Cheers, Mathletes, and Touchdowns

Cheers, Mathletes, and Touchdowns Part Twelve

Oof! “Thanks,” I said when she finally released me.

“Yeah, you are welcome. But it still doesn’t mean you can’t just take a day off. You’ve been studying too hard recently.”

“Oh, yeah, but I don’t think Sam will be too happy if I skip a day.”

April pulled away from me very fast, “You mean to tell me that you will be studying with Sam, on Friday night, while I am at a party.” She shook her head like she couldn’t believe it. “Sam?” she repeated.

I raked my hand through my hair. It was actually a lie that I had thought would get me out of the party trap.

“It’s not like she’d actually be there, I just meant she’d be unhappy when she finds out on Monday that I skipped a night of studying.” I quickly amended.

April nodded slowly, but I could see traces of anger in her eyes.

“You know what April,” I tried to console her, “damn school work and all. We’ll be going to the party together.”

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously but I could see that she was relieved, “Are you sure you want to go at all?”

No. “Yeah,” I answered instead, “Me and You everywhere, together.”

I put my arms around her shoulders as she laughed softly. I heard Sam’s voice in my head correcting my grammar. “I think it should be, ‘you and I, everywhere, together’.”

April laughed again before softly stating, “I just hope you are not becoming a dork like the rest of them.”

“Not happening.” I replied.

And as I sat there with April in my arms and my basketball career almost secure, I started to wonder exactly what it was that attracted me to April in the first place.

April

Shelley sat on my bed while I explained everything that had taken place at the mall.

“You know, April, there’s one reason why I don’t buy innocent cute little dork faces,” Shelley interjected, “and it’s because all girls are bitches, geek, cheerleader, model, whatever.”

I shook my head, “You really don’t mean that.”

“Of course I do.” Shelley insisted.

I sighed sadly and told her the part where Alexi refused to go to the party because of her. Shelley pumped her fist into the air and stood up angrily.

“Are you that blind?” She demanded angrily.

“What do you mean?” I asked her innocently and hurt.

She shook her head like she couldn’t believe it. “What do I mean? What do I-” she raked her hand through her hair, “She’s pulling him into a vortex, putting on that innocent, I’m a-dorky-genius act.” She illustrated her words with hand gestures.

“It’s not an act, she really is a dorky genius.” I really couldn’t understand what it was that had Shelley so angry.

“Whatever, it’s working for her,” Shelley insisted. “But you have something she doesn’t, and that’s me.”

I nodded, “Yeah, but how is that an advantage?”

“Because, my friend,” Shelley said, prancing boastfully, “I am the boy expert. And I can tell you that Alexi is slipping away. I mean why would any guy refuse to go to Meredith’s party with you because he wants to study?” she started shaking her head again, “ I really don’t understand the way of the world anymore. I mean, it’s Meredith’s party, and it’s with you. What more can a person want?”