Justin
"Justin, honey. It's 6:30. Where have you been?" my mother asks as I rush through the door.
"Sorry Mom, I started later than usual. I'll make it to school on time." A lie, I just don't have the time to talk.
I never have been able to talk to her. I jump into the shower and start thinking about what just happened, and my mind keeps going back to Brad. I wonder if he saw me. I was practically at his doorstep. Then the thought scares me to death. Did he see me? After all this time did he see me? The thought excites me that after three years he might have.... then I feel it ... that feeling that starts in the pit of your stomach ... that excitement. I start remembering his face: those sky blue eyes, his curly brown hair, his dimples, his jokes, the way we used to talk about everything, and how he would stay over my house. Suddenly sheer terror strikes me as I realize I'm hard ...no, no, no this can't be happening...not again. I turn the water to ice cold and just stand their crying quietly, dropping to my knees and weeping like a child. Why is this happening to me?
Brad
"Brad could you pass the Juice?" my sister asks.
"Brad? " she asks again.
I can't believe he was at my door, I can't believe it. I am lost in thought.
"Brad!" my mother calls out.
Why was he here? I wonder as I look out towards the front door.
"Brad!" my father yells.
"BRADLEY!" shout my mom, dad, sister, and little brother.
"What!" I shout back.
"Why is everyone looking at me?" I ask.
"You sister asked you for something," my father replies.
"Brad what is with you this morning?" my mother asks "Did seeing Justin ..." I give her a look before she could finish.
Just then my dad, sister, and brother all looked at me with their mouths open.
"You saw Justin?" all three of them ask as they look at my mother and me.
Before the questions started, I asked to be excused .
"Not until you tell us what's wrong," my mother says.
"The only thing that is wrong is that my parents are going to make me late for school," I said as I left the table to get ready for school.
"Bradley we are going to talk later, no ifs, ands or buts," my mother says.
"Whatever." I say under my breath.
Justin
I arrive at school around 7:00. School starts at 7:30. I have just enough time to see my friends (the people I believe are my friends). I parked my Mustang in the senior parking along with the other high price signs of wealth and happiness (yea right), and started to walk over to "my friends". My group was the jocks and their girlfriends, mostly the guys on the Football team or other team sports. After Brad and Alex left, these were the guys I started to hang with. (Hey I needed someone to talk to. I could not become an outcast, sorry). There were Pete and Rob from the football team. They think they're better than everybody, and are kind of guys that always find reasons to mess with people. Joe and Mark are your other tag along's, and the leader of the group is Tony.
When I first met Tony I thought he was real cool, then I found out how much of an Asshole he really was. I can't stand him. He uses people up, and when he's done with them he throws them away like garbage. On the football team he plays wide receiver. He's not bad, but he does not like to get hit and never runs across the middle. He always pick deep routes. He is very fast though, and smart (4.3) GPA. If he worked harder and stopped picking the long routes, and if he could get with a good quarterback in college, he could become a good receiver.
I know why he needs me. I've got a strong arm, and because I can hit him on his long routes I make him look good. Unless he changes his attitude and work habits, he's not going anywhere. The only guys I like on the team are my linemen. They protect my ass and make holes for my running backs and me. Without them I would be nothing but a smear on the field.
"Just, What's up man?" asks Joe
I fake a smile "Hey Joe."
"Ready for the big game Friday night?"
"Man, I heard a bunch of those scouts are going to be here to look at me," Mark says.
"They're not here to see you," Matt, one of my linemen says. "They're here to see Justin."
Mark looks at Matt with fire in his eyes. "I know that but, if he plays well they'll see me too." Mark starts to smile. "After all I am his number one receiver. " He kept smiling and looked towards me for approval.
Then Joe pipes in. "No, I'm his number one receiver - isn't that right Justin?"
"Whatever ladies," I chime in with a smile. I hate all this attention. "Well you girls can fight over me later. Unlike the rest of you, I care about more than just Football and girls." I start to leave.
"Yea, we all know how important your girl is ...oh, I mean was, " Tony pipes in.
They all laughed at that.
"Very funny, Tony," I say with a straight face, not wanting to show my anger. "All I'm saying is that there is time for girls later. Unlike the rest of you, I have a great chance at something big here, and a girlfriend takes up too much time." I paused. "And if I had two or more like some of you, I would have no time at all." I stopped, looking like I just let the cat out of the bag. "Oh my bad. Did I just say that?" I looked at Tony, Joe, and Mark with a smile as two of their girlfriends looked at each other. Then the guys and get up and leave.
"What the fuck Justin?" Mark says as he and Joe chase after the girls.
Tony just laughs as his girlfriend gets up and walks away. He doesn't even look at her leave. "That's why I have three," he says, as though it's her loss. "If you weren't such a good friend.... I would have to kick your ass." He's smiling.
"Anytime bro, but you better bring your other girlfriends... I mean Mark and Joe with you."
"Only if you bring yours. I love a good cat fight," he says with a smile.
"By the way how's ...what's her name...gosh I forgot her name. It's Kate right? Oh no, that's my girlfriend now, " Tony says as he laughs.
"Yea, again ... for all you hearing impaired, I just don't have time for a girlfriend. Like I said, between Football, Wrestling, Track, School, and kicking your ass all the time, I just can't squeeze in the time for a girl right now. "
"What? You kick my ass?"
"I'm sorry guys. Did I just hear something?" Everyone laughs.
"What? You don't think that I can't take you Mr. Big time, Mr. All state QB, All State Wrestler, All state Track?", Tony says with a smile as he gets up from where he is sitting.
"I'm sorry guys, I thought I heard something again. I keep hearing this little voice buzzing all the time."
"What ...you little son of a bitch....", he says as he charges at me laughing.
He tries to grab me, but I side step and end up on his side and lock both arms around him. Tony is nothing without Mark and Joe at his side. He is a big puss. I started to pick him up.
"OK. OK...I give!"
I start to let him down, then I let him go. Man, I wanted to hurt him. I don't know why, I just wanted to hurt him bad.
"I'll get you next time bro!" he says with a big smile
"Any time," I say as I turn to go to class. "Asshole!" I say under my breath.
(c) 2001, Alex Nelson Posted: February 2, 2001.