Disclaimer:  I don't own the JQ characters (HB does), and I'm making no 
money.

This is an answer to Ami's study challenge (pick something you're
studying for school, and incorporate it into a fic).



Jonny Quest:  The Real Adventures

Flirting With Disaster

by Wendy Carley


*Conversations*

*Brief informal conversations are common occurrences in the social
environment of school*

        Hadji peered absently into the microscope.  He had 
volunteered to stay after school to finish this science project, but 
he was having trouble concentrating.  Probably because Megan 
had also volunteered.

        Now, they were alone in the science lab.  Hadji looked up
and moved aside to give Megan access to the microscope.  She smiled
at him, and then looked at the slide.

        Hadji could not help gazing at his companion.  She was 
beautiful.  She had long wavy dark brown hair that cascaded all the way 
down her back.  Megan was wearing a very flattering blue sweater and a 
short denim skirt.  Suddenly, Hadji became very conscious of 
his appearance.  He made sure his shirt was tucked in, and he even began 
straightening his turban.

        Beautiful girls did not necessarily fluster Hadji, but Megan was 
very intelligent.  Although not over competitive academically, he was 
aware that Megan usually just barely managed to outrank him in
most subjects.

        She turned away from the microscope and started scribbling
notes in her lab book.

        "Say something," Hadji told himself.  "You are a smart,
competent person.  You can handle this."  Casually leaning on the
table, he murmured, "This is an incredibly fascinating microorganism."

        Megan nodded.  "Yes it is.  Have you finished?"

        "Yes, I have.  Megan, I was wondering . . ."  As Hadji spoke,
a gesture with his right hand sent the microscope hurtling to the floor. 
Megan gasped and caught it just before it hit the floor.  Her brown eyes 
sparkled as she laughed and set it back on the counter.

        "You were saying?"  she asked.

        Hadji's dark skin flushed a little pink.  He muttered, "Oh, 
it was nothing of importance."

*Students talk to work out problems or accomplish a goal*

        As Hadji was about to make a convenient retreat from the science 
lab, Jessie and Jonny walked in.  Jonny leaned against the wall and 
moaned, "I'm starving!"

        "So, what else is new?" Jessie question blandly.

        Undisturbed, Jonny continued, "Are you done yet?  I need to get 
some food."

        "Yes, my friend," Hadji replied with a smile.  "We just
finished."

        Jessie noticed Megan and waved; however, Jonny remained
oblivious.

        "Great," he shouted, "let's go!"

        "Maybe, Hadji doesn't want to go," Jessie intervened.  She
nudged Jonny.  He realized that Hadji's eyes were glued on Megan.
She was busy packing up her stuff, so she did not see them.

        Understanding slowly dawned on Jonny.  "Oh," he said suddenly,
"I see.  Megan, would you like to join us?"

        Megan turned towards Jonny and Jessie.  Hadji was standing
slightly behind her.  He desperately shook his head and mouthed, "No!"

        "Sure," Megan replied.  She faced Hadji who immediately froze
in place.  "If it's okay with you, Hadji,"

        He stammered, "Sure."

        "Great!  I'm starving,"  Jonny enthusiastically reiterated.  
"So, we brought two cars.  Hadji and Megan can go in one, and I'll drive 
with Jessie in the other."

        Jessie snatched the keys from his hands.  "I'll drive," she
declared.  As Jonny protested, Jessie teased, "You want to get there
alive, don't you?"

*Guidelines for Conducting Convesations*

*A group member volunteers or someone is appointed*

        "So, Hadji," Jonny said as he slid into the booth of the fast
food restaurant., "did you tell Megan that you're a sultan?"

        "Oh, I think everyone knows that," Megan said softly while
sipping her diet soda.  Jessie shook her head as she nibbled on a
french fry.

        "Yeah, Bangalore is a great place, and Hadji is in charge of
all of it."  Jonny smiled broadly at Hadji who nodded vaguely and
suppressed a scream.

        He took a deep breath and thought, "I have to keep calm.  In
the grand tapestry of life, this is just one small thread."  He 
stared at his salad intensely.  Then, he rapidly said, "Bangalore is 
truly beautiful;  however, I do share my duties with my mother.  I feel 
it is important to complete my education.".

        Megan set down her cup and smiled.  "That is so important.  I
don't think many people would have made such a wise choice."

        "Hadj sure is smart.  Sometimes, I think all he does is meditate 
and study . . ."  Jonny cut himself off when he felt two 
hard punches under the table.  Both Jessie and Hadji glared at him.

        "Well," Jonny tried to backpedal, "I mean, he can spend
a lot of time doing kind of boring things.  We have to force him to
socialize."  This time, Jonny received two even more violent punches.

        Hadji looked at Jessie in desperation.  She smiled weakly as
she thought.  Finally, she blurted, "I have to go the bathroom.  Megan, 
do you want to come with me?"

        Megan dropped her hamburger in mild surprise, "Okay," she
stammered.  The two women left the table.

*Group members take turns making comments and asking questions.  They
support other members and elaborate and expand on their comments*

        "What are you doing?" Hadji demanded.

        "Me?"  Jonny asked innocently.  "I'm helping.  I'm also getting 
majorly bruised.  Why do you and Jess keep hitting me?"

        "Because you are ruining this," Hadji explained.

        "Well," Jonny cried, "you wouldn't even talk to her.  You 
just sat there looking silly.  That isn't going to impress a girl."

        "I see, and you are suddenly an expert on women," Hadji
declared.

        Jonny pushed a hand through his tangled hair and sighed, "I
don't like to brag . . ."

        "Oh," Hadji demanded, "so maybe you can explain to me, with
all your vast wisdom, why you have had a crush on the same girl since
you were eight and have not done anything about it."  Jonny instantly
flushed and shot Hadji a dirty look.

*The topic is exploratory, and throughout the conversation the group is 
progressing toward a common goal*

        "That was harsh," Jonny hissed.

        "I am sorry, but . . ." Hadji began.

        "Listen,"  Jonny cut him off,  "why don't you just stay out of 
my personal life?"

        "I would be glad to," Hadji sighed, "if you would return the
favor."

        "I was just trying to help you.  Hadji, you really do need a
social life," Jonny exclaimed.

        "We have established that you are hardly an authority in this
area," Hadji reminded him.

        "Well, at least I spend a lot of time with Jessie," Jonny tried 
to defend himself.

        "Because she lives in the same house with you," Hadji countered.

        After a moment of silence, they both saw that Jessie and Megan
were coming back.  "Why don't we just drop this?" Hadji suggested.

        "Fine," Jonny muttered, "but I was just helping."

*Then, a group member makes a comment that sends the conversation
in a new direction*

        As they approached the table, Jessie was saying.  "But at
least with Elise he had an excuse.  Now, Anaya!  I don't understand
what happened there at all."  Jessie caught Hadji's devastated
glance and clapped her hands over her mouth.

        However, the damage was done.  When they sat down, 
Megan could not stop giggling.  She wiped the tears from her eyes 
and gasped.  "Oh, and I thought I had dating problems."

        Jonny, obviously still upset over his recent exchange with
Hadji, joined in, "Yeah, Hadji's had some weird girlfriends.  They
usually end up trying to kill us."

        Hadji tried not to think about how much he wanted to kill
his friends at this moment.  "This is just a thread in the tapestry 
of my life-," he told himself, "a tapestry that is rapidly 
deteriorating before my eyes."

        While Jonny continued to elaborately describe every
embarrassing moment of Hadji's life, save the current humiliating
meal, Hadji hung his head.  Finally, he tried to clarify matters,
"Actually, neither of them were my girlfriends, and I did come to my
senses . . . eventually."

        "Maybe," Jonny continued undaunted, "but one time when
we were eleven . . ."

        Jessie helplessly shrugged her shoulders as Hadji groaned.

*Conflict in small group conversations is inevitable*

        Hadji glared at Jonny and Jessie as he remarked, "I thought
the two of you had an appointment to keep this afternoon."

        Catching his drift, Jessie added, "We did promise Dr.
Quest that we would help him with an experiment."

        Jonny stretched lazily and replied, "Aw, Dad won't mind if we
don't go.  I'm having too much fun."

        Quickly, Jonny dogged the two fists he knew would be aimed
at him.  "No," he continued smugly, "I don't want to be rude.  We'll
stay."

        Hadji and Jessie exchanged a worried look.  At length, Jessie
smiled sweetly and said, "Well, if we aren't going to help Dr. Quest
then maybe I should go."

        Suddenly, Jonny looked concerned.  "Where are you going
to go?" he demanded.

        Jessie slowly responded, "I think Ryan said he would be
studying at the library.  Maybe, I'll go and join him ."

        The color drained from Jonny's face.  "Why would you want
study with him? . . . Besides, we did promise we'd help my dad!"

        Jonny jumped from the table and grabbed Jessie's wrist.
"You guys don't mind if we leave, do you?"

        Both Megan and Hadji shook their heads vigorously. 
"Please," Hadji called after them, "go!"

*At the end of a conversation, members reach consensus*

        Hadji breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Jessie and
Jonny depart.  Megan looked at her watch and said, "Oh,
Hadji, I'm sorry.  I have to go home."

        Forcing a smile, Hadji responded, "I understand."

        The ride to Megan's house was very quiet.  Hadji tried to
decide when, if ever, he would speak to his so-called friends
again.  He parked the car near Megan's house and walked her to
the door.

        He had expected her to rush inside, but she lingered on the
door step.  She pushed her long brown hair off her shoulders and
peered at Hadji with her soft brown eyes.

        Hadji decided that he did not have much left to lose.  He
took Megan's hand and uttered, "Megan, I am sorry.  I really do like
you."

        Megan smiled and exclaimed, "Don't be sorry.  I had a good
time.  You should meet my friends.  They make yours look normal-
almost.  I really did have fun."

        Hadji beamed and blurted, "Even after hearing about my
misadventures with women."

        Stepping closer, Megan whispered, "Maybe, you just haven't
met the right woman."

*Sometimes people have a product from their conversation*

        Slowly, she leaned towards him and gently pressed her lips
to his cheek.  They stared at each other for a long time before
Megan entered her house.

        As Hadji walked to the car, his head was swimming.  He
could barely believe a woman- a non-evil, non-demon woman- had
kissed him.  He stopped at the car door and wondered when he
would see her again.

        Glancing back at her house, he noticed that Megan was
peering out of an upstairs window.  Their eyes locked for a 
moment.  Then, Megan waved and disappeared from view.  Very
reluctantly, Hadji got into the car and drove away.

The End

* parapharsed from _Language Arts_ by Gail E. Tompkins and
Kenneth Hoskission (1991).