While Chris was 5'8” tall with short cropped blond hair and blue eyes, this other boy was different. He couldn't be more than 5'5”, and was at least 25 pounds thinner than Chris.
“Hi,” Chris said. “My name is Chris.”
“Scott.”
“You new here?”
“My first day. Mom and I moved to town because she got a job at the community college.”
“Really? I want to go there next year.”
“But you're only in the 8th grade.”
“There is an early college program starting in the 9th grade. Say, what home room do you have?”
Turned out that Scott had the same home room as Chris. Chris introduced him to their home room teacher, and Scott was told he could take a seat at the back. There were two rows with seats at the back, one of them put him sitting next to Chris.
“Sit here, we can talk,” Chris said to Scott.
“What is this school like?” Scott asked. “The last year I was home school by my grandmother.”
“Your grandmother lives with you?”
“No. She lived next to us in Oil City. Mom was finishing her PhD program, and grandmother taught me. “
“Why didn't you go to the local middle school up there?”
“That's a long story.”
Scott was glad that the teacher started welcoming students back for the second semester. He didn't have to continue the conversation with Chris.
He checked over his schedule to make sure he knew what classes he had each day. The school worked on a different kind of schedule than what he had been used to when he went to middle school in the 6th grade. These classes were 55 minutes each, with five minutes between each class.
“Can I see your schedule?” Chris asked.
Scott showed him the schedule paper.
“We are in most of the same classes,” Chris said. “I'll help you get adjusted to this place.”
Scott thought he would be all alone on his first day. He was wrong. He hadn't been there for even one class, and he made a friend.
Chris smiled at Scott, trying to let him know everything would be okay. He remember when he had been new, part way through his 6th grade when he transferred to the school. There had been no one there to help him. He wouldn't let this new boy go through what happened to him.
Lunch
The morning went faster than Scott expected. He had a different class right before lunch than Chris, but he had hoped to see him at lunch. He went through the line and bought a milk, then found a table that didn't have anyone sitting at it. In the cafeteria there were plenty of tables that remained empty, because there was three lunches, one for each grade.
“Mind if I sit here?” Chris asked as he appeared through the crowd.
“Sure,” Scott replied.
Chris sat down and noticed that Scott was eating two cheeseburgers and a slice of pizza. “How can you eat all that? You're so thin.”
“No matter how much I eat, I can't seem to gain any weight. I don't want to be so small all my life.”
“Your height doesn't matter. If you want to gain weight you should exercise. I have some weights at home. We could lift together. I have to keep my body like this because I'm on the wrestling team.”
“You wrestle? But you act so normal.”
“Normal isn't a word I use Scott. I'm just an average guy. Not all jocks are brainless. So, you want to come over after school?”
“I'll have to ask my mom. I can call her after school.”
A few of the other wrestlers walked by the table, and looked at Scott with iritation. Just who was he to be sitting with Chris? Chris was the top of the wrestlers.
They knew better than to open their mouth and to say anything.
“Those guys seemed to look up to you.”
“They are wrestlers too. We have a point system in wrestling, and I'm considered the best at this school. I'm undefeated.”
Scott wished he could be into some sport. That had been taken away from him when he lived in Pennsylvania.
Chris told Scott about the big tournament on Friday and Saturday, and his new friend promised he would be there.
“Will your parents be there? Even if I was involved in something at school, mom is going to be very busy at the college.”
“My mom is always at my matches, but dad is busy at work a lot.”
“Oh really?”
“He's a minister.”
Scott figured Chris was off limits. His father would kill him if he found him anywhere near interested in another boy. Scott wouldn't try to tempt him.
“I thought my mom was going to have it hard. When she started as the new Associate Dean of Students I knew it meant she was going to be working long hours, but your father has to be on duty 24/7 if someone needs him.”
“You get used to your father not being home.”
“I wouldn't know. My dad left us when I was five.”
They both changed the subject. Scott wanted to know everything about the sports at the school. He figured Chris would want to talk about sports, since he was into them.
By the time their first lunch was over, the two had bonded over food and talk of school. It was just a spark of friendship, but it would grow.
Chris saw how Scott smiled when he talked with him. He didn't know why, but it made him feel good that the new kid didn't feel so alone. He knew what it meant to feel alone. Every time he sat in church with all those fake smiles on the superficial people there, he felt all alone. It was one of the worse feelings of his life.
After School
Downstairs in the basement of Chris' home was a basement filled with exercise equipment. Scott took one look and the amazement showed on his face. “This is where you keep in shape,” he said as he looked over the room.
“It's my getaway. Mom and dad never come down here. Dad is too bad at church and with the people that go to church, and mom is too busy leading one woman's group or another.”
“This place is great. I think that if I had a place like this I'd use it to get away from the world.”
“Want to try one of these machines?”
Scott got up on one of the treadmills, and his new friend showed him how to use it. “You can adjust the setting to the angle and speed with these buttons.”
“I see.”
Chris got on the stationary bike and started to ride it while Scott walked on the treadmill.
“What's it like having a minister for a father? Is he strict?”
“Sometimes if I do something wrong, he won't hit me but he will say if I don't listen to him it's a sin and I'll go to hell.”
“Sorry. I would hate to have a father that tells me I'm going to hell. Mom never says anything that hurtful.”
“You're lucky that your father is gone.”
“I didn't tell you everything about him. He left us because he was dating a 22 year old. He cheated on my mother.”
It wasn't the entire truth, but close as he would say for now.
“What is your mother like?”
“She is great. She has always been my biggest ally.”
They continued on the different machines until they heard a voice from the first floor of the house.
“Mom must be done with supper.”
“I should go then.”
“You can stay if you want.”
“Sometime, but not after exercising. I stink.”
Once they went back upstairs Chris introduced his mother and Scott. “This is my new friend Scott.”
“Hi,” Scott said.
“Hello. Would you like to stay for supper?”
“We were just working out. Maybe another time?”
“Definitely,” she replied.
“I'll walk Scott out,” Chris said.
They went to the door, and Chris told Scott he'd see him in school the next day. “Can you make it home okay? I can walk with you if it is a problem.”
“No. I know the way. See you tomorrow.”
The str
eets of China Grove seemed big compared to the small country type of town that Oil City had been. It was a five minute walk from one home to the other. Scott took the main street of town to keep to the lighted areas.
He saw his home come into focus and noticed his mother was already home. It must have been an early day, since it couldn't be more than 5:30. Maybe they gave her an early night since it was her first day on the job.
Scott walked into his home and ran up to his mom who was sitting on a chair in the living room. “I missed you today,” he said. “I have so much to talk about!”
Chapter Four:
Made a New Friend...
Scott's mother had a pizza in the oven and the place smelled of cheese. She knew that her son would always be in a good mood when he smelled a pizza cooking. Scott took a seat at their kitchen table and opened up a soda.
Nothing better in the afternoon that a cold soda and pizza. He was one of the few people he knew that could eat as much fattening foods, and never seem to gain an ounce. His mother was just glad that he wasn't trying to cut back on his food like many teenagers that worried about their weight.
“How was your first day? And tell me about this boy you went to see after school.”
“Well mom, his name is Chris. He's a lot taller than me and on the wrestling team. We have lockers next to each other. That was how we met.”
“He seems nice from what you said on the phone.”
“He is. I feel bad for him though.”
“Why?”
“His father is a minister and from what I saw in the exercise room in the basement, he must push him into a lot of competitions.”
“I don't understand,” his mother said.
“There is a trophy case. It is filled with things from the past few years. I think there hasn't been one sport in elementary or middle school that Chris hasn't been forced into playing.”
“You don't know that Scott. Maybe he is just very competitive.”
“Maybe. Anyhow, I'm excited for Friday. I'm thinking about talking with the people in charge of the school paper. I'd like to get back into photography.”
“Oh Scott, let me guess. This boy would be considered good looking by many of the girls at the school?”
“Maybe, but that isn't why I want to take his picture. I'm good at photography and haven't taken pictures since sixth grade.”
His mother gave him a couple pieces of pizza on a paper plate. “I made your favorite kind. When I'm at work you will need to make yourself dinner. I did work it out that I should be home by 6 pm Monday to Friday.”
“Ya mom, how was your day today? It was your first day at work.”
“No no, we were talking about you. I want to know how were the kids. Did they give you any problems?”
“Mom, this place isn't like Oil City was. Besides, the others don't know anything about my past.”
“Good. I just started a new job and we don't want to have to leave again.”
“This time I am not going to let anyone force us to leave. It isn't like last time.”
Scott got out an Ipad from his backpack. “This is how they learn at the school. All our classes are on the Ipad.”
“I know. I had to pay insurance on it when I registered you. At the college many professors use electronic versions of the text books now. I knew that at least you couldn't say you forgot your books at school.”
He already had one Ipad at home, and it would have his textbooks in it too.
“I found out today about a program at the college for high school students. Could you find out what the requirements are? Chris was talking about how he was interested in going next year.”
“If you are eligible, you should think about it too. After seeing the college I know you'd like it.”
Friday
During the following four days, Chris introduced Scott to many of his friends at the school. They included him because Chris was a big deal.
Each day after school they would walk home together and split off two blocks from their respective homes. Thursday Scott went to Chris' for about a half hour. He helped him with his math homework, because he was far more advanced than the others in his grade.
Friday at lunch, which was a half hour early, Chris expressed his excitement at the big tournament starting at 1 PM.
“I have to do good, or my dad is going to be mad. He always looks disappointed if I don't get first place.”
“You should only ever just do your best. No one wins every time.You'll do great though.”
“I wish that I had a father that was as kind as your mother. She would never yell at you.”
“Mom just wants me to be happy. Now, I have a surprise for you. I went and spoke with the head photographer on the school paper. He told me that he couldn't make the tournament, so he said I could take pictures. I even have my own camera.”
“You going to get some pictures of me?”
“If you want....,” Scott said with a grin.
He planned to enjoy the weekend. “Sunday I'll go over the pictures on my computer at home. If you want to look at them you can come over.”
“Sunday is church, but my dad might let me come over after lunch.”
“You could always eat lunch with mom and I.”
“Dad doesn't let me go out before lunch is over on Sunday. He expects me to be home with him and mom.”
“Wow. I don't know what to say about that.”
“Yes, I know. I can't sneak out either. He would get mad.”
His new friend's words reminded him of more than a few years ago and someone that had hurt him. That had been physical pain, which he had started to move on from finally. It still made his heart hurt to think about those days.
“Then ask to come over after lunch. You have my number. He can call and talk with my mom to make sure it is okay with her.”
Chris was careful what he ate during lunch. He needed enough strength to take down the boy he would wrestle in about 90 minutes, but not so much food that he would wind up in a heaver weight class. It was a fine line that wrestlers walked. He was good with keeping fat off of himself, and just have muscles that gave him his mass. A wrestler with muscles could defeat his opponent easier than one with just fat.
“With our math work being due Monday, I was wondering if it would be okay to come over tonight to work on it.”
“You don't have competition tonight?”
“We are finished at 3:30 today. If I make it through today, I'll be in the semi-finals and maybe finals tomorrow.”
“You'll do great.”
Scott would be his friends biggest cheerleader. If he wasn't taking pictures for the school paper, he would be cheering louder than the rest. Taking pictures meant he had to be quiet or the camera would shake. He wasn't going to anything to mess up these pictures.
After the classes were dismissed for the day, Scott went to his locker and got his digital camera, that was in a special bag. The locker had one of the latest locks on it, so that no one would get in unless they had the four letter code.
It was the month and day of Chris' birthday.
He had to wait about fifteen minutes before people were allowed into the Gym. When he walked into it, he looked around for a place to sit in the stands. A woman in her late 30s smiled at him and waved him over. It was Chris' mother.
“Hi Mrs. Myers. Is your husband here?” Scott asked her.
“He couldn't make it. He's got business at the church.”
This surprised Scott. The way Chris sounded when they talked, his father never missed a match.
“Chris will tell you tonight I'm sure, but he and I have a math assignment for Monday. I was wondering if he could come over tonight. I know his father doesn't like him staying overnight on Saturday nights.”
“This weekend is a little different. Chris doesn't know it, but I was hoping he could spend the weekend with his new friend. I know you two seem to be getting along well.”
“Won't his father be angry?”
> “Trust me, that is the least of his concerns. Anyhow, would you want him to spend the next couple nights at your place?”
“Sure.”
Scott called his mom up at her office, and asked her about having Chris stay. Then he gave the phone to Mrs. Myers. She spoke for less than a minute, and gave the phone back to Scott. Once he said goodbye, he smiled at the fact Chris was allowed to come over.
“We have to do homework anyway, and tomorrow he will be in the finals.”
“If he wins today.”
“He has to win.”
Over at Scott's Place
“Congrats... on today,” Scott told Chris. “By the way, mom said that she will be back by six tonight. We are to get supper on our own.”
“I have to be careful what I eat. Can't gain any weight.”
“You won't if you don't overeat. If you want we can work out later. I don't have the same equipment you have at home, but we could practice wrestling. I'm sure you could show me how you won today.”
Scott took his friend to the kitchen. He opened the fridge door and saw that his mother already had a few things prepared. “Maybe she had an idea that you would be here. No, that couldn't be.”
There was some pork chops prepared, that just needed reheated. She had seasoned them with Scott's favorite seasoning. She also included a bag salad that could be made in a few minutes.
“You sit at the table and I'll make us supper from this.”
Scott made sure everything looked just right when he placed it on the table. “I hope you like it. I know it isn't as big a celebration as the team will have tomorrow...”
“If we win the coach will take all the wrestlers out to eat. I'm hoping for Porky's.”
“Mom and I haven't been there yet. I know it is just down the street, but she is always busy at work or working on paperwork for the college.”
“You and I should go sometime. My treat.”
The two of them started eating. “At home we have to sit around the table while my father tells me all about how the problems of the world are sending us all downward.”
Windows in Time Page 2