Say she wants to find a make out spot with Mokuba

"Hey guys, I'm going to go show Mokuba the best make out spots. We'll catch you later."

Joan pulled Mokuba away from the quad and down a gently curving path. The bodyguards followed at a respectful distance. The path led past the front entrance of a grand four-story library with rows of white metal benches on which students and families sat. Mokuba stared at a sculpture of an egg-shaped head with its nose in a book as they passed.

Joan led Mokuba all the way around the library, past more funky sculptures, until they reached the rear of the library. They paused in the middle of a whimsical footbridge that reminded Mokuba of those found in Japanese tea gardens, except surrounded by young redwood trees. Instead of crossing a waterway, a bicycle path dipped under the bridge. "Very pretty, but why are we here?"

"Mainly to put some distance between ourselves and the Neverlanders so we can do more research on the ring. This place has a little story, though. Upperclassmen like to stand here during the first few days of the school year and watch freshmen crash their bicycles as they go under. There's something about how the path dips so sharply and then goes right back up that causes inexperienced cyclists to lose their balance."

"Oh. So the upperclassmen provide first aid to the freshmen?"

"Only if they really need it. The point is to laugh at them and feel superior. Also to bond with others of the same social standing. Back when I was a freshman, I showed up to watch with the upperclassmen because my parents tipped me off. Being a daughter of alumni had its perks." Joan beamed as she recalled the years before her internship disaster.

Mokuba's eyes bulged. "Your parents went here too?"

Joan leaned on the wooden rail of the bridge. "Yeah. Why is that such a surprise?"

"It's just hard to imagine your mom among all these hippies."

"Well, they weren't her crowd. She was, however, a charter member of one of the big sororities here. I considered joining, but the girls there were way too snooty."

"And your dad?"

"He cooked for a frat house, and they met at one of their mixers."

"That sounds like the perfect romance."

"It is. Monogamy works for them."

"So your parents are still together?"

"Yep."

"Why wasn't your dad at lunch with us?"

"He probably had to work. Despite his university degree, he wound up as a wage monkey like Michael."

"Oh." Curiosity tugged at Mokuba's mind, but if Joan's dad was anything like Gertrude, meeting him would make for another awkward experience. "But you and your mom wound up using your degrees, right?"

Joan laughed. "No. Mom majored in animal science because she wanted to be a veterinarian, and she wound up doing some really boring office thing instead. I came here knowing that social connections mattered as much as grades. I showed up to watch freshmen crash to see if I could score any upperclassmen friends. They were nice to me, but I didn't really connect with them. I wound up hanging out with grad students and professors instead." Joan pointed at a slim nine-story building peeking over the top of a hulking lecture hall. "That's where I had tea on Tuesdays with the Religious Studies Department. Top floor. They joked about being closer to God than anyone else on campus."

"That really puts the 'high' in high society. No wonder you swept Seto off his feet."

Joan smirked. "I'd say the element of surprise is what really got him. You're the one who's impressed by my social connections."

Mokuba blushed. "I, uh . . . yeah."

Joan stroked his cheek and kissed him softly. Mokuba returned the kiss, and it quickly grew zealous. Their tongues tangled for several minutes until they came up for air.

"All right, let's get back to the festival." Joan gave Mokuba one more peck before they strolled off the bridge and completed their circuit of the library.