Monday, January 15, 2024

46 – This Gift, This Curse


 

"What are you doing here?" Kevin asked, when he opened his apartment door to find Mick standing there.

 

"Will's reading, I'm bored. He told me to go bother someone else and since you're the only other person I know in the building, you won the coin toss."

 

Kevin laughed, stepped aside to let him in, and closed and locked the door. "You'll probably be just as bored here. I'm studying for an exam."

 

"Another one? Damn. I thought it was yesterday."

 

"Didn't you have a ton of them when you were in school?" Kevin asked, as he went back to his desk.

 

Mick winced, since he'd never been to college, despite Kevin's believing otherwise. "Well, yeah, sure. What's this one for?"

 

"History."

 

"I could quiz you. I mean, if that would help."

 

"That would be great!" Kevin moved to one side of the desk, pointing to his laptop. "There are test questions here. Not the test questions but ones covering what I need to know."

 

Mick brought over another chair and sat, looking at the screen. "How will I know if you get them right?"

 

Kevin clicked next to one of the questions and the answer appeared below it.

 

"See, easy, though you'd probably know if I was right since I bet you had to take the same type of course."

 

Thinking fast, Mick said, "You think I really remember what I learned about"—he glanced at the screen—"medieval history?"

 

"Yeah, good point. Okay, you ask and I'll pray I give the right answer."

 

For the next hour, Mick read off questions, which for the most part Kevin answered correctly. When he didn't, Kevin would go through the section of his notes and his book covering the particular question.

 

"And hope I remember tomorrow," he said with a sigh at one point.

 

"Aw you'll do just fine."

 

Kevin crossed his fingers and they got back to it.

 

When they were finished, Kevin went into the kitchen, coming back with a couple of sodas, one of which he handed to Mick, saying, "Thanks for the help."

 

"Is that how you and Sue usually do it?" Mick asked.

 

"Yeah, her, me and Charlie. We quiz each other up one side and down the other."

 

"They seem nice."

 

"They are, and Charlie's real protective of her, though I've never quite figured out why." Kevin chuckled. "I sometimes get the feeling he's glad I'm around, so he can go off and do his own thing. Other times I wonder."

 

"Maybe he doesn't want you breaking his sister's heart."

 

"Um-hum. Well, she's safe enough in that respect, and honestly we've only gone out once so far on anything like a real date—which it wasn't, because we're just friends."

 

"As far as you're concerned, but what about her?"

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