Previously at 24 College Avenue: Most of the residents have left the house for the summer but a few remain. State College linebacker Kenan Hill has put a steroid scandal behind him. He is working a summer job as a landscaper for a wealthy booster and hoping to get his relationship going again with medical student Cheryl Bellamy. Jenn Robbins has regained her position as the State College mascot but she may not be able to perform her duties during the next season because of her current condition.  . . .

Her nose filled with the ever-present smell of coffee, Jenn slipped her card into the timeclock and punched out, ending another four-hour shift at the Java Monkey. With a base wage of $7.85 (just over the state minimum) plus $7.42 in tips, she had earned $38.82. Allowing for taxes, this would pay for just about 45 minutes of classes during fall quarter. Jenn wasn’t a math or business major but she figured at her current pace as a barista she wouldn’t be able to cover her fall quarter tuition until Fourth of July the following summer. She would be six more years behind in her tuition bills before she finally graduated. And that was assuming she didn’t pay rent or utilities or buy clothes or eat.

Eat. God, Jenn thought, it was expensive enough just paying for her own food. How could she possibly feed two people? Too bad she couldn’t raise some money by posing in her underwear for Maxim magazine as Nicollette had the previous fall. But Nicollette was a wicked hot blonde track star. Jenn was a dumpy mascot 20 pounds overweight. Well, 20 pounds overweight now. With more weight to come.

Jenn felt a tear roll down as she removed her apron and headed for the door. Dammit, she couldn’t control her emotions anymore. Everything made her cry.

"You all right, Jenn?’’ asked Howard Stark, her Java Monkey co-worker.

“Yeah, sure,’’ Jenn replied, sniffing back another tear. “See you tomorrow?’’

“No, I’ve got tomorrow off,’’ Howard replied. “I’m going to the Dave Matthews concert.’’

“Sounds like fun,’’ Jenn said, wishing she could go back to the days when getting concert tickets or a Red Devils game were the biggest concerns in her life. Those days weren’t quite three months in the past but it seemed like another lifetime.

Jenn opened the door and walked into the heat of a blistering summer afternoon. Putting on a pair of sunglasses, she headed up University Avenue.

A half-dozen Goths and bored teens sat camped out along the sidewalk, looking for handouts but too lazy to even ask. Two skateboarders and a lone bicyclist pedaled swiftly past, forcing walkers to jump aide. Two sorority girls giggled as they licked ice cream cones and peered through a shop window.

Jenn barely noticed any of them as she hurried up the street. She didn’t have time. She had an important appointment to attend.

#          #          #

Although he still was sweating and aching from a hard day of landscaping work, Kenan took the steps leading down to the Blue Moon Pub two at a time. Hauling rolls of grass sod around on his shoulders since seven in the morning left Kenan thirsty for a cold beer. Several cold beers.

He also looked forward to meeting someone.

“Kenan! Where you been? Haven’t seen you in here in for at least 16 hours.’’

It was Ralph, the Blue Moon’s legendary bartender and perhaps State College’s biggest fan. He had never turned his back on Kenan during the steroid scandal and helped him get the fans in his corner again after it turned out that the linebacker had been taking placebos, not steroids, as part of a secret medical study at State College hospital. Now everytime Kenan walked into the Blue Moon, it was like Norm walking into Cheers.

But that wasn’t who he was here to see. He was here for someone better looking.

“Kenan! Over here!’’

It was Cheryl, looking delicious just sitting at a booth in a light blue t-shirt. Kenan grabbed a beer from Ralph and joined her.

The two had maintained their friendship since breaking up in the winter but now Kenan wanted to get back to their old relationship. He realized that Cheryl was the perfect woman for him. Well, other than the fact that she was always studying or in a lab. But she was the one who had proved that he was taking placebos, not steroids. She had saved his reputation.

“Thanks for meeting me,’’ Kenan said. “I know you’re busy but I hardly see you anymore with your schedule and I need to talk to you.’’

“That makes two.’’

“Huh?’’

“Jenn had to talk to me last night after I got home. Two in the morning and I hear her crying in her room. I asked her what was wrong and, oh my God, you won’t believe it.’’

#          #          #

As Jenn passed the Pizza Slut, she briefly peeked through the window and saw the restaurant was packed with students as usual. She recognized several but they didn’t notice her. She felt another tear welling up in her eye. Jenn had been lonely in the past but never like this. Just when she needed her housemates most, they were scattered around the world.

Most were in Europe. Josh was leading some sort of tour group across Germany, Nicollette was competing on the European track circuit, Jill was playing pro basketball in Slovenia and Steve was an intern shooting for Stars and Stripes. Katie would be overseas as well, just as soon as she finished boot camp.

That left Kenan, Cheryl, Danny and her among the old housemates, though Higgins dropped by every now and then. They were seldom home. After his deep gambling problems, Danny was trying to get his life straightened out and was actually attending classes and cutting back on his drinking. Cheryl was usually at the library or in a lab. Kenan was either at his landscaping job or working out in the weight room.

Kenan. Jenn desperately needed to talk with him but she hadn’t been able to get up the nerve. Cheryl had finally convinced her that she must the previous night. She had heard Jenn sobbing in her room and asked what was wrong. Jenn told her everything – well, not quite everything.

#          #          #

Cheryl put her hand on her beer. “Jenn and I must have talked two hours. God, what a nightmare.’’

“Why? What’s up with her?’’ Kenan asked. “And how come she never wants to go out drinking anymore?’’

“Yeah, well, there’s a good reason for that,’’ Cheryl said. She took a gulp of beer before going on. “You can’t tell anyone this. Swear you won’t tell.’’

“I swear, I swear. Just tell me.’’

“Jenn’s pregnant.’’

“Oh, man. That’s crazy. What‘s she going to do?’’

“She doesn’t know,’’ Cheryl said. “But I told her she better make a decision quick because it’s getting pretty damn late in the game. I can’t believe it -- she hasn’t even told the father yet.’’

“Why not? Who is he?’’

“I don’t know. She wouldn’t say. My bedroom is across the hall from hers and I don’t remember ever seeing any guy around in the last couple months.’’ She counted backward. “Let’s see . . . It would have had to have been back right around the time all there was all that crap with Blood and Muscle and The Program.’’

Kenan nodded and then did his own calculation. He suddenly had a very sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“So enough about Jenn,’’ Cheryl said. “What did you want to talk to me about so badly?’’

“What?’’ Kenan said. “Ummmm, nothing. I just wanted to see you is all. Just hadn’t seen you for awhile.’’

#          #          #

Jenn paused briefly in front of the building and looked up at the sign. She noticed the other women walking in and out of the office; some crying, some smiling, but most looking deadly serious. She took a deep breath, walked up the stairs and through the front door of the family planning clinic.

Next: Globetrotter