Making our Future in History

Day forty-nine: After School

I took off Bennett's jersey that I had over my senior shirt then I put his jacket back on over my senior shirt and stepped out of the bathroom and then walked over to him.
     I decided to do it in the bathroom just in case my senior shirt came off on accident, and I didn't want him or anyone else seeing that.
"Thank you so much." He said taking it.
I smiled at him.
"Good luck, baby." I said then kissed him on the cheek.
"Thank you."
I just smiled, again. When he turned to leave my smile dropped. I couldn't let him know what I was really thinking. If I did then Mr. Hanes was more than likely going to get nailed for something, and besides it was the day of the homecoming game. The last thing he needed was a distraction.
*****
I looked out at the football felid. It was empty and so were the bleachers, other than me. It was serene. The pep-rally just ended and I was avoiding going to the parade for the the homecoming king and queen nominations and non-nominated people.
I knew that I would eventually have to go, but I didn't want to go right away.
I stood there and leaned against the railing. I felt like someone was standing behind me.
"I know you're there."
I heard them sigh then place their hands on the railing beside mine trapping me there. I knew they were Mr. Hanes's.
     His hands are semi large...
"How are you?"
"Fine, I think." I said being pulled out of my thoughts, "I don't really want to go, but I have to."
"Go where?"
"The homecoming parade. Small town, old ways."
"Well, if you have to go then you have to go, right?"
"Actually, I should be leaving now."
I turned around and faced him. He was close to me, and he still had his hands on the railing. He was extremely loud and incredibly close to me.
"Why are you breathing so heavy?"
"Because I'm nervous."
"Nervous about what?"
"This."
He grabbed my face and kissed me. The peacefulness of the quiet football field turned into a loud array of fireworks in my head. We pulled apart after a minute or so.
"I really must be going."
He didn't move.
"Yeah, I guess."
*****
     I rode in Mr. Hanes's car as he drove us to the downtown square. I didn't find anything wrong with him taking me to the parade since I didn't have any another ride. I mean I would have called Kyle and Kendal to come and get me, but I didn't want to 'disturb' them. Well, that and the fact that I didn't like Kyle's car very much. Actually I hated it more than I hated him.
     "I like your car. Your white Acura." I said with a little laugh.
     "Admit it. You wanted it to be black or something like that."
     He wasn't wrong. I did expect him to have a black or a silver one.
I was looking ahead at the darkening sky. It said it was going to rain, but I didn't want it to. I wanted to go to the game and have this parade go swimmingly... No pun intended.
     "Kate." He said then I felt his hand on my forearm.
     I looked down at it, and he retracted his hand.
     "Sorry."
     "It's okay." I said with a light smile.
     "Would you like to go on a date someday?" He said stopping at a red light, "probably not this Saturday, but..."
     "I don't know." I said cutting him off, "I'm trying to be with Bennett because it's my senior year and I don't do complicated. I've been with him since freshman year..."
     He didn't say anything. He just headed straight into town.
     "If you knew my ex-fiancée then you would know that I don't do complicated either."
"So, let's do non-complicated together." I said, "And I would love to go out with you at some point."
     He smiled at me. He found one of the only open parking spaces, parked, and then we got out of his car.
     "I should go find Kendal and Kyle."
     "Okay, and I'm going to find the other teachers... Where is your car, by the way."
     "At home. Bennett decided to be a gentleman and pick me up this morning."
     "Good."
I could tell that he wanted to say more, but that's all he said. We went our separate ways and I started texting Kendal to find out where they were.
Me:
Where are you?
     Kendal:
Making out with Kyle in his car.
     Me:
First of all, GROSS, and second... WHERE?
     Kendal:
Oh...
     It took her a while.
     Kendal:
By the chiropractor on Main Street.
     Me:
Thank you.
As I walked down Main Street I found Kyle's brand new Chevy Silverado, and wanted to punch him for it. Okay... I didn't hate his car. I was actually having a small love affair with it. When he wasn't looking I would secretly drool over it.
I knocked on the passenger door. Kendal opened it and looked at me.
"Like my car?" He called opening his door.
"Go fuck yourself."
"No, I would much rather make out with Kendal."
She did a school girl laugh and got out. I rolled my eyes. They closed the doors and followed me to the street.
"You know for your father to be a GM man you sure hate his car." Kendal said.
"I'm sorry. My dead beat son-of-a-bitch father is no longer in the picture, so who said I was still a GM girl?"
"You while you were drunk last year at a party after a football game. You said that you loved my truck."
That truck was actually his old one, the one I professed me love about. This one was a brand new one that he got for his birthday a month ago. But I loved it anyway.
"Whatever. Your just delusional, Kyle."
"Whatever you say, sweetheart."
Kendal and I punched him at the same time on two different sides.
"Ow!" He said rubbing is arms.
"Dick." I said at the same time Kendal said, "jerk."
"Message received."
We stood there as the parade started. They slowly rolled down Main Street in three different classic cars ranging from the 1950-70's. Bennett and Linsey (the slut he kissed) rode in the 1950's Chevrolet Camaro convertible with the top down.
I envied Linsey. I couldn't tell if it was because she had her arm wrapped tightly around his shoulders or because she had her overly used self in the vintage car... It was probably the latter.
"Katie!" I heard him call.
"Bennett!" I said waving at him.
Kyle gave me a sideways glance. I smacked him in the back of his head.
"Ow." He said rubbing the back of his head, "and Katie? Really? He's pulling out all the stops, isn't he?"
I rolled my eyes.
"Piss off."
He held up his hands and looked forward.
They rode past and Linsey gave me a nasty glare when they went by. She even got closer to him. I flipped her off in public. Then Kendal gave me a weird look.
"Since when do you care?" She asked when they finally passed.
The other two sets of nominees went by, and I stood in front of her.
"I don't." I said looking at her, "why would you think I cared?"
Kyle stepped back.
"I'm going to look for... Daniel." He said.
He dashed away to go find whoever. We didn't pay attention to him as he left.
"Flipping Linsey off in the middle of a school sanctioned event? Looking jealous that she's with Dickface? Is there something I need to know?"
"No, and I don't want to discuss this right now."
"Come on." She said, "I thought things where going good with you know who."
"Yeah, it is. I mean we rode here together, but we both made the agreement to be uncomplicated."
She grabbed my shoulders, and looked dead into my eyes.
"Be complicated! Be different! Love him not asshole!"
I put her arms down to her sides.
"Don't scream. The last thing I need is for people to know..."
"Kate Bailey." I heard.
I turned and looked at Bennett's father.
"Sheriff Turner... You know I would love to talk to you, but Kendal and I have to go and get ready to see your son play football."
"Nice to see you, Sheriff Turner." She said.
We sort of ran away to find Kyle. He was talking to Daniel. Before we approached Kyle broke away and walk over to us.
"Ready to go to the football field." He said.
"Totally." We said.
We walked to his truck and he threw me his keys. I looked at him like he grew two heads and confessed his love to a hamburger.
"Well, you can if you want. I trust you not to crash it. You love it as much as I do."
I gave a little squeal, hugged him, and ran to the driver's side. They got into the back. I put it in reverse and looked at the two of them.
     "You freaking start making out while I'm driving and I swear to God I will pull over and make you walk, Kyle."
     "Okay." He said, "I won't."
     I drove us to the school's stadium, and they didn't make out. I was so grateful.
     We got there and walked into the stadium where Kyle paid for us. We sat down and watched the game until the fourth quarter.
*****
"Who do you think will win homecoming tomorrow?" Kendal asked as we stood in line.
We were hungry and getting food. Kyle was paying for it.
"Hopefully Bennett and Lyla." I said, "Lyla is an absolute sweetheart and well... Bennett is Bennett."
"As long as Linsey doesn't win." Kyle said.
     Honestly the whole student body thought the same thing. We all hated Linsey. She was the largest slut in the whole town, and that is saying something.
"We need to hurry and go back." I said, "I can't be gone too long."
It was the beginning of the fourth quarter, and I wanted to eat now so that I could have an excuse not to eat too much at Fred's later tonight.
We got our food and went back to sit down in our bleacher seats. We watched the game until it ended. When it ended the whole field was stormed by almost the entire student body, except for us. We stood there and looked at the massive crowd. I felt Kendal's hand on my shoulder.
"Ready to see Bennett?"
"Maybe he can just drop me off at home." I said.
I heard Kyle laugh sarcastically then say, "Yeah, like that would happen. Let's go."
We walked to where we always stand. Kyle and Kendal left a few minutes afterwards. I stood there, and waited on him.
It started to rain.
At least it waited this long.
Bennett came over and gave me a big hug. A very sweaty and wet hug.
"Let's go to a party. I don't want to go to Fred's."
Shit!
"Fine by me."
*****
He was fucking waisted. Not just really waisted. Not tipsy, but shit-faced drunk. I had to drive him home. To his home.
"You're so beautiful." He said reaching out to touch my face, "I'm such a fucking ass."
I looked at him as he caressed my cheek.
     Why do you do this?
He always played nice when drunk. Drunk Bennett was the sweetest person I knew. I snapped out of it and put his hand in his lap.
"Yes, you are a fucking ass." I said opening the driver's side door.
I helped him to his front door, and dropped him into the arms of his father, who opened the door.
"Thank you, Kate."
"Don't mention it."
Please actually don't tell him when he is sober.
"Do you need a ride?"
I pulled the jacket closer to myself and shook my head. It was still raining, but I didn't live that far, and it wasn't that bad.
"No sir. I'm good."
"All right. Be safe. Call if you need me."
"Of course, sir."
     That was probably the nicest exchange we have ever had.
I walked on, and pulled my phone out a block away from his house.
"Raymond Hanes speaking." I heard him say groggily.
Oops... I just woke him up.
"Hello, Mr. Hanes."
"Kate?"
"Yes sir. I'm walking by myself, and I wanted to know if you could come and get me."
"Of course. Where are you?" He said, "And you shouldn't be walking home at this time of night anyway. Especially in the rain."
"Yes, I know that, but I didn't really have a choice."
That was sort of true...
I looked up at a street sign that was near by.
"Chandler road."
"Okay, I'll be there."
We hung up, and I stood there for a while. He eventually showed up and took me home. We sat in my driveway for a minute.
"Thank you."
"Don't worry about it."
I smiled and stayed there in the car for a moment longer.
"What's wrong?"
I turned to look at him.
"What if we made it complicated?"
He looked at me.
"What do you mean?"
"What if we snuck around? Bennett won't have to know, and he did cheat on me to begin with."
He ran his hands over his face, and thought for a second.
"Kate..." He said then paused, "...why not?"
I smiled and kissed his cheek.
"You are the best."
I got out of the car and went into my house.
I can do this. I can do complicated.