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The next day Frink stood outside the classroom waiting for Caroline to arrive with her notes on black holes. He was very curious to see what she had come up with as well as the chance to get to talk with her once again. He had asked if they could meet earlier than usual so they would have time before the lecture started. He felt a tap on his shoulder and he nearly jumped three feet in the air.
"John, hey. Sorry to scare you."
"Oh, Caroline." He said out of breath yet at the same time excited. "I'm glad it's you."
"Well take a look at this." She gave him a few sheets of paper along with some figures that went along with them. He scanned through them, and while he did so Caroline took the time to look around at the students who were outside for the lecture to begin. In the distance she saw Owen coming up the sidewalk and he turned his head from left to right. He was looking for her, she just knew it. Caroline knew his type and most likely he was going to try and ask her out again. Quickly she reached for Frink's arm and pulled him away.
"Hey, what the?"
"Come on, let's finish this inside." She said hurriedly.
"But…"
"No buts, come on."
Frink was reeling. He couldn't concentrate on anything but the fact that she was holding his hand and leading him down the stairs. It was such a delicate and soft hand and felt warm in his. It was then he realized that they were standing at the bottom of the lecture hall in front of the first row. She took her usual seat and gestured for him to sit next to her. He couldn't believe this was happening. What luck!
"Wow it's so different down here." He said.
"I don't know how you can see from the back of the room. It's easier to see and hear down here." Frink was nervous. Something about this just didn't feel right. Owen finished looking around out side and headed in. He stood at the back and looked down through the rows of seats. There she was and with HIM!! Owen's world went red at the sight of that. Without thinking he stomped down the row of stairs and came up to him on his right.
"Frink, you freak! Get out of my chair!" He yelled. Frink jumped from the unexpected assault and shrunk back into his seat not sure what to do. Caroline stood and looked Owen straight in the eye.
"Your seat? I don't see your name on it. And you two know each other?" Said Caroline.
"Unfortunately yes, we both went to the same high school together." Said Owen nearly spitting the words out. "What are you doing with him?"
"What are you, my father or something? I don't have to tell you anything but if you must know we're taking notes together."
"What? But that's what I'm here for. I can assure you I have a firmer grasp on the subject than your little friend here. I've always surpassed him in everything since the 5th grade."
"Hey, not everything, buster!" said Frink.
"Shut up." He said as though Frink were nothing but a bug. He would have just sat at Caroline's other side, but the little girl was smart in having sat on the end of the row.
"Get lost, Owen." Said Caroline. "I don't want you sitting near me again."
"Very well, but let me warn you. This looser will only drag you down." And with that, Owen went back to his old seat. Caroline turned to look at Frink who was breathing really heavy.
"Hey are you alright?" She asked. He responded in a weak voice.
"You…you didn't ask me to sit here with you just to make him go away, did you?"
"No. No of course not. If I wasn't serious I wouldn't have bothered to show you my black hole notes." He smiled, but before he could get another word in the professor arrived and it was time for class to begin.

Afterward Frink left the room ecstatic. He now had the chance to get to know this wonderful lady. How long would it be before he got a chance to talk to her again? The thought of her hand touching his, warmed his heart. Oh she was so sweet. The day was gorgeous as he weaved his way through the buildings. The sky was a vibrant blue dotted with wispy white clouds.
"Hold it right there Frink boy!"
His sunny day just got a rain cloud. He didn't want to deal with it, but he looked behind him anyway. Owen had been following him and before Frink could get a word in, had rushed him; slamming him against an old brick wall with his forearm.
"You stay away from Caroline! You hear me freak? She's mine!"
"Hey watch it buster!" Said Frink as he shoved Owen off of him and looked him dead in the eye. The two were tall young men, roughly the same height.
"As usual, Owen, your chattering makes no logical sense, bwah hey! And now your trying to fill the roll of Sharky will simply not do. You're a geek, just like the rest of us."
"How dare you? I'm warning you to stay away. She's better off with me."
"Well she didn't look very happy or better off with you, um hay din hey. I see your cheek is still red from your last happy encounter." He said turning his back on Owen as he left. Owen yelled in anger kicking a near by bush sending leaves off in all directions. Frink was right about the fact that he wasn't as threatening as Sharky had been, yet how dare he place him in the same category as himself, that of geek! They were nothing alike. Nothing! He'd find a way to get to Caroline. He promised he would get her. He would.

Caroline beamed with energy. What was this crazy feeling she had? She'd only seen John Frink a few times, but found that she couldn't get the image of him out of her head. Now she not only looked forward to her class to learn new and interesting things, but also to spend time with Frink. She always arrived first and the sight of him coming down the stairs made her light up. She found herself spending more time with him outside of class. He was sweet, gentle and kind and that made her smile. Caroline always had so much fun with him, and he was the best friend that she had ever had. The two had physics as their common ground, but where she lacked in chemistry he showed her the way just as she opened up the world of biology for him. He told her of the wonders of the universe, the grandeur of the cosmos, and the power of the atom. She showed him the marvels of life, the incredible history of life on the planet, and the universe that was the cell. He taught her to look up at the heavens through a telescope and observe the infinitely large. She taught him to look at the spectacles of nature through a microscope and observe the infinitely small. They opened up new worlds to each other that they had only heard about in passing and now took time to be amazed and enthralled by them.

Today was one of those days where taking time out from their studies to just enjoy life and the beauty of the world was most welcome. The two sat by their favorite stream and looked out over the water. Caroline watched as little white ducks swam to and fro, dipping their bills in the water in search of tasty morsels. Frink on the other hand was watching her. He reached up and squeezed her hair bun like the bulb on a bicycle horn.
"Hey what are you doing?" She protested. "Do you know how long it took me to get that up?"
"How do you girls, get these things in your hair anyway. It's so tight." He said as he continued to squeeze it.
"Stop it." She said now laughing at his monotonous squeezing.
"But it's so cute. It simply must be squeezed." He said teasingly. She laughed pulling her hair away.
"Oh yeah? How would you like it if I did THIS!" She said as she thrust her hand onto his head and mussed up his hair making it a spiky mess.
"Hey!" He said amused. She dashed off behind a tree, and with a smile he eagerly took up the chase. He chased her as she giggled from tree to tree and at last caught her as she came to a stop by the river's edge.
"Gotcha ya little slippery thing!" He yelled. She squirmed in his arms and suddenly stopped. He looked at her and found her staring into the sky, jaw slightly open.
"What are you looking at?" He asked.
"Look, John! A red tailed hawk. It's the largest hawk in these parts. He flies so gracefully, it's incredible. I'd love to join him." She said with a sigh. Frink looked at the bird a moment studying it.
"You like that huh?" He said.
"Oh yes. I'd love that."
"Caroline, how would you like it if I built you an ornithopter?"
"You mean like the flying toy that Leonardo Da Vinci drew?"
"Yes."
"You can build one?"
"Yes, why it's easy with the wings and the rubber band and the winding, goh hay! I can even make it look like your hawk friend up there." He'd never seen her smile like she did now. "Alright then. Meet me here tomorrow, and I'll have a little surprise for you."

The next day she waited for him by the stream at their usual spot. Soon he came up the hill holding in his hands a delicate looking object. He handed it to her and she looked over it with wonder. It was light and made mostly of wood. The body was a hollow cylinder that housed the rubber band, the wings were a light metal as were the two struts for the tail. Both of these were covered by a light tarp that gave them their shape. On it he had painted feather patterns. The head had a slightly curved brown beak, and a big black eye painted on each side. He put his hands around hers and showed her how to work it.
"You turn this little lever under the tail clockwise until you feel it is tight. Don't over turn, or the rubber band will snap. Place your index finger from your other hand under his beak and press this button, then throw him as soon as you do, muh hey. Go ahead and give it a try."
She wound the little artificial bird up, listening to the clicks it made every time the lever went around. She then pressed the button and threw it when it started to flap its wings in her hand. It took off like a rocket and Frink sighed, glad that it worked. Caroline let out a squeal of joy as the little wooden bird made a circle around the field flapping its wings like a dragonfly. It sounded like it's insect counter part too, with its loud mechanical flapping. It wasn't long until the rubber band unwound completely and the ornithoper glided back down to earth several feet away. Caroline ran after it and lifted it gently off of the grass.
"Wow! That was incredible!! I could play with this for hours!! Thank you!!!!" She exclaimed then thrust her arms around Frink in an unexpected embrace.
"Woe!" was all he could say as she nearly knocked him off of his feet. That felt so wonderful. Frink just about melted despite the fact that the hug was very short lived and she was off playing with her new toy. He just stood there a moment enjoying the feeling with a blank stare on his face. Time was always short for the two and he soon had to walk her to her next class. The whole time she carried the ornithopter in her hand looking at it as though she had a real bird.
"Thanks again for the bird. I love it." She said as she disappeared into the door of her classroom. Frink was glad to have made her so happy from something so simple. He looked at his watch and realized he'd better make his own way to his next lecture, but so far the day had been wonderful.

Lunchtime and the cafeteria was packed with hungry college students. The lines were long, the food was terrible but this was freedom and it was fun. Finding a place to sit in all the crowded tables was always hard and at times you'd have to table up with people you'd never met before if you didn't want to sit on the floor and eat. Caroline and two of her friends had just finished getting their food and were lucky enough to find a table with four seats. The three girls munched on their burgers and chatted about school and shopping. Sandra looked around the room. She liked to watch the boys as they ate or walked on by.
"Ooh, look at him. Isn't he cute, Caroline?" She said eyeing a big guy that sat down a few tables away.
"Wha? Who?" asked Caroline looking up from her meal. She had been busy stuffing her face.
"Are you blind? That hunk over there."
"Hunk of meat. I guess." She said looking back at her sandwich.
"How can you not be into boys, Caroline? Continued Sandra.
"Because she's already got a boyfriend." Added Kim teasingly.
"He's not my boyfriend. We're just friends." Said Caroline.
"Sure you are, we see how dreamy you get when, John's around." Teased the girls.
"Ooh ooh ooh!!" Called Sandra excitedly and beat on Kim. "Look who just got out of the lunch line."
"Who?" Asked Kim excited. Caroline slurped her soda.
"Isn't that Owen Marsh? I hear he's very smart! And from the looks of things very handsome too." Sandra said in a loving voice.
"Oh my gosh, he's looking this way." Said Kim.
"Oh my gosh, he's headed this way!" Said Sandra, "I think he's gonna sit with us."
"Oh no!" Said Caroline finally looking up from her food. The other two smiled, ran their fingers through their hair and tried to do everything to look their best. Sure enough he stepped right up to their table. Holding his tray in his hand, he looked down on the three. Caroline was hiding behind her thick biology book.
"Is this seat taken?"
"No."
"No."
"Yes."
The two girls gave Caroline a frown for having said that it was. Still he sat down anyway. "Good. I'm glad. Afternoon to you ladies. Afternoon, Caroline." Kim and Sandra gave each other looks as if to say "Ooh." They knew he had an interest in Caroline and that she had been avoiding him like the plague. They nudged her and she hissed at them for doing so.
"Caroline, could I talk to you?" asked Owen.
"Oh dear, look at the time." Said Kim. "I've got to go to my…uh gym class."
"But you don't have gym." Said Caroline.
"Yes I do." She added quickly and left.
"Yeah, and I have to go to the library." Said Sandra.
"No Sandra, don't go. The library isn't going anywhere." Begged Caroline.
"Oh but you know how fast those books disappear." She said getting up. Caroline slammed her heavy book on the table and looked Owen in the eye now that they were alone.
"Well I'm finished eating. I have to go too." She said as she stood. Owen stood with her leaving his food behind.
"Let me walk you to your class then." He said.
"I'm not going to class."
"Then let me walk you home."
She went down the halls for a moment but Owen was still at her side and she couldn't shake him.
"Alright! Alright!!! What do you want, Owen?" She yelled as she leaned against a wall.
"I want you as my girlfriend, Caroline. I'll treat you right, and you won't regret it. I have so much to offer, please say yes."
"No." She responded without a second thought. It felt like getting slapped in the face again to him. His expression changed to anger as he lost control of his emotions.
"Why not? It makes no sense to me. What do you see in that creep Frink that I don't have ten times more? Your friends can easily see that. Why not you?"
"Then take one of them. They are ready, willing and able to do anything you ask them to."
"Oh no, Caroline." He said gently twirling the hair on her shoulders through his fingers. "You see, I don't just take anyone. All those girls are the same, but you! You are special. You are the best there is."
"Ah, so I'm a prize to be won? Is that it? Forget it, you stuck up jerk!"
"What? No. You would turn my words against me. Would you rather go out with a man of lesser value, than go out with someone like me? I still don't understand it. I'm more handsome, I'm smarter and younger, than Frink is. I'm better! What more do you want of me?"
"Well, I prefer older more mature men, like John. What I want you do not have, Owen. Now leave me alone." She said as she walked off leaving him with his mouth agape. Owen placed his arm on the wall and rested his head on it, watching her leave. He pounded the wall with his other hand. That time it hurt, it really hurt. The chase had been fun, but he'd had enough. He truly did not understand the rejection or the reasons she offered for it. This was a set back, but he wasn't out of the race yet. He needed time to think, and recover from this wound, but he did truly love her and he would not give up.

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