He's Gona Do It

(…more unrevealed story…)

Char’s lunch break was less exciting. She always ate with her friends from elementary that happened to move with her to this school. That would be Jade and Emily, and another one called Angelica (they called her “Jelly”), all newcomers to junior high. Here’s how the conversation went: puppies, nails, candy, snowmen, books, cooties, Disney Channel, hair, and puppies, in that order, in 10 minutes or less. Char looked up and saw someone, a boy, staring at her across the way. He chewed with his mouth open and every so often he let hit hang open as he stared. He looked away. “He probably likes you…” whispered Angelica. She folded her hands and squirmed all around, smiling.

“Does he?” Char asked as if Angelica knew, but then added scrunching up her face, “He’s ugly, I don’t like him.” In the odd way adolescents do, the three constantly looked up at him and away as he did the same when they weren’t looking. There’s no hiding these things when you’re young.

“I think he’s looking at me,” Jade spoke up. Right after she said, “My mom says just ignore them,” as if some sense got slapped into her.

“Go talk to him.” Angelica said. Then she repeated it. She started pushing her, so Char shot back with a threat: “Stop or else I tell Alex you love him!” Angelica shrunk back and her hands closed around her chest.

“Shh!” Then she poked her fragile little forefinger in Char’s face and said with a dramatization that could match Char’s: “Don’t you dare.” She giggled and then didn’t stop talking about Alex from then.

Jade got up to get chips from the vending machine during this time. When she came back, she said, “You’re lucky to have a brother like that.” Pop went the chip bag. The bottom went out.

“Alex is so annoying…well he’s nice and stuff, too.”

“He’s nice. Every time I see him he’s nice. I wish I had a brother like that.” It was true those “nice things” didn’t come to mind when she thought of Alex, but Char understood Jade. She didn’t know why Jade was saying these things, though.

“Is your brother annoying?” Char asked.

“He’s in jail. He did drugs or something.” Jade was suddenly gloomy; the other two suddenly felt the same. But soon a smile returned to her face as they were on a different subject.

When Angelica and Char were at their lockers, Angelica held out a folded pink piece of paper. “Here, give this to Alex for me.” Char smiled, and Angelica insisted with a fervent “please!” so she agreed.

“I can’t believe you like him.” The paper smelled like cherry blossom.

“I sprayed it with perfume,” Jelly explained, raising her eyebrows.

“Crazy. How do I smell?”

“Like cheese and milk or something…it’s not a bad smell…”

“No, smell me right now!” Char thrust her chest into Jelly’s face.

“There’s nothing.” Jelly said. Bummer, Char thought, I must have sweated it all off in gym class!

(…unrevealed story…)

Somehow Alex needed to convince his parents to give him money for a ticket to the Outlandish IV release. His allowance he had set aside for something else. He didn’t think he could find enough odd jobs to do to raise the money, and he needed the money as soon as possible. Tickets were selling like hotcakes on black Friday; he absolutely couldn’t risk waiting until the Andrew’s friend payed for the antiques.

If he got his and Brendon’s parents together and brought it up, perhaps, yes most likely, they’d be obliged to pay for it. Definitely, since they’re pastor friends and all. They too proud for that is exactly what Alex thought.

And he was right. Or at least that’s what it seemed.

“Outlandish IV, huh?” Mr. Bolding questioned at church the next Sunday.

“Yes. This is a very, very rare event. They’ve never had a release party like this before, and they’re having it here in Indiana because the the main landscape is inspired by Indianapolis.”

“Of all places,” Carnegie said. Then he sounded suddenly very intrigued, “I wonder what inspired them to choose that city.” He looked at Mr. Bolding.

“And,” Alex thought he’d add, though Brendon, just then, gave him a piercing eye to warn him not to take it too far, “…and it’s a great opportunity…for the price. The news will be there.” That should part appeal to them, he thought.

“Are you going?” Carnegie was referring to Brendon.

“Yeah. Remember you gave me permission?”

“I didn’t remember or never knew; you mom handles those things. But I do recall you mentioned it.”

To Alex’s great delight, his father spoke up, “We should be able to make it happen.” He had to say nothing else!

“We can drive him!” Brendon blurted

Carnegie looked down a bit perplexed, but then he smiled at Mr. Bolding saying that, yes, that will be fine. It was set: They’d be at the house at 4pm on the 20^th. The dad began talking to one another as if the boys were never there; Brendon tapped Alex’s arm and motioned him to come over to the wall. His eyes were on something around the corner. At first impression he seemed to be looking at the portrait of the previous senior pastor on the wall. He pointed at someone in a green and purple jacket.

“See?”

She turned around, it was Sarah. “Oh. Sarah?” Alex said.

Brendon lit up. “You know her? That’s the hot girl I saw last week. I’m thinking about talking to her, but. Eh.”

“My cousin.” It came out more as a statement than a question.

“Oh. Oh! Really?” A moment of awkwardness often leads to an entirely different conversation, or encounter, or activity, and that’s what happened here. The two were up on the flat roof of the church in the chill air ten minutes later. Alex came up here sometimes; this was a first for Brendon. It was almost like a dream of his to travel down the back hallway and up the metal grated steps onto the roof, but he just never really thought to ask. From up here you could see, quite close it was actually, a busy four-lane interstate to the east where the sun rose; to the south was a secluded neighborhood enclosed by gnarled trees; to the west were endless, barren corn fields (a sight all too common in these parts); and behind them�"that is, the north�"was blocked by a taller section of the church. They weren’t up very high, but the building was positioned near the crest of a hill, and the world around them seemed to be down in a valley. Brendon and Alex felt bolder and taller and more courageous up on these chilly heights.

“I bet I can jump down from here. I’m doing it.” Alex looked at Brendon to see what he thought, then ran and jumped off ten feet to the ground! To his surprise, there was Char, and Dad and Mom, surprised, and confused, and worried, respectively, right outside the entrance.

“We need more faith like that in the church!” came a voice from a few yards away�"Brendon and Alex both recognized it as Pastor Henry’s; Brendon peeked over the edge. Alex was proud in spite of himself. Farewells were given. It was until Alex was a good ways into the parking lot that he looked at Brendon again for the first time since he made the leap.

“I’m going to do it!” He called.

“What?!” Brendon yelled back.

Alex pumped his fist in the air and shouted louder, “I’m going to do it!”

“To infinity and beyond!”

It was their way of saying, “Go for it, and good luck with that.” It was sarcasm, in a way. But both of them wouldn’t expect what would actually happen. No one would.

It is at this point that you should be questioning, “What is he planning to do?” A very good question, indeed. We will need a little background for that.

About six months ago, Alex introduced the idea to Bendon: he would kiss Jade in her sleep. “You want to reenact Sleeping Beauty?” were his first words. Alex didn’t actually say it was Jade when he first brought it up; neither did Brendon know who Jade was, which is why he didn’t mention it. But later Alex explained and expanded his idea. He bounced some contrivances off of Brendon�"how he could carry out this dastardly plan.

Alex didn’t by any means want to reenact a fairy tale. He was utterly disgusted of Princess movies. (He didn’t know it began as a children’s story). And also know, this was an innocent enough act for him. Not evil, only clever.

Brendon more than once asked what would happen if she woke up. Alex had no answer. What in the world would he do then? Sure it takes a few seconds to recollect your thoughts when you awake. That wasn’t enough. Six months went by. He didn’t think of a good plan, but the scheme scarcely entered his mind since he had many other things to think about.

Even Alex wasn’t exactly sure where this desire or idea came from. Gosh, he just wanted to do something. Something exciting; something daring! This was it! It was easy enough with the plan he conceived a few weeks prior. “I’ll give her sleeping powder so she won’t react.” Well, no, he had thought of that several months before. But it took several months to convince himself that this extreme measure would be harmless enough, and worth it. His allowance was worth it, he decided. You see, that’s what he was saving for and why he couldn’t buy the tickets.

Brendon never concluded that Alex was desperate by any means (crazy, yes, but not desperate). The young man talked to many a girl and was neither socially awkward nor greatly charming in respect to them. Still, he hadn’t had a girlfriend in ages, “out of my decision. I don’t need girls like that,” he insisted.

And no, this wasn’t a romantic action, he insisted. “I’m not trying to please my sexuality or be in a relationship with her,” is what Alex explained to Brendon and only Brendon. Brendon wanted to assure him that was okay, if it was the case. In the end, here is how Alex explained it to himself: I want to express my love to her. No one will let us be together. Her parents won’t. Mine won’t. Too young and too old. I don’t even love her. It’s up to you to judge if that makes sense.

And now, on the following Friday, on the night of Char's slumber party, it was due to happen.