HSZ new beginning

I planned to add this sequence to the beginning of HSZ, but never did. Since I like the idea of beginning Vol. III on  Valentine's Day, I don't think I will actually write any of this, but it makes good back-story.

Helen goes to a party at the two Jakes’s place, held in honor of Peter’s birthday. Lots of people there are on drugs-the two Jakes are doing lines, and Sophie and Bernadette are Xing. Chris Corso, of course, is on acid. Helen sees Tim hanging out by himself out on the deck. She hasn’t seen him since the end of the previous quarter, and she was surprised he didn’t come to the big New Year’s rager at Sarah Wolfe’s house. They talk, but Tim is being super-intense, mourning the loss of his freshman friends, especially Robin. He just went skiing with her and nothing happened. Helen tries to cheer him up. Then Jessica and Jake come out to the deck. Everyone bums on being single. But Tim is impossible to cheer up. Peter comes out, brief conversation with him. Helen watches in the background, sees Jamie watching them with an evil look. Jamie comes out and puts her arm around Peter possessively. She and Peter go back inside, leaving Helen alone, irritating her. She looks to see what Todd is doing-talking to Perse, Torrance and some other guys. One of them is a tall friend of Perse’s from Folsom, that Roxy thinks is cute. Wonders why he doesn’t come out when she’s talking to Jake. (Later he does do that, and Helen gets irritated, maybe because she’s trying to help Roxy. Todd gets irritated, thinking that Helen is going after Perse’s friend, when Helen is just trying to save him from Missy). Jake asks Tim why he is so bumming and that’s when she makes her teasing remark about “Kane College cardiac injuries.” Tim storms out of the party without saying good-bye to anyone.

Roxy comes over to Helen and asks her what’s up with Tim. Helen tells her what happened. Roxy tells Helen that Tim is still in love with her, that’s why he goes off so much. Helen doesn’t believe her.

Helen decides she wants to go home. She finds Todd, who is totally wasted, and did some coke with Perse and Torrance, so he it totally wired as well. They leave the party and Helen asks for the keys to her car. Todd won’t give them, saying he’s fine to drive. Helen is infuriated, because she didn’t drink as much knowing she was going to have to drive home. Helen realizes that she absolutely must break up with Todd. When they get back to her place, Todd asks Helen if she wants to break up with him. Helen says she doesn’t know.

On Monday she gets a warning letter in her mailbox-since she failed a class fall quarter, her financial aid will be cut off if she fails another one, which means she will have to drop out of school.

Todd calls Helen during the week, but she doesn’t return his calls. She doesn’t want to talk to him without breaking up with him, but doesn’t want to deal with actually breaking up, so she procrastinates.

Talks to Jessica about breaking up with Todd, prompted by stacked up phone messages. Jessica tells her to do what makes her happy. If Todd is making her miserable, than he shouldn’t be in her life.
 
Helen talks to Gretchen, who wonders why Helen is breaking up with Todd. Despite Gretchen’s arguments, Helen still goes through with it. Helen talks to Todd, they break up.
 
Helen calls Tim, to tell him about the news about her and Todd and see if he wants to hang out. She’s determined, though, not to apologize to him, because she thinks he’s behaved badly, and that there are many things he should apologize for first.

Tim doesn’t call Helen back and she is bummed out. She tries to get on with her life despite how sad she feels, and lonely.
 
Helen meets with her professor, Joseph Harkes. Though he makes no overt move on her, Helen can feel his attraction to her.
 
Helen teaching in section, frustrated in getting a conversation going. It’s much harder than it looks to be a section leader. She approaches Maria Gaier and gets rebuffed.

Helen gets a past due notice from the abortion clinic. She can’t afford to pay the bill. Todd said he would pay for half, but then never gave her money, and she doesn’t want to see him.

Lead up to Helen’s breakdown. Do we see earlier that night, as Helen and Roxy and Jessica hang out? They might give her news and gossip, and possibly talk about Tim as well. Helen has some insightful comments about thirtysomething to make.