CHAPTER FOUR:
The Meeting
Jennifer skims through the “La” authors on the middle shelf until she finds the book she is looking for. She made an alphabetized list of the books she needed so she could navigate the shelves section by section. Next on her list is the “Je” authors, which should be on the next aisle over. She skims through each shelf until she finds the “Je’s,” reading the names aloud to herself as she goes.
“Jefferson, Jelson, Jemison, Jingle... ” Jennifer stops and studies the row again. “Hmm,” she muses. She looks at her list again to make sure she wrote the item number down correctly. She decides to give it one more shot.
“C’mon,” she says to herself. “Jenkins, Jenkins, where are you?”
She skims the books carefully, reading them slowly as she passes them. “Jefferson, Jelson, Jemison, Jingle, Jinks, Jimmerson, Jemimah- aha!” she laughs triumphantly. The books had been misplaced on the shelf. There are three “Ji’s” stuck right in the middle of the “Je’s”, but they continue on after that.
She continues to scan the shelf until she comes to the last book in that row. It ends with Jengal. Still, no Jenkins. Jennifer blows out a breath in exasperation and looks at the top row of the next shelf. There in the left corner of the top shelf, the very first book, is Jenkins.
“Yes!” she whoops in victory. She walks over to the next row and stretches out her hand to retrieve the book. Her hand, unfortunately, falls short by at least six inches. Jennifer taps her foot in frustration. She tries again, this time getting on the very tips of her toes and jumping up and down, snatching for the book as she leaps. Still, no success.
As a last-ditch effort, she hikes up her left foot and sets it on the second row from the bottom, pushing her weight up as she steps up with her right. She grabs the top shelf with her left hand and pulls herself up further. The shelf creaks underneath her weight and Jennifer panics, releasing her hold on the top shelf and tumbling backward.
She shrieks as she feels herself fall from the shelf but is suddenly caught by two hands connected to two tanned arms. She jerks at the sudden presence and bangs her shin on the wooden shelf. The hands steady her until she gets her footing back and soon they are accompanied by a voice.
“You could have just asked for help, you know,” the voice chuckles.
Jennifer turns around to respond, but is startled by who she sees. All she can do is ramble incoherently.
“I was... well... Jimmerson and um... ”
She looks around nervously. Someone else had to have heard her shriek. She is sure that any moment now some hardcore librarian will be coming along to kick her out. She puts her face in her hands to cover the redness in her cheeks. This is probably one of the dumbest things she’s ever done, and if no one had ever seen her, it would have still been a horrible experience.
The boy continues to stare at her, obviously amused, and Jennifer lifts her head in defiance. How dare he stand there smirking at her! She’d been caught off guard, and he responded with smugness, as though he knew she’d be there making a fool of herself.
“Well, if you saw me struggling, you should have come to help me instead of watching me make a fool of myself!”
The young stops smiling. “Hey, I was minding my own business and just so happened to walk past here as you were, um, falling.” He can’t resist a snicker.
Jennifer is not amused. She narrows her eyes at him. “Well if you’re done having your fun, excuse me,” she begins to walk off.
The young man taps her arm softly. “Hey wait a minute, now. I’m sorry. Let’s start over.” He straightens himself, allowing Jennifer to observe his full form. He is tall and lean. His skin, which is usually deathly pale, is now a light bronze.
Jennifer is used to seeing him dressed in baggy pants with long chains and boots, black fingernail polish and large earrings in his ears, but none of those things are present now, save a small stud in his right ear.
This new look suits him. His nails are clear, with no trace of the black polish. His clothing consists of fitting jeans, a polo shirt, and clean shoes. His smile is warm and inviting, something she’d never expect from him.
He holds out his hand to her. “Let me introduce myself. I’m Johnny Reese. I live in Mogis Hills. I have the same government class with you, as well as English, and I’m doing research for that killer paper. How about you?”
Jennifer knows who he is, and she is certain he knows her as well, but she plays along. “Jennifer Smith. I live in Katalia Falls, I’m dreading the research paper, and I am not good at climbing.” she smiles softly.
“See? That wasn’t so bad,” Johnny smiles at her again. He reaches across her, causing her to have to back away from him. She hadn’t realized how close they were standing. He has on some sort of cologne she can’t recognize. Whatever it is, it smells good. Johnny grabs the book Jennifer was looking for and hands it to her.
“Truce?” he offers. Jennifer can’t stop herself from smiling but tries not to let him see it.
“I guess so,” she says slowly. She gives him a serious look. “But swear to me that you will never tell anyone what you witnessed here today.”
Johnny salutes and holds up his right hand. “Scout’s honor, I will never, ever tell.” He smiles at her again, and Jennifer smiles back.
What am I doing? she thinks to herself. Is she flirting with Johnny Reese? Jennifer suddenly feels awkward. “Well, thanks for the book,” she says quickly before bolting for the checkout desk.
Johnny opens his mouth to say something, but she doesn’t give him a chance. A few minutes later, she flies out the library doors, headed towards Katalia Falls. Just as she turns the corner at the end of the street, she hears Johnny call after her.
“Hey, Jen! Wait up!” he yells. He is running to catch up with her. She stops until he reaches her.
“Hey,” he speaks in between breaths. “I wanted to ask you something.” Jennifer waits for him to catch his breath.
“Yes?” she asks curiously. Johnny clears his throat.
“Do you mind if I walk you home?” he asks, his breathing more calm. Jennifer is stunned. She had assumed he needed to ask something about the class paper, not her.
“Uh... ” she stammers.
“It’s all right if you say no,” he quickly reassures her.
“No, no, it’s okay,” Jennifer searches his eyes. He seems sincere, but she barely knows him. What would Martin think? Jennifer’s anger returns, this time directed at Martin. Letting Johnny walk her home would probably drive Martin up a wall. Serves him right.
“I’d like that,” she replies.
Johnny cocks his head to one side, examining her face.
“Then let me carry these,” he smiles. He grabs the books in her hand and her duffel bag with her volleyball equipment. Jennifer feels warmth build inside her as she hands him her bag. She is actually being walked home!
•••
Jennifer can barely contain herself. A few weeks ago, she wouldn’t have given Johnny a second glance. But now, standing next to him, having an actual conversation with him, she sees a side of him she hadn’t known was there.
“My mom stays at home and takes care of my twin brothers and baby sister.” Johnny explains.
“You have twin brothers?” Jennifer asks.
“Yup!” Johnny smiles. “They’re a handful too, and they ask a million questions.”
Jennifer laughs. “I can’t imagine having two little brothers. One is plenty!”
“Yeah, but they keep me on my toes.”
“How does your mom do it?” Jennifer asks.
Johnny is thoughtful for a moment. “I don’t know, really. Moms just have it like that. Me? I love being around them, and taking them places, and feeding them ice cream. That’s fun stuff. It’s great! But let them get sick, and I’m completely useless. If they’re bleeding or bruised or have a runny nose, I stay away. I can’t take it!”
“That’s when super mom takes over
, huh?” Jennifer giggles.
“Definitely!” Johnny shifts the weight of Jennifer’s gym bag and smiles at her.
“What about your dad?” Jennifer asks. “What does he do?”
Johnny stiffens, but only for a moment. Jennifer doesn’t seem to notice.
“My dad’s a pushy salesman.” he shrugs. “He’s not home much.”
“Oh,” Jennifer can tell by his short response that it’s a sensitive subject. “Absentee father?” Jennifer offers.
Johnny gives her a short laugh and looks up at her. “Tell me about you, Jen.”
“Well, I have one sister and two brothers as well. My older brother, Peter, is in the navy. My younger brother, Shawn, is in elementary school. Becky, my sister, is thirteen going on twenty-five.”
“I bet she’s fun,” he smirks.
“Loads of fun,” Jen replies sarcastically, rolling her eyes. “And always so dramatic!” They both laugh and continue telling stories about their siblings until they are in Katalia Falls.
“I didn’t expect to get here so soon,” Jennifer looks at her watch as they step onto her porch.
“Time flies when you’re having fun,” Johnny replies. He looks at her again, searching her eyes as he speaks. “Are you having fun, Jen?” he asks.
She smiles and looks down at her feet. “Yeah, this was a lot of fun. I mean,” she looks at him playfully, “it’s not every day a nice young man asks permission to escort me home.”
“You think I’m nice?” Johnny asks.
Jennifer smiles. “Don’t you think so? Or was all of this a plot to steal my gym clothes?” She glances at the bag still in his hands.
“I guess I’ve been found out.” Johnny holds up his right hand in surrender after handing Jennifer her books. “I don’t read, so you can keep those, but the bag stays with me.”
“Hah! I don’t believe that!” Jennifer gives him a friendly shove.
“Believe what?” Johnny asks. “That I won’t keep the bag?”
“Well, that too,” Jennifer laughs. “But I meant that I don’t believe you don’t read.”
“What makes you say that?” Johnny inquires.
“Well, for starters, I met you in the library today. That’s a dead giveaway.” Jennifer giggles.
Johnny shrugs. “It’s a great place to meet pretty girls.” Jennifer gives him a look that says she isn’t buying his story. Johnny concedes, “Okay, I’ll admit it. Yes I do read. But,” he adds, “I do really like your bag. Where’d you get it?”
Jennifer looks up in thought. “Hmm, I probably got it at a yard sale somewhere.”
“Yard sale?” Johnny gives her a funny look.
“What?” she asks. “What’s wrong with a yard sale?”
“Nothing,” Johnny reassures her. “I just didn’t take you for the type.”
“The type that goes to yard sales?” Jennifer raises her eyebrows.
“Yeah, I know. It was a dumb thing to say.” Johnny hands her the bag. “Tempting as it is to take it, I’m going to let you keep it.”
“I see,” Jennifer gives him an angry look. “So now you don’t want it because it came from a yard sale?”
Johnny’s eyes grow big. “No, that’s not what I meant! I was just -”
Jennifer laughs. “Hey, relax. I’m just teasing you, Johnny. Thanks.” She takes the bag and smiles at him again. “And yes, I do think you’re nice.”
Johnny smiles back and winks at her. “Don’t forget to talk to me tomorrow, then.”
“I’ll look for you,” Jennifer promises.
Johnny waves goodbye and heads home.