Chapter 4
I was so wrapped up in Jason and the excitement about the first game, I forgot it was Friday, one of my morning meeting days with Ms. Moore. Jason was disappointed I had to leave him—even offered to wait outside her office for me—but I told him to go on ahead and enjoy the pregame excitement with his friends.
"Sorry I'm late," I said leaning in through the open doorway to Ms. Moore's office.
"Well, it's a big day, I understand."
I closed the door and sat down in the chair across from her desk as usual, but as I did, Ms. Moore got up from behind her desk.
"Why don't we sit on the couch?" She led me over to the couch that was bathed in the morning sunlight. I was glad I had spent the extra time painting my skin. "How are you holding up?" she said as we sat down.
"Well, the stuff about last year all over again still bothers me."
Ms. Moore nodded. "Well, you certainly have come a long way in a short time." She put her arm across the back of the couch as she turned toward me. "Last year, you would have just said, 'fine'. The fact that you can acknowledge the issues that affect you is a giant step forward. I am so very proud of you."
"Thanks, but I don't really feel any different."
"Well, let me ask you this, do you want to run away from the problem?"
"No, but that doesn't mean it's easy."
"Of course not. Throughout our lives, we are going to face difficult decisions, but the courage to be ourselves and face those challenges is what makes us who we are—makes each individual special in their own right."
I didn't reply.
"How are you dealing with Dillon Curly—anymore incidents?"
"Nothing important, he bumped into me after lunch and I spilled my drink, but it was no big deal."
"Hum." She thought for a moment. "How is Jason handling it?"
"He's overly protective, but he realizes that Dillon is just trying to provoke him."
Ms. Moore smiled. "Jason is a very wise young man. I'm sure he has you to thank for at least some of that control." The first bell rang. "Oh, I forgot we have shorter classes today for the assembly, but there's one more thing we need to discuss."
"I don't want to be late," I said, hoping to avoid any further discussion about Dillon.
"I'll give you a pass for class." She seemed to think—no concentrate—for a minute. That couldn't be good. "Coach Singleton and I had a conversation about you the other day."
"Coach?"
"Yes, he thinks the world of you, as a student, a friend to Jason and the football team. I must say, I've never heard him go on about a student like he did you—not even one of his athletes. He thinks you are something really special and I told him I couldn't agree more."
Okay, this was really awkward, nothing like I'd expected.
"Coach Singleton asked if you would participate in the pep rally this afternoon. I told him I thought it was a wonderful idea, but that I would leave it up to you. What do you think?"
"I—I—I don't know." I looked up at her. "I'm not sure I'm ready for that kind of attention you know."
"Because of Dillon?"
"Partly, but you know I prefer to be more in the background. I love cheering for Jason and the team, but—"
"I'll tell you what, why don't you think about it for a bit, but Izzy, there's nothing to be afraid of I promise you. You have Coach Singleton for Computer Programming—"
"Second period," I interjected.
"Well I'd love to see you be a part of the pep rally and I know Coach Singleton is hopeful, but like we agreed, we will leave the final choice up to you. Think about it and let Coach Singleton know after class. How would that be?"
"Sure," I said, "I can do that." I would have agreed to almost anything to avoid making a decision at that moment.
Ms. Moore went around to her desk and scribbled out a note for first period. I stood as she walked back to hand it to me. "Are you wearing glitter?"
I quickly stepped out of the sunlight. I guess I hadn't done as good a job with the paint as I thought.
"Don't be embarrassed, I'm sure all the cheerleaders added glitter to their makeup for today. I bet you would have been an outstanding cheerleader."
"Not really in the cards for me."
"Well, athletics aren't for everyone. Oh, and Izzy, don't mention anything about the pep rally to anyone, Coach Singleton means for it to be a surprise—a motivational surprise." She handed me the pass and escorted me to the door. "Have a great day. I look forward to seeing you at this afternoon's pep rally."
"Thanks, thanks for everything." I waved to Cathy's mom who smiled like she knew what we'd been talking about, and headed to class. Great, no pressure.
I handed my pass to Mrs. Burns and took my seat by the door—same one as last year, but I'd hardly put my books down before the bell rang. Jason met me at the corner of the hallway and walked me to my next class, Computer Programming. Jason's smile was so infectious, his warmth boiled up inside me.
"Yeah," he said, "I feel it too. Do you have any idea how lucky we are to have found each other?"
"I do."
"I like the sound of that." He winked. "Listen, I gotta run, my next period is on the other side of the school." He kissed my hand, and ran down the hall.
"A fine young man that fella of yours," Coach said, he was standing just inside the door.
"Yeah, he sure is."
"Shall we?" Coach ushered me inside and closed the door.
I could see the question in his face, but he didn't ask, he let me have what little time there was to make my decision about the pep rally. It was also clearly evident that he was hoping that answer would be yes.
Class started and we flipped our books open to where we left off last class. I glanced up at the clock. We were on a shortened class schedule so I didn't have much time. Coach walked past me several times during his lecture. He was standing next to my desk when he told us to logon to our computers for today's exercise. I typed in my user information and hit the return key and gasped at the picture that appeared on my monitor.
"What in the world?" Coach said, leaning over my keyboard. I pushed away, my chair crashing into the desk behind mine. The two boys on either side of my desk gawked at the picture.
It wasn't just any picture it was the picture of a seductive vampiress. She was scantily clothed in sleek, leather undergarments, a trail of blood ran from her fanged, mouth disappearing between her full, breasts. Her prey, a muscular, half naked man lay across a stone alter, blood from the wound on his neck ran down a groove carved in the stone and dripped into a bronze chalice.
"I need to be excused, Coach." I stood and started for the door.
"The hall pass is on the corner of my desk," Coach called after me.
I grabbed it and raced out into the hallway, closing the door behind me. There was no point in running so I flopped back against the wall, slid down to the floor and let my face sink into my hands. I should be angry, dangerously angry, so angry I couldn't control myself—I would have been last year—but all I felt was humiliation. Jason, I thought, he will hear about this, and then what? "He can't know," I mumbled.
"He won't." Coach grunted as he sat down next to me. "I'll get to the bottom of this, you can count on it. The list of students who know enough to do something like this is short—very short."
"I don't have to remind you about last year. It feels like we can't escape it, no matter what we do—how hard we try. Maybe it was a mistake coming back."
"You and I both know you don't mean that. Take a minute—catch your breath—you're stronger than this, I know you are, I've seen it with my own eyes."
"It's not the same Coach. It's nothing like just running down the field and catching a football to show up a bunch of immature guys."
Coach smiled. "That's where you're wrong, this is easier. Those boys last year, they were tight, no one was going to break their ill founded allegiance, not even me, but you found a way. Compared to that, this is a no brain
er—you got this, girl." He gave me a light slug on the shoulder to imitate what the boys did. "I'll get to the bottom of it, and Jason never has to know."
"But the two boys—"
"Already taken care of, they're on the team, and on board. You think they're going to go against what their coach says?"
"Are you sure?"
"Yep, we got this covered. There is one thing you can do though, be a part of the pep rally this afternoon."
"Coach," I moaned, "I wasn't sure before this happened, now, how could I possibly participate."
"Because of it. I know that fire in you—you want to hit this head on, but you're afraid. I understand that and I don't blame you one bit. You can get past the fear, I know you can, and then, well you win—you and Jason. I'd venture to say you stand up there this afternoon and all those problems you and Jason are dealing with will just fade into the distant past."
"You sure?"
"I gotta feeling."
"You said, 'stand up there,' what would I have to do?"
"Nothing, just wait until I call your name and then come stand next to me—that's it."
"Okay, I guess, for Jason."
"And for you. You take whatever time you need, I'll see you back in class."
"I'm ready." I got up with Coach.
"Thatta girl." Coach opened the door and we went back into class. Just like he said, the boys who sat on either side of me acted like nothing had ever happened. Of course, once they were away from Coach it might be a different story, but maybe Coach was right, maybe my participation in the pep rally would show the other kids I wasn't going to be pushed around. That was how Cathy did it. I just hoped it wouldn't make things worse for Jason.