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[q_in_training]

Mac learned several things during her four-month tenure of dating Cassidy Casablancas.

Number one: He's one of those people stuck in that uncomfortable buffer zone -- 09er by birth, but hanger-on by virtue of being Dick's "nerdy little brother." Mac thought it added to his appeal; Cassidy didn't.

Number two: He's a lot more unpredictable (good

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[speaknoweevil]

Weevil can't just complain. He has to bang a fist on his sheet of scribble-covered paper, throw the other hand in the air, and lean back to rest his feet on the table, relaxing as suddenly as a cat.

"This is stupid," he says, and to Mac, not Beaver. "For one thing, it's pointless, and for another, it's pointless."

[q_in_training]

"It's not pointless," she argues, with as much patience as she can, "if it means you graduate." The feet she ignores, after she tugs another sheet of notes out from under his heels.

"Let's try factoring again. If I've got..." She scribbles down an equation onto one of the few blank lines left. "This, what would be the first step I'd do to break it down?"

[speaknoweevil]

He gives her a long, hard stare.

And then he rubs his shiny forehead and looks down at the sheet.

"Get the x by itself."

[q_in_training]

Progress! Yes! Mac smiles.

"Good. But, we've also got another common factor in there -- all of the numbers are divisible by five -- sooo..." Scribble scribble. "5x."