Her Journey Begins (6 page)

  
“
Where are you going in such a hurry?
“
Chris leans her back against the wall and looks down at the floor. Clutching her books to her chest she doesn
‘
t answer. Brent walks up to them and hands Brandon his book.

  
“
Thanks, I
’
ll catch up.
”
Brent walks off and Brandon tilts his head to the side and down, trying to get Chris to look up at him.
“
You finally talk to me, and then you run out the door, how come?
”

Chris looks up at him.
“
Why do you talk to me?
”

  
“
Because
…
I like you.
”

  
“
Why, no one else does?
”

   
“
I can
’
t help that they are all idiots, besides I
’
m not
“
no one
”
else, I
’
m me. And just think how much more interesting our lunch conversations will be when you actually say something.
”
He gets a small smile out of her.
“
Come on, I
’
ll walk with you to your next class.
”



   Chris has been sitting in the cafeteria almost 15 minutes and Brandon hasn
’
t shown.
Maybe it was all a joke on her. How could she be so na
ï
ve? When he left her at her class, he told her,
“
I
’
ll see you at lunch. Save me a place.
”
And she heard someone snicker as they walked by.  Yeah right, like she really needed to save him a place, nobody ever sits at the table she sits at.
Chris picks up her tray and just as she
’
s standing up, Brandon walks up next to her and whispers in her ear.

  
“
Where are you going?
”
Startled Chris sits back down and looks over at him as he sits down.
“
Sorry I
’
m late, but I was tackled by the ugliest football player in school, so I had to take a shower before I came to have lunch with the prettiest girl in school. Hello beautiful. Did you miss me?
”
Brent sits down across from them and the two boys talk back and forth about football practice while Chris listens. After 10 minutes, without looking at Brandon Chris whispers.

  
“
I
’
ve got to go.
”
Brandon stands up as she does and for once he
’
s tongue tied. Chris smiles and walks away.



   Chris is waiting to get on the bus when Brandon pulls up and yells over to her.

  
“
Want a ride?
”
Chris shakes her head no. He has the top down on his bright new yellow 1975 Camaro convertible and she can see Brent sitting in the back seat. Brandon asks,
“
You sure? I can give you a ride.
”
Shaking her head again Chris steps up into the bus. Chris watches out the window and sees Brent climb over the seat and sit down in the front before Brandon drives off.



   Chris closes the front door and heads straight to her room. It doesn
’
t take long for Barb to knock and poke her head in.

  
“
Did you talk to him?
”
Barb can see a smile tug at the corner of Chris
’
mouth.
“
Ooh, I take that as a yes.
”
Barb opens the door further, walks into the room and sits on the edge of the bed.

  
“
Well?
”

Chris tells her what happened in class and then at lunch before adding, 
“
And he offered to give me a ride home.
”
Barb goes to say something and Chris interrupts her,
“
I know. I didn
’
t. I rode the bus.
”

  
“
Okay. I don
’
t want you in a boy
’
s car and we haven
’
t even met him.
”
Barb stands up and gives Chris a kiss on top of her head.
“
Why don
’
t you come downstairs and do your homework at the kitchen table. You can keep me company while I cook dinner.
”

  
“
Okay mom, I
’
ll be down in a minute.
”



  Chris is sitting in class when Brandon walks by and taps on her desk before sitting down. Tugging on her hair he leans forward and whispers to her,

  
“
Good morning beautiful. You smell nice.
”

   
“
Thank you.
”
Chris turns around to look at him and finds he
’
s right in front of her face. Normally after he tugs on her hair, he leans back in his seat. He grins at her and Chris quickly faces forward again. Brandon chuckles. After the bell rings Brandon waits with her until the rest of the students empty out. He gets up and takes her books from her.

  
“
Let me carry them. How come you wouldn
’
t let me give you a ride home yesterday? Would you have gotten in trouble from your parents?
”
She doesn
’
t answer.
“
Okay, I guess you aren
’
t talking to me again. So if you can
’
t ride in my car, Can I walk you home?
”
Chris looks at him,

  
“
You have a car. How would you walk me home?
”
  Brandon  stops and is just standing there. Chris stops, turns around and looks back at him.

  
“
What?
”

Brandon shakes his head.
“
I
’
ll have to think about that.
”



  While eating lunch on Thursday, Chris listens to Brandon and Brent talk about the different plays the coach has been going over. Brandon looks over at her.
“
Will you come to the game and watch me play tomorrow? It
’
s right after school here on the field.
”

  
“
I
’
ll ask my mom and see what she says. I
’
ll have to walk home afterwards and it might be getting dark depending on how long it lasts.
”

  
“
How far do you live from here?
”

  
“
It
’
s probably about two miles.
”

  
“
Two miles isn
’
t bad. You could jog that in 20 minutes.
”
Chris furrows her brow.
“
Come on, you look like you are in good shape from what I can tell, even though you tend to hide it under those baggy t-shirts and jeans all the time.
”
  The 10 minute bell rings letting them know they need to head to their next class.
“
Let me know tomorrow in class if you can stay, okay? And don
’
t forget to ask her.
”

  
“
I won
’
t
”



   Chris watches as Barb puts a forkful of potatoes in her mouth.

  
“
Mom?
”

Barb glances up at Chris with just her eyes.

  
“
Hmm?
”

Chris smiles and thinks.
I timed this just perfect
.

  
“
Brandon asked me to stay after school tomorrow for the football game and watch him play.
”
Barb looks over at Brad who has a smile playing across his lips. Barb swallows her half chewed bite of potatoes and clears her throat.

  
“
You
’
ll have to walk home.
”

  
“
I know.
”

  
“
Don
’
t even think of having him give you a ride and dropping you off around the corner.
”

  
“
Wow, I never even thought about that. Thanks mom. That
’
s a great idea!
”
Brad snickers and Barb gives him an evil look.
“
Mom, come on. I wouldn
’
t do that. You should know me better than that by now.
”

  
“
Yeah, Barb, just because you and I used to do that doesn
’
t mean Chris will.
”

Chris
’
mouth drops open.

  
“
Mom, Shame on you!
”

  
“
What? It only happened once or twice and we learned from our mistakes. After we got caught, that is.
”

  
“
So is it okay if I stay and watch his game?
”

  
“
I guess as long as you don
’
t mind walking home and you get home before it gets dark.
”
Chris gets up and kisses Barb on the cheek.

  
“
Thanks mom.
”



    Brandon sits down and tugs on Chris
‘
hair.

  
“
Good morning beautiful.
”
Chris smiles but doesn
’
t turn around.

  
“
So are you coming to watch me play after school?
”
Chris nods her head.
“
Cool
”

   After class Brandon waits for Chris right outside the door.

  
“
You look
…
different today.
”
Chris borrowed one of Barb
’
s pullover sweaters to wear instead of her usual baggy t-shirt and jacket. She went with the reasoning that it will be less cumbersome and will keep her warm on the walk home, but deep down she knows she really wants Brandon to see more of her curves and it makes her feel sexy.

They stop in front of her next class and Brandon hands her, her books.
“
I won
’
t see you at lunch. The coach wants us out on the field practicing the new plays, but you will be there after school, right?
”
Chris looks into his eyes, smiling she nods her head.
“
Okay, I
’
ll see you there. Don
’
t forget, right after school.
”



   Chris quickly eats lunch. There
’
s a book she wants to check out from the library and read before they go on Christmas break. She
’
s thinking she
’
ll stop by the field to see if Brandon
’
s there, because it is on the way to the library, well sort of and she smiles.

   Chris stands outside the gate and watches the team practice. They aren
’
t in their uniforms. Some have on sweats, others have their P.E. clothes on and a few are running around without their shirts on. Squinting her eyes she
’
s not sure which one is Brandon though because they all have their helmets on. The coach blows his whistle and they jog over to him. Watching the one she thinks is Brandon, Chris watches him pull off his helmet and stick it between his knees so he can pull off his t-shirt. Chris sucks in her breath and whispers.
“
Yep that
’
s him.
”
Not wanting him to catch her here staring at him, she walks away and heads over to the library.