“It’s okay,” Amy replied, opening her lunchbox, and taking out some coconut cookies. “Sometimes, you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do.”
“You know what it’s like,” Carrie said.
“Yeah, I know. Maybe your taste’s too great for your mom not to listen to you,” Amy said, ravishing her cookies.
“Thanks, you’re gonna gimme a big head,” Carrie said, Amy watching her with amusement. “Anyway, what did you do yesterday?” Carrie asked, taking a sip of water from her bottle.
“I went to ‘The Place’, ’cause nobody was home. Didn’t feel like being alone.” Carrie nodded at this sentiment, and took another bite of her bar. Amy paused, and thought about Jake, and what happened with him yesterday.
Amy had been wondering about him continuously since she last saw him, and contemplated why Jake would ever try to kiss her, but pull away at the last minute. Carrie noticed that Amy was lost in her own thoughts, and tapped her lightly on the shoulder.
“Amy, what’s up? Something happen at ‘The Place’?” Carrie asked.
“Well, some stuff happened I’m not sure about,” Amy said.
“What do you mean?” Carrie asked.
Amy’s facial expression was one of both happiness, and uncertainty, at the same time. The more she thought about Jake, the more she could not work out why he acted like he did.
“I was sitting in a booth when Jake showed up, and he asked to sit with me,” Amy said.
“A huh, so that’s why you’ve been kinda quiet this morning. Knew there was more to it than there seemed to be,” Carrie said. Carrie wanted to hear more, and, feeling that there was more to this than Amy had yet revealed to her, moved closer to her. “Now, tell me what happened, and don’t forget anything,” Carrie said.
Amy looked at Carrie, her face devoid of emotion.
“What happened? Well, everything, and then, nothing.”
Carrie scratched her head, and frowned at this remark.
“Nothing? What do you mean?” Carrie asked. She looked at Amy, and closed her left eye. “You’re just saying that to keep me in suspense,” Carrie said. Amy did not react to what Carrie said, but Carrie ploughed on anyway. “Looks like I’ve taught you something after all,” Carrie said, tongue in cheek.
Amy shook her head in doubt, her long blonde hair swaying beautifully as she did this.
“I dunno what’s going on anymore,” Amy sighed, thinking about Jake. The more she thought about it, the more she could not understand Jake’s actions.
“If you tell me more, maybe I could help you,” Carrie said, watching Amy with sympathy.
Amy sighed, packed up her lunchbox, and put it in her bag. She thought about Carrie’s offer for a few seconds, and began.
“Well Carrie, we talked for a while over there, then Jake walked me home.”
Carrie smiled, thinking that Amy was worrying over nothing.
“Well Amy, it’s sounding okay so far — you should be smiling a lot more than you are,” Carrie said.
“But what happened after is really confusing,” Amy said.
“What happened, Amy?” Carrie said. Her anticipation of Amy’s response was reaching breaking point, and her eyes were wide with wonder.
“I was talking with Jake, then he began to stroke my hair. He was about to kiss me when he pulled away. Everything happened so fast I didn’t know what to think,” Amy said, head bowed.
“What, Jake pulled away, why?” Carrie said, startled by what Amy said.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out. Why would Jake practically make me melt, then back away?” Amy said, rolling her eyes nervously.
Carrie reflected on everything Amy had told her, and, nodding her head, decided she knew why Jake treated Amy as he did.
“Know what I think Amy?”
“What?”
“I think Jake likes you, but maybe he’s a little scared to admit it,” Carrie said, with Amy blushing at this. “I saw how he looked at you after he knocked over your books. Maybe he’s not sure you like him.”
Amy did not know what to think, and was becoming more confused the more she thought about it.
“Someone like Jake? Don’t think so.” Amy paused for a moment, and considered what Carrie just said. “Maybe Carrie, maybe you’re right, but I can’t forget how close our faces were, and how everything felt right at that moment. Why’d he pull away from me? Was he making fun of me?” Amy asked Carrie, looking very anxious. Carrie watched Amy with concern, and did not know what to say to her. She reached out and touched Amy’s hand, and Amy smiled in gratitude at this.
Unbeknown to both Amy and Carrie, Francine had eavesdropped on their entire conversation. She was standing behind a wall, around the corner from where Amy and Carrie were sitting. Francine did not at all like what she was hearing from Amy, and her eyes were afire with passion. She was disappointed that Jake and Amy seemed to becoming closer, and could not understand how this was happening. Softly, but with defiance, Francine said,
“Yeah Amy, that’s about as close as you’ll ever get to Jake — if I have anything to do with it.” Francine bit her bottom lip anxiously at the thought of Amy and Jake together, and pondered what she was going to do next.
Soon thereafter, Chad appeared, and walked towards Francine. Chad smiled at Francine, but she was only slightly responsive towards him as she had a lot on her mind.
“Hey Franci,” he said, eyeing Francine with care. Chad noticed that she had a determined expression on her face, and was persistently biting her lower lip. He felt that Francine was plotting something, and waited to hear about this with bated breath.
“Hi Chad.”
“So, what’s happening?” Chad asked.
Francine stopped her lip biting, and looked at Chad point blank.
“You wouldn’t believe what I just heard,” Francine said.
“What?” Chad asked, lifting his eyebrows in curiosity.
“Seems Amy and Jake are getting this close,” Francine said, showing a small distance between her thumb and index finger.
“What do you mean?” Chad asked.
“I just heard Amy tell Carrie she and Jake nearly kissed, but didn’t,” Francine said, pouting her bow-shaped red lips in anger.
“How’d that happen?” Chad asked.
“Well, looks like Amy and Jake had a close encounter outside her house, but he left her in the lurch,” Francine said, with an ironic smile.
This was not exactly making a lot of sense to Chad, and he scratched his head, mystified.
“Okay Franci, but what does that mean for us?” Chad asked, butterflies starting to rumble in his stomach.
“Lucky for us, they didn’t kiss. Anyway, why should they? It’s like they’ve only known each other for about two minutes,” Francine said.
“Oh no,” Chad said, becoming sulky, bowing his head, and thinking about Amy. The idea of Jake having Amy, for him, was something too difficult to swallow. Jake had always attracted much admiration at school, and now, it seemed as if he was getting close to Amy, someone Chad had always wanted. And, they almost kissed.
“You know Jake — once he wants something, he goes after it, full steam ahead,” Chad said, his voice taking on a solemn tone. Francine did not like seeing Chad in this state of mind, and reassuringly placed her hand on his. Chad looked at her with appreciation, and felt a little better for this.
“You giving up before we’ve even started? Listen to me. I have a plan I’ve thought a lot about,” Francine said, cocking back her head with confidence.
“Plan? What plan? First time I’ve heard of that,” Chad said.
“I haven’t told you ’cause I wanted to be really sure of the details.” Chad nodded his head in agreement with Francine’s sentiments, and looked a little brighter than beforehand.
“Okay Franci, come on, spill the beans.”
“Just gimme a second, and I’ll tell you what our chances are,” Francine said.
“What do you think are ou
r chances are, then?” Chad asked.
Francine curled her lips, and smiled at Chad, who watched her with much anticipation.
“I guarantee you in a few weeks’ time, I’ll be going with Jake to the fancy dress gala, and you’ll be taking Amy,” Francine said, looking triumphant.
Chad was a little happier after Francine’s announcement, and began to smile.
“That’s more like it,” Francine said to Chad, seeing him smile again. Just as quickly as he smiled, though, Chad’s grin vanished, his feelings of insecurity setting in. He frowned at Francine, but she looked at him with a neutral expression, knowing that his moods often changed on the spur.
“Do you really think so? Do you think we can win Amy and Jake?” Chad asked.
“Yeah, I believe we can,” Francine replied.
Chad shrugged his shoulders; his inspiration with this situation kept running low, and he could not understand where Francine was finding her motivation.
“What do we have to do to make it happen?”
Francine looked at Chad, and smiled wickedly.
“From now until the gala, we have to make Amy and Jake think of no one but us. While it’s not gonna be easy, I think we can do it, if we stick together on this. Chad, are you up to the challenge?” Francine offered.
After a few thoughtful seconds, Chad nodded at Francine with conviction, sensing her enthusiasm rubbing off on him.
“Franci, I’m ready,” Chad said. Francine’s encouraging words seemed to work on Chad, and he was smiling again. Amy and Carrie had since left the Music Block, and were now at the opposite side of the school. Both Francine and Chad keenly watched Amy, wild thoughts running through their minds. The idea of Amy with Jake was something they definitely did not want to see happen.
“When we’re through with them, Jake’ll be seeing me in his dreams, and Amy’ll be seeing you in hers,” Francine stated, with a devious smile.
Chad turned away from looking at Amy and Carrie, and glanced again at Francine, who did likewise.
“My god Franci, you’ve got a way of putting things in their proper place,” Chad said, smiling equally as mischievously as Francine.
* * * *
It was now 3:00PM, and the school bell’s recognizable tinkle made itself heard to all. There was an immediate reaction to this, as there was every afternoon. The sounds of rustling paper, school bags being ripped open and filled with books, and chairs scraping the floor, could easily be heard. School had now finished for the afternoon, and students quickly made their way out of classrooms, excited that another school day had come to an end.
While some students were rushing to go home, others hung around outside classrooms, talking to their friends in the corridors. Other students, though, devoted themselves to their athletic passions, and the school really supported these aspirations. Sports training usually started at the end of the school day, and today the basketball practice session was being held. The school’s basketball team rifled through the locker rooms, and quickly changed into their sporting uniforms.
Francine had left her final class for the day, and was making her way to the school’s front gate to head home. She was a little tired, as it had proven to be another full-on day. All of Francine’s least favorite subjects were today, and this seemed to really slow down her day. Francine wanted to take her mind off this, and thought about Jake, and smiled. She wanted to see him again, and this made Francine feel good inside.
Jake made Francine feel safe, and this was something she cherished about him. Apart from Chad, Jake was the only person who made her feel this way. Francine was almost out of the school gate, but remembered that Jake would be doing his basketball training today. On the spur, Francine turned back towards the school, deciding she wanted to watch Jake training in the school auditorium, and began walking over there.
Francine entered the large auditorium, which was notable for holding some of the best high school sporting events in the state. The school had a large basketball team, and it seemed as if the whole team was in attendance today. The coach was a short, stocky, but enthusiastic man in his forties. He had taken the school’s sporting teams to dizzying heights under his guidance, and was much respected by all. While he could sometimes be hard on his players, though, he always meant well. Today he was in his element; excited, rosy-cheeked, and shouting out to the players.
“Come on, just a little more patience, you can do it!” The boys were encouraged by their passionate coach, and worked faster to get the ball into the hoop. The coach cheered every time the ball went into the net, and clapped his hands with glee. Francine noticed there were other girls also in the spectator area, watching the guys practicing their moves. Francine loved to watch the guys playing against each other, as this reflected her own competitive approach to life. While playing sport was not one of her favorite activities, watching sporting games in progress, though, was something she did whenever she had the chance.
Francine moved to the spectator’s stand, intently watching the game all the while. After laying her bag on a seat, Francine made herself comfortable, preparing to watch Jake in action. She sat alone, away from the other girls there, who were busy admiring the guys, and giggling to their hearts’ content. Some of them smiled at her, while others gave her no attention. Any which way, Francine wanted to concentrate on Jake, without putting up with their overdone gushing and screaming.
Francine contemplated what she and Chad had discussed about Jake and Amy, and wondered whether Jake — the school’s handsomest, most popular guy — would ever be interested in her.
“Do you like me, Jake? Would you ever ask me to the gala?” Francine whispered, her face sad. Most of the guys at school seemed to treat her as if she was just a pretty face, with a body attached. Jake, unlike them, actually looked her in the eyes, and knew how to make a conversation. Jake made Francine feel special when he was talking to her; like she was the only person present in the world.
The coach blew the whistle, which made a shrill sound, and training stopped for a few minutes. The guys sat down on the barriers, trying catch their breaths after their exercising. Some were approached by the girls in the spectator area, who were obviously attracted to them. Other guys sat around and talked with each other, taking much-needed sips of water from their bottles.
Jake was talking with some of his friends, and turned his head around, and saw Francine amongst the other spectators. Francine was dreamily looking around the hall when her eyes unexpectedly met with Jake’s. Her heartbeat rose rapidly as he watched her, and Francine felt as if she could not even move around in her seat. Jake’s inviting, friendly glance captivated Francine, and when he smiled at her, Francine felt that she was on top of the clouds.
Jake waved to Francine, and she eagerly returned the gesture. He was about to come see Francine, and made his way up the stairs, but, was interrupted. The coach blew the whistle, and its loud, sharp blare resonated throughout the whole hall. Jake frowned at this, but shrugged his shoulders as if to say “Oh well, next time,” and looked away from Francine.
After another minute, the coach blew his whistle a second time, and, seeing that some of the guys continued to talk to the girls, repeated this a third time. Several of the guys sighed, unhappy that they could not speak any more with the girls, and had to recommence their training. While Francine’s idyll with Jake was cut short, her spirits, though, were now sky high.
Francine thought that yes, Jake really did seem to like her, as he wanted to come speak to her. This was anything but a bad sign for her. As basketball practice was slated to continue for a while longer, and the chance she would speak with Jake was low, Francine arose from her spectator seat, and left the auditorium. She walked home in a very happy mood, the memory of Jake’s smiling face etched into her mind.
When Francine arrived home, she went straight up to her bedroom, and took out the previous year’s school yearbook, and searched for Jake’s entry. Francine anxiously flipped through the book to find it, and smile
d when she did. In his entry, Jake said that he was looking for happiness above everything else in life, and without it, he could feel nothing about life. Francine nodded in agreement at this sentiment, and smiled wistfully at Jake’s words.
“I’m looking for the same thing, Jake — all you have to do is say is yes to me, you won’t regret it,” Francine said softly. After a few quiet moments, Francine closed the yearbook, and put it back into her drawer. Francine headed downstairs, and walked towards a photo of her father, who had passed away several years before.
She picked up a white, square picture frame where the word ‘Dad’ was imprinted on each of its four sides. Francine had given this to her father as a gift when she was in elementary school, and it took on special significance for her after his passing. Francine picked up the picture frame, and put it close to her heart. Tears welled up in Francine’s eyes, and she recalled her father, and their close relationship.
Francine felt that by winning over Jake, she would be doing her father proud, as she wanted someone who was just like him in character. She took the frame away from her chest, and looked at it with longing. Eyes full of tears, Francine lightly brushed her hand over her father’s photo, especially letting her fingers travel over the word ‘Dad’.
* * * *
Chad had finished his basketball training for the afternoon, and visited the school library for some books he needed for a paper. As Chad walked out of the library’s automatic doors he spied Amy from afar, and stopped dead in his tracks. Amy was seated on a bench by herself, and it appeared she was waiting for someone. Chad hoped that Amy was not waiting for Jake, but instead, for Carrie.
Every so often, Amy took a peek around the school, and looked at her watch. Amy seemed to be a little restless, as she kept turning her head around every so often. Chad observed her doing this, but did not want Amy to realize he was watching her. He cautiously went over to the bag stand, opened his bag, and took out a schoolbook. Chad acted as if he was reading his textbook, but kept his eye on Amy from time to time.
The Great High School Love Game Page 4