An Unforeseen Turn of Events

Chapter Twenty-Four

Christine opened her economics book and her class notes. Her eyes glazed over the moment she began reading; it was as if she were staring at a foreign language. Even though Christine and her tutor had gone over the graphs numerous times this afternoon, she was still unsure she could apply the concepts to real-life example questions. She was tempted to cry. Why can't I get this? ready to pull out chunks of hair in frustration.

Christine sat back, closed her eyes and stretched her legs out underneath her desk.

So much for me becoming the first person in my family to graduate college, she thought, hanging her head down to her chest.

Her father's family could not afford to send him to college, but he liked working in the trades. Her mother attended secretarial school; she worked in an office for a few years but had to quit when she became pregnant with Christine—she was told her mom had a difficult pregnancy and after staying home for a few years, had no desire to return to secretarial work.

Christine smiled. From looking at old pictures, her mother was quite a beauty in her youth and she was still attractive, tall, and graceful. She could have tried modeling, but she had no encouragement from her family and she lacked the confidence to try.

Her eyes traveled to the envelope on the top corner of her desk. The modeling agency she recently applied to was considering her—no definite word yet. Even though she was determined to graduate college, Christine yearned to begin modeling and prove to everyone, including herself, that she was an achiever.

Snap out of this rut and start studying! she scolded herself.

As she was about to review her notes, her phone rang.

It was Ryan.

"I've missed you so much," he told her.

Christine felt her cheeks glow—an immediate turnaround in her mood.

"I've missed you too," she whispered. She felt her cheeks go warm.

"How's school going?"

"Not so great," she choked, fighting back tears.

"Oh, Christine, Christine, don't put so much pressure on yourself," he told her gently.

"Normally, I don't, but I'm in danger of failing... usually, I don't have so much trouble in my courses, . . . I mean, I can live with a "C," but there are courses like economics where I just can't make heads or tails out of it . . . especially when they ask questions on tests to apply the information . . . Oh, Ryan, I can't believe I'm telling you this, but I wish I had a smarter brain!" Christine sobbed quietly as giant tears rolled down her cheeks.

She kept meaning to make an appointment at the college counseling office but never got around to it. She had convinced herself if they couldn't transplant this information into her brain, there was nothing they could do to help her. Now she voiced all these fears and emotions to the most unlikely person: her boyfriend. Christine felt like kicking herself, convinced Ryan would now consider her a basket case and drop her when she heard his calm, comforting words on the other end.

"I'd probably be in the same boat as you if I had to take an economics course. I admire your ability to try tackling it and sticking it out. Don't sweat it, honey, most economists can't figure out what's gonna happen anyway. Just take it again if you need to. . . I can always ask around and find out somebody who can help you pass."

His reassuring words warmed Christine all over.

"I'm crazy about you whether you pass or not. So we have somethin' else in common: neither one of us gets economics."