Making our Future in History

Day ten: After school

     "I was paid for already." I told the woman behind the counter.
"Right, and you are..."
"Right, I'm Kate Bailey."
She took the ticket that she had set aside and handed it to me.
"Here you go. Enjoy the game."
"Thank you."
I walked to the stadium. Kendal and Kyle were already there. I walked up the bleachers to our usual spot that was far away from the student section as possible.
     I sat next to Kendal on the bleachers.
"So... Is Mr. Hanes coming?"
"I don't know, and don't ask me because it's not like we're dating."
"You should." She said.
I looked at her. She was in between Kyle and I.
"What?"
"What part of student/teacher romance is illegal don't you get?"
"The illegal part." She said, "besides you need a good guy that won't cheat or mess you up."
"Bennett didn't beat me."
"He made you cry after he cheated on you."
     "So? Look Mr. Hanes is good looking..."
     "Kate." Kyle said clearing his throat, "look up."
     Mr. Hanes was standing next to me. I blushed and looked at Kendal. She had a sly smile on her face.
     "It's good to know that you like me for my intelligence." He said, "may I sit?"
     "Yes sir."
     "Alright."
     He sat next to me. We all looked forward toward the football field. Kendal knocked my shoulder and that knocked me into him. I wished that looks could kill at that moment.
I blushed and looked at him. He seemed un-phased by it.
"Kate."
"What?" I asked Kendal.
"Kyle and I are going down to get something to drink."
"What? No the..."
She pinched him.
"Right, we're going."
"I hate you." I told her, "why?"
"Just don't get caught making out." She said lightly under her breath, "We'll be back in a few minutes."
I rolled my eyes. They got up and walked down the bleachers.
"Well, she's not sly at all." He said.
I looked over at him and gave a little laugh.
"Right, well, Kendal has never been sly in her life. Just ask any mall security guard."
"Right... This is random but I used to be just like Bennett."
"A cheating loser?"
"No, I wasn't like that. I was the captain of the football, wrestling, and lacrosse teams. King of the high school campus. Then college came and I was definitely knocked down a few pegs when I wasn't the best anymore."
"Wow, maybe Bennett will be knocked out. Not just down."
"I get that you don't like him, but knocking him out? That's a little much, don't you think?"
"Maybe, now why did you want to become a high school history teacher when you had all of that going for you?"
"I become one because I love to teach and I'm going to be a lacrosse coach in the spring."
"I look forward to that."
The roar of the crowd was intense. They were screaming about our already third touchdown this game, and we're still only in the first quarter.
     "Wow. We are good." He commented.
     I looked out at the felid and looked for Bennett's jersey number. It was number fifty-eight, and I hated that number now that it was his. He was on the sidelines for a second drinking water and looking for someone (probably me) in the stands.
     "I have a general question for the species of 'guy' in general."
     He laughed under his breath.
     "Shoot."
     "If you were to like a girl, and you were to cheat on her. Would you try to get her back?"
     He leaned back on the bleachers and rested his forearms on the bleacher seats that were behind him and sighed.
     "Look, maybe it was a misunderstanding. You said this girl and him kissed."
     "Three inches from my face under the bleachers about this time last year."
     "I assume he was coming to meet you?"
     "Yes. I was waiting and when he showed up. It was dark, and I don't think he saw me. But he was pretty close. I know for a fact that Linsey followed him."
     "Maybe she kissed him."
     I laughed and looked over at him. He looked back at me. We made eye contact.
      "Right, the oldest excuse in the book."
     "Look, I don't know Bennett or really even you personally to that extent, but it happens. Ask my best friend."
     "The one that cheated?"
     He broke eye contact and looked at the felid.
     "Point taken."
     I saw Kendal and Kyle coming up the stairs. She held a thumb-up. I rolled my eyes.
      "So, how are you two?" She asked sitting in her original seat.
"We are fine."
"Kyle, correct?" Mr. Hanes asked him.
"Yes sir."
"You have lip gloss... Everywhere."
"I know." He said wiping his face.
     "Right." Mr. Hanes said standing up, "I'm going to get something, Kate?"
"Sir?" I asked looking up at him.
"Do you want something?" He asked looking down at me.
Kendal shoved me. I looked at her.
"Well, Kate." She said, "what do you want?"
"A hamburger, Coke, and a a Tootsie Pop."
"Of course."
I reached for my pocketbook.
"No, on me. It's fine."
"Thank you, Mr. Hanes."
"No problem." He said.
He smiled at me then walked down the bleachers. When he was too far down to hear us Kyle bursted out laughing. Like there were tears and doubling over.
"What is so funny?" Kendal and I asked him.
We looked at him weird, and it took him a good three minutes to stop laughing.
"You are going to eat a Tootsie Pop, which you have to put in your mouth, sitting next to a teacher that could take it pervertedly."
"The only person that I know that can eat a Popsicle or a lollipop pervertedly is Kendal, and that is because she is trying to turn you on."
"I won't lie." She said, "I do like to turn you on."
She looked into his eyes.
"I know." He said looking back.
"You two are so annoying." I said, "don't you dare make-out in front of me. I might throw-up."
Kendal wrapped an arm around my shoulder and looked at me.
"Kate, give it time. Mr. Hanes will like you, and then you don't have to worry about being alone."
"Um... Look up." He said.
We looked up at Mr. Hanes.
"You know. I walk over at the worst times." He said sitting down, "I'll pretend it didn't hear it."
I was as crimson as the jerseys that were on the field.
He handed me the hamburger, Coke, and the lollipop.
"Thank you." I said with a small forced laugh.
"No problem. It's okay."
I looked out at the field. Bennett faked a pass and ran it all the way to the end zone. The crowed erupted into an all out yelling match. I just kept looking at him at the field. I would never be able to admit out loud that I still found him mesmerizing.
"Kate..." Kendal whispered.
"What?"
"You're crying." She said.
I touched my face and stood-up.
"Kate and I are going to the bathroom. You boys have fun."
"Okay." Kyle said, "be safe."
We left and walked to the bathroom.
*****Mr. Hanes*****
     "I like you better than Bennett." Kyle said after a minute.
     "Thank you, I think. Tell me. What about Bennett?"
     "What about him?"
     "Is he... How do I phrase this..."
     "Look, Mr. Hanes. He hurt her, and I know what really happened under the bleachers that day."
     That got my attention.
      "How do you know? She said it was too dark too see."
     "He kissed her to make Kate jealous of her, more than she already was. It was to 'make everything better'."
     "Wow. We make terrible mistakes, don't we?"
     "He did. I haven't." He said, "Kendal and I are in for the long haul."
     "I hope that you two really mean it."
     "What has made you so cynical towards love?"
     "My fiancé cheating on my with my best friend."
      "Ouch."
     "Exactly."
About that time Kendal and Kate came back. There was something about her that made me think about her, and that was wrong on so many levels.
She sat next to me again.
"Are you okay?"
"Totally." She said, "how's the game going?"
"Oh, good from what I can tell. It's..." I paused and looked at the score board, "...twenty-one to seven."
"Yeah, that's nothing new. Bennett has been the quarterback for four years on the varsity team of three sports for a reason."
     "Right."
*****
*****Kate*****
     Halftime was my favorite part, well, most of the time. Most people don't know this but I used to be a band kid, and I loved it. Until I traded that life for AP psychology. Somedays it was not my wisest choice.
     "We're going to go. You can watch the marching band of you want to." Kendal said standing up.
     "I'm fine. You know me. I'm always fine."
     "Alright." Kyle said, "just stay away from Bennett."
     "How am I supposed to get even near him right now?"
     "I don't know. Just don't let it happen."
     "Just go kiss your girlfriend."
     They left, and Mr. Hanes went somewhere. I was all alone on the bleachers.
     Mom:
When are you due home?
     Me:
I don't know. It's up to when I drop Kendal off.
     Mom:
Okay, just don't stay out too late.
     Me:
Will do.
     I watched the marching band. Their performance was as on spot and as amazing as usual.
     When they finished the football team came back and started to re-warm-up. Bennett looked up at me a waved. I half waved back.
The rest of the game went on without a hitch. We won by a pretty substantial margin, and Mr. Hanes never came back. That made me a little sad. I was enjoying his company. Just not the way that Kendal wanted me to.
When it was all over I stayed behind like I did religiously for the last three years. I watched the football players walk by me to go to the locker room. I spotted Bennett looking for me. I hid in the shadows of a building and watch him go by me without seeing me.
After they walked by the marching band walked by with drums going. I waited until the marching band went by then I left to go meet Kendal by my car. When I got there she was by herself messing with the loose asphalt under her feet.
"Where is Kyle?"
"What?" She asked looking up, "oh, his mother called. He need to be home."
"Alright, now, what's really bothering you?"
She stood off the car and looked at me.
"I'm not going to get money from my brother tomorrow."
"Why not?"
"He called. He doesn't want to give it to me since he needs it to be with me when I actually enroll."
"He's saving the money so that you have some tuition going into college?"
"Basically, so, looks like I'm only signing up for Mercer and West Georgia, maybe."
"Kendal. Let Kyle pay."
"Why? Why..."
I walked over to her and shook her.
"The man loves you! Let him be the hero, Ken. Stop being like this."
"Let go of me!" She said backing up, "let him be the hero? The last time either of us let a guy be the hero he cheated."
"Kyle would never."
"Right. Tell that to mine and my brother's father's." She said, "let's just go home."
"Alright."