Unrequited

Alan stared at the syringe for a moment, his mind trying to comprehend what it was his eyes saw. Lee hurriedly closed his hand around it and strode over to his chifforobe. That prompted Alan to move and he did, slinging off his light jacket and all but falling into his desk chair.

"What's that all about?" he asked, motioning his head in his roommate's general direction.

"What's what all about, Tracy?" came the caustic response.

"The syringe." Alan tried to make his voice non-committal, to keep his body posture open. "You on some kind of medication? Insulin?" The thought that Lee might be diabetic or in need of some legitimate medical treatment had occurred to him and he preferred to think that way instead of speculating in darker, more dangerous directions.

"None of your business," Lee growled as he put the syringe into the locked drawer of his closet.

Alan expected that reaction. But if his roommate did have a specific medical need, Alan wanted to know about it so he could help if necessary--even as a little voice in the back of his head wondered why Lee hadn't told him the first day or so, when they were on better speaking terms.

"Listen," he began, his tone reasonable, "if you're on medication, that's okay; that's cool. I'd like to know in case you need help of some kind or other."

Lee closed the door to his closet, then turned to fix Alan with an icy glare. "Like I said, it's none of your business." He took a few steps toward the younger boy. "I see that I've got a summons to see Ms. Belvedere tomorrow. Your doing, I suppose."

"Not just mine," Alan said coolly. Since Lee was shutting him out, Alan felt no more reason to sound or act sympathetic.

"Right. Yours and Bertoli's. I haven't forgotten." The older boy turned from him abruptly and headed back into the bathroom.

Alan toyed with the idea of telling Lee that Trey was in on the request, too, but decided against it. Let him be surprised, he said to himself, turning to boot up his computer. And, note to self: ask Zave if Sugi takes medication and for what.

Fermat sat down to read his note from Tin-Tin.

Hey, Fermat!

How are you? I'm okay. Well, actually I'm better than okay, if you don't count the homesickness and the cold weather. I spent last weekend with Lady Penelope and that was such a great spirit lifter! We went horseback riding, then shopping in London. I really needed some warmer clothes and now I've got so many new outfits and dresses. Oh, excuse me, new frocks! Must use the correct dialect here. ;P

It seems so strange to walk out in the morning and see frost on the ground and my breath huffing out in great white clouds of mist. Me, who's lived all her life in the tropics, thrust in an environment where everything changes so quickly and vibrantly. The leaves on the trees actually change color, then fall off! Yeah, yeah, I knew it was true, but I've never experienced it before, y'know? It's one thing to know it in your head, and another to see it live and in person. I can hardly wait to see snow; I really hope we get some!

So, how's life at Wharton? I heard that you and Alan got split up. That's got to be a pain. After all, who is Alan going to go to for homework help now? You've always were the brains of the bunch, and I was the brawn. Alan's just a pretty face. XD (Don't you dare tell him I said that!) What classes are you taking? You mentioned you hoped to take pre-engineering. Did that work out? Anything else cool going on? I want to hear it all!

School here is interesting. I have two roommates, Ellie and Victoria. Don't ever call Ellie by her full name Elaine, or Victoria, Vicky--at least, not if you want to have a warm room. I mean, when I mistakenly called Victoria, Vicky, it was like, sub-zero in our room. They are friends and have roomed together before, so I'm the outsider. But don't think that I won't stand up for myself. They both started calling me Tinny, and I put my foot down, big time! Now they call me "Miss Belegant". And we're only two weeks into the term!

I've had to learn a whole new vocabulary. "Mufti" means street clothes, which we don't wear on weekdays (but you know all about that, don't you?). Things you like are "minty", and then there's the whole truck-lorry, flashlight-torch, etc. business. Sometimes I feel so stupid asking my classmates what they mean when they say something weird like that. And they've tried to fake me out, too, by giving me the wrong words for things, words that are actually slurs or really mean nasty things. Somehow, though, I know when they're doing that. Maybe it has to do with what happened with the scorpion in the jungle.

Here I am sounding all down and like I don't like being here, when I really do! The teachers are great (for the most part) and the classes are fascinating, especially the sciences. Visiting Lady Penelope is a treat. The girls were really impressed when she came to pick me up in FAB-1; I think that I'll have less trouble with some of them now. And I have actually made some friends, too. Their names are Catherine, Keiko and Amalie. Catherine is a Londoner, Keiko is the daughter of the Japanese ambassador(!), and Amalie's mother is an executive with Michelin, recently transferred to England.

I've enclosed some pictures. One is of me and my roommates: Victoria's on my left and Ellie's on my right. There's one with me and my friends Catherine and Amalie at Foxleyheath, and one with Lady Penelope, Keiko and me during our shopping trip. It was so cool that Lady Penelope invited them all to come to Foxleyheath with me!

Fermat pulled the pictures up in a separate window. The picture of Tin-Tin and her roommates was formal, posed somewhere outside. The smiles were plastered on, showing the discomfort the three girls were having in getting along and living together. The smiles in the pictures of Tin-Tin and her friends were real, much more relaxed, and Lady Penelope almost looked like one of the girls herself, blue eyes sparkling with mischief. He smiled and sent the picture files to his printer.

He glanced up as A.J. walked in, slinging his jacket on the upper bunk.

"What's up?" the younger boy asked.

"R-Reading my m-m-m... e-mail," Fermat replied.

"Ah," was the laconic answer. Fermat grinned and returned to his computer screen.

Well, I can't think of much more to say right now, Fermat. I miss you guys so much! Please write back and tell me about life at Wharton. Send me pictures so I can put them up and wow all the girls with the hunky guys I know (and you are hunky in your own geeky way, y'know).

Hope to hear from you soon!

Love,
Tin-Tin

"Hey, who's that?" A.J. asked as he picked up the printed pages. "Wait, I remember seeing her. She was in that picture that Pinky showed us, wasn't she?"

"Y-Yeah," Fermat said, gently taking the first of the pictures, the one that A.J. had been perusing, from his roommate. "Her name is T-Tin-Tin Belegant. She's a g-good f-f-f... pal."

"She's pretty," A.J. said, handing Fermat the second picture. He whistled as he glanced over the third photo. "Wow! Who's the blonde?"

"Lady P-Penelope Creighton-W-Ward," Fermat replied, taking the remaining picture and beginning to trim it as he had the others. "She's a friend of Alan's family... especially his d-d-d... father."

"Isn't she a model or something?" A.J. asked as he watched the older boy put the pictures on the wall with tape.

"Y-Yeah, she is," Fermat replied, distractedly. He liked Lady Penelope but his eyes kept straying toward Tin-Tin's smiling face. He knew that the Malaysian girl considered him a good friend, and that the "love" at the end of her letter was a mere formality, but... he could dream, couldn't he?

Alan sat down before his computer. He had emails from Gordon, John, and Tin-Tin, as well as the schedule of track meets. This last he forwarded on to Jeff with a brief note asking to be informed when and if his father was coming to a meet. He opened Gordon's email and snorted a laugh as he read it.

...I'm feeling better, but doing laps in the pool today tired me out quicker than usual. Onaha still thinks I'm too pale, and says so at every opportunity. Sometimes I think she's being the ultimate mother hen because she misses Tin-Tin. Truth to tell, I miss the kid, too. And I miss you and Fermat, but not enough to drag you home and listen to you whine about being homeschooled! XD

Onaha's not the only one doing the "mother hen" thing, either. Scott's always got an eye on me, and so does Dad when he has one to spare. In fact, Scott sat out on the patio with one of those aviation magazines and watched me swim. Oh, he pretended he was reading, but I knew better. It's given me an idea though...

Alan chuckled as Gordon laid out his plan, one that involved a rubber snake, a bag of marbles and some peanut butter. The letter left him in a good mood and for a few moments he was able to forget his current troubles.

The letter from John was more guarded, as he couldn't exactly be forthcoming about his work or his location in an email. Brains's firewalls and malware defenses were impressive in their impregnability, but one never knew when something new and nasty could slip through and gain access to the family's personal communiqués. John still had plenty to say, though, mostly on the subject of track, and particularly on cross-country.

...Don't forget what I taught you about aerobic and anaerobic breathing, Sprout. That in itself will help your endurance. Try running to and from class, but not right after meals, and make sure you use the stairs! I know how much easier it is to cop out and take the elevator...

Most of what he had to say was old hat to Alan from the previous summer, but there were a few tips that he hadn't heard before. John also reminded him about the strength training, and Alan made a second mental note to ask Mr. Beccara if he could use the facilities outside of class. Maybe if I show him that I can do the exercises the right way, he'll let me work out at other times.

He saved the letter from Tin-Tin for last, skimming over it indifferently. He wasn't interested in girl stuff like shopping. Though he didn't know it, the letter was almost a duplicate of the one Tin-Tin had sent Fermat, just tweaked to make it more personal for Alan.

...So, how's life at Wharton? I heard that you and Fermat got split up. That's got to be a pain. After all, who are you going to go to for homework help now? Fermat's always been the brains of the bunch, I'm the brawn...

What does that make me? Chopped liver? he thought irritably.

...and I can just hear you wondering, if that makes you chopped liver! No, Alan, you're the one who bankrolls our escapades! Very important! ;P What classes are you taking? I heard you were going out for track and field. Did you make the team? Anything else cool going on? I want to hear it all!

He skimmed to the end of the missive then opened up the attached pictures. He shrugged at the first two, but the third one made him take a deep, appreciative breath. Immediately, he sent it to the printer, and within a few moments it was in his hands.

Sugi's curiosity got the better of him and he crossed over to look at the photo as Alan taped it up above his desk.

"Who're they?" he asked sullenly.

Alan almost didn't answer. He gave his roommate a long, sideways look, then turned back to the picture. "The girl with the long, dark hair is my friend, Tin-Tin. The one with the short, dark hair is one of her friends. And the blonde..." He sighed with satisfaction. "The blonde is Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward, the model. She's a good friend of my da--of my family."

"Hmph." Sugi's uttered grunt indicated that his curiosity had been satisfied and that Alan could expect no other comment.

Alan gazed long at the picture, and particularly at Lady Penelope. It was true she seemed to be attracted to his father, and that it looked like his dad reciprocated, but... he could dream, couldn't he?

He heard the door open and shut from the other side of the room and his shoulders relaxed when he saw Sugi was gone. A quick glance at the clock told him why.

"Oh man," he muttered under his breath. "Gotta hurry to dinner."

Grabbing his jacket, he pulled it on, gazing at the picture and clumsily shutting down his computer all at the same time. Then he hurried out, sprinting for the front door and down the stairs, already putting John's advice into action.