I Will Love You Forever Pt. 2 Ch. 04

The "two-way wrist radio" was first introduced in the comic strip Dick Tracy, fourteen coal miners were killed in an explosion in Havaco, West Virginia, Charles De Gaulle resigned as President of France, the United Steel Workers of America staged a nationwide walkout- it was the largest strike in American history, 750, 000 workers walked out and the "Roosevelt dime" was introduced on the birthday of the late President Franklin D. Roosevelt replacing the "mercury dime"

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Slowly everyone began to adjust to Ralph's absence although he was still missed and always would be. Kenji, Patricia and Joel began to prepare for returning to school and its challenges. They spent extra time with "Ralph" making sure that he understood that they would be returning home at the end of the day.

"It is time for us to begin school again." Kenji explained.

"I know papa." Ralph replied.

"It is no different than before." Kenji continued as he handed the embroidered handkerchief to him.

Ralph took the handkerchief, clutched it tightly in his hands, and tried to be stoic.

"What frightens you?" Kenji asked.

"What if you and mama don't come back?" he asked.

"Do you mean like Uncle Ralph?" Kenji asked.

"Yes." Ralph said softly looking away.

"Niko," Kenji said softly forgetting to use the boy's chosen name, "Death is a part of life and cannot be predicted. I cannot promise you with one hundred percent certainty that nothing will happen that will keep us from returning home to you and your sister but I can promise you that we will do everything possible to be here."

Ralph looked up at Kenji with tears in his eyes and hugged him.

"And," Kenji continued, "If something should happen, know that you and Marie will be loved from wherever our souls go just as Uncle Ralph still loves you and is watching us as we speak. Do you understand?"

Ralph frowned and then his face lit up.

"Yes papa."

"You do?" Kenji asked surprised.

"Yes papa." Ralph replied. If asked he couldn't have verbalized what he understood but all he knew was that he felt better.

********

Abby took baby-sitting duty that week.

"I need to hear the laughter of children." she said when she volunteered.

After the usual admonishments to behave and to help with Marie, the trio headed for the car and to school. Kenji parked the car, helped Patricia out and grabbed their bags. As they walked to class, he had a slight sense of foreboding and felt led to caution Patricia.

"Kirei, please be careful and wait for me to come for you."

"Alright but do you really think that there's going to be a problem?" she asked.

"I do not know but I would rather be overly cautious than not cautious enough." Kenji replied.

He left Patricia in her classroom with a smile and a touch of her hand before going to his own class. Joel was already seated and to his credit looked relatively calm although Andrew and his friends were already there and staring at him. The feeling of unease in Kenji's stomach grew slightly and then diminished as the class began. Instead of feeling relieved, he was more on guard.

He glanced over at Joel who glanced back and nodded before facing forward again, he was on guard too. Whatever was happening with Andrew, both men knew that it wasn't going to be good. The class passed without incident and without a word from Andrew or his friends increasing the feeling that something wasn't right.

Joel and Kenji stayed seated for a few minutes after the class was over. Patricia had a few minutes of class left so there was no rush.

"What are you thinking?" Joel asked.

"I don't know." Kenji replied, "but Andrew Kelley isn't done with us." he added.

********

Patricia doodled in her notebook while she waited for class to begin. She knew that someone was staring at her and she even knew who it was. Becca Cartwright. Why, she had no idea and she didn't particularly care but this was a new thing. Until a several weeks ago, Becca had ignored her and Patricia had to wonder what had changed. She knew that Becca and Andrew were supposedly an item but from what she saw, it looked one sided with the side tilted toward Becca.

Patricia forgot about Becca when Professor Hathaway walked in. She noticed that he was back to what she considered normal as he glanced at her and then looked away, when he called roll; he was back to using the deliberate mispronunciation of her name.

"Surprise quiz!" he announced ignoring the groans and exclamations of how it wasn't fair. "It isn't my fault if you didn't prepare!" he snapped.

As per usual, he gave Patricia her quiz last but this time he had a nasty sneer on his face as he slapped the paper down on her desk. He walked up to the front of the class, sat down and said "Begin!"

Patricia scanned the quiz and then looked up to see Professor Hathaway looking at her with a smug look on his face.

"Bastard!" she hissed under her breath as she picked up her pencil and began to take the quiz. Usually she was one of the first to complete a quiz but not this time. She finished the quiz just before the allotted time was up. She felt all eyes on her as she took her quiz up front to be graded.

"Well Mrs. Takeeda, how did you do?"

"I don't know but I suppose you'll tell me." Patricia said her tone terse.

Hathaway glared at her and then started to grade her quiz. Patricia waited anxiously, she knew that she hadn't gotten her usual one hundred percent but she was almost sure that she had passed.

"Fail!" Hathaway exclaimed, his joy evident.

"What?" Patricia asked shocked. "Which ones did I miss?"

"It doesn't matter, you failed." Hathaway replied.

"The hell it doesn't! Which ones did I miss?" she demanded.

"Sit down." Hathaway said firmly.

"Not until you tell me which questions I missed and what the correct answers are." Patricia replied. She knew that she should let it go but she couldn't. One failed quiz wouldn't matter to her overall grade but it was a matter of principal. If he could altar one quiz grade, what else would he do?

"I said...."

"Excuse me?" a male voice said from the back of the room, "But I would also like to know which questions I missed."

Another voice soon followed until several of the students were asking. Hathaway was furious at the turn of events. He really hadn't expected to challenged.

By the end of class, Patricia and some of the others had actually passed the quiz. Patricia got the feeling that Hathaway didn't care that the others passed, but he definitely cared that she did. She didn't miss the murderous glances that he gave her when he thought that she wasn't looking.

As soon as class was over, she gathered her things and headed for the door. On her way out, the first student to side with her stopped her.

"You're one gutsy lady but be careful... he isn't someone that you want to fuck with."

"What do you mean?" Patricia asked.

"Just be careful okay?" the student whose name she didn't know said and walked away.

*******

Kenji was waiting for Patricia outside of her classroom.

"Kirei? What happened?"

"Who says anything did?" she asked.

"Being married to you for a few years does." Kenji replied, "tell me."

By the time she finished telling him what happened, Kenji was concerned.

"Kirei, listen to me, you must be careful. If this man requests that you stay after class, do not do it no matter the reason that he gives."

"You don't have to tell me twice." she replied as she laid her head on his shoulder.

********

Andrew and his friends were sitting across from Kenji and Patricia, a fact not missed by Becca. She watched Andrew as he tried to pretend that he wasn't paying any attention to them. In an attempt to direct his attention to her, she leaned into him and nibbled on his ear.

"Damn it Becca!" Andrew swore as he moved away from her.

Becca gasped at the outburst, looked at Andrew confused and then looked over at Patricia who was paying them no mind but was talking with Kenji.

"Bitch!" Becca thought as she watched Patricia lean over and kiss Kenji on the cheek noting that instead of pulling away as Andrew had done, he leaned into Patricia to accept the kiss.

"Bitch." she murmured under her breath and began to plan.