by Teya Tapler
Oh, Evangeline Shtuttgart, what is going on with you?
Her pace slowed and she was now moseying down the corridor when she walked into something tall, hard and immovable like a wall. Trying to protect her face and soften the impact she opened her hands spreading books and papers on the floor.
Great start! Evan rolled her eyes.
That emotional rollercoaster day hadn’t finished yet. It was Kevin and Amanda that upset her first, then Zander showed up, and now that. The whole school would be talking for months about how she had walked into the wall. She, the high school senior Evangeline Shtuttgart. Evan closed her eyes wondering whether that hit would leave a scar on her face when someone grabbed her arms and held her tight.
“Hey, gorgeous!” Kevin’s voice came to her. She blushed, too embarrassed to open her eyes. The whole school would be talking for months about that …
Whoever was holding her, rubbed her arms gently as if they were caring about her. Thinking how to explain her absentmindedness if that was the superintendent or a teacher Evan timidly opened her eyes and saw – Kevin standing right in front of her.
She had bumped into him.
“How are you?” Kevin spoke again, his loud voice echoing in the corridor.
“I-I’m okay” Evan mumbled. Feeling uncomfortable she knelt down to collect her papers: hands moving fast, mind restless worried that the emotional rollercoaster day hadn’t finished yet. It was Kevin and Amanda that upset her first, then Zander emerged, and now - Kevin again.
Kevin stood motionless, waiting for her to clean up the mess then helped her got up.
“I know that you want a little bit more of this-” he pulled her close and stamped her lips with a long Hollywood like kiss.
The world stopped and the hallway went quiet. The most talked about high school couple had kissed in front of the whole school. That provoked the envious looks of the girls passing by but didn’t make Evan’s heart race the way it did at the prom. It made her wonder even more if she was the one who had changed that summer. She had been thinking about their first kiss all summer imagining how would the second one feel, hoping to hear fanfares or at least feel a tingle in her toes or something. The kiss was again that weird kind of a kiss, the peck on the cheek type.
It felt nice though. It meant they were boyfriend and girlfriend again after the long summer but it didn’t feel like anything … special. It was as plain as vanilla ice-cream.
Without saying anything Evan gently pushed Kevin back and ran to her next class as he looked victoriously after her.
***
The next class was gym and Evan found with horror that she would have Mr. P again. He was the teacher that made them climb ropes and do jumping jacks, run laps or do sit ups until they fainted. Last year, they were graded based on whether they could keep their heart rates at certain level long enough. To get a higher grade, Evan had to start jumping in the changing room while putting on her sweat pants and shoes. That little trick got her started with a higher heart beat and the monitor counted her achievement from the very first minute of the class.
Today, she was the last to enter the locker room, and then her locker didn’t open right away. That was followed by her dropping off one of her socks and it hiding under the bench, and a zipper problem soon after. Gym had never been her favorite class and the stars were not in her favor today either. Filled with bad memories and macabre expectations, Evan tied her new pink tennis shoes and entered the gym, dreading the next 45 minutes. The emotional rollercoaster day was continuing in full speed. Being on the cheerleading team didn’t count for Mr. P, as he had to torment them in his own way.
Evan expected to see everyone quiet and ready. Instead, the group was gathered around one of the ropes hanging ominously from the ceiling. At its base Kevin was looking at Zander, challenging him to a dare.
It was Zander’s first day at her school and already he and Kevin were facing at each other like old enemies. Evan wondered what had gone wrong when she realized that Kevin might have seen her and Zander talking after the computer class. Maybe Kevin didn’t want to share her with others. Maybe that was why he ambushed her and kissed her in the corridor.
Kevin is so romantic!
Being in awe of Kevin, all over again, Evan didn’t notice him looking down on Zander to make him feel inferior. She merely evaluated his clothes, haircut and stance. He had the poster boy, high street model look, and was dressed accordingly. That was what she liked him for.
He is so handsome!
He wore only brand name clothes, his style was preppy and she liked him for that. Even his gym clothes screamed high street fashion and she liked him for that too.
As the two guys moved around Zander caught her eye. In computer class she had only really seen his shaven face but OMG, hadn’t he cleaned up nicely today. The two-part sweat suit was emphasizing his strong build with wide shoulders and narrow hips. Evan’s thoughts got lost in the hot summer days long gone when Mr. P’s whistle made her move her eyes toward the gym entrance. The teacher quickly realized what was going on. He liked it when his students compared their physical abilities. He called it a ‘mini Olympics’ and considered it a much better way of solving any kind of problems. For him, when two people were arguing about something, they were better off running a mile and then the slower one agreeing with the faster runner than talking for hours and trying to clarify their differences. Seeing the two guys Mr. P had sensed a hidden conflict and, not surprising anyone, he pulled out his chronometer and announced the challenge.
Slightly bent ahead, Kevin looked at Zander then scaled the rope. There were no words exchanged, but the body language was clear enough for everyone to understand: Kevin was going to climb the rope and was demanding Zander to accept and follow suit.
Zander nodded in agreement.
Not surprisingly, Kevin tried to show off. So typical of him—“look at me I drive a Masera-ati.”. He stood there, measured Zander with his eyes once more then, went up and down the rope without even using his legs and feet. The gym was quiet as the students watched him enviously: the boys wanted to be him, the girls wanted to be his girlfriend, every part of his fashionable outfit remaining perfect with his every move. He completed the challenge and grinned victoriously, proud of his achievement.
It was quiet for a few long seconds after he landed. The students inspected the rope with disbelieve as if it had attained some magical powers then started to comment Kevin’s achievement and the noise level raised. The chronometer readings were recorded on the nearby chalkboard, few girls applauded Kevin and everyone’s eyes turned towards Zander. It was his turn. The group made space for him, buzzing like a bee hive, debating whether anyone could beat Kevin in rope climbing or in anything else at all.
The teacher reset the timepiece and raised his hand. The group quieted. All eyes were glued on Zander, everyone wondered whether he would be able to even reach the middle of the line after Kevin’s daunting accomplishment. After all Kevin Mort was famous among the students not only for his rich father. He was the one who could do most pull ups and most pushups and had been voted the most handsome guy in the school by the cheerleaders three quarters in a row.
Zander took off the top of his sweat suit and rubbed his hands. The look on his face resembled the one he had while carrying the big wooden crates from Jose’s store to the car that summer. One would say that he looked rather bored than overwhelmed or alarmed. He came to the rope and following Kevin’s example started climbing up the rope without using his legs and feet.
The class was quiet in the beginning, then after several pulls, when Zander moved further up the rope a few audible conversations started, just to turn into a loud cheer as he passed the middle of the line proceeding to the very top. The group in the gym was praising him loudly long before he landed.
Mr. P looked at the chronometer, compared the reading with the note on the chalkboard and announced that Zander was the winner. Students greeted Zander for his achievement as Kevin s
mirked and hid. Evan saw him disappearing to the weight lifting section. He moved like a beaten dog retreating with its tail between its hind legs. It hurt her seeing him like that. She was his girlfriend and needed to talk to him, to tell him that this rope climbing doesn’t mean anything, that he was still the number one on her list. She was about to follow Kevin and condole him when the rough voice of Mr. P stopped her in her tracks. He gave the class the usual tasks to warm up then pulled Zander aside, talking with him about the different sports programs in the school.
Remembering the heart monitor rules from her junior year Evan sat on the floor with the rest of the class and started stretching her leg muscles moving gently from left to right. Everyone was focused on the pendulum motion when Brittany’s curiosity exploded. “You sat next to the new guy in computer class. Did you two talk? Come on Evan, tell me everything! What was all that about?”
“Don’t know.” Evan continued stretching mechanically eyes glued to the ropes; Brittany still asking her questions in the background. She needed to learn as much as possible about the new guy when Evan didn’t know how to respond to any of those questions.
Evan’s thoughts were moving from Zander to Kevin in sync with the exercise. The emotional rollercoaster day was progressing as expected. Her thoughts were moving from one event to the next and from one guy to the other following the tempo of her stretching. She was thinking about Kevin and Zander at the same time. Both of them had barged into her live that day, making their marks as the day progressed. The thought of Kevin with his tanned face and blonde hair and the feeling of his kiss on her lips were still fresh as she remembered how Zander’s hands had carried her in the rain forest. Somehow she wanted to be Zander’s girl, wondering why she hadn’t noticed his muscles before. Maybe at the time she was so smitten by Kevin. Well, she was still obsessed with Kevin, his looks and his refined manners… She was Kevin’s girl.
The group was now standing up, slowly pulling their arms one at a time to relax the biceps. Evan got up and faced Brittany and Megan who were stretching at the opposite side. The two of them didn’t enjoy gym either and were making funny faces. Obviously they had a lot to say about the recent mini Olympics and wanted to hear Evan’s thoughts too. Brittany and Megan accompanied every arm movement with a crooked smile, wrinkled nose or a raised eyebrow.
Evan wasn’t ready to talk with them yet. The rollercoaster day had brought up something strange. Her attitude towards Zander had changed, catching her by surprise in the worst possible moment.
How could Zander show up the first day of my senior year?
The day when she and Kevin met for the first time after the long summer away from each other. That was the day when she was going to finally talk with Kevin in person instead of writing to him. How could Zander dare to suddenly reappear? She didn’t need any saving. She was absolutely safe, sitting in the classroom, waiting for the best school year of her live to begin. Why did he had to sit next to her?
Angry at Zander, Evan moved her arms quicker than the rest of the group.
Do I feel anything for him? What would Brittany and Megan say? Will they chose Kevin over Zander?
Only being interested in Kevin, her feelings towards Zander were something new to her. It was a new dilemma, something she had to discuss with her friends and hear their advice. She needed their support in clarifying her opinion about the new student.
She needed her friends’ objective opinion. There they were, standing in front of her, making funny faces, itching to learn more. At some deeper level, Evan was afraid that Brittany and Megan would pick Kevin as the better choice for her because his dad was rich and Kevin was already driving a Maserati.
The memory of her and Zander trying to find a way out of the pyramid came to the foreground blowing the image of the red car into smithereens. Her friends had never been rescued in the middle of a tropical storm; they had never crawled in the darkness among spiders to save their lives … Her thoughts brought her back to Zander and she slowly realized that she didn’t know if he had any feelings for her, or even whether he liked her at all. He hadn’t hinted anything or even tried to kiss her yet.
I wonder how it would feel when Zander kisses me. Would I see fireworks or hear music? None of that happens with Kevin. I do hope Zander kisses me. I really, really do.
“Come on, students.” The strong voice of Mr. P returned her to gym class.
Evan got out of her trance and saw that the group was lining up to go out for laps around the football field. She rolled her eyes and followed them.
Chapter 14
“Why didn’t you tell me that Kevin Mort goes to the same school?” Zander slammed the front door and shouted at Emil. The thud shook the house and the two glasses on the coffee table rattled from the aftershock. Zander had ran all the way from the school bus stop and rushed into the living room without taking off his shoes or jacket. He found Emil and pointed his finger at his chest. “Didn’t I tell you that Zull Mort is the same person sponsoring the pearls’ expeditions?“ Zander’s voice became louder that the sound of the TV in the room. “Now he knows that we are here and he-“
“Calm down!” Emil gently pushed Zander’s hand away and left the soda can he was holding on the table next to the local newspapers and the magazines. He got up and grabbed Zander’s shoulders. Their eyes locked. ”Just calm down! It’ll be okay.”
“How can I be calm when my actions are endangering the residents? We should not harm any residents! It’s one of the main rules.” Zander kept on shouting.
“Sit down and take a deep breath.” Emil carefully pushed Zander on the sofa and sat down next to him closer to the fireplace. He picked up the remote and muted the TV. When he spoke again he resembled a parent of a problem child: someone trying to stay calm and objective, not affected by the turmoil Zander was going through, “Take a deep breath and tell me what happened.”
“Kevin Mort goes to the same school. We are in the same gym class and he is her boyfriend.” Zander expressed his emotions in one breath.
“Do you realize that you sound like a jealous teenager?” Emil said. “Miss Evangeline Shtuttgart is just another client. She’s not your friend or classmate. She is only one part of your assignment.” Emil stressed the words in the last sentence.
“My point exactly!” Zander was agitated and his words were coming out fast. “That’s why I have to avoid endangering her safety. And today was just the opposite. My going back to school was a bad idea! I was presented as the new kid and had a rope climbing contest with Kevin Mort in front of the whole class. You should have seen him. If he had a gun he would have shot me and everyone else around us on the spot.”
“Do you think he recognized you?” Emil asked calmly.
“Who? Kevin? Of course he did. His eyes didn’t lie.” Zander replied quickly.
“Had he seen you before?” Emil laid back and lifter his feet on the coffee table.
“You mean: besides our encounter in Mexico and my face being all over the media when I wasn’t able to capture his father?” Zander snapped. He couldn’t just sit down and do nothing. He got up and started pacing the room between the fireplace and the door. He gestured intensively as he talked. “Of course he had seen me before. He had seen me more than once. I shouldn’t have gone to that school. Period! Now they are going to break into the Shtuttgart’s house in search of the pearls and would kill anyone they see along the way. They didn’t value people’s lives before. I don’t believe they’ve changed.”
“I think so too.” Peter spoke from the doorway. He had come out of the surveillance room and was leaning against the frame. Huge, over-the-ear headphones were wrapped around his neck and he had a package of gummy bears in his hands. Zander suddenly stopped striding and looked at him, “Thank you!” he said then turned to Emil, “Do you see? Peter agrees with me as well.” Zander’s voice changed. He wasn’t shouting. He didn’t sound angry any more. “We have to do something Emil. The professor and his family are good people. They h
ad the misfortune to be caught in the middle of all that.”
“I concur.” Mary said. She has just entered the house and had heard only the last two sentences.
Everyone turned towards her. She was wearing a light gray suit and a light blue blouse with a ruffled collar. The outfit was topped with a haircut of a 55 years young lady. Her hair was a dirty blonde color with some white roots showing at few places. Her makeup was aging her too. She didn’t look like the perky and quick talking young woman she usually was. She looked like someone … twice her age.
“Yeah, what happened to you today? You look like you’ve had the worst day of your life!” Zander was first to put his astonishment in words.
“Thank you, guys.” Mary smiled. “Your faces say it all. I’m glad you like my new look. Nice to meet you I’m Mary Sage the new Chemistry teacher at the Hamptonville High School.” She said seriously then threw her shoes and bag on the floor and sped to the couch. She sat down next to Emil and grabbed an unopened soda can from the table. ”Today was my first day. After we returned from Mexico, I had weeks of exhausting interviews. They sure want the best teachers for their kids in Hamptonville.” She opened the can and started drinking in large sips.
“Why did you choose the name Mary Sage?” Zander was irritated. ”Sage is my undercover last name. Why didn’t you choose Mary O’Brien, or Marian Findley, or Morgan Johansson? Now everyone in school will think that you are my mother!”
“Yes, I am your mother.” Mary said seriously.
“Yeah, right!” Zander waived his hand and left the room. ”Just leave me alone for a while.”
“Why is he acting like a teenager?” Peter sat down on the other couch.