Koda frowned and muttered, "I don't feel like I know this stuff....I'm pretty sure I need to know names and dates 'n stuff for the test. I'm not gonna pass if I write 'smart guy'".

"Well that's what I'm here to help you with to learn the names and the dates. Plus, your tests are multiple choice if you know enough you can guess and be right most of the time." Declan said, "That's why we need to stay focused today, so you can learn this stuff. I want you to do well Koda."

Koda smiled slightly. He was happy that Declan wanted him to do well even though he didn't have much faith in himself. Declan's words were starting to make him feel a bit more encouraged. "Thank god for multiple choice! I don't know what I'd do without it!"

Declan smiled back at Koda, glad that his words seem to have gotten through. He chuckled, "Yes multiple choice does make things simpler. I miss tests that simple."

"What, do they not have multiple choice in college?" Koda asked, a bit worried.

"They do in most of the basic classes, but once you get past those and into your more specified major classes multiple choice test are rare. I haven't taken one since I was a sophomore, but I'm in a more writing centered major than some. But even math majors stop having multiple choice tests and start taking ones where they just solve problems. It's both good and bad there's more lee-way on teacher's judgment but they can be harder tests." Declan shrugged, "You get used to it though."

A look of horror passed across Koda's face. "Oh man, there's no way I'd be able to take a short answer test or something! College sounds really hard!" He shuddered at the thought of solving math problems with no random a,b,c,d guessing.

"I think you could do a lot if you put your mind to it Koda. Plus, most of those tests will only be in your major, so it's not as bad. Really." he gave Koda a small encouraging smile.

Koda didn't look particularly convinced, but just nodded. "Fine then. Can we just hurry up and get this study guide over with?" He paused. "Or can we take a break?"

"Two more questions and then we can take a break." he glanced down at the study guide, "So what is the Emancipation Proclamation? and why is it imporant?"

Koda blinked slowly. "That's...." He trailed off, trying to think of the answer. No wait, that was one of those that he did know. "That's when Lincoln freed the slaves. it's important....because it freed the slaves...."

"In simple terms, yes that's right. You just need to remember that while it did do those things; it didn't necessarily apply to all states. Then, it made the civil war a moral issue. That's the important part. It brought to light a lot of things people hadn't necessarily thought about before."

koda nodded, not sure if he was going to remember that. "Things people hadn't thought about before? You mean, they hadn't before?"

"No, they hadn't or at least not the majority. They just accepted the situation as it was because that's the way it had always been. Sure a small few had objected it at the time, but not many. Things like Uncle Tom's Cabin and the Emancipation Proclamation really got people thinking. It's the same as the civil rights movement or the gay rights one. People didn't realize it was a problem until someone drew there attention to it. For instance, did you know in the '50s homosexuality was thought to be a mental disorder and was even classified as one by the APA." Declan rambled, blushing a little at the end when he realized that's what he'd done, again. He swore he wasn't normally this bad; he'd have to ask Gary about it.

Koda blinked slowly at Declan. For some reason, the only thing he could think to way was, "People thought being homo was a disease? What idiots."

Declan chuckled slightly. "Yes they did. There's been a lot of various view of homosexuality over the years. In some ancient cultures it was even accepted though the men usually had a wife as well. They just also had a male lover, to make them fight better on the battlefield. But then Christianity got involved and homosexuality become a sin, a disease, something to be eradicated. It's really only recent that people are starting to think past that, but still not everyone."

"Oh, but why'd Christians do that? What's being homo got to do with god?" Koda asked, brow furrowed.

"Before I say, I'm going to just add this, someone whose a bit more sensitive might punch you in the face if you call them homo. It's safer to say gay or lesbian." Declan paused a bit, "There's this verse in the Bible that says something like 'man should not like with man as he would with a woman' that Christianity and a lot of people use as their foundation for seeing homosexual relationships as a sin. It's probably a bit ridiculous see the bible also tells you it's a sin to plant the same crop in the same field. It was probably in the bible as a bit of advice, since procreation was more important back then, but people blow it out of proportion."

"I never heard that, though," Koda said, a bit confused. "My mum's religious when she's not lazy and I ain't never heard that line before. And what's wrong with saying 'homo'? It's easier to say."

Declan blinked a few times looking at Koda kinda shocked. "Trust me it's out there, and people make way too much of a deal out of it. It's a bit of a ridiculous. Mainly because it's too long been a phrased that's tossed around by bullies and homophobes for anyone whose actually gay to feel anything positive towards it. It's not as bad as fairy or you know another far less pleasant 'f' word but it's still there."

"Oh," Koda muttered, looking down at the table. "My bad. I see." He thought back to fights he and his friends had started over the years. They'd never bullied a gay kid before, but he suddenly felt bad about other jeering comments he'd made when prompted by his friends.

"Hey wow, kid," Declan said reaching out to place a hand on Koda's shoulder, rubbing it in a reassuring way, "I didn't mean to make you feel guilty. More to protect you from a bear who would punch you in the face no regrets." he shrugged, "In your case it was just not ignorance, I don't think there was any malice behind it. So I don't care."

Koda looked up at Declan and smiled weakly. "Ah no...I was just thinking of the bullying me and my friends have done. They say some pretty mean things to kids...me too." He felt ashamed admitting it, but they words tumbled out anyways. In front of Declan, he had a hard time keeping everything to himself like he usually did. Perhaps word vomit was contagious.

Declan squeezed Koda's shoulder, not honestly surprised but glad the kid was admitting it, and he seemed to realize it was wrong. "I remember high school pretty clearly, you know. I know what it was like. Did you honestly believe any of those things you said or did to somebody or were you just trying to fit in with your friends.

Koda just shrugged though he had to admit that it felt pretty good to have Declan's hand on his shoulder. "I dunno. I thought I was pretty cool at the time. I want to be a cool kid. that's what cool kids do right?"