Continuing to follow Dawn's and John's paths ahead. For those who are familiar with my other tales, it is set in the same universe and has common characters. Reading all the other stories is not crucial to enjoying this one, but you should read Part 1 of this arc first. All people having intercourse are over the age of 18.
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Thursday, November 5, 2020
"Hey, Tom!" John Wilson called out. He caught up with the Senior on Tom Harrison's way out of the dorm's cafeteria. "Can we walk and talk for a bit?"
"Sure. Walkie Talkie it is." Tom snorted softly at his little joke. He held the door for John to precede him outside. They started down the sidewalk toward one of the classroom buildings, squinting against the morning sun. "What's on your mind, John?"
"How did you do with your midterms?" John inquired.
"Very well, thank you. Top marks in every course, even my Business Ethics class. Why do you ask?"
"Well, mine kinda slipped a little. Not horribly, but noticeable enough to get a call from my father last night."
"Ah, the Dawn Effect?" Tom smirked slightly, then schooled his expression.
"Yeah, I suppose so. How did you keep Julie from having that same effect on you?" John asked.
"For one, we haven't been having the same level of intercourse that you two have. So, there's that. We also just like spending time in each other's company. I make sure we study when I'm not helping others in the lab. Maybe that's a benefit to taking the later shift. You know, if you'd like to change with me, we can see about working that out."
"Okay, I'll keep that in mind, Tom. Thanks for the ideas. I'll have to talk things through with Dawn, but my father made it crystal clear that I could not afford to lose my scholarships."
"It's funny how money can be such a huge motivator," Tom observed with a grin. "I've got to get to class. Catch you later?"
"Sure thing! Thanks for the advice, Tom." John then turned and headed toward his own class, leaving Tom a little puzzled about the 'advice'. Tom shrugged his shoulders and proceeded on.
With the external motivation provided by his father, plus Tom's understanding and lack of condemnation, John refocused his attention on his coursework. He needed to get Dawn on board as well, and he was a little leery about broaching the subject. As much fun as canoodling with his girlfriend was, it neither wrote the papers nor took the tests he needed to ace. John spent the better part of his day while not in class considering essentially how to tell Dawn they needed to cool things off a bit.
Coincidentally, Dawn appeared in the doorway of the Accounting Lab late that afternoon during John's 3 to 6 shift. She peered into the room, assuring herself that he was not helping anyone before she stepped in and closed the door behind her. John looked up, rather deer‑in‑the‑headlights‑like, as she strode purposefully toward him. Something about the sway in her hips caught his attention yet he held his tongue. Dawn grabbed John by his ears and loosened his tongue with her own.
After a couple of minutes of face-sucking, John gently pushed Dawn away and asked her to sit in a chair. He pulled another one close and sat with their knees touching and holding hands.
"Dawn, I'm obviously very happy to see you. I'm not sure how to go about this, but I won't say 'we've got to talk.'" He paused to take a breath. "My dad called last night. It seems he has visibility to my academic records, and my midterm marks were noticeably lower than either of us finds acceptable." Dawn wiped away the beginning of a tear from her eye and nodded.
"Yeah, my grades had dropped a bit as well. What do you think we should do about it?" she inquired. If John was willing to step forward and take the lead, she was going to let him.
"Last weekend was incredibly special for me, Dawn. I think your brothers could take me or leave me, but your sisters and your parents seemed to like me. I know I like them, even your brothers with their sports‑mindedness. They're just protective of you. I love you, Dawn, but we need to restrict our fleshly indulgences to the weekends, at least for now." Dawn nodded in acceptance of his words.
"Yeah, Johnny, my midterms were less than spectacular as well. So, what do we do about it?"
"I think we should take a page from Julie's and Tom's playbook. We study together during the week. And we play on the weekends. But we get serious again at supper on Sunday, gearing up for Monday. How does that sound?" Dawn nodded, saddened but accepting of the reality before them.
"Can I study in here with you while you're on duty?" she asked.
"I don't know, Dawn.
Can
you study here in proximity to me?" John grinned. "This is my Work/Study position, after all."
"If Jules can do it while Tom works, I can do it while you are on duty," Dawn said with conviction.
"Okay, we'll start on Monday. Oops, you'll have to excuse me." John stood and opened the door for the two girls who had been peering through the window with looks of puzzlement at the closed door.
"I'll get out of your hair for now. Meet at your dorm for supper?" Dawn asked.
"I'll be there with bells on, my sweet." He surprised her with a quick kiss to her lips, then turned his attention to the girls requiring his assistance.