by K. Leah
5
Maybe I need to rethink some things
The team gathers on the field for one last play. In the final seconds of the game, Drew throws a shot play to a receiver for the winning touchdown. The final score is 30-28…we won! The stands begin to thin as people file out of the stadium. Julie disappears somewhere, but I am not leaving without her, so I stay put. It’s faint, but I hear someone yelling my name. Thinking it’s Julie, I turn to try and find her.
“Clara! Clara! Down here.” I turn to see Drew waving his arm as he jogs off the field. “Clara…hey girl!” His helmet is off and tucked under his arm. He has a huge smile on his face as he looks up into the stands toward me. I wave back, and he runs up to the edge of the stadium seats, so I can hear him better.
“Meet me at the flagpole at 5:30?”
“Sure…okay,” I yell back, feeling a blush spread across my cheeks. He gives me a thumbs up and runs to catch up with the rest of the team as they disappear into the fieldhouse.
Two seconds later Julie appears behind me slapping me on the back. “Was that Drew just talking to you?”
As I turn to face her, she can see the blush still in my cheeks and the smile on my face as I nod to confirm her question.
“Oooooooooo…. I told you! I told you!” she says as she covers her mouth and bounces up and down. “See, I told you there is something there!”
Sooooo maybe she is right, and maybe those butterflies are not imaginary or uncalled for. That also could have been me Drew was searching for earlier in the game. Was he actually looking for me? I can’t help but giggle thinking yes.
Julie and I walk back to our apartment. She links her arm through mine, and I guess she can tell I’m in a state of shock. “Soooo, what do you think he wants to do at the flagpole? That’s kind of a public place for a first kiss, don’t you think?” She laughs as I glare at her.
“Julie! That is not what he’s going to do!” I reprimand her with a sharp look and pull my arm out of her grip.
“Oh come on, I'm just playing with you. You know that.” She laughs and bumps her shoulder with mine as she continues. “But seriously, I wonder what he’s going to do at the flagpole? I wonder what he wants.”
“Who knows,” I respond. “Drew probably just wants to give me his research for our project.”
Julie stops walking and looks at me with a frown. “Clara, you need some serious help. Think about this for a minute,” she declares, perching a hand on her hip. With the other hand in the air she holds up her pointer finger and says, “Number one, you were just with him last night. He’s not had any time to work on research since then.” Holding up a second finger she continues, “Number two, he sought you out… at a football game… from the field… yelling your name for everyone to hear… asking you to MEET him at the flagpole.” A third finger joins the other two. “And number three… get a clue… he likes you!”
I sigh. I can’t help but feel like Julie might be on the right track. That gives me a little sense of excitement as I ponder those thoughts for a moment. “True… I think you could be right,” I tell her as I push her hand out of my face.
“Mmmmkay then,” she responds. “Now let’s get you back to our place and freshen you up a bit.”
♦♦♦
At 5:23 pm I am standing at the flagpole in the center of campus. Wearing jeans and an SSU sweatshirt, with my hair in a ponytail, I’m hoping he doesn’t show up in something nice. I’m nervous and impatient waiting for him, but more importantly, I'm wondering why he wants to meet. I can’t imagine for the life of me what he is going to do and why we have to meet at the flagpole to do it. A girl can hope though.
I twirl my hair nervously while I wait. After a few minutes I hear, “Clara!” and turn to see Drew walking toward me.
“Hey, Drew!” I call out, waving as he approaches. He puts his hands in his pockets. I have noticed this familiar mannerism. Something about it makes him seem reserved and shy. The way he hangs his head and sheepishly grins like he’s trying to hide. He is dressed casually, in Adidas shorts and a long sleeve T-shirt. I can tell he’s freshly showered because his honey-colored hair is slightly damp.
“How are you?” he asks.
“I’m good," I tell him with a blush and a smile. "You played a great game today.”
“Thanks for coming today… to my game. I mean, I know it’s not my game… but,” he is stumbling over his words, and it’s kind of cute. “You know what I mean.”
I giggle in response. “You’re welcome. I’m glad I came, too. I don’t usually go to many football games, and it was a lot of fun. I should probably come more often.”
There is a long pause between the two of us. I’m not sure what to say. We’ve covered the basics - hello, thanks, and you’re welcome. Now what?
Drew looks down at his feet and says, “Well, I thought maybe we could…. I was wondering…. umm…I was hoping that you would have dinner with me at the Caf …And then maybe after, we could hang out or something?” My eyes must look like saucers because when he looks up at me, there is even more hesitation in his voice. “Or not… I mean if you already have other plans.”
“No, no… I’m sorry.” Breathe, Clara. “I would love to have dinner with you,” I tell him, meeting his gaze. “I just wasn’t expecting that. I mean, I would love to hang out with you tonight, but I was more expecting you to ask me something about the project.”
“The project? You mean our marketing project?” he asks. I nod back at him. “We worked on that last night. The weekend is for playing football and having fun. I’m not doing any homework on the weekends unless I have to. After a long game on Saturdays, I want to veg out on my couch, and I thought it might be nice if you would join me this evening.”
I change my gaze from one of shock to anticipation. “That sounds like it would be nice.”
He grins at me with those dimples and motions toward the cafeteria. “Shall we go eat then? Because I am starving.”
6
Cafeterias, Video Stores, and Sunsets… What an Odd Combination
The sight of me walking into the cafeteria with Dreamy Drew affords us several long stares. Here’s little ole me walking in with the star football player. This situation has never happened. He places his hand on my lower back and guides me through the line. I gasp and think; he touched me! I feel a shock run through my body, and I feel like I turn five shades of red. I wish I didn’t blush so quickly, but I glance over my shoulder at him and give a smile.
I scan my student ID and proceed through the room toward the serving line. Drew follows behind me while, several people call out his name and give him slaps on the back, high-fives, and “great game” chants. I look back over my shoulder at him, and Drew is grinning ear to ear. I’m not sure if it’s because of all the accolades he is getting from fellow students as he walks through the open space, or if it possibly could be the fact that I am here with him. It’s probably because of the game.
We grab our food and sit down at a corner table by ourselves. It feels like every eye in the cafeteria is on us, but when I glance around the room, everyone minds their own business.
“So…,” Drew says, taking a bite of his food. “What kind of movies do you like? We can go back to my dorm and watch something if you’d like. My roommate is gone tonight. Or we can always go down to the lobby and watch TV there. No way to know if it’s taken until we get there.” I think for a moment how I should answer and decide to be honest.
“Well, I am a girl, and I love a good chick flick, but I’m sure that’s not what you would prefer. How about something funny?” I ask. “Should we walk across the road to the video store and rent something?”
“That sounds good. We can pick one out together,” Drew says, a smile peeking over the rim of his cup while he takes a drink.
The conversation comes naturally, as we finish our meal. When we are finished eating, Drew insists on taking my tray for me. He jokes that the wolves might jump out of the trash bins and get
me. I laugh at his remark and swoon over the gentlemanly gesture. As we the cafeteria, we stroll down the sidewalk. Drew stays close to me, occasionally grazing against my side, or brushing his arm against mine. These small touches here and there are like fire to my skin - little fireworks igniting each time. We walk toward the video store, and as we approach the intersection to cross the street, Drew reaches for my hand and pulls me safely through the crosswalk. I like that, and it makes me smile so big I’m afraid I look like a total cheeseball walking down the sidewalk. Dropping my hand as we approach the video store, he pulls the door open for me. Once again, he places his hand on my lower back, as we walk through the door.
We peruse the aisles of movies trying to decide what to rent. It’s a toss-up between Grumpier Old Men and Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls. We play eenie, meenie, miney, moe with the two movies in his hands. Moe lands on Ace Ventura, so that’s what we get. “You know…this is one of my all-time favorite movies,” he says as he winks, walking to the checkout counter.
He pays for the movie and after the clerk hands it to us, Drew gives his best Jim Carey impression. “Allllllllrighty then, I guess we should head back to my place.” I laugh at his failed attempt and find it cute how playful he is.
Anticipation rises as we leave, and I wonder if he is going to hold my hand again. I make sure to leave it free, swinging by my side, just in case. We stop at the crosswalk and wait for the signal. When it turns green, Drew offers me his arm as if I should hook mine through his and says, “Shall we cross?”
I quickly link my arm through his, and we make our way across the road once more. However, this time, he keeps my arm hooked in his, even tucking it a bit tighter against him as we stroll across campus. The setting sun stains an orange glaze across the sky. It is magnificent.
“It’s such a pretty sunset tonight,” I tell him. “I have a special place that I like to go watch it fall in the evening sky.” I’ve always loved to go to the open field beside the tennis courts and watch the sun fall behind the stadium. It’s the highest point on campus making it easy to see all the sports fields. Something about watching the sun illuminate into a multi-color sky is breathtakingly beautiful on a clear evening.
“So, let’s go there,” Drew says as he stops to look at me. “Where’s this secret getaway you are keeping from everyone?”
Now it’s my turn to lead him as I change our direction. “Come on… follow me.” As we approach our destination, I tell Drew, "If you get there at just the right time, you can see the most beautiful sunset."
I take him to a field where a big oak tree overlooks most of the sports fields. Drew gives me a huge grin as we settle against the tree. “I kinda thought you might be partial to this place,” I tell him.
The sun is just above the press box behind the stadium. Something about the sky tonight is magical. The clouds are wispy, the air is crisp, and the color is a brilliant blue, fading into shades of orange, purple, and red. I don’t know if it’s because I am experiencing it with Drew or that God is extra creative with the setting sun today… but the view is breathtaking.
We sit with our legs stretched out on the grass and our backs propped against the tree. As we watch the sun creep slowly below the horizon, Drew says, “Man… this is nice. I can’t believe I’ve never seen this before." He looks over at me. "How long have you been watching these sunsets?” he asks.
A hint of a smile plays on my lips as I respond with a shrug. “I don’t know. Sometime since my sophomore year. I needed to get away one evening and just planted myself under this tree when I happened upon a beautiful sunset that night. I’ve been coming back ever since.”
Drew places his hand on my leg. “These are two of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.”
I turn to look at him quizzically. “Two? What are you talking about, Drew?”
“The sunset and the girl,” he says, looking at me with that dimpled grin.
“Me? You think I’m beautiful?” I respond, pointing to myself. Like anyone else is sitting around us. I try to play it off, thinking he’s just joking around.
“Yes, Clara. You are.” He grabs my hand and links his fingers through mine. “Two of the most beautiful things that God ever created are right here with me. I think He painted the sky for us tonight,” he says, confirming the same thoughts I’m having about the extraordinary sunset we are watching.
At this point, I don’t know how to respond. No one has ever said anything to me like that, but the sweetness in Drew’s voice and the gentleness of his touch are like none other. My heart swells with so much something I don’t know how to describe it. And those butterflies… yep, they are back, dancing around inside and making my heart swell. Instead of ruining a perfectly romantic moment, we sit, hand in hand and watch the sun fall.
When the sun is completely down, Drew says, “So how about we take the long way back to my dorm?”
He stands and offers his hand to help me get up. We stroll toward the football field, holding hands and gently swinging our arms.
As we make our way across the field, Drew speaks up. “Clara, I like you. A lot. And I’ve had my eye on you for quite a while now.”
I’m taken aback by the turn of events tonight. Even though Julie and Marabeth both tried to tell me, I just never thought that Drew would like me this way. As I look to him, he squeezes my hand. “You're different. And that’s a good thing.”
Curious as to what makes me different, I ask, “What’s different about me?”
“Clara, you're not like most other girls on campus. Seems like every time I turn around, a girl is standing there. She wants to give me her number, or ask me some random question, which is her way of getting my attention. They want to go with me to a frat party, or out on the weekend. And I’m not like that. I don’t do all the stuff the other football players do.”
I know this. I’ve said all along that Drew is different and his statement solidifies it for me. He continues, “I don’t care about the party scene. I just want to play football. And you don’t seem to care about all that other stuff which is a breath of fresh air.”
As we continue to walk, his confession becomes more and more real to me.
“When Professor Hunt told us to pick a partner for this project, I saw it as my opportunity to get to know you better,” he tells me. As I think back to that day in class, it all makes sense now. If he was interested in me, this was the perfect opportunity. He knew enough about me to know I wouldn't pick him for my partner just because he was Dreamy Drew.
“We’ve had classes together for a couple of years now. I knew you were smart and beautiful, so I figured I couldn’t go wrong either way,” he says, smirking as he bumps my shoulder with his.
“Are you trying to gain brownie points or something?” I tease. “That’s the second time you’ve said that to me in a matter of minutes.”
Letting go of my hand, he wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me closer and says, “I’m just speaking truths tonight.”
7
Hanging Out
When we get back to his dorm, the main doors are propped open, with guys and girls coming and going as usual for a Saturday night. As we make our way into the lobby, we find the TV already occupied. Drew looks at me and asks, “So looks like it’s my room for the movie. You cool with that?”
“Yep… let’s go!”
We head up the stairs to Drew’s room that is surprisingly clean for a guy. Everything is in its place, and it smells pleasant. I guess I expect all guys to be slobs. His corner of the room has a bed, a desk, and a futon couch that separates his space from his roommates. “Sorry about the TV… I know it’s small.” And it is. I spot a shelf in the corner of the room; there's a mini-fridge on the bottom, a microwave in the middle, and a little 13-inch TV/VCR combo stacked on top.
“It’s ok,” I respond, not caring what size the TV is.
Drew loads the movie and puts a bag of popcorn into the microwave. He pulls some pillows from the bed and throws them
to me on the futon. “Hey!” I squeal as he laughs, grabbing a large bowl and two sodas from the fridge. I pull off my hoodie as Drew settles on the futon beside me. The movie begins, and we dig into our snacks.
We laugh a lot during the movie. Jim Carey is such a dork that it’s hard not to have a constant chuckle. We touch one another during the entire movie. My leg rests against his thigh, his arm around my shoulders; I snuggle closer to his chest, our fingers intertwined. Toward the end of the movie, he ends up with his head lying in my lap as his legs stretch out on the other end of the couch. As the credits roll, I find myself feeling a little sad. I’ve had such a good time tonight I’m not ready for it to end, but I know Drew has had a long day. When he leans up to turn off the movie, I start pulling my sweatshirt back on. Drew looks at me and asks, “Are you planning on going somewhere?”
I stop, with my arms in the sleeves getting ready to pull the hood over my head. I put it back down and tell him, “Well, the movie is over, and I figured I should get back now. It’s getting late, and I’m sure you are tired from a busy day and ready for some downtime.”
Drew frowns as he looks at me. He has this cute little crease between his eyebrows that makes me want to run my finger over it. “Clara, this is my downtime. I want to spend the evening with you, and I would love you to stay a little longer. Unless you are ready to leave,” he says, as his gaze drops to the floor.
Awww.
After he expressed his feelings for me as we sat under the tree, told me I was beautiful, and has spent most of the evening with me, he’s still not ready for me to leave. I think my heart just melted a little. I turn to face him, his eyes meeting mine, and say, “I don’t have to leave; I just thought you might be ready to crash since you’ve had such a long day.”