Chapter 12- Michael P.O.V

“Ladies,” he said. “My name is Bubba. You may have heard of me. This is my friend, Michael. You may have heard of him too. We are both fairly popular.” He extended his hand. “We would like to welcome you to Tabb High.”

Giggling, Jessica shook his hand, introducing herself. Sara was more reserved. “I have heard about you,” she said. “This girl in my P.E  said I should watch out for you.”

“Did she tell you why?” Bubba asked innocently.

“No.”

“Then she must have a guilty conscience, and you shouldn’t listen to her.” Bubba pulled his gold pocket watch from his jacket. “I have a few minutes, Sara. Come with me. I want to discuss your political future.”

“I’m not running for anything.”

“But you like hot dogs, don’t you?” Bubba asked.

Sara threw Jessica a quick glance. “I love hot dogs,” she said slowly.

Bubba reached over and took Sara by the arm. “Then you should have one, with everything on it. Nice meeting you, Jessie. See you later, Mike.”

When they were gone Jessica continued to giggle. “Is he really your friend?” she asked.

“I think he considers me more of an apprentice.” He cleared his throat. “I hope he doesn’t overwhelm your friend.”

“Sara can take care of herself.”

“That’s right I almost forgot. I was there at lunch.”

“I saw you when you sat down.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

The conversation ran into a hitch right there. Michael couldn’t think of anything to say. Jessica started to fiddle with the focus on her camera. It was a Nikon 4004. The previous year, Michael had constructed an eight-inch reflector telescope. He had a dream of taking time-lapse photos of the sky through it from out in the desert. Jessica’s camera would have been ideally suited for the job. Except it cost close to five hundred bucks.

“It’s jammed again,” she muttered, getting frustrated. A roar went up from the crowd. Wiping her hair out of her eyes, Jessica looked up. The team was coming back on the field. “Damn, the teacher wanted me to get a shot of the players running out of the tunnel.”

“May I see it?” Michael asked.

“It does this all the time,” she said, holding it out without removing the strap from her neck. He gently twisted the lens trying not to brush up against her breasts they weren’t all that far away.  She added “I think I was sold an incompatible attachment.”

It was indeed jammed.  “Did you take the telephoto lens out of its case and screw it in a moment ago?”

“Yeah, how did you know?”

“The camera’s warm. You must have been holding it in your hands most of the night. But the lens is cool. Let them both sit out for a moment. When the temperature averages out, the jamming will stop.”

She nodded. “That makes sense. You know a lot about cameras?”

He shrugged. “I’ve played around with a few.”

“You should be the one taking these pictures not me.”

“Are you doing this for the paper or the yearbook?”

“Both, I guess.” Jessica’s attention wandered t the football players.  She had a striking profile. He hadn’t realised she had such thick lashes, such big eyes. He wondered what it would be like to touch her face.

“Who are you looking for?” he asked.

“A girlfriend.”

“Is she on the football team?”

“She plays quarterback.” Jessica turned his way again. “Hey, do you know a guy named Russ Desmond?”

Michael felt a pang of jealousy. “Yeah. But he’s not on the football team this year.”

“He runs cross-country right?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you know him well?”

“Not really.”

Jessica smiled. “I suppose I can trust you. Sara’s been searching for him all night.”

Michael felt better. “She’s searching in the wrong place. Russ would never come to a football game.”

“Why not?”

“He hates the coach. And the coach hates him. It’s a long story.”

Jessica nodded, her lovely brown eyes drifting up into the stands this time. “Where is she?” she whispered.

“Sara?”

“No the girlfriend I mentioned. You wouldn’t know her. She’s from Mesa. She’s only a sophomore, an old friend.” Jessica chuckled. “She’s been telling me about this fantastic guy I got to meet.”

“What’s her name?”

“Alice McCoy.”

Michael leaned into the fence. He was lucky he didn’t flip over and land on the track. “Oh, my,” he said.

“Pardon?”

“Nothing.”

Jessica suddenly turend her head towards the field. Tall, blond, and handsome number sixteen was walking towards the sidelines. Jessica quickly raised her camera trying to focus her jammed telephoto lens. “Damn,” she muttered.

Had Jessica not tried so eagerly to take Bill Skater’s picture at that precise moment, Michael probably would have admitted he was the fantastic guy Alice wanted Jessica to meet. Later, he was to wonder if he had told Jessica, if the tragedy that was to follow Alice’s party would have been avoided. It would be a possibility that would haunt him the entire year. It would be a possibility based solely upon a young girl’s strange dream.

“You might want to give it a few more minutes,” he said softly.

Jessica did not appear to hear him. She had lowered the camera, and her eyes. Bill had stopped at the microphone to talk to Clair.

“I’d better go,” Michael said.

Jessica raised her head. “Huh? No don’t go, please. I’m sorry. What were you saying?’

“Nothing.” He edged away. “I really have to go.”

“That’s too bad. Thanks!”

“For what?”

She forced a smile. “For everything, what else?”

Michael did not head in the direction of the snack bar but away from it. Alice would have to forgive him for ditching her. He couldn’t bear the thought of witnessing Jessica’s probable- if she went for the likes of Bill Skater, it was virtually certain- disappointment when she learned Michael Olson was Mr Fantastic.

He only remembered that Nick had gone for their dinner when Nick came up to him with a box full of goodies.

“I hope you like junk food,” Nick said. “I live on it.”

Michael accepted a hot dog, a tub of popcorn, and a large orange. Nick again refused Michael’s offer to help pay for the stuff. They continued to walk in the direction of the scoreboard. “I bet you’ve had to search all over for me,” Michael said. “Sorry I took off.”

“I knew where you were,” Nick said. “I was watching you talk to that girl.”

“Jessica? You should have come over. I could have introduced you.”

“No, I couldn’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know. I would have got in your way.”

“Don’t say that.”

Nick glanced over at him. For an instant, something glimmered deep within Nick’s black eyes. But all he said was “OK, Mike.”

They sat at the edge of the bleachers away from the crowd. Nick began to dig into his food. Michael realised he’d lost his appetite. He sipped his drink, stared at the clock on the scoreboard. He didn’t even know what he was doing at the game. She had smiled at him, thanked him, all the while thinking about the quarterback. Bubba would steal Clair away from Bill. Bill would find solace in Jessica’s arms.

It’s like the earth going around the sun- a vicious cycle.

“This is going to be a long second half” he muttered referring to the res to his life.

“Want to leave?”

“Do you?”

“Whatever you want, Mike.”

“Whatever I want,” he repeated quietly. He chuckled sadly, shook his head. “No, not today. Maybe tomorrow.” He slapped Nick on the back. At least he made a new friend. “Tell me about yourself Nick?”

“What do you want to hear?”

“Everything.” He thought of Jessica’s line. “What else?”

It took them a while until they returned to the topic of girls. Finally, however, Michael heard of Maria and spoke of Jessica. They both agreed something had to change.