The Great High School Love Game

by Marcia Carrington

  Amy loved to catch up on the afternoon TV shows before studying, especially the daytime dramas, as she found these relaxed her. It was great to be able to forget about real life, and indulge in other people’s problems; for Amy, there was nothing else like it. Amy was positively glued to the tube, watching her favorite character in action, when she heard a knock at the door. She quickly grabbed the remote control from beside her, and lowered the volume.

  “Who could that be?” Amy whispered to herself.

  Amy remembered her encounters with Jake over the past few weeks, and hoped it would be him at the door. She checked her hair and clothes in the lounge room mirror before opening the door. Amy’s expectations were high it would be Jake, but, unfortunately, reality fell short of this.

  When she opened the door, Amy discovered it was not Jake waiting for her, but the mailman. He gave her a mail article to sign for her parents, and quickly left. After he departed, Amy closed the door, and left the parcel on the family dining room table. Amy was dismayed it was not Jake at the door, and sank into the sofa.

  Amy thought again about Jake, and felt warm inside. She recalled bumping into him at school, his gray eyes watching her with concern. Amy also recollected their time together at ‘The Place’, and how Jake almost kissed her that day. She smiled, and reflected upon how happy she was with Jake, and how comfortable Amy felt being in his presence.

  Amy had never before seen any guy in the same way she did with Jake. Amy, though, did not believe any of the guys at school imagined her as anything more than a friend. There always seemed to be some kind of wall that went up whenever she got closer to someone, and Amy did not understand why this happened. The doorbell rang again, to her surprise, and Amy looked at the door with curiosity.

  “Could it be Jake this time?” she said aloud. “Hope it’s him.” Amy jumped to her feet, but, upon opening the door, was very surprised to discover who was standing on the other side.

  “Hi Amy!” was the friendly greeting she received. To Amy’s surprise, it was not Jake at the front door, but Chad. He was wearing a coordinated track top and shorts, and it appeared he had been practicing his running, as his face was beetroot red. Chad lived close to Amy, and many times she would see him jogging by her house, and they would exchange quick hellos.

  “Hi Chad,” Amy said, looking at him, all smiles. Although disappointed Jake had not come to see her, Amy was still happy to see Chad. Like Jake, Chad was one of those people who stood out in the crowd. His jet-black hair and green eyes made him a favorite of many girls at school, and they often raved about him.

  Chad was one of those people who had ‘It’; being that mysterious, indescribable quality which attracts people, but which they never knew exactly why. While he chatted sometimes with Amy, and they would wave to each other and exchange a few words, nothing more than that ever happened between them.

  “Was wondering, ’cause I’m having my daily run, if you’d like to come with me,” he said, with a wide smile. While Amy was surprised with Chad’s offer, nevertheless, she liked the idea of being in his company, and found the proposal rather sweet.

  “Where are you headed?” Amy asked.

  “To the park, not far,” he said.

  “Great, love going there,” she said, flapping her arms animatedly.

  “Terrific!” Chad said.

  “Come in. Just give me a second to change. Anyway, would you like a drink? Looks like you’ve been working up a sweat,” Amy said, seeing his track top looking damp.

  “No, I’m okay,” he said, showing Amy his water bottle.

  “Okay Chad, I’ll be down soon,” Amy said, going up the stairwell.

  “Okay Amy,” he replied, still a little out of breath. Chad jogged for a little longer on the spot, and slowly relaxed, breathing in, and out.

  Amy was upstairs in her bedroom, getting ready for her run. Chad’s appearance at her front door was unexpected, to say the least. It made Amy feel attractive, however, to know that someone as charming, and handsome, as Chad would take time out to see her. Amy had recently bought a new sweat top and pants, and had wanted for a while to try it out. This was the perfect time for her to do this, and see how comfortable it was going to feel on.

  While Amy was changing, Chad walked around her living room, and spotted photos of Amy and her family which were sitting on a lamp table. Chad picked up a recent framed photo of Amy, and sighed.

  “If only you knew how long I’ve wanted you, Amy. Hope I can make you like me as much as I like you.” Chad looked up at the stairwell, and believed that one day his dream would come true, and Amy would be his.

  Amy had descended the stairwell, ready for her run with Chad, and witnessed him staring at her photos. She smiled at this, and went into the kitchen, grabbing her own water bottle. When she came out, Amy noticed that Chad was still looking at her photos. Amy found it unusual that Chad was doing this, but thought he found them interesting for some reason.

  “Ready?” Amy asked. Chad swiveled his head around, a little startled by Amy’s interruption. He looked at her, and smiled.

  “You’ve just said the magic word,” Chad replied, carefully putting down the framed picture of Amy. Amy went to the front door, and opened it wide.

  “After you,” she said to Chad, to which he jogged out, and after this, Amy gave the room a once-over, taking a peek at the photo which Chad was studying, and locked the door.

  Amy and Chad happily jogged together, and, after several minutes, had reached the park. The weather was just right today; not too sunny, but pleasantly warm. Chad and Amy were a little out of breath after their brisk jog, and gave themselves a spell to recover. They took time out to sip some water from their bottles, and marveled at the sheer beauty of the parklands.

  Chad and Amy looked in awe around the beautiful park grounds, which were reminiscent of sumptuous parks which could be found in historic European cities. The park grounds were always perfectly manicured, with lush flowers and shady trees, comfortable benches, and striking lamps. Chad and Amy noticed there were quite a few people in the park today, each pursuing different activities.

  There were some young guys exercising, doing some push-ups, a mature couple having a quiet conversation on a bench, and a group of friends enjoying an afternoon picnic. The park was a place which accommodated people both young and old, and this was why it was such a popular spot.

  Amy wanted to sit down and relax for a little, and seated herself at a bench, while Chad stretched out on the grass. While watching Chad doing his exercises, a passionate thought occurred to Amy, something she never expected to experience. Amy caught herself admiring Chad — although she had known him for years, she now realized just how good-looking he really was. She stared at him in wonder, but was even more surprised when Chad returned her glance with a killer smile.

  Amy felt as dizzy as when Jake smiled at her, but she turned away from Chad’s pleasurable gaze, and surveyed the peaceful park. She considered she was being rude to Chad by staring at him, but she could not help herself; he was that attractive. Chad, on the other hand, was anything but offended by Amy’s show of interest in him — he was ecstatic that Amy was responding so well to him, and bowed his lips in satisfaction.

  Chad arose from his exercises, and sighed with glee. He smiled at Amy, and signaled with his head that they play on the swings.

  “Come on Amy, you up to the challenge?” he said.

  “Sure, I’ll have a go,” she said happily, as they walked together to the swings. Amy sat on a swing, and waited for Chad to move behind to push her.

  “Now Amy, you know the drill — I push the swing, and you try to go as high as you can,” Chad said.

  “Yeah, and I have to touch the clouds with my feet,” Amy replied. “Or close to that.”

  “Exactly,” Chad said, beginning to push Amy on the swing. He made a great effort to push her as high as he could so she would receive the greatest enjoyment out of it. Amy said “Weeeeeeeee!” the more Chad pushed the
swing, and they laughed together at this. Chad gathered that Amy was thoroughly enjoying their fun time together, and felt great.

  “Know something?” he asked her, looking up at the clouds.

  “What?”

  “You’re a quick learner,” Chad stated.

  Amy paused thoughtfully for a moment, and looked at Chad.

  “Well, that’s for one main reason,” she said.

  “What?” he asked.

  “’Cause I have a great teacher,” she said. Chad smiled at Amy’s remark, and felt cherished. For him, Amy was the ultimate — and if he played his cards right, there would be more moments like this to look forward to with her.

  Amy was also happy being with Chad, and amazed she had never had the chance to discover how enjoyable he was to be with. After a few minutes they switched positions, and Amy began to push Chad on the swings. Amy pushed Chad as much as she could, and he laughed merrily, as did she.

  “Know what Amy?” Chad asked.

  “What?” Amy asked, giving Chad another push.

  “It’s better being pushed on the swings than pushing someone else. Means I can relax for once,” Chad said, clicking his tongue in his mouth.

  “Wimp,” Amy replied cheekily, looking play angry with him.

  “What?” he asked, acting as if insulted by Amy’s remark.

  Amy stopped pushing Chad on the swing, and looked at him.

  “Race you home, wimp,” she said, before fiendishly running off. Chad, feeling ‘cheated’, stopped the swing by dragging his feet on the ground, and went in hot pursuit of Amy. Sand flew everywhere after he did this, and the people at the park looked on in amusement at this scene. By this time, Amy had raced ahead of Chad, and turned her head several times to see where he was. Chad was a little behind her, and had a pretend angry look on his face, waving his index finger at her.

  Amy reached her house before Chad, but, he eventually caught up with her. Both were gasping after their quick run, but delighted with their time at the park. Chad placed his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath, and jokingly said to Amy, in between breaths,

  “You idiot. I was just about to feel the sky with my feet, and you left me. I’ll never let that happen again.”

  Amy looked at him cheekily, and curled her lips.

  “Maybe you deserved it,” Amy said, leaning her back against the front door.

  “Me? You think I deserve bad things happening to me? Nope, I never cheat, or lie…”

  Amy cleared her throat at Chad’s statement, and rolled her eyes.

  “You just did, I mean, lie,” Amy smiled. “Everyone lies a bit, even if it’s for a good cause.”

  Chad looked at Amy defensively, waving his finger at her.

  “I never lie,” he said, becoming all-serious, as Amy looked at him with a critical expression. “By the way, who do you think you are? How dare you,” he said, with a broad smile.

  “How dare I what?”

  Chad shook his head, as if dismissing his thoughts.

  “Ah, don’t worry. Oh you’re such a little…”

  “Little what?” Amy asked, looking at Chad with a mischievous grin.

  “Don’t worry,” they said together, laughing hysterically. They had not had this much enjoyment in a long time, and could not stop smiling at each other. After a few minutes of fun, Chad and Amy finally stopped laughing, and looked at each other.

  Chad stared at Amy with a burning glance, and sensually stroked both his hands over her face, and cupped it in his hands. Just like her beautiful encounter with Jake a few weeks ago, Amy was unprepared for Chad’s gesture, and could not believe that he was treating her this way. She felt giddy after this, and looked at Chad deeply. Just as Amy thought Chad might kiss her, her whispered to her, in a sensual tone of voice,

  “See you tomorrow, Amy.” He looked at Amy with passion, and slowly removed his hands from her face. The warmth of Chad’s hands on her skin was a sensation beyond words for Amy, and one which she savored. Chad gracefully left her side, leaving Amy upon both a cloud of happiness, and disillusionment. She watched Chad as he jogged away from her, his figure disappearing into the distance.

  Like Amy, Chad was very happy with how his visit to Amy had turned out, and smiled, thinking about their time at the park. He sensed this was not to be the final time he would experience this with Amy, but, that there were many more times to come in the future. Chad jogged home with gusto, and felt fantastic for the rest of the afternoon.

  After Chad had left, Amy entered her house, and believed that she was walking on air. She sat on the sofa for a few moments to collect her thoughts, and grasp what had just happened with Chad. Amy pictured Chad, with his smiling face, and tempting green eyes, etched into her memory, but, unexpectedly, Jake’s face came in the way, and blocked Chad’s. Amy was becoming confused, and proceeded to the photo stand and picked up her framed picture, which Chad had been looking at before.

  Amy thought about Chad, and how he touched her face, but also, how he broke away from her without warning, and shook her head. By now more puzzled than ever, Amy reflected about Jake and Chad, and how each of them had been more than a friend to her in the past few weeks. Amy shook her head in suspicion, and questioned whether Jake and Chad really liked her, or, were playing games with her. Amy hoped to calm her bewildered state of mind, and, not getting anywhere fast, put down her picture frame, and went upstairs to her bedroom to unwind. Amy believed the only way to relax was to have a long, luxurious bath, as this had calmed her at other times when she was anxious.

  Amy went to the bathroom and opened the faucet, letting the water run, and inserted the bath plug. The soothing sound of running water calmed her nerves considerably, and she smiled. Amy poured some of her favorite scented bath oils into the water, quickly undressed, and climbed in. Amy closed her eyes, and rested her head against the bath pillow, and sighed. She tried her best to put Jake and Chad, and what they wanted from her, to the back of her mind, and instead, soak up the lush aromas of jasmine and sweet orange.

  Chapter Six

  “Drama class was great today — never thought I’d get the chance to play, surprise surprise, a clown!” Carrie wailed in laughter, throwing back her head.

  “Oh well, we’ve all gotta start somewhere,” Amy said, to Carrie’s amusement. Amy knew full well that Carrie could play any type of role; she was that versatile an actress.

  Amy and Carrie were at school, near the school’s drama building, several days after Amy’s fun in the park with Chad. They had just finished drama class, and were sitting on a bench, and began to open their lunchboxes. They were surrounded by other young guys and girls chatting, and happily eating their lunches. Their animated conversations, facial expressions, and voice imitations made for an entertaining lunchtime, as only drama students could do.

  Today was always a busy, but enjoyable day for both Amy and Carrie. Drama class was one of the few classes Amy and Carrie had together, and they looked forward to it each week. They were currently preparing for a new drama assessment piece, and were given a choice as to which role they wanted to play.

  Carrie chose the part of a clown as she had previously played a dramatic role, and wanted something completely different this time. While it would seem to be an easy role to undertake, Carrie always researched her roles, and this won her points with her instructors. She was planning to ask one of her other friends, who had done pantomime in the past, for pointers on how to get her performance just right.

  Compared to Carrie, Amy had just acted in a comic role, but, this time around, chose to tackle a dramatic part. For her next role, Amy would be playing a doctor being blackmailed by another woman, played by Francine. Amy was planning to borrow some psychology books from the library to help her with this, and knew from her extensive TV viewing how to act as the blackmailee.

  Amy smiled at Carrie, and took a bite out of her sandwich. All of that talking and acting in class had made Amy very hungry, and Carrie felt the same way. She als
o eagerly took a great bite out of her meat sandwich, and some of the filling fell into her lunchbox. Carrie chuckled at this, the same happening to Amy, who also laughed at the coincidence. Carrie rolled her eyes, and said,

  “Looks like we’re both happy about our roles. It’s not every day you get to play a clown.”

  “Yeah, I’m happy about my character,” Amy stated. “It’s interesting playing the victim.”

  Carrie rolled her eyes, and shook her head.

  “Doesn’t look like you’ve got much choice over who your co-star is,” Carrie said, referring to Francine. Francine was famous for being temperamental at times, and was known as the class drama queen. She was notorious for wanting her own way with things, but despite this, everyone agreed that she was an excellent actress, and had given some great performances in the past. Amy never really had much to do with Francine outside of school, but found her to be professional, if sometimes, rather cold. Amy thought about what Carrie had just said, and responded with,

  “No, I’m okay with Francine — we always get along okay in the end.”

  “Well, glad it’s you and not me acting with her. Maybe she likes you more than me,” Carrie admitted. Carrie found the fuss Francine made over things unnecessary, this unlike her more level headed nature.

  “Maybe,” Amy concluded. Amy took another bite of her lunch, her thoughts wandering over to Chad.

  Chad coming onto her in front of her house had been on Amy’s mind since it happened. Amy could not get over how, in the space of just a few weeks, both Jake and Chad had nearly kissed her. She was unsure what this meant for her, but sensed that Carrie could help her understand what was going on. Carrie was curious how Amy was doing with Jake, as they had not talked about this for a few days. She noticed that Amy was again silent, and believed Jake was on her mind.

  “Amy, have you seen Jake again?”