As Sherry watched, Charlotte's contemplative look said she was trying to come up with answers to Sherry's school questions. Sherry had a speculative feeling what Charlotte would tell her, when she told her, but right now the answers eluded Charlotte. As Toby had done, Charlotte got up from her chair, walked around the end of the table, and walked the short distance to the study window. She stood there silent, hands clasped behind her back. Sherry got up out of her chair, stepped to the window, and silently stood to Charlotte's right. "Kind of hard to answer questions when you don't know the 'whys' yourself, isn't it?"

The two stood there silently for several minutes, until Charlotte said, "Yeah, it is. And to tell you the truth, Sherry, I don't know why I want to get through everything as quickly as possible. I can't come up with a valid reason, I just feel this need to rush, Sherry. I can't see where it comes from, but it's there."

Turning to look at Charlotte, Sherry asked, "Aren't you rushing through the AP courses Susan is giving you? Couldn't that be the need you're feeling, unless you've always had the feeling? The need to get through as many AP courses as possible before going back to your high school?"

The study was again silent, the two gazing out the window. Sherry didn't have to see Charlotte's face to know she was again thinking about her questions. Charlotte leaned her head against Sherry's left shoulder, asking, "Can't you ask me simpler questions? Like the possibility of two plus two equalling more or less than four? Or if a rock has more mass than the earth? Or how it feels when you slam your toe into the leg of a chair? Ya, know, simple questions."

Sherry put her left arm around Charlotte's shoulder, pulled her toward her, then replied, "I might ask you simple questions if you were a simple-minded person. You are not a simple-minded individual, so you don't get simple-minded questions. I give you questions that require thought, which you are quite adept at doing. You may not have an answer because you're too close to the reason and can't see it. And it stems from the horrid schools the three of you attend." Charlotte looked up at Sherry, giving her a questioning look. "The three of you have asked to take AP courses at your respective high schools, only to have those morons tell you no. So now, when you have the opportunity to take AP courses, you three are flying through as many as you can before going back to your respective high schools, and the boring classes you're forced to take. I see that in all three of you. Only you, Charlotte, haven't stopped with just the AP courses, you're extending the need to rush through your courses to the University, and I dare say, Medical School, a place you can't rush through no matter how hard you try. You won't be allowed to rush through your medical or psychiatric residency because you'll first have to become a doctor before you can specialize in psychiatry. And you won't be allowed to rush through your psychiatric residency because you'll have a lot to learn in dealing with various mental problems. So, my eager friend, do what you can while you're here, but slow down after leaving Seasons House. Use every experience at the schools you attend to learn your craft. But for now, let's get you back to the library so I can snag Francis." With her arm still around Charlotte's shoulder, they both turned around and headed to the study door, where Sherry opened the door and together they walked to the library. Looking at each other and smiling, they both reached up and knocked lightly on the library door, before Sherry opened it and allowed Charlotte to walk into the library. Standing in the doorway, Sherry said, "Francis, how about you and I congregate for a few moments in the study? I'm sure you have some fascinating tales to tell me."

Frowning when Francis didn't look up from the book she was reading, Sherry started to walk over to Francis, only to hear Toby say, with a big smile on his face, "Hé, cerveau à l'égout, la dame te parle (Hey, brain down the drain, the lady is talking to you.)." Even his playful insult didn't stir Francis. However, when the pillow hit Francis in the head, she suddenly had a reason to look up from the textbook she was reading.

Looking up from the textbook after her head was pelted by the pillow, Francis first frowned then said, "What do you mean my brain is down the drain, you seau de guano de chauve-souris (bucket of bat guano?)?" When Toby pointed to Sherry, Francis, said, "Oh, hi Sherry. I didn't see you come into the library, I was rather busy, until that," and Francis pointed to Toby, the big smile still on his face, "interrupted me."

Despite herself, Sherry was laughing at the two teen's antics. When Francis had spoken to her, she asked, "You had your nose buried in that book and didn't hear me calling your name, or Toby speak to you. But after he got your attention with that pillow, you remembered what he'd said to you. How? Most people lost in what they're doing, as you were, can't remember anything someone says to them."

Francis gave Sherry a puzzled frown after she asked the question. Francis then looked at Toby and Charlotte, watching both shaking their heads no. "They can't? Hmm, that's weird. I've been able to do that as far back as I can remember."

Shaking her head after what Francis told her, she then said, "That's a remarkable ability, Francis. But right now, what say ye we doth venture forth to the room of the study?"

As if it had been rehearsed, all three teens groaned before face-palming themselves. Not wanting to miss a given opportunity, Toby asked, "Sherry. Doth thou partake immense quantities of The Bard as you sojourn the day? Should that be so, perhaps the métier (job) you engage in serves all better?"

Giving Toby her best Jane Thompson look, Sherry told Toby, "Thou presents thyself near close to the precipice and a fall. Thou should present your studies with as much interest." Then doing the mature, adult woman act, she stuck her tongue at Toby, before telling the laughing Francis, "Come on, Francis. Let's go blather, and leave these droll specimens of humanity." Francis was laughing so hard she couldn't stand at the moment.

Charlotte barged in with, "Hey! I'm just an innocent bystander here. Don't include me in with the âne déguisé en chèvre (donkey disguised as a goat.). We did not collaborate on the 'dothing.'"

What Sherry did next, caused Charlotte and Toby to laugh, and kept Francis laughing. She bowed as a Shakespiring male actor would bow, taking a step backward with one leg, bending over at the waist, while taking off his head covering. "Oh, malady, I beseech you to forgive this humble servant for believing thou to be in league with the âne déguisé en chèvre (donkey disguised as a goat.). I humbly excuse thou from any blame in the matter."

Then Toby did something to cause even Sherry to break out in laughter. Lifting his feet off the floor, he said, "It's getting mighty thick in here. You two better go before it spills out into the hallway."

Still laughing, Sherry waved for the still-laughing Francis to come with her. "Come on, Francis," Sherry said as she laughed. "Let's go have our talk." Sherry's laughter slowed to chuckles, as did Francis' laughter, as the two left the library."

As the two walked past the dining room, they heard chuckles coming from the kitchen. Francis then said something taking Sherry completely by surprise. "Guess they watched and heard our whole exchange in the library."

Sherry said nothing until they were in the study with the door closed. As they walked to the table to sit down, Sherry asked, "What did you mean by what you said just now, Francis?"

When she reached the table, Francis poured herself a glass of water, sat down, then drank half the water in the glass. Shrugging, Francis told Sherry, "Aunt Jane has cameras and microphones in the rooms her girls would use. I discovered them the first day I was here. I was sitting in my bedroom looking around the room when I spotted something odd near the ceiling of one corner of my bedroom. To get a better look at the odd thing near the ceiling in the corner, I acted as though I was inspecting my bedroom as I walked around the room."

Taken aback, Sherry asked, "And you never let on you knew about the cameras and microphones? Why?"

Shrugging again, Francis pursed her lips before saying, "When I first saw Aunt Jane at the train station, I could see her concern for me in her eyes. Even though she acted sternly, there was compassion shining in her eyes. Also, I was away from Aunt Agnus, thank goodness. Those two things helped me to respect Aunt Jane right off. Even after she used me against myself, and I ended up as Francis, this is her house, and because she is concerned about us, she has every right to place whatever she wants to look after us. And, I didn't want to upset her by letting her know I knew about the equipment."

Sherry admired the boy for thinking of the welfare of someone else, but he'd opened a door Sherry would gladly use. "But didn't you upset Jane by just going through the motions before Charlotte talked with you? If you initially recognized the care Jane had for you, shouldn't you have done your best for her before Charlotte came?"

Nodding, Francis asked, "What's the saying, Sherry? Hindsight is 20/20? I see now how I should have acted before my talk with Charlotte. But even though I respected Aunt Jane right away, she started reminding me of Aunt Agnus by the way she was treating me at the time. And my time with Aunt Agnus was a fresh open wound memory."

Recognizing there was a whole different side to Francis, Frank, she sat back in her chair and stared at the boy/girls sitting across from her. "Have you always had concerns for others, Francis… um… Frank?"

Shrugging again, Francis told her, "I don't go out of my way to hurt anyone, Sherry. I try to do what mom and dad told me when I do something. I try to consider how someone else will feel when I'm going to do something, or if I know something."

"You mentioned your mom and dad, Frank. What is it they told you?" Sherry saw the tears build up in Frank's eyes as she mentioned his mother and father. She sat up in her chair, reached across the table, and gently took Frank's hands. "It's okay, Frank. Tell me when you're ready. You obviously loved your parents very much, so it's no shame to cry when you think about them." And cry he did, causing Sherry to get out of her chair and walk around the table to take Frank in her arms. "It's okay, Frank. Let it out. I'm here for you."

The study door opened, and Jane stood looking at Sherry holding the crying Francis. Jane cleared her throat to get Sherry's attention, wanting to know if Francis was okay. Hearing the sound Jane made clearing her throat, Sherry turned her head to look at Jane. Understanding Jane's silent question, Sherry nodded, then mouthed, parents. Nodding her understanding, Jane quietly stepped out of the study and silently closed the door behind her. As Jane walked to the kitchen to speak with Marie, she became resolute in her decision to have their next boy speak with Sherry and to have Susan determine the boy's level of knowledge. They would also get a complete picture of the boy's life before coming to Seasons House. They were not going to be caught flat-footed again.

Back in the study, Frank had started to calm down, though still feeling the loss of his parents. It wasn't long before he told Sherry, "Yeah, I miss my parents, Sherry, and loved them an awful lot." He was quiet for a few more minutes before saying, "Mom and dad always told me to consider the feelings of others before I did or said something. They said I should put myself in the position of someone else and try to imagine how I'd feel if someone did or said something that'd hurt me. And I've always tried to do that Sherry, it's why I haven't told Aunt Jane I know about the cameras and microphones."

"You are a remarkable young man, Frank Winslow. In fact, all three of you are remarkable young men," Sherry told the boy still cradled in her arms. Marie had left the box of tissues sitting on the table from her visit with Sherry. Sherry reached over and removed two tissues, handing them to Frank so he could wipe his eyes.

Frank chuckled as he wiped his eyes. "Calling me a young man right now seems kind of silly, don't you think Sherry? I don't look anything like a young man right now. Although, when I leave Seasons House, I'll be that young man you spoke of."

Laughing, Sherry said, "Maybe you're right Frank, but you're still a remarkable person no matter how you look. Are you feeling better now?"

Nodding, Frank answered, "Yeah, I think so. There are times I miss my parents so much, Sherry. I often wonder how things would be if they hadn't been murdered. I know I wouldn't be here now, I wouldn't be Francis, not that it's been that bad. Being Francis is nothing compared to the ordeal Toby experienced. It's like the saying about having no shoes until the person sees a person with no feet. Their complaint then falls flat, just like any complaint I'd have about being Francis."

"Sometimes, Frank, it takes us witnessing something worse than what we're experiencing to remind us we aren't experiencing anything so bad. Something we haven't discussed, Frank, is your goals after high school. Do you know what you'd like to do with your life? Is there anything interesting to you at this point in your life?"

Seeing Frank's thinking face, Sherry waited until Frank was ready to answer her questions. When Frank was ready to speak, he began hesitantly before acting excited. "I have an interest in biochemistry, Sherry. I read an article on biochemistry I really enjoyed, then because of that article, I went through what the library at school had on the subject. I'd go to the public library when I could and read what was there. I had some questions after reading that article, and some ideas, but not enough education in chemistry to answer the questions or bring my idea forward. I tried to find answers, but I must be asking questions no one else has asked. Because of that article, I'd like to go into biochemistry so I can get answers to my questions and see if I can't bring my ideas forward."

Moving back to her chair, and looking at the once quiet boy, Sherry was impressed with his life choice. "Are you taking chemistry at school?"

Francis shook her head, saying, "Naw… I was told I'd have to take biology as a Freshman. When I asked when I could take chemistry, they said I might not be able to because of my grades. They didn't think I'd be able to handle the course in my Sophomore year. At the time, when I wasn't allowed to take any AP courses, and because of 'that woman,' I just didn't care anymore. So I did just enough to get by in all of my classes. As much reading as I've done on chemistry and biochemistry, I think I could test out of the chemistry class at our high school. Buutt… I don't think they'd even give me the opportunity."

Calming herself down, she told Francis, "Don't give up, Francis, you'll make it into biochemistry down the road. Things are in the works for the three of you. Is there anything else you'd like to discuss?" When Francis shook her head, Sherry let her leave, asking her to have Susan come and see her.

After getting up from their chairs, they walked to the study door. Just as Sherry started reaching for the doorknob, Francis turned toward Sherry and hugged her. Telling her, "I'm so glad you're here Sherry. You've really helped me deal with a lot of things."

Returning the hug, Sherry smiled as she told Francis, "I'm glad I could help you, Francis. I think once you got it all off your mind, you were able to do a lot better with your studies. Now, get going, and don't forget to ask Susan to come see me." Opening the study door, Sherry watched as Francis walked across part of the living room to the library. She had to calm herself down again, after hearing about Frank's school roadblocks.

Susan had a smile on her face as she walked toward the study, seeing Sherry waiting for her in the doorway. "Have you shaken all the cobwebs out of their heads?" Susan asked, reaching the study and walking through the open door.

After closing the study door, Sherry answered, "I think the worst of their problems are now out in the open and they're better able to deal with them. But I wanted to ask you, do you have any ideas about schooling for those three? I know the shoplifting mess has to be settled first, but I just thought… well, you're the educator and might have some ideas."

Instead of walking to the table and sitting down, Susan walked to the window and stood there looking to the outside world. Sherry walked to the window and stood next to Susan, waiting for Susan to answer her question. Susan did something she'd only seen little kids do when they've been caught doing what they shouldn't be doing, sliding a foot around on the floor. Still, Sherry waited. When Susan did answer her question, it came out like a little child trying to explain why they did something they knew shouldn't be done. "Weell… I've been talking to a few people, people I've known for some time. People in a position to make things happen. One person is on the State Board of Education, the other a member of the Board of Regents at a University. After I sent them the IQ scores you acquired, and my test results, they were more than a little pissed. And when I told them how the three had been treated at their respective high schools, a few times I had to pull the phone away from my ear. Or when I told them about Toby asking to be tested and being refused because it would upset the class dynamics. My friend at the University told me she'd give them full scholarships when they finished high school, she was that interested in those three. My friend on the State Board of Education thought it was time to have a talk with the principals at their respective high schools, maybe even make a few personnel changes. I cautioned them not to do anything at the moment, due to an ongoing police investigation into another matter. Warning them if they did anything at the moment, it could compromise the investigation. I said I’d keep in touch, letting them know when it was safe to do something for those three."

Sherry digested what Susan told her, asking, "Can you trust them not to say or do anything right now? Toby's in hiding, so any information gets out about his whereabouts, and they may send people here."

Susan turned to look Sherry square in the eyes. "Yeah, Sherry, I can trust them. It happened years ago when we were in college together. We went to a Frat party and a couple of guys… um… they were drunk. No, they were beyond drunk. Cornered me in the kitchen. They wouldn't let me leave. They… um… they started pawing me, feeling me up. I… I tried fighting them off but they were a lot bigger than I was. I must have screamed, or something, because the next thing I knew, both of them were lying on the floor out cold. When I looked up, my two friends were standing there, each holding a metal pot in their hands." Susan chuckled before saying, "Those two hit those two in the head so hard they dented the bottom of the pots. And then, as I watched, those two crazies completely undressed those two pigs and took their clothes with us as we left the party. Oh, yeah, and one of them wrote 'pig' on their chests with her lipstick." Susan turned back to the window and resumed looking at the outside world. After a few minutes, she said, "Yeah, Sherry, we can trust them."

Putting an arm around Susan's shoulder, Sherry said, "Oh, Susan. I'm so sorry to hear you went through something like that. Did you talk to anyone afterward, or did you report them to anyone?"

"Yeah, I reported them to the Dean of Students the next day. He told me it'd be my word against theirs, until I told him about my two witnesses. Once he heard their stories, he had no choice but to take action. Word got around what I'd done, and more women came forward to tell their stories about those two pigs. Not only did they get expelled, but the police had to be called because those two raped several of the women who came forward. Last I heard, both were sentenced to prison and labeled as sexual predators. I haven't a clue where they are today or what they're doing, but it was satisfying to know they served prison time." Silence lingered again before Susan said, "I did talk to someone, my mom. She was like you, I mean, she was in the same field as you. You know how angry you got when you found out the boy's IQs? I thought dad and I would have to tie her down after she heard what they'd done to me. She made even Jane's anger seem tame. If those two boys had been there after I told mom what they did, they'd be sitting down to pee the rest of their lives. Oh, Sherry, she was beyond angry. I'd never seen her so mad. I do miss her, though. You two would have got along famously. It was cancer, before you ask. Took all of us by surprise. Three months after she found out, she was gone. I think dad died of a broken heart, mom's death hit him hard. You would have liked my parents, Sherry. Those two would put Jill's pranks to shame. They were two peas in a pod, they were, Sherry."

Sherry kept her arm around Susan, as Susan let tears slide down her cheeks. Sherry wracked her brain for something to put Susan at ease, but came up short. They just stood there in each other's company, thoughts of lost ones running through their minds. There was a knock on the study door, causing both to turn at the sound. They watched as the door opened, and Jane stepped into the study. "Is everything alright, ladies? I wanted to inform you our noon meal is ready, if you two wanted to eat."

Sherry nodded her head, then told Jane, "Yeah, we're okay, Jane. Just going through some painful memories. We'll be out shortly." Nodding her head in understanding, Jane stepped backward and closed the study door behind her. Looking at Susan, Sherry asked, "You doing better? Want to go eat or talk more?"

Taking a shuddering breath, Susan answered, "Yeah, I'm okay. It was good to get that off my chest. We'd better get out there or they won't eat until we do." With Sherry's arm still around Susan's shoulder, and Susan's arm around Sherry's waist, they walked to the study door, opened it, and made their way to the dining room table.