Fiction Club Vol 1.

sacrifice

verb: sacrifice

Definition: To give up something of value for the sake of something else.

Gates Definition: To risk or debase yourself for others in hopes that they'll say nice things about you at your funeral.

~~~

"She actually kissed you!" Shaun yells out in the P.E locker room.

Well that dream ended quickly. Apparently someone saw me walking Eva to the bus stop. That person told another person, that person told another person and that person was eavesdropped on by Sankey who told Shaun who then twisted my arm for details and now he's raving like an imbecile while I'm standing here in nothing but my boxers.

All others in the locker room - Roger and Sankey included - are ignoring him as he stands there still fully dressed in his school outfit, arms held out on either side in a surprised stance as if he's just found out how much these two kegs of beer cost.

My forehead makes contact with the locker door. "Could you please not, Shaun?"

"But this is huge! Don't you see? That's the door! She just flung it wide open! And you're telling me you just stood there and let her get on the bus?"

"She needed to go home. What was I supposed to do? Not let her?" I say, pulling on my gym shorts.

"Oh come on man, it's obvious. She wanted you to stop her. She wanted you to grab her and pull her into a passionate kiss right there in the bus shelter. Why would she just give you a kiss on the cheek and then leave you hanging like that?"

Because Eva is woodland creature levels of skittish and if I did that then all those people on the bus would have seen is a kidnapping attempt gone wrong.

I put on my shirt and then sit down on the bench to do up my trainers. "Thanks, Dr Felony Assault. Look, you don't know this girl. Even if I was inclined to make any kind of move I'd have to be careful. She's not really... comfortable with other people."

Shaun sits down next to me. "All the more reason to be forceful. Girls aren't that complicated. Why spend a ton of time trying to figure out the safe combination when you can just dynamite the thing and get inside immediately?"

Roger decides to point out the obvious, "Because the contents would be destroyed along with the safe?"

"Not if it's a really big safe," Shaun rebuts, "Like a bank vault. Yeah, that's it! Girls are like bank vaults! Just sneak past security, attach the C4 and blow the lock to get to the sweet, sweet lovin' on the inside."

I try not to cringe at the crude metaphor. "Okay Shaun, so I pull her back from the bus, forcefully lock lips with her and... what? Become immune to pepper spray in the next three seconds? If this is all so uncomplicated then why haven't you done it yet?"

"That's... not important. The important thing is that 'Operation Get My Buddy Laid by the Book Worm Chick' is now a go. Should be easy. You already got to first base without much help."

I get up, turning around and holding up both hands to address the entire locker room if need be.

"Listen, it's nice that you're all so interested (it isn't), but there isn't anything to this. She gave me a peck on the cheek because I walked her to the bus stop and gave her some mediocre advice. That's it. And even if it were somehow more than that I don't think club room relations are the best idea."

"How so?" Roger asks, spraying deodorizer into one of his shoes.

"Well you're in the Film Club, right? How would you feel if two of the members started showing weird amounts of affection for one another in the club room when you're all trying to conduct club business?"