson’s my real name.  Lairdlot was made up for when my family was hiding from a rogue branch of the government,” Daniel told him truthfully.

Jake raised an eyebrow.  “Cool,” he said as if he disbelieved every word.  “I need to ask you a favor.”  He placed his hand on Erikson’s shoulder

“It’s our senior year, Jake,” Daniel explained.  “I can’t do anymore of your homework.  I told you when we were freshmen…”

“Daniel,” Jake said charmingly.  “I don’t want you to do my homework, or give me yours, not even for ol’ times sake.”  He paused to think about how he wanted to state his purpose.  “I know you’re real close with Teri…”

“Forget it, Jake,” Daniel replied harshly.  “You dated our freshman year.  I think she already knows about you.  I’m not putting in any good words for you.  It would be a favor to just not put in the bad words.”

“It’s not like that, Erikson.  I just need to talk to her, someplace she won’t run away.  I… I’ve changed.  I’ve been going to these AA meetings.  It seems that alcoholism runs in my family.  I’ve been sober now for a month, my sponsor thinks I can make it if I get a good support team, but you know how fraternities are, especially ours.  I’ve also been taking anger management classes.  They say the best road to recovery is to apologize to everyone who’s ever suffered because of your anger.”

He’s going to need one big megaphone to reach everyone he’s ever made suffer.

“I’m sorry for all the things I’ve done to you, Erikson.  I believe you’re the kind of guy that would hopefully forgive me and understand.  But I need to talk to her Daniel.  It would only take a few minutes, I swear.”

Daniel was speechless at all he was hearing.  Here was this guy who had always treated him like dirt, and now he was pleading with him for help. 

“Please Daniel,” he was on the verge of tears.  “I need to do this before we all graduate in December.”

Daniel swallowed.  “I’ll have to think about it.  If I can, I’ll try and find some place she feels safe and in control.  But you, you’d better not try anything too bold to get her attention, or once she sees you, she’ll leave.”

Jake nodded and grinned slightly.  “Thanks Erikson.  You’re a real pal.”

Daniel nodded, hoping he wasn’t betraying a very good friend.  He glanced down at his watch and realized the time.  “I’m late for my class.”  He turned and began to run.  “I’ll let you know.”

Jake stood in the alleyway, smiling.  He wiped the water from his eyes.  How could he have ever doubted the compassion of Daniel Erikson?

- - - - - - - - -

In the cool afternoons when there were no other pressing matters, Daniel liked to jog around the park that was a few blocks from his apartment.  While many students would have been inside at the track in the Rec Center, he preferred the outdoors where there were winding paths and he didn’t feel like he was running in circles.

As he passed by some slides and swings he noticed a group of nursery school children playing with games with their teachers.  The sight made him smile as he watched their faces light up at the simple fun. 

Daniel jogged on and recognized the woman sitting with a notebook on a bench next to the slides.

“Hi, Teri,” he said as he came up to her.

She looked up surprised to see him.  “Oh, hey, Daniel.”  She smiled politely and looked at him in his black jogging shorts and gray t-shirt.  “Out exercising, I see.”

Daniel nodded as he caught his breath.  “I didn’t take you for the outdoor studying kind of girl,” he nodded to her genetics notebook.

“Not usually,” she admitted.

Just then a small girl came running over, and took both grown-ups by surprise.  She was dressed in Barbie shoes, purple jeans and a pink jacket.  Her light brown hair was done up into pigtails that rested high on her forehead.  She put her small hand on Teri’s knee.

“Looks like you have an admirer,” Daniel said.

“Well...” Teri was about to explain.

But Daniel knelt down and brought himself eyelevel with the three year old.  “My name’s Daniel,” he said softly.  “What’s your name?”

The little girl pushed herself into Teri’s legs, then said softly, “Belle.”

“That’s a beautiful name,” Daniel said as he put his hand behind his back.  “I have something for you…” He brought his hand back around and held out a small white flower to the little girl.  “A pretty flower for a pretty girl.”

The girl smiled brightly and then looked up at Teri.

“Oh, Teri,” one of the teachers said as she approached.  “It is you.”

“I’m sorry, Susan,” Teri apologized as she stood.  “I didn’t want to interrupt the fun.”

“Belle has been an angel today,” Susan replied.  “Except for right now when she ran off without asking permission.”  Susan looked sternly at the little girl, who tired to hide behind Teri’s legs.

“It’s alright,” she said.  “I know what a handful three-year-olds can be.”

Susan smiled then returned to the other children, as Belle began to reach up for Teri to hold her and she obliged.

“Belle’s my daughter,” she admitted to Daniel.

He grinned.  “She does look a lot like you.”

Teri gathered her things and Daniel walked them to their car.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Daniel blurted out as Teri was putting the little girl in her car seat. “I talked to Jake today.”

Teri didn’t respond.

“He asked me to get you to talk to him, and…”

“No,” Teri said sternly.

“I told him I would try, it seems he has something important to say to you and …”

“Daniel,” She turned to face him. “You know the sort of guy Jake is, and I know him better than you do.”  Her hand landed softly upon his shoulder.  “I know you’re trying to be a friend to everyone, and I appreciate you telling me instead of just setting something up and letting me walk in blindly; he’s tried to do that before…”

“Teri,” This time Daniel interrupted her.  “I’m a pretty good judge of character.  There’s something different about Jake…” 

- - - - - - - - - - -

“Hey Daniel,” Tonya called as she walked through the backyard toward him.  “Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes if you want any,” she added as she stopped to survey his bush trimming.

“Sure,” he nodded.  “What’s cooking?”

“Chicken alfredo.”

“Sounds good,” Daniel said as Tonya walked with him to the shed to put up his trimmers.  “I need to borrow a room on Friday night.”

Tonya was slightly caught off guard, and then she retorted, “Hot date?  I’m sorry, but we don’t provide that service.”

“No,” Daniel smiled.  “I’ve going to be a mediator between two friends of mine, and I need a place where they can argue, but neither has the upper hand.”

“Oh sure,” Tonya rolled her eyes. “My idea was much better though.”  She thought a moment.  “Will the library work?”  As he nodded Tonya asked, “Do I know any of your guests?”

“Teri and Jake.”

“Jake Rivers?” Tonya asked with a venom-laced voice.

“Don’t worry, he’ll behave.”

“He’d better, or he’ll have to answer to me.  And he better not touch anything or I’ll have to Lysol the hole place!”

- - - - - - - - - -

Teri was sitting on one of the cushy reading chairs as Daniel escorted Jake in.  As soon as she saw him, her gaze hardened.

“Hey, Teri,” Jake said nonchalantly.

She nodded slightly; there was enough tension between them Daniel could have cut it with a knife.

“So,” Daniel said.  “I’ll just be over here,” he motioned to a table on the other side of the large room.  “Talk nicely amongst yourselves, but no physical fighting.”

Jake looked down at his shoes.

“Those are the rules, if you can’t abide, you’ll be asked to leave.”

“I’ll just leave now,” Teri began to stand.

“No,” Jake blurted out, “we have to talk.”

As Teri settled back into the large chair, Daniel retreated to the far side of the room.  At his seat he tried to read the Tequila Heights newspaper, but he kept getting distracted by the low murmurs across the room.

“I’d like to apologize,” Jake said as he sat down, “For everything.”  Teri watched him carefully.  “You used to know me so well.”

“That was in high school,” she replied.  “When you were actually a person I admired.”

“I know,” he said desperately, “And I’d like to have your respect again.”

She snickered.  “After what you’ve done, Jake, you should be glad that I’m even here talking to you.”  Jake opened his mouth to say something, but Terri added, “And that is only because Daniel thought you’d have something to say worth hearing.”

Jake grinned half-heartedly, “You were right, he’s a nice guy.”

“I happen to be a good judge of character,” she replied.

“Then tell me, how can I prove to you anything, if you’re going to judge me for who I was for three years instead of who I’ve been since the day we met?”

“You’ve proven over and over again, Jake, that I can’t believe a word you’re saying.  I know the same people you do, and people talk.”  She sighed and looked down at her hands clasped in her lap.  “I’d like you to be that boy again, that fearless, bright, caring boy who I resepected and loved, but…”

“There is no but, Teri,” Jake interrupted.  “I want to bbe that boy again, but better, the man you wanted that boy to be.  “I’m going to AA, I’ve been sober for a month, I’m taking a course to help me manage my anger at the Y.  But it’s tough, non of the guys are very supportive.”

“It’s those guys that made you this way,” Teri shot at him.

He sighed heavily.  “I know.”  Looking lost and unsure he continued, “I’m thinking about moving out of the house, but I’d loose a lot of money, not to mention the respect of the guys.”

Teri shook her head.  “But you didn’t think about losing my respect when you began sleeping around with other women.”

“I’ve made mistakes, Teri,” Jake yelled.  “That’s why we’re here!  I know I’ve made them you don’t have to point them out to me!”  He slammed his fist down on the arm of the chair.  Teri watched him as he gripped the arm and took deep breaths.

“Is this on of your anger management techniques?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah.”

They sat for a moment in silence.

“I have to tell you something,” Jake finally said.  “Please try not to say anything until I’m finished.”  He looked across at her expectantly, and she nodded as she rolled her eyes.

Jake took a deep breath before he began.  “Donavon, that’s my AA sponsor, said that the most successful members have a good support group, just friends they can call on, or that will watch out for them.  When I was first told this, I thought I was SOL because I couldn’t think of anyone I could count on, you know how my family is… we were never close and they’d think I was missing out on life just like the guys.  But then I thought of you, Teri.  I thought of those plans we made together in high school, and the man I wanted to become back then is the same man I want to be now.  I’m trying to redirect my path, Teri, and only you can help me do it.” He took another deep breath.  “You and Belle.”

Teri let out a breath of disbelief.  “I was following you Jake.  I was ready to be supportive, but if you’re going to bring my little girl into this…”

“She’s my daughter, too,” Jake yelled as he leaned forward in his seat.

Daniel looked up from his paper at this second outburst and wondered if he should walk over, the tension in the room was threatening to suffocate them now.

“I don’t remember you being by my side in Lamaze, I don’t remember you coming to the hospital when she was born, I don’t even remember any birthday cards.  I’m surprised you even know her name.”  Teri looked at him venomously.  “You aren’t her father, Jake Rivers, just the sperm donor.”

“But I want to change that, Teri, Please,” he sounded desperate now.  “all this may seem like it’s for me, but it’s really for her.  I want her to know me, to love me, the way I wish to know and love her.”

Teri watched him for a moment as if inspecting a trap.

“We’re both graduating in December.  I’ve found a job in KC.  I don’t know where you’ll end up going, but I’d like to at least meet her before we move apart.  Please, Teri.  If there was ever one thing I did right in this world it would have to be making a beautiful little girl.  And to finally know what I’m changing for, even if we just have lunch at the park one afternoon; anything, Teri, Please.”

In those pleading eyes Teri saw the boy she used to love, her heart was torn between protecting her little girl and inspiring the man she knew Jake could become.

“Daniel,” she looked across the library as she stood.  “Could you drive me home?”

“Yeah,” he walked over.

“Jake,” she said calmly.  “Give me time to think it over, three days.  Any persuasion on your part, will more than likely get you an unfavorable decicion.”

As Daniel waked the two out, Jake pulled him to the side.

“Thanks Daniel,” Jake said humbly.  “I really appreciate what you’re doing for me, even after I’ve been such an SOB and all.  I really owe you.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Daniel grinned.  “Just know that I’ll have an ear and a shoulder for you anytime you need one.”

The look on Jake’s face at that moment was something Daniel had never thought he’d see.

Jake swallowed hard.  “Thanks man,” he managed as he turned and got into his car.

- - - - - - - - -

Once again Daniel found himself parked outside Teri’s apartment building.

“Want to come up?” she asked as she stared out the passenger window.

“I don’t think…”

“No,” she turned a sad grin toward him, “You think too much.”  There was silence for a moment.  “What did he pull you aside for?  Did you want you to persuade me to his point of view?”

“No, he just thanked me for getting you to finally talk to him.”

“That’s it?” she cocked an eyebrow.

“He was grateful, I don’t think he wants to ruin his chance of a fair decision.”

“You think that’s it?  That he’ll just go with my decision, Daniel?  Even if he meets her once, he’s going to want to see her again… it’ll never end.”

“Teri,” Daniel put a reassuring hand on hers.  “He just wants a chance to be…well… to be something other than what he is.”

“A jerk,” she retorted.

“But he thinks he can be something better with you and Belle beside him for support.”

An exhausted sigh escaped her lips and she leaned over close to Daniel.  “What would you do?” she asked.  “If there was someone who you loved, who you had once planned a whole life with, and there was your small impressionable child who you’d never let anything happen to.  How do you choose?  Do you weigh the consequences and choose the lesser evil?  This man betrayed me and my daughter, but he needs our help.  And someday Belle will ask about him: where he is why he doesn’t lover her, if it was her fault he isn’t around.  But what if he has a relapse of his aggressive behavior?  What would you do?”  She looked at him with pleading eyes.

Daniel sat motionless in the driver’s seat, but the answer came from somewhere within: “Now you’re thinking too much, just follow your heart.”

Teri sighed and shook her head.  Then she smiled.  “You’re a great friend, Daniel.  But I wish Jake had asked you to persuade me.”

He looked at her puzzled and she leaned over and pecked him on the cheek.  “I’d love to see how you’d go about persuading a woman to your point of view.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Large brown eyes looked up at the new man, and her small mouth smiled shyly as he bent down to say ‘hello’ for the first time.  Jake returned the purest smile of happiness he had had for three years.  The little girl put her hand in his and he was amazed at its frailty yet strength.  And the mother looked on with worry in her mind and joy in her heart.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Daniel found Sally in her study working hard on some structural computations.

“Um, Sally…” he stopped unsure of what he really wanted to say.  He had rehearsed it for the last few days, but now his nerve abandoned him.  He wanted to flee.

The girl turned from the large desk and saw Daniel standing in the doorway with a look of great remorse on his face.

“Daniel,” she stood and walked over to him, thinking he was the bearing of bad tidings.  “What is it?” she asked as she laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

His gray eyes slowly looked up to hers and in them she saw everything he wanted to say.  She retreated minutely, trying to understand completely why she had stopped breathing.

But in that second Daniel’s heart took over and he wrapped his arms around the girl of his dreams and pressed his lips to hers.  At first, Sally gasped in surprise, then she tried to pull away, but as the kiss deepened she melted into the familiar love that surrounded her and even began to return the unfathomable sentiment.

Daniel pulled his lips always slowly and looked deeply into Sally’s eyes, revealing more of his heartfelt message.  “I love you more than words can say,” he whispered.  Hugging him close, Sally embraced him with her love. 

Nuzzling her cheek into his neck, she whispered, “I love you, too.”  They stood for a moment in the doorway just holding each other close.  Then she added, “What’s with the sudden aggressive behavior?”

He pulled slightly from the embrace to look her in the eye.  “I’m taking a page out of someone else’s book, and turning over a new leaf.  I started following my heart, and it was no surprise it led me here.”