Jean Harnett

Chapter 8: Brave

"I guess it's something of a tradition to see who wins this game," Jean said as she huddled close to Brian on the wooden bleacher at the football game the next Friday night. "Woodstock and Fredericksburg have had a long running rivalry."

"Well, I think Fredericksburg has this one in the bag. The score's a little lopsided in their favor."

"The pep club girls are doing their part, though. Rose really has them looking good."

"You let her take over the squad, eh?"

"Well, it made more sense for the home ec teacher to sponsor them."

A cheer went up on the Fredericksburg side.

"Another touchdown!" Brian said with disgust. "Hey, you big bullies! Let our guys have a chance!"

"Brian!" Jean scolded as several Woodstock fans shouted their agreement with Brian.

"We better let the pep club girls out on the field," Brian grumbled. "They might play better."

"We're just not connecting tonight. It's a miserable way to end the season and against our chief rivals, at that. I'm glad Craig isn't here to see it. I wouldn't be here this weekend if I didn't have play practice tomorrow bright and early."

"Saturday morning seems a lousy time to have to have rehearsal."

"It couldn't be helped. Next week is so cut up that I think we need this practice. Otherwise, I'd been home in Canton by now and missing this fiasco. Zoe was wise to skip this game."

"What's she doing? Dyeing her hair?"

Jean nearly cried out. How could Brian possibly know that? It must've been a lucky guess.

"I think she was going to read a book." That part wasn't a lie. Zoe had a new mystery that she'd bought last month and had talked about starting sometime soon.

"She never struck me as an intellectual."

"There's all kinds of books, Brian."

"It's probably one of these sex manuals then. Won't that just get her frustrated?"

"Why do you talk that way about Zoe, Brian? She even here and you attack her anyway."

A roar went up from the defending team's fans.

"Oh, Fredericksburg recovered again! I don't know if I can watch anymore of this slaughter, Brian."

"Let's get out of here, then. It's starting to snow, anyway."

"Oh, it is!" Jean said breathlessly and gazed upward into the occasional flakes drifting down.

"Come on, starry eyes," Brian said, pulling her to her feet. "Let's leave before you cause a general reconciliation between these two towns. Then what will they do for a rivalry?"

"Oh, they'd find someone else to fight," Jean said as they walked behind the bleachers toward the parking lot where they'd left Brian's old station wagon.

"Brr! It's cold out here," she said.

Brian put his arm around Jean's shoulders and pulled her closer as they stumbled across the uneven ground.

"Better?"

"Much!"

They stepped into a circle of brightness from a flood light and came face to face with Robert Cramer.

"Oh! Mr. Cramer! I didn't know you were here tonight," Jean said.

Cramer glared at the couple cuddled together, their faces aglow with the cold air, and the fun they were having in each other's company. Landis self-consciously withdrew his arm from around her shoulders.