slowly to find him on the window seat wrapped in a fleece blanket. He had a large leather-bound volume open on his lap, a discourse on the conspiracy theories surrounding Baroty Bridge. The subdued tap of windblown rain splattered against the large window. It had lulled him into a state of zen. He smiled gently as she walked towards him.
“Whatcha readin’?” She took a seat next to him.
He simply showed her the book in response.
“Ahh, any good?”
“No, not really. Well, there is that plan for assassinating the President that I’ve been carefully cultivating for the last four years. It’s not a very good plan, I must admit. I have no idea if the President is allergic to cheese.”
Molly’s jaw dropped as she feigned disbelief. “That was a low blow! Why would you wish such ill will on my boyfriend?”
“Molly, he’s married.”
“A mere technicality,” said Molly, waving the concern aside.
His chortle ran deep. It made him feel a bit better. “The idea of you being the First Lady is a very scary one.”
“I’m not sure that was a compliment.”
“Neither am I.”
There was silence, then laughter - lots of it.
“Ahh, Monson dear, I’ve missed you.” Molly lightly wiped at the corners of her eyes. “So tell me, how is everything?”
His brain kicked into overdrive. How was everything? Everything was…weird and scary, but…good at the same time. So where did he start?
“Everything’s OK, classes are fine. They aren’t as hard as I thought they were going to - ”
“Well you’ve always been smart.”
“The teachers are great, especially Mr. Gatt and Coach Hawke. Even Ms. Blake is pretty cool, though she is a bit of a strange - she’s a little out there.”
“Drama major?”
He shrugged. “Casey seems to think so.”
“There’s one in every school.”
“Beyond that, I’ve just been hanging out with Artorius and Casey - ”
Monson stopped talking abruptly; he realized Casey and Artorius were gone.
Molly spoke softly. “I sent them back to their rooms. They said they would pick you up for class tomorrow.”
“I see.” He averted his gaze.
Molly shifted closer to him. “I saw the video.”
“Of course.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Is that a trick question?” He attempted his usual level of sarcasm, but found the effect wanting. He sighed inwardly. He was just so tired. “I do have one thing I would like to ask you.”
“What’s that, sweetie?”
He sat up a litter straighter. “Baroty Bridge. Do you know why...why Grandfather and I were there that day?”
He stared at her face. It seemed like it…fell, ever so slightly. “You asked me that once before.”
He cocked his eyebrow. She grinned as she studied his face. She reached out, placing her hands on his cheeks, and held his face gently.
“It’s true.” She lifted her right hand and with her pointer finger, pushed down his eyebrow. “It was shortly after you woke up.”
He started to answer, but Molly threw him off when she stroked the corner of his cheeks, right below his eye.
“You know, I think your scars are fading a bit.”
He reached up and pulled at her hand. “I don’t remember asking you about Grandfather or Baroty Bridge.”
She exhaled deeply. “No, I don’t suppose you do. There was a lot going on at the time and you were a little out of it.”
“Did you answer my question?”
Her smile suddenly became sardonic. “No, I didn’t.”
“Will you answer it now?”
She hesitated, but answered with a nod of her head.
She motioned for him to come to her, laying a pillow in her lap. Her smile lit up the room, shining its brilliance all over him. He felt its warmth as he settled himself in.
Chapter 31 – Men In Black
“So, let me get this straight.”
Monson almost jumped Casey. The latter was standing right in the middle the morning breakfast crowd on pathway leading to The GM from The Barracks borderline screaming his
“Whatcha readin’?” She took a seat next to him.
He simply showed her the book in response.
“Ahh, any good?”
“No, not really. Well, there is that plan for assassinating the President that I’ve been carefully cultivating for the last four years. It’s not a very good plan, I must admit. I have no idea if the President is allergic to cheese.”
Molly’s jaw dropped as she feigned disbelief. “That was a low blow! Why would you wish such ill will on my boyfriend?”
“Molly, he’s married.”
“A mere technicality,” said Molly, waving the concern aside.
His chortle ran deep. It made him feel a bit better. “The idea of you being the First Lady is a very scary one.”
“I’m not sure that was a compliment.”
“Neither am I.”
There was silence, then laughter - lots of it.
“Ahh, Monson dear, I’ve missed you.” Molly lightly wiped at the corners of her eyes. “So tell me, how is everything?”
His brain kicked into overdrive. How was everything? Everything was…weird and scary, but…good at the same time. So where did he start?
“Everything’s OK, classes are fine. They aren’t as hard as I thought they were going to - ”
“Well you’ve always been smart.”
“The teachers are great, especially Mr. Gatt and Coach Hawke. Even Ms. Blake is pretty cool, though she is a bit of a strange - she’s a little out there.”
“Drama major?”
He shrugged. “Casey seems to think so.”
“There’s one in every school.”
“Beyond that, I’ve just been hanging out with Artorius and Casey - ”
Monson stopped talking abruptly; he realized Casey and Artorius were gone.
Molly spoke softly. “I sent them back to their rooms. They said they would pick you up for class tomorrow.”
“I see.” He averted his gaze.
Molly shifted closer to him. “I saw the video.”
“Of course.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Is that a trick question?” He attempted his usual level of sarcasm, but found the effect wanting. He sighed inwardly. He was just so tired. “I do have one thing I would like to ask you.”
“What’s that, sweetie?”
He sat up a litter straighter. “Baroty Bridge. Do you know why...why Grandfather and I were there that day?”
He stared at her face. It seemed like it…fell, ever so slightly. “You asked me that once before.”
He cocked his eyebrow. She grinned as she studied his face. She reached out, placing her hands on his cheeks, and held his face gently.
“It’s true.” She lifted her right hand and with her pointer finger, pushed down his eyebrow. “It was shortly after you woke up.”
He started to answer, but Molly threw him off when she stroked the corner of his cheeks, right below his eye.
“You know, I think your scars are fading a bit.”
He reached up and pulled at her hand. “I don’t remember asking you about Grandfather or Baroty Bridge.”
She exhaled deeply. “No, I don’t suppose you do. There was a lot going on at the time and you were a little out of it.”
“Did you answer my question?”
Her smile suddenly became sardonic. “No, I didn’t.”
“Will you answer it now?”
She hesitated, but answered with a nod of her head.
She motioned for him to come to her, laying a pillow in her lap. Her smile lit up the room, shining its brilliance all over him. He felt its warmth as he settled himself in.
Chapter 31 – Men In Black
“So, let me get this straight.”
Monson almost jumped Casey. The latter was standing right in the middle the morning breakfast crowd on pathway leading to The GM from The Barracks borderline screaming his
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