Certain Rules

by G. L. Snodgrass

  There was no way of telling if it was the truth and I couldn’t think of anything that might change their minds so let the matter drop and returned to looking at the popular table. Gina was draped all over Danny, her arm around his shoulder looking up at him with adoring eyes. It was funny when you think about it. He used to joke about clingy girls; they drove him up the wall. He’d say they looked like sucking lampreys hanging off a shark.

  Katie coughed, interrupting my wool gathering. I dragged my eyes off the cute couple across the way and focused on those around me.

  "What are you reading?" I asked her. Within minutes we were deep into disagreement about Hawthorn’s influences on today’s literature. Mattie and Kevin whispered to each other and giggled about something. I let it go without comment. Mattie seemed to have lost her need to be quiet. I did notice that she had a habit of letting Kevin finish his thought before jumping in. The guy had to be commended.

  After we’d finished I followed Katie to the trash cans and made a deposit. Katie and I’d gotten into the habit of walking together to our shared fourth period class. A couple of weeks ago I had barely registered the fact that we were in the same classroom. Now I found myself feeling better whenever I was around her. Our discussions about books, the way she’d smile at me from behind her bangs whenever I said something semi-intelligent. I liked to hear her laugh, it had a throaty rumble that sent a chill up my spine. Occasionally her eyes would widen as if she was surprised to find herself enjoying life.

  She held her books to her chest as we walked towards class. “Are you worried, I mean with Danny being back. You said they’d wait for him to come back before jumping you,” Katie asked, looking up at me with puppy eyes.

  I chuckled. “If he does, I’ll just threaten to scratch his eyes out and mail them to his mom.”

  She turned a sexy red and lowered her head. I don’t think she was used to friendly teasing. It felt different having a girl for a friend. Gina and I were never really friends. I never teased her and we didn’t talk about much unless we had deep philosophical discussions about hair styles or who should be going out with whom. Mostly Gina had the discussion. I listened.

  It came as a lightning bolt from the blue, I hadn’t enjoyed being with her. I’d liked the idea of thinking that someone as beautiful as her could be with me, that and the fact that she had me in a constant state of sexual excitement.

  Danny and his clique of zombies were waiting for us when we rounded the corner. They were bunched in the center of the hall, each of them paired up. This was no longer a guy thing, their girlfriends were in full support of Gina. Danny held my conniving ex’s hand and smiled at me with a gleam that let me know he was sure of himself. Being backed up by six football players obviously helped his confidence.

  Katie gasped and halted in place. Six to one, I could have taken two maybe three, but six was too much even for me. I gently pushed Katie behind me. The protective juices had kicked into high gear. My heart skipped a beat when I thought about her seeing what was going to happen. These types of fights weren’t like in the movies. They were ugly with a lot of blood and pain.

  I could sense how she hated violence or confrontation. I didn’t want her to see me get my ass kicked by six guys. For some reason it was important to me that she be impressed.

  I returned Danny’s smile and stared him in the eye letting him know exactly what I thought of him. He had the grace to momentarily look embarrassed but it passed quickly and he was back to his cocky normal self.

  Nicole giggled nervously and Tommy coughed into his hand. I glanced at Gina and shook my head, what had I ever seen in this girl. How had I let myself be misled by fluttering eyelashes and a well-rounded hip? It pissed me off, being such a dunce. I looked back at Danny and said, “So, I see you’ve got your own personal lamprey.” Gina frowned in confusion, but Danny knew what I meant, I swear he wanted to drop her hand right there and then.

  All activity had come to a screeching halt in the hallway. Every student froze in place to see what was going on. Within moments we were surrounded. Danny and I continued to stare at each other. The air grew thicker and thicker with tension as if a mist of oppression had settled over the hallway. Both of us waiting for the other to make the first move.

  “You won’t get another chance for a sucker punch,” Danny said. Obviously he’d decided to play this as if it was all my fault, he had to try and save face. That’s what happens when you’re on top of the social stratosphere; you had to constantly manipulate perception to stay there.

  I laughed, “That wasn’t a sucker punch that was a rat-bastard punch. But that’s what happens when a guy screws his best friend’s girl behind his back.” The crowd collectively inhaled. I finally had that pithy statement, here in front of a bunch of rabid idiots.

  “He shoots, he scores.” Someone said. Several people laughed.

  Danny flinched before squaring his shoulder and cursing under his breath. “Hey that’s not how it went down.” As a comeback it was pretty lame. Someone laughed, trying to show support but overall it landed like a dud and Danny knew it.

  Dropping Gina’s hand he hunched his shoulders and prepared to launch himself. I could see it deep in his eyes. He hated me with an overriding passion. I’d ruined his season. Taken potential glory from him. I’d made him look small. Most of all, he felt guilty and knew I’d never forgive him. He wanted to hurt me, believe me I knew how he felt. I wanted to pound his head into the ground and stomp on the pile.

  My heart raced and my hands clenched into fists as I prepared for his charge. I’d let him make the first move. Fighting protocol demanded it, he had the physical support of his friends and I had hit him first last time. But I wouldn’t let him get in deep. The first chance I got I was taking him down hard.

  “What’s going on here?” Mr. Thompson said as he forced his way through the crowd. The kids were slow to move out of his way, obviously disappointed to see their fun being interrupted. He glanced at Danny and myself and immediately stepped between us. “Don’t you people have some place to be?” He said staring at the crowd daring any of them to contradict him. “Anyone here when the bell rings will be in detention for a week, now get to class,” he shouted

  The tension started to ease and I thought I might be able to get out of this. At least for now. Danny saw his opportunity creeping away and charged me. Mr. Thompson put a hand on his chest holding him back while his friends grabbed his shoulders.

  “Not now, not here.” John said.

  Danny looked down at the teachers hand on his chest and seemed to come to the realization of where he was at. He relaxed and stepped back.

  “Later James, he sneered.

  The observers started to disperse, they knew nothing much more was likely to happen with a teacher there. The students reluctantly moved away and started commenting to each other about what had just happened. There were quite a few comments about my Rat-bastard quip. One of the younger boys mentioned how a broken wrist would have been worth it for a chance to be with Gina Woods.

  Every muscle tensed as adrenalin pumped through my body. I kept my eye on Danny, waiting for his next move. I felt Katie’s gentle hand force my fist open as she slipped her hand into mine. “Come on Scott, let’s go,” she said as she tried to pull me away.

  Mr. Thompson relaxed a little when he noticed everyone dispensing and turned back to Danny and myself. He shook his head as if he was disappointed in us. Taking a breath he said, “Scott, please come with me.” He reached out and gently grabbed my shoulder and turned me away from the confrontation. “You to Rivers,” he said to Katie. Including her in our departure.

  He escorted us into an empty room, his shoulders slumping as we entered. “I won’t waste our time talking about what just happened,” he said. “I wanted to ask you if it is true that you’ve lost your scholarship offer to Nebraska,” he said. It felt like a knife stab to the heart every time I thought about what’d been lost.

  Katie hissed thru her teeth and h
eld her hand to her lips. “You didn’t tell me,” Katie said, back handing my shoulder then looked shocked at what she’d done. Mr. Thompson caught it and smiled.

  I laughed. “It wasn’t a surprise, Coach Carlson told me he was going to make sure it happened. The letter just confirmed something I already knew was going to happen.” Okay, I lied a little. The letter yesterday had been like a dagger to the heart. I had secretly hoped they’d change their minds and not do it. But the paper had confirmed my worst fear as my dreams dissolved into a warm puddle.

  Mr. Thompson shook his head and crooked his mouth in disdain. I don’t know who he was more upset at, Coach Carlson, Nebraska, or me. “I’m sure other schools would be willing,” he said.

  “No it has to be Nebraska, Mom and Dad went there, they met there. I was born at the university hospital while they were attending. If I go to college, it will be there.

  He nodded as if he understood. I’d forgotten that he knew my dad. They’d gone to this very school together. The way he looked whenever I mentioned Coach Carlson’s name and Grandfathers statement about Dad and Carlson getting into a fight made me wonder if it had been Mr. Thompson that dad had been protecting. I was sure it was. Maybe that was why Mr. Thompson was looking out for me. Years after he died dad was still watching over me. A warm sense of well-being washed through me. And the knife wound to the heart eased off a little.

  “Have you thought about an academic scholarship? Your GPA is close enough that you could probably qualify? A little work this year and you could guarantee it. You’d have to hurry and get the applications in. I’m sure Ms. Rivers could help.” He said, smiling at Katie who was nodding vehemently. And suddenly I knew Katie would help without question. There didn’t have to be anything in it for her, she would help because that was the type of person she was.

  “I don’t know, I hadn’t really thought about it. Without football, there’s not much reason to go.”

  “Well think about it, I know your dad and mom would want you to go to college. He always used to say it was a favorite time in his life.”

  Katie touched my elbow to get my attention and was still nodding vehemently. “I think you should Scott, don’t let them get away with this.”

  “What about you Ms. Rivers?” Mr. Thompson asked.

  Her eyes widened like a deer in the headlights. She didn’t like being the center of attention. “I don’t know, I hadn’t thought about it.”

  Her answer surprised me. Katie seemed like a natural for college. Not only book smart, but she got life. Understood what was important and what wasn’t. I knew she was hiding some deep dark secret. The conservative, baggy clothes, the hiding behind her hair. A wound so deep that if it opened she might explode. My heart went out to her, but whatever happened shouldn’t keep her from going to college.

  She struggled with being put on the spot and shrugged her shoulders; she didn’t have a good answer.

  “Tell you what, we can help each other fill out the forms. What’s the worst that could happen? They tell us no,” I said.

  Mr. Thompson smiled with a self-satisfied grin, he’ done his good deed for the day. Katie’s eyes clouded over in concern, there was something she didn’t want to face, and this was going to force her to.

  Chapter Six

  Katie

  Aunt Jenny’s house was immaculate as always. I don’t know why she worried about it. No one ever came for a visit. It really didn’t bother me. I like things clean, but I always felt uncomfortable there. Always afraid that I’d put something out of place, leave a glass on the table or knock a lamp over. The furniture wasn’t covered in plastic, but still.

  Aunt Jenny hadn’t known I existed until last year. Nor I her. My mom hadn’t ever told me about her family. I’d always assumed she was an orphan.

  What hurt the most was knowing that my grandmother had died six months before I found out about my extended family. She’d left this house to her daughter. The same house my aunt and my mom had grown up in. In fact, I slept in their old room.

  The mantel clock quietly ticked away the hour. Obviously Aunt Jenny was out. She worked as a checker at the local grocery store. Her shift was earlier in the day so she should have been home.

  Shrugging my shoulders I went into my room and started on my homework. I tried to keep the confrontation with Danny Carrs from leaking into my thoughts and failed miserably. The tension had been as thick as spaghetti sauce. Gina looked like she’d won the lottery. Her silly grin spread across her face and her eye lit up like a car’s high beams.

  Danny Carrs on the other hand had been all ‘No big deal’ until he saw me. For a moment his eyebrows had scrunched up and he shot me a stare of pure hate. It had hit me like a physical blow. Just as fast it was gone, to be replaced by a crap eating grin. Like he didn’t have a care in the world. It was only then that he’d focused on Scott.

  Giving up on my homework I plopped onto my bed and folded my hands under my head and studied my ceiling. Counting bumps and trying to remember what it felt like to hold Scott’s hand. Anything to delay the flood of emotions I knew were about to overwhelm me.

  I had to admit to myself how scared I’d been with the whole Danny thing. I wasn’t frightened for myself. I felt petrified though about what might happen to Scott. There were six of them. Then to find out he had lost his scholarship. What could Nebraska be thinking; the guy was a mountain who ruled the football field.

  This had to be tearing him apart. He’d never show it. The man refused to let anyone see he had problems. Keeping everything inside, to be handled by him. He never complained. Never put Gina down, not really. Most people would have whined and torn her apart. Instead, he took it all onto those massive shoulders and pushed through.

  I know I had put the scholarship applications issues off by thinking about Scott. I liked thinking about him. I did that a lot of that lately. My mind kept conjuring up images. Scott reading in my library. Scott walking down the hall with his books in his left hand. Wearing his red and white letterman jacket. The smooth and graceful way he moved. It reminded me of a Budweiser Clydesdale. Those horses always looked so smooth, so together, like nothing could ever hurt them. I knew it wasn’t true. But you had to admire somebody like that.

  His thick rich brown eyes haunted me. They had a way of looking deep into my soul, trapping me in place. There were little specks of gold that fired off whenever he laughed. Kevin’s jokes made them light up, making me tingle all over.

  This is crazy Katie, I thought. Do not get interested in this boy. He isn’t over Gina yet. The stares he’d laid on her today were not casual glances. They were the looks of someone seriously in love. All glassy eyed and far way. Besides, if he ever found out about me I’d die. Simply cease to exist. That thought set my stomach into chaos changing the nice butterflies into full blown buzzards. Which brought up the whole scholarship issue.

  If I applied I’d have to give them information about my parents, or my mom at least. They would want my whole high school history. No way would anyone give thousands of dollars to somebody whose mom sat in a California prison. So why even try. Because you told him you would.

  I could kick myself for agreeing to Mr. Thompson. He was quickly becoming my least favorite teacher. I’d have to find a way to avoid the entire subject. No way was I letting Scott discover my secrets.

  .o0o.

  The next morning I decided to adjust my wardrobe a little. I wasn’t invisible anymore. There was no longer a requirement to hide behind my cloths. Of course I wasn’t going to go all slutty like the other girls. Simple Jeans and a fitted shirt with my hair pulled back with barrettes.

  Scott smiled when he saw me first period. He didn’t say anything about my outfit though. The smile would have to be enough.

  I ruined our daily library interlude later by my pretending to be busy the entire period. The thought of him asking about the scholarship packages sent chills from my toes to my ears.

  We’d both gotten through the day without any ser
ious problems. The popular squad was obviously biding their time. The last thing I wanted to do was ruin it by begging off on the scholarship package.

  The final bell rang and I sighed in relief. I’d gotten through without any mention of college. I looked at him and my muscles froze. Scott wasn’t leaving. He continued to read his book occasionally glancing at the clock over the front door. Was he waiting for me to finish my work so we could do the packages? Where was Mattie? My heart started to pound.

  Fifteen minutes after final bell a soft flop of a closing book had me checking out what was going on. He put his stuff away and looked at me with a smile. “Mattie’s got a freshman girls’ basketball game.”

  It took a lot of effort, but I was able to stop my shoulders from slumping with relief and offered a small prayer of thanks. I don’t know if I believe in god or not, Right then though, I was pretty sure somebody was looking out for me.

  “I didn’t know she was on the team,” I said. What kind of person did that make me? Granted, I seemed to be tuned into everything Scott said. I reminded myself to make sure to pay attention to Mattie.

  “Yea, this is their first game and she’s pretty jazzed.”

  “Do you think she’d mind me coming to the game,” I asked. My face flushed. Did I just invite myself to a basketball game with Scott James? What would he think? Would he think I liked him that way? Come on Katie, it’s only a basketball game; you didn’t ask him to the prom. My heart raced and my stomach turned over waiting for his reply.

  “Sure, she’d love it,” he said as if nothing special had just happened.

  Scott held the gym door open for me then gently placed his hand on the small of my back to usher me inside. A gentle chill spread up my spine. The feeling didn’t go away when his hand dropped. What’s more, I didn’t flinch.

  The gym was almost empty and smelt like new floor wax and old socks. This place had way too many memories of awful P.E. classes. Only the center section of bleachers had been pulled out with six people scattered on the wooden benches. I guessed freshman girls’ basketball is not a real popular draw.