"You know, maybe we're over extending ourselves here," Arthur said.
"How so?" asked Eric.
"Multiple meetings of both a Chess Club and a Book Club each week? Besides the shortened reading period between meetings during the week like I said, the school is going to want to have some say in matters too. Right?" asked Arthur.
"He's right," Julie realized.
"Yeah," agreed Eric. "Besides, I don't think there is a single club in the whole school that meets more than once a week as it is."
"Or even meets on a Monday," Arthur pointed out.
The others agreed.
"So what do we do?" Julie asked.
"What about Tuesdays and Thursdays for Chess, and Wednesdays for the Book Club?" asked Eric.
"The only problem I can foresee with that is shortened school weeks, like Thanksgiving at the end of the month," said Arthur.*
"Well, the final decision is still the school's anyway. All we can do is present our proposal and see what they think," Eric replied, as the bell ending the Freshman lunch period rang.
ELSEWHERE...
"Hey beautiful. Going my way?" Harry Jenkins said to his wife Jenny as they met each other in the halls of Moon Lake College.
"Always," Jenny said with a smile before they kissed.
When their lips parted, Harry said, "If we hurry, we've got time for a quick bite to eat at home before we have to get John to his appointment with Doctor Twist."
"I'm not feeling very hungry right now," she replied.
"Worried about your brother?"
Jenny just shook her head affirmatively.
"I am too," admitted Harry. "I know he's technically only kin by marriage, but you know how us werefoxes are about family," he whispered in her ear, to which Jenny nodded again.
"My folks really did a number on all their kids, and if it wasn't for you and Frances, I may not have found the strength to even acknowledge, let alone overcome that."
"I think you're selling yourself a bit short there honey," Harry said, even as they walked out to his car.
"Maybe, but from what I've seen of your folks and Huck," began Jenny, referring to Harry's older brother, "you had a far better childhood than any of us Harpers did."
"Perhaps," agreed Harry, "but that's all water under the bridge now. Time to move forward. With our lives and theirs, starting with getting John the help he needs to figure things out and move on."
AND AT SAN DIEGO GENERAL...
"So it's agreed. Depending upon the next available flight his father can book us, Peter and I will either leave later tonight or sometime tomorrow," said Karen Yuletide, standing near her mother's bed in the hospital's Intensive Care Unit.
"I hate to see you go, but it's for the best," Monica Yuletide said, looking at Karen the best she could with her neck brace and casts on. "Even if your grades are great, you two can't miss any more school than you already have."
"The Talbots have always had a strong sense of family, so there is nowhere else I could have been except by my fiance's side in her time of need," Peter said. "And if either or you need anything, all you have to do is ask and if we can..."
"Well, the trucking company is covering all of Monica's medical expenses," began her fiance Joanne Howard, "and we still have that money from that anonymous benefactor I put in the bank."
"With my accounting degree on the horizon, if you need any assistance on the financial planning side of things," Peter offered.
Joanne was about to speak when Karen said, "You don't think Dad could of..."
"Oh hell no," her mother answered. "My lawyer has been keeping an eye on his finances ever since the divorce. Every time that man has two spare nickels to rub together he goes out and spends a quarter. The man is still months in arrears on child support, even though his legal obligation there ended when you graduated high school earlier this year."
"Then who?" wondered Karen.
"No idea," admitted her mom.
"Well, whoever we have to thank, it's not as if we won't need the money as time goes on, with just me working for the foreseeable future," Joanne added. Besides, I don't dare say anything to her in Monica's present condition, but there's something weird going on between you and Peter, and I intend to find out what it is.(*2)
_________________________________________
*We're still in early November 2015 at this point in the series.
*2.) Karen and Peter don't know that Joanne accidentally overheard part of their otherwise private conversation about having to delay Karen's induction into were society as Peter's lioness. So while Joanne doesn't know about weres, she does suspect something is "off" in their relationship.—tmw.