The Philistine

Chapter Sixty-Two

"I see what you're trying to do," she said as she pointed at me with a long acrylic nail.

"Trying to get to the commons area to socialize before school starts?"

"You think you're so slick, but I'm onto you now. You'll not be taking the Prom Queen title from me."

I laughed, unable to contain myself, and Taye said, "Seriously, Brenda, you're being absurd."

"Oh, you think so?" she asked as she brought her attention to him. "It seems people are still going to vote for you to be Prom King, and there are rumors floating around that they'll vote for your boyfriend to be Queen."

Having gotten control of my laughing fit, I said, "This isn't some silly teen television drama. People aren't going to vote me to be Prom Queen. I guarantee the only possible threat to your title is another girl."

"You better be right about that," she said as she spun around and walked away.

Taye and I looked at each other and smiled while we shook our heads.

The rest of the day had me wishing that I was already a senior who had the privilege of only half a day of classes. The only class I could bear was fourth period. I fancied myself getting a theological degree, not because I believed any religious concept had realistic validity but because I understood myth lost its power to convince once reading comprehension and critical thinking skills were put to proper use.

I honestly believed that if most people applied the same logic to religion that they applied to fairy tales, there would be less religious people in the world. I advocated for less religion, but I was in no way militant about it. I figured after I got my college degree in theology that I would write a book or two just to get my thoughts out into the world and then let the rest of the world do what it would with the information.

After class, I asked Mrs. Straethmere what I could do for a living with a theological degree.

"With your beliefs, I cannot imagine you being a minister," she said non-judgmentally with a smile. "Your choices are limited, but I can easily see you being a college professor or a journalist."

Teaching did appeal to me, but so did journalism. I doubted I had time to pile on the extracurricular of high school journalism, but perhaps I would find the time in college. Just to get a feel for it. It was possible, after all, to limit one's college class schedule to only two or three days a week rather than five full days of classes. College afforded one more time to accomplish things, it seemed, so long as one did not become overly caught up in college partying.

After jogging the six mile route through town, I went to the school exercise gym where I had been afforded a key by coach. More often than not, Taye would join me after football practice. He would do his homework, and sometimes he would get so turned on by watching me on a machine that we would have sex. When I was done working out on the equipment, I just had to turn out the lights and lock the doors as I left.

That evening Taye had not joined me. After I showered and left, I figured he would be waiting in the parking lot for me. Even if he left school after football practice, he was usually pretty good about being back when I was done working out for the night. The fact that I did not want or need a cell phone somewhat irked him, but at the same time he said it was a quirk he found endearing. And there I was thinking that being reliant on a cell phone was the quirk.

In the parking lot, there were two parked cars. One car was Taye's, and right beside it was a car I did not recognize. I saw Taye in the driver's side of his car, but I did not see anyone in the other car.

As soon as I kissed Taye and made myself comfortable in the passenger's side, he informed me that he was not driving me home that night.

I was perplexed. "What do you mean?"

He dangled a keyring before me and said, "You're driving yourself."

I shrugged, grabbed the keys, and exited the vehicle. When I got around to the driver's side, he remained seated and did not make a move to exit.

"Well," I said as I leaned into his window. "If you want me to drive, you're going to have to get out."

He shook his head.

"Then how do you expect me to drive?"

"By getting into the car over there," he said with a nod of his head toward the vehicle beside his.