The Great High School Love Game

by Marcia Carrington

  Very moved by Jake’s confession, Amy reached out and touched him on the cheek. He looked at her with a kind expression, and held open his arms to her. Jake and Amy embraced, and began to slowly dance together. They felt so safe in each other’s arms — it seemed as if they had always been together, and were meant for each other. Out of the blue, Jake broke away from Amy’s clinch, changing the mood of the moment. While Amy was startled by this, she assumed Jake wanted to tell her something else.

  “Something wrong?” Amy asked Jake, getting lost in his gray eyes.

  Jake watched Amy with his breathless, all-encompassing glance, and said, signaling with his eyes to the right-hand side of the room,

  “Look over there.”

  Amy leisurely turned around, and caught a glimpse of a wonderful, breathtaking sight. Over on a table, she saw a large, elaborately wrapped box, enveloped in the most beautiful ribbons she had ever seen. It seemed as if the ribbons contained every color in the rainbow, but, in a very subtle way. For Jake, this symbolized how he saw Amy — like a colorful, effervescent rainbow in his life.

  Amy looked again at the box, just to be sure she was not seeing things, and understood that she was not in dreamland. Jake made her feel a way she had never felt before — what other surprise would he spring upon her? Since he saw Amy was clearly intrigued by the box, Jake walked her closer to it.

  “Amy, hope you like it,” Jake said, waiting for her to open it. Amy placed her hands on the richly wrapped gift, and, after taking a deep breath, proceeded to unveil it, to end her growing curiosity. Jake devotedly watched Amy for her reaction, interested to see if she would like it. After taking off the lid to the gift, Amy put it to one side. Underneath a wad of tissue paper was a stunning blue ballroom dress, complete with matching shoes. Amy was stunned by this beautiful gift, and looked up at Jake’s serene face.

  “How’d you know I would’ve liked this?” Amy asked, stunned by how accurately Jake had predicted her taste. She had always wanted a gown like this one, but never had the chance to wear something like it.

  “Instinct,” Jake replied, happy with Amy’s reception of her gift. The excitement of it all led Amy to freeze for a few moments, and she did not know what to do next; she was more amazed, than undecided, to try it on. Jake smiled at her, and sensed her hesitation. “Do me a favor Amy, and put it on. Go into that room at the right. I’ll be here when you’re ready,” he said seductively.

  With this, Amy smiled at Jake, and excitedly took the outfit, and went into the powder room. Once inside, Amy scrambled to remove her clothing, and felt it was extremely ordinary beside Jake’s gift. As she put on the dress, Amy could still not believe that all of this was happening to her. After slipping into the shoes, Amy looked at herself in the full-length mirror which Jake had set up in the room. Amy thought that she was looking at someone else in the mirror — it was not her here tonight.

  “I must be living in a fairytale — can’t explain it any other way,” Amy said quietly, taking a final peek in the mirror before exiting the powder room.

  Amy looked spectacular as she emerged from the powder room, the outfit suiting her perfectly. Her head was still spinning from all the excitement tonight, and she looked around the room for Jake, but, he was nowhere to be seen. Amy began to feel alarmed, and it dawned on her maybe Jake had gotten cold feet, and left her in the lurch. She thought Jake may have been scared off by everything that had happened between them, and frowned. Amy’s confidence fell apart for a few seconds, but, her inner voice said for her to be patient.

  Without warning, Amy felt two strong hands swing her around — it was Jake. He cut a dashing figure in a formal white dinner suit and bow tie, complete with his handsome smile. Amy began to believe she was in heaven, and stared deeply into Jake’s eyes, an intense glance which he readily returned.

  “Am I dreaming, or am I in reality?” Amy asked Jake.

  “I asked myself the same question,” Jake said.

  “And probably got the same answer,” Amy laughed, seeing the irony in all of this. Jake also laughed a little, but quickly became serious again.

  “Come with me,” he gently urged Amy, with another of his steamy glances. Jake took Amy’s hand, and he dreamily took Amy into his firm, but loving embrace. Again, Jake stared deeply into Amy’s eyes, and sighed. Amy waited in expectation of what beautiful sentiment Jake would next relay to her.

  “Amy, I want you, and now that I have you, I have three little words to tell you,” Jake said softly.

  “What could they be — leave me alone?” Amy asked, with a slight smile.

  Jake shook his head, and laughed. His full-bodied chuckle filled the room with an animation opposite to the present slow, romantic mood. This was an example of Jake’s fun side, which Amy had grown to love.

  “No silly — I love you,” Jake said, each of these words leaving an unforgettable impression on Amy, and bringing her to soaring heights of happiness. For a few moments, these words repeated themselves in her mind, each one imprinting itself in her memory.

  “That’s what I thought they were,” Amy said joyfully.

  Amy stared longingly at Jake, and stroked his mouth with her hand, to which Jake responded with a hazy smile. Amy had short flashbacks of all the times that she and Jake had had together so far, and, moved by their recollection, smiled sweetly. Amy caressed Jake’s hair, and his cheek once more, and told him, in a low voice,

  “Jake, I love you — I’ll always love you.”

  * * * *

  “Carrie, it was a night I’ll never forget, as long as I live,” Amy said, with a wide smile.

  The next day at school, Amy was with Carrie, and they were eating lunch together. As she had gone home late after being with Jake, Amy was unable to tell Carrie what had happened with Jake. Lunchtime was the first chance Amy and Carrie had had to connect all day, and Amy was literally jumping out of her skin to tell Carrie everything.

  Amy was happy it had been such a busy morning, as she had some of her favorite subjects today, and the morning did not drag at all. Amy and Carrie went again to the Music Building for their lunch, but this time, they were all alone, and could speak more freely to each other than usual. Amy was very hungry from all the non-stop activity this morning, and had eagerly eaten her lunch. She had eaten her sandwiches in record time, before Carrie had even had the chance to touch one of her’s. Carrie noticed Amy’s greedy appetite, and smiled.

  “Looks like you haven’t eaten for days,” Carrie said. “Thought you’d eat your lunchbox for a second. Or mine. Or me.”

  “I’ve been hungry all morning, but I had a great breakfast, as usual,” Amy said, matter-of-factly.

  Carrie curled her lips, and smiled at Amy’s lively attitude.

  “Gee, wonder what’s made you eat like a horse? Oh, another dumb question, I already know the answer to that one,” Carrie said, referring to Jake. Amy grinned at Carrie’s comment, seeing the funny side to it all. They continued talking, and Amy elatedly filled Carrie in on all the details of her get-together with Jake.

  After listening to Amy’s excited talk about Jake’s romantic gesture in between bites, Carrie gave her an ‘I told you so’ look. Carrie knew if two people were ever suited to each other, they were Amy and Jake. Amy noticed Carrie’s grimace, and remembered the bet they had about Amy not finding a date for the fancy dress gala. Amy took a sip of her drink, closed her lunchbox, and asked Carrie,

  “Now I’ve lost the bet, how can we settle it?”

  Carrie was happy Amy had finally gotten what she wanted, and faced Amy, looking at her square in the eye.

  “Ames, all I want is for you and Jake to have a great time at the gala, and not worry about anything.”

  Amy paid close attention to Carrie, and noticed that Carrie was beaming with as much excitement as Amy. At this point in time, Amy felt overwhelmingly grateful for knowing Carrie, and for always having her total support. Amy thought if there were more people like Carrie in the world, it would be a m
uch better place. Amy felt she had to show Carrie how proud she was to have a friend like her.

  “Thanks Carrie.”

  “For what?”

  “For being such a great friend, and putting up with me when I’m down in the dumps.”

  Carrie looked at Amy, and smiled thoughtfully at her.

  “Know what Amy?” Carrie said.

  “What?”

  “That’s what friends are for. I’m here for you, like you are for me — through good and bad. Anything you ever want or need, just ask.”

  It was sometimes hard for Amy to believe she and Carrie were the same age; it was like Carrie was much older, and wiser than herself. Carrie always took everything in her stride; and nothing ever fazed her. She always had an answer for any problem; this was probably why she had none of her own to deal with. Amy looked at Carrie in appreciation, very grateful for their valuable friendship.

  “Now that’s the mark of an angel,” Amy thought, smiling brightly at Carrie.

  Chapter Ten

  “Boy, I love a lazy weekend, there’s nothing like it in the world,” Francine smiled cheekily, grateful for any time away from her school routine. After a few seconds, though, Francine reconsidered what she had just said, as she remembered Jake, and shook her head.

  “Well, almost,” Francine said.

  It was now Saturday, a week before the school fancy dress gala, and Francine was at home in her bedroom, seated on the comfortable, padded window seat. Francine was looking out of the large clear windows, and observed the weather. It was one of those days when it seemed as if it would rain, but, the sky told another story. Francine, though, did not want to go outdoors today; she had done that during the week, and wanted to stay in this morning. Today was the perfect time to catch up on anything that could not be done during the week, such as email, reading and checking other correspondence.

  Francine had a number of reading materials at her feet waiting for her attention. She quickly filed through a number of letters, and saw the high school’s monthly newsletter. Francine liked flicking through this as she wanted to know what was going on at school, especially the sporting news. She was particularly interested in the sporting section as its articles almost always featured Jake.

  The current issue featured a photo of Jake proudly holding a trophy, with Chad standing next to him in the shot. Francine smiled after seeing this, enjoying the sight of her two favorite people winning the sporting trophy, and eagerly shared in their success. Francine also wanted to see what else was in this month’s issue, and found an article previewing the school’s upcoming fancy dress gala. She read this with much excitement, and spotted a striking notice at the article’s end —

  “A prize shall be awarded for the best costume at the gala — so be there.”

  Francine again gazed out of the window, and smiled, thoughts of the fancy dress gala filling her with much happiness. The weather, by this time, had changed direction, and the winds were now howling slightly. Francine noticed that the large trees in the neighbor’s garden were swaying in the wind, as if they were African-American gospel singers in their element, dancing up a storm. It was a relaxing sight to behold, and Francine always loved her pleasing window view. Satisfied with this, Francine turned away from it, and looked at the school newspaper.

  “Yeah, I’ll be there — and Jake’ll be with me,” Francine sighed.

  This was something she had looked forward to for a long time — that Jake would accompany her to the gala, and they would go hand-in-hand together — aware only of each other’s presence. Amy would not be anywhere in the picture, as she would be with Chad. By now in a mesmerized state, Francine put down the school newsletter, and gradually eased back into the window seat.

  Francine imagined both she and Jake were dressed entirely in white, and dancing to some slow, romantic music. They were alone in an extravagant ballroom, and thoroughly enjoying each other’s company. The ballroom was filled with dazzling antique furniture upholstered in beautiful fabrics, and armrests encrusted in gold. The lush, glittery chandeliers above exuded a gentle light, and shiny silk curtains cast a further luxurious spell upon the room. The soft music perfectly complimented the flickering candlelight, and created a magical, one-of-a-kind atmosphere.

  Francine surveyed the sumptuous room, not believing what she was experiencing, and watched Jake. Jake was breathtakingly handsome, as he always was, and seemed like an angel. Francine sensed she was in heaven, as Jake had eyes only for her — there was no Amy there to distract him, or anyone else, just herself, Francine, and only Francine. Francine and Jake continued to dance in a whirlwind of happiness, both on top of the world, when the music ground to a halt.

  Jake cupped Francine’s face in his hands, and looked at her intensely. Without either of them saying a word, Francine and Jake’s faces came closer, and, he kissed her. The kiss was so tender, so sweet, that Francine thought she was in seventh heaven, and could not believe this was happening to her. Francine closed her eyes, and hoped that the evening would never end for her.

  After their wonderful interlude, to her complete surprise, Jake cautiously broke away from Francine. He looked at Francine passionately, and began to walk away from her, and out of the ballroom, into the darkness of the night. Francine pleaded with Jake not to leave her, but found that her voice was blocked, and she could not say a word. She ran out of the ballroom in desperation, but, could not see Jake anywhere. Francine eventually regained the use of her voice, but this was of no use to her, as Jake did not seem to be anywhere.

  “Jake, don’t leave me, please don’t leave me!” Francine cried. Francine tried looking again for Jake, but a trail of smoke obscured her view, and she could not proceed any further. Francine was saddened she could not find Jake anywhere, and finally moved back inside the ballroom, her head bowed. Francine was dizzy from all the preceding excitement, and slumped into an armchair. With pleasant memories of Jake’s kiss still fresh in her mind, Francine rubbed the palm of her hand on her lips, feeling as if she had died and gone to heaven.

  “Jake, next time’ll be different, you’ll see!” Francine whimpered, her voice recovering somewhat from before. “You’ll see!” At this point, Francine realized she had been daydreaming, as she noticed the school newsletter was open on the page she had been reading. Francine sighed, unhappy to return to reality, but sat back in the window seat, and looked around her bedroom, a new conviction in her eyes.

  “If only I can make my dream come true today, if only,” Francine said, thoughts of the gala filling her with happiness.

  In a wave of excitement, Francine closed the school newspaper, and arose from the window seat. Francine promptly approached her vanity table, and picked up her hair brush, giving her hair a few strokes before putting it down. She walked in front of her full-length mirror, and looked at herself. Francine considered how everything so far had gone cautiously well with Jake, and threw her head back with confidence.

  “I can’t lose,” she said. “When I leave Jake’s house today, I’ll be going with him to the gala. I can just feel it.” Francine beamed at this gratifying idea, and headed down the stairwell. After reaching the bottom of the stairs, Francine paused for a moment to look at her father’s picture, which always gave her courage to tackle whatever problem she was facing. Francine grinned, a rare sentimental streak showing in her. She sighed at the memory of her father, and quickly opened the front door and exited her house.

  While walking to Jake’s house, Francine recalled her sweet, but ever-so-brief daydream about the gala. Francine also remembered the day she went to Jake’s, and ‘accidentally’ dropped a can on his injured shoulder, only to ‘massage’ it better. These were the types of experiences she would have with Jake; moments he would definitely remember. Today would be another of those beautiful moments, a day she would never forget.

  The walk from her to Jake’s house was very brisk, and she was now outside of Jake’s front door. Francine took a deep breath, and knocked on the door
. As she had done many times before, Francine admired the beautiful landscaping of his front entrance, and sighed happily. The lively flowers in the garden seemed to characterize Jake’s qualities to her, and what he was all about — kind, considerate, and one of a kind.

  As Francine patiently waited for Jake, she took another peek at Jake’s garden, and a red rose caught her attention. She bent over and inhaled its intoxicating aroma, and felt that she was, indeed, being transported to another world. After receiving her fill of the rose’s beautiful, luscious scent, Francine gradually stood up, and waited for Jake. Soon thereafter, Jake opened the door and, to his surprise, found Francine waiting.

  “Hi Franci,” Jake said, smiling.

  “Hi Jake,” Francine replied, looking deeply into his eyes.

  “Good to see you.”

  “Great to see you too,” she said, putty in his hands.

  “Come in Franci,” Jake motioned with his hand, leaving the doorway free for her entry. After she entered, Jake closed the door, but Francine remained frozen on the spot, as if in a trance. Francine felt so safe in Jake’s presence; it was as if nothing else in the world mattered when she was with him. Apart from both her father and Chad, Francine was never as comfortable around anyone in her life — in her eyes, Jake was perfect. Jake noticed that Francine was deeply lost in thought, and found this a little weird. With concern in his eyes, Jake asked her,

  “Franci, you okay?”

  Francine looked him straight in the eye, and smiled.

  “Yeah Jake, I will be, very soon,” she replied dreamily.

  Jake was unsure what to make of Francine’s last comment, and thought that she was acting strangely. Because Francine was still missing in her own world, Jake wanted to break the silence between them.