Scraps from the cutting room floor,
up to the Terms of Engagement chapters
Author's record,
out of order,
does not indicate directions the plot will take, etc.
2801
Terms of Engagement
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Terms of Engagement |
TOC |
*****
Silence until we arrived at her house and I parked the car in their drive.
"Sometimes it was R-rated or even X-rated. I don't think you want to know the details. Nine twenty-three."
"We made it in time. Maybe I do. Let's go tell my parents I'm home and that we still need to talk in your car."
We looked at each other, and I considered what she was saying.
"To talk about my fantasies?"
"It's a little more than that."
"Okay, I guess, but I reserve the right to quit talking if I think I should."
"Mmm ... yes. For both of us."
We went up on the porch, and I raised my hand to ring the doorbell.
"Silly." She grinned and opened the screen door, and I followed her in.
Lisa looked up from the book she was reading.
"Hi again, Lisa," I said.
"No fair. You're early."
I grinned, and Sapphire laughed, then called out, "We're home!"
Mrs. Andrews came in the living room, carrying a dish towel. "You're five minutes early. Are you sure you're home?"
"Joey and I do need to talk some more."
"Talk in the living room?" Her dad suggested as he came in.
"In his car."
"Why am I not surprised?" He smiled laconically. "You're good. Go talk. Kiss if you want."
"Dad!"
"It's not like this is your first date, honey," her mom added.
I buried my face in my hands, shook my head, and mumbled something like, "... not a public spectacle ...".
"Yeah! What Joey said." Her voice revealed exasperation. "First date," she muttered.
I dropped my hands, tilted my head, and said, "Well, Sapphire, I guess I now know I have your parents' approval."
Her mom gave me a hug. "Go talk. We'll watch. Or not."
Sapphire shrugged and put her books on their coffee table, and almost dragged me back out to my car.
****
We both sat in the car and tried unsuccessfully to control our laughter for a bit.
Then Sapphire reached out and took my hand.
"Can we continue where we left off?"
"Is that your sister at the curtain?"
"Probably. Fantasies are not all that unusual. And not just R-rated."
"X?"
"You're being difficult again."
"I'm a difficult person."
"You are. Oh, I don't mind you being difficult about this. And I guess I don't really need to know details." She paused. "I've fantasized about you sometimes."
"Oh."
"Sometimes even about making love with you."
That took me a few moments to digest. "I think I should point out that Jesus said that a man who lusts after a woman has committed adultery already in his heart."
"I know that."
"And Paul effectively told the Corinthians that sex is tantamount to marriage.
"He did?"
"Well, he said that a man who is joined to a harlot is one body with her, invoking the one-flesh clause."
"Now you're calling me a harlot?"
"No, of course not."
"Uh, huh."
"Quit that. He was explaining how the principle of becoming one body works even in prostitution. I think it means that sex creates a bond even when we try to deny the bond."
She thought about that. "But that would mean that Wuss and I are like bonded or something."
"Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow. Doesn't erase the mistakes. "
"Now you're talking about my sins."
"And mine, but it's true about mistakes, too."
"Okay, Wuss was a mistake."
"So, we don't want to make mistakes, do we?"
"I'm not sure. Depends on what you call a mistake."
I got stuck at that for a moment. "Well, if we are friends, and thinking we might get together, fantasies might push us too far ahead, doing things before we're ready."
"You can't rape the willing," she grinned and raised her eyebrows.
"That's not true."
She looked at me in surprise.
"How do I know you're willing?"
She thought about that. "Well, if I say so, I mean, ..."
"How do I even know I'm willing?"
"Uhm, did I just proposition you?"
"No, because, if you did, Iwould have just adekd
"Did I just turn you down? I don't think so."
We both thought about that for a few long moments.
*****
So you don't want to make out tonight?
Definitely not with your sister watching. I waved to at the living room window.
*****
She grinned. "So we've both fantasized about each other, and we should just get married, since we've already done it in our hearts."
I blinked. "I uhm ..."
*****
"Sorry, I don't mean that. You're right, we need to be careful about fantasizing about each other, even if we decide we're going to get married."
"Yeah. Adultery weakens relationships. That's what adulteration means. After we get ... I mean, if we do, it won't be adulterating things any more."
"Are you sure?"
I scratched my head.
"Well, it can be strengthening if we are married, instead of weakening. I like that." She paused for a thirty moments. "You know, I don't think I find the thought of marrying you scary or unpleasant."
And I had to think for thirty moments. "I think I wouldn't mind, either. But we need time to get to know each other before we start talking about it for real, don't we?"
"Time to get to know the non-fantasy versions of each other?"
"Yeah."
"Before being permanently stuck with each other gets us all stressed out?"
"Yeah. While we can still think of personality features as interesting."
She smiled at that and the moment stretched. Then she turned away from me and leaned across the transmission well gap between the bucket seats and rested her body against mine, and closed her eyes. "So much we need to talk about. But I think we've talked enough for one night. For our first date."
I put my arm across her shoulders and drew her a little closer. "Is tomorrow going to be our second date?"
Her smile deepened. "I think we don't need to count. How many kids do you want?"
"As many as the Lord lets us ... uhm, I mean, ..."
She lifted her hand and her forefinger found my lips without her turning her head to look. "Shush."
We rested like that for a little while, not speaking, until my arm began to go numb.
I shifted and rubbed her shoulder, and she sat up, rubbing her back.
"Bucket seats." She sighed. "I could get sore muscles if we do this too much."
"I guess I need to get home."
"You need to call Rick."
We got out of the car and went to the porch.
Lisa was still reading her book. "Boring," she said.
"We didn't think so," replied Sapphire. She turned to me. "Thank you, Joey, for a wonderful first date."
We hugged, and I kissed her forehead. "So good, as my sister said, to finally get to know the real you."
She buried her face in my chest and didn't say anything.
"Good night Lisa." I raised my voice a little, "Good night Mr. and Mrs. Andrews."
They echoed the good nights.
Sapphire and I looked into each other's eyes, and she raised her hand, and we touched fingers, and I stepped backwards, almost fumbling the porch steps.
"Watch where you're going."
We both laughed.
"Tomorrow."
She nodded, and I returned to the Colt.
We both waved as I drove away.
Back at the house, I called Rick.
"So how's the charade?" he asked.
"We'll see tomorrow, but but if this is a charade, she deserves an Oscar or whatever that award is."
"Uh, as in ..."
"No, we did not do any making out. Holding hands, sure. I gave her a hug at the door when I left."
"If she's still speaking to you tomorrow, it's a charade."
I laughed. "Does not feel like a charade. We'll see. Anyway, both Sapphire and I have okays from our parents for practicing here after school."
"Yeah, Maralea called already, before I got home. Cyndy or Hec gave her my number. Mom, Dad, and Greg are asking me all sorts of questions I don't have any answers to."
I laughed.
"You think it's funny."
"You'll survive."
He laughed. "Yeah. I think it's funny, too. I'll survive. Hey, my boss says he'll let me come in a half-hour later so I have time to eat. Says he thinks I need to do this."
"He's right."
"I also mentioned that I'm looking at the SWTPC kit, and he says he's interested in what I find out about it."
"I got my inquiry to Motorola posted."
"Cool."
We talked a bit more about the electronics class and about calculus.
When I hung up, my parents were waiting for me, and we talked for a while. Both of them were in listening mode, not telling, not prompting. I was the one who brought up the culottes.
"
prayer
*****
"Where do you want to live?"
"Odessa seems okay, but anywhere I can get a decent job should be okay."
"What do you want to do for work?"
"Invent things. I kind of wanted to be an astronaut, but I want to go on a mission first."
"A mission? for your church?"
"Yeah. I guess we do have a lot to talk about."
"Shhh. I don't want to think about it."
"What makes you such an expert on marriage?"
"Okay, according to my theories, it's not the same."
"I don't find the thought of marrying you scary or unpleasant."
"I think I wouldn't mind. But we need time to get to know each other before we start talking about it for real, don't we?"
"Time to get to know the non-fantasy versions of each other?"
"Yep. Without the stress of being already permanently stuck with each other. While we can still think of character flaws as interesting features."
She smiled at that and the moment stretched.
"Something I'm curious about. Not that it matters."
"I'm going to guess it does matter."
"Maybe. Back in eighth-grade art class, Buddy Howell asked you if you were a virgin, and you said, of course you weren't."
I blinked. "I really should have corrected myself."
Her eyebrows puckered. "What do you mean?"
"You're not going to believe me."
"Give me a try."
"Uhm, all through elementary school, the only time I'd really heard the word "virgin" used was together with "Mary" when she was pregnant with Jesus."
"Uh-huh."
"So I thought it meant pregnant. Maybe especially pregnant by God."
"That misunderstanding is actually also not that unusual."
"Maybe not. We had the seventh grade sex education lectures, but the way they used the word seemed a little ambiguous. And then the guys would talk about it, but it was still ambiguous. Maybe some of the other guys were confused, too. Anyway, when Buddy asked me, I thought he was implying that I was female and pregnant. Guys say things like that to each other a lot -- as an insult, you know."
"Guys can be stupid."
"Yeah."
"So can girls."
"Anyway, I went home and checked the dictionary that night."
"Oh. So you were still a virgin?"
"I'm not sure. That's part of the reason I didn't correct myself."
"How can you not be sure about something like that?"
I thought for something like a minute.
She broke the silence. "I'm not going to be mad at you. Even if I might not have, uhm, given up mine if I had known you were still a virgin."
I looked down at the gear shift knob. "I'm sorry. I guess I really should have corrected myself."
"Maybe I wouldn't have, maybe I would have. Several of the guys used your not being a virgin as an excuse to pressure their girlfriends. But they used other excuses as well. I regretted it, for what that's worth."
"I'm sorry."
"I forgive you. If you'll forgive me for not being a virgin."
"God forgives people who repent. White as snow. So you're a virgin as far as I'm concerned."
"Are you sure I've repented?"
"You're not sleeping around."
"Good point, but are you using a double standard on yourself?"
I couldn't answer that.
"But I'm not sure I've really repented."
"You're not planning on having sex before you get married with anyone else, are you?"
She looked at me thoughtfully.
"Quit that."
She smiled.
"The thing is, from the scriptures I've read, it seems like sex is pretty much tantamount to marriage."
*****
"You know my story. Tell me yours."
"There are memories I can't get back."
"Oh?"
Neither of us spoke for maybe a minute.
"Can you talk about it?"
"Well, my best buddy when I was around three or four, ..."
"That age doesn't count. It can't. Can it?"
I blinked and thought.
"Maybe I shouldn't push you about this."
"I'd go over to his house and we'd play with his toy trucks and stuff in his sand pit. I didn't have a lot of toys, but he did. He's the one who taught me how to fantasize. Some of it was innocent kid stuff, some of it wasn't."
"At four years old?"
"His parents had Playboy magazines on their coffee table -- not when my parents went over, but usually when I was there. And there was another magazine. i remember the Playboy bunny. My reading level wasn't up there enough to remember the name of the one that didn't have the bunny."
"Children don't understand sex."
"That didn't stop him from trying.
I'm not sure being forced counts before God."
Do you fantasize about me now?"
"I don't dare. My fantasies get out of control too easily."
Back in the house,
we'll have Joey's preacher marry us Sunday
we don't really have preachers, we have a bishop, he makes the rest of us preach
What about when you don't want to be sexy but you are anyway?"
"Can I ask a question?" Sapphire asked hesitantly.
"Shoo
discussion of the pamphlet (1980! Guess not.) inside the Andrews' house?
eye of the beholder, social problem can't talk about f, too many people don't understand can't f without being f-ed
*****
Here down can be left in the cutting room floor
****
"I remember you saying something in art class about how you didn't think 'Mormon Bible' was, uhm, meaningful, or something. So you use the same Bible we do?"
"Yeah."
"Plus some other bibles?"
"Other scriptures, yeah."
"Aren't there conflicts?"
"We don't think so."
"Why does God need to be appeased?"
"I don't think he does, and I don't think Jonah thought he did."
She thought about that. "Do you think it was really three days and three nights in the fish's belly?"
"I've heard of people surviving being swallowed by whales, and I'm sure it felt like a long time."
"But if it wasn't three days and three nights, it wouldn't be the same as Jesus in the tomb."
"Jesus was actually one day and less than two half-days in the tomb, but I think God can do literary foreshadowing with real events even if the specifics don't seem to match in our way of thinking."
She gave me a moue, but then sighed and nodded. "Maybe I can see it."
"Literary foreshadowing with real events."
"What magic spell did that teacher cast on you that you like literature so much now?"
We both laughed before continuing with chapter two.
I said, "It does sound to me like Jonah is making being in the fish's belly a metaphor for baptism, or, as Paul would later refer to the watery grave." I stopped for thought. "I do believe in miracles, so, hey, those are my ribs again!"
She left her hand on my ribbed at tickled me, and sang the opening line of a certain pop song by Hot Chocolate,
I believe in miracles
I rolled my eyes and sang the next words,
hey, where you from,
then stopped.
Sapphire looked over at my mom at the sewing machine and giggled, and I chuckled and shook my head.
We both cleared our throats.
"You sexy thing," Mom continued it.
"Mom!"
"You don't think I hear that when it's playing on your radio?" She turned and gave us an indulging look. "Catchy tune. Lyrics not necessarily recommended for people who aren't married. You can continue discussing Jonah."
Sapphire laughed. "I love your mom."
Mom raised her eyebrows and tilted her head.
"Me too." I gave Mom a lopsided smile.
"I think I like you, too, Sapphire," Mom gave us a smile and returned to her sewing.
"Anyway, so maybe he was there for a day and parts of two more even though we don't know how. Or maybe it was just an expression meaning a long time, but it really doesn't matter."
Sapphire nodded, and we continued with chapter three.
"Can God really repent?" Sapphire asked.
"The last verse says the people turned from their way. That's repentance. And God turned his judgment away. Repenting is first and foremost turning away from a previously set course, much more than agonizing over things done wrong."
She shook her head. "That's not the way I heard it."
"Well, when we humans turn away from sin, we do have to recognize that sin is something to be regretted. We have to feel real sorrow."
"But God doesn't change."
"So when He promised to forgive people who repent, that doesn't change."
"Oh." She thought. "Yeah. I can see that, too. So, maybe I see why you think this shows God letting us decide. He let the people of Nineveh decide. But not Jonah."
"Prophets have more limits than the rest of us do."
"Hmm." She rubbed her chin with her forefinger.
And we continued with the first few verses of chapter four.
"So Jonah is in a snit." Sapphire laughed.
"Yeah. Kind of human of him."
We both chuckled.
"Maybe God is letting him decide some things."
I nodded. "They're human, too, not perfect, so they also need to learn stuff."
"Do you think we have to make mistakes to learn?"
"Yeah. Jesus didn't have to make mistakes because He really was perfect when He started. The rest of us aren't perfect, at least not as perfect as God."
"Isn't perfection absolute?"
"There can't be any perfection without context. We probably achieved a limited perfectionb before we were born, but we expand our context and we aren't perfect in the new context."
She pursed her lips and furrowed her brow.
"If we do anything, we'll make mistakes. If we do nothing, that's the biggest mistake. So, we get to choose what mistakes we make, but we are still going to make mistakes."
"And prophecy isn't hard set in stone? Doesn't God know everything that's going to happen?"
"I think that we come to this world to gain experience, to learn about cause and effect, and we get all tied up in that. But God is eternal, and can see more than just one path."
She looked puzzled. "I'm going to have to think about this. I want to talk about it some more, later."
"Sounds good."
"But do you think God is bringing us together?"
I thought for a minute, then started singing from The Turtles' "Happy Together" --
...
no matter how they toss the dice
it had to be
...
And she joined me all the way through the chorus.
"But you know The Turtles were famous for sarcasm in their lyrics."
Sapphire gave me a sharp look again.
"I can't see me loving nobody but you ..."
She closed her eyes in exasperation. "Double negatives don't always cancel each other."
I thought some more. "And if we got married, I'd need some love for the kids."
She shook her head and rubbed her temples. "You are exasperating."
"That's something you need to know about me."
"Okay. Okay. Let's study."
I peeked at my mom, and she was studiously ignoring us.
Sapphire picked up her civics book, looked at me, and put it down. "I don't think I want to know your opinions about this."
"I won't read over your shoulder."
"I'm not sure I believe you."
"Promise."
"I'm going to study this, instead." She picked up the childhood psychology book and started reading.
And I started scanning the assigned chapter in my chemistry text. I got out a pencil and some paper and worked some of the problems. Satisfied I was ready for the next class in that, I picked up the calculus text and repeated the process.
"Asperger. Do you know anything about it?" Sapphire asked.
I glanced at Mom and she glanced back.
"No."
"It's technically classed as a disability, but they are talking about high-functioning disability -- Very high IQ."
"Most disabilities are associated with some savant trait."
"What's your IQ?"
"Mom and Dad thought I didn't need to know. But I don't think the concept is valid, anyway. It only measures one kind of intelligence."
"Where did you read that?"
"I figured it out from the tests."
She raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"Yeah. We know I'm different."
"I like different. That's why I'm here."
Silence stretched out as we broke through the space between us with our hearts.
She blinked. "Back to our studies."
I started humming "Blue Moon", absently, and she started humming along, then the humming trailed off as we both focused on our textbooks.
I tested myself with a few of the example problems in the calculus text. "Review. I've got this, too."
Sapphire was now studying her anatomy for dancers text.
I picked up the electronics text and set it down.
"Nothing in here is relevant to what we are doing in class, yet."
I pulled out my query letter and looked it over, and decided to add a few things to it, mentioning the other processors we were studying, and making my interest in the prototyping kit explicit. I wrote it out by hand in pencil, erasing and rewriting until I thought my additions were clear enough, then hand-copied it with a pen.
"I'm going to go get an envelope and a stamp. We can drop this off at the substation on the way back to your house."
"I'll be here." Sapphire gave me a smile.
When I came back, she handed the letter back to me. "I think it's good. Do you guys own a typewriter? I could type it up pretty quick."
Mom looked up from her sewing. "We do have a typewriter, but you guys need to be getting back. It's nine fifteen."
"Oh my G-gosh." Sapphire caught herself.
I folded the letter, put it in a business-sized envelope, and addressed and stamped it while Sapphire collected her books.
"Got your books?"
"Uh, huh."
"Let's go. Thanks, Mom."
I grabbed the keys to the car from their hook as we passed through the kitchen, and we hurried outside. I held her books and opened the door for her and she stopped and stared at the seats.
"Fur seat covers?"
"Mom's choice. You know how vinyl bakes dry and falls apart quickly in west Texas sun. She liked the fur seat covers my brother got. So I got to install these after I helped Dan install his on his car."
She slipped into the bucket seat of the Dodge Colt station wagon doubtfully, then relaxed. "It's not bad."
I gave her her books and ran around and got in the driver's side and we headed to the postal substation.
"So, now that your mom isn't listening, what was that about understanding understanding?"
"Mom's okay, but "under" in understanding is from back when it was inter as well as meaning beneath."
"Oh. I thought it was because you were under."
"That, too. Your sister was wearing a skirt, so I didn't look up. You're wearing culottes, and I don't think they reveal much. But I didn't figure it was my place to look up."
"Well, you weren't wrong. But," She paused for thought.
So I continued. "Now I assume that you meant that I have to be able to see your underwear without getting myself excited, when it comes to that, because we are going to be partners, and we have to see each other to communicate. And if I get sexually excited while we are dancing, communication is blocked."
"I'll be wearing bloomers if I'm wearing a skirt while we're doing routines."
"Good to know."
"You know, back at Hood, in seventh grade, I watched you learning to control where you let yourself look. A lot of guys just hide it, look at our bodies when they think aren't noticing. You did that at the beginning of the seventh grade, but you quit."
"I just figured out it wasn't worth the trouble. Too easy to get out of control and do something stupid."
"Anyway, that's part of the reason I trust you."
I muttered to myself, "Thank you Boyd K."
Then I said, "Gonna just duck in here."
And I turned in at the drive-through lane at the postal station. At the collection box, I reached through the window and deposited my letter to Motorola, and we continued on our way.
"Boyd K.?"
"Oh. Packer. He's one of the general authorities -- one of the leaders of the Church."
"A football player?"
I laughed. "No, that's his last name. He gave a sermon at a conference several years back, which the Church turned into a pamphlet called "To Young Men Only"
"Not to young women."
"It might have been a tactical error, but I don't know if it's possible to avoid tactical errors when talking to teenagers about sex."
"As a teenager, I think you might be right. So it was about sex."
"About learning self-control in relation to sexuality. It helped me figure out, among other things, that I really did need to not spend so much time thinking about sex, and that I needed to give myself other things to think about."
"Would I be breaking some kind of something to ask to see it?"
"No. The name is just because of the originally intended audience."
"Young women don't think about sex or something?"
"Tactical error. Anachronistic. At least, I think so. Our leaders aren't any more perfect than the original twelve apostles were. Remind me sometime and I'll dig the pamphlet out."
I glanced at Sapphire. She looked like she was trying to decide if she should ask something.
"I think I need to clear the air about something," I said. "I think you were there when
"Can I ask a question?" Sapphire asked hesitantly.
"Shoo
discussion of the pamphlet inside the Andrews' house?
Call Rick and Cyndy, Cyndy calls Mara
*****
I'm not sure how to respond to that. It's the King James version, probably the one you use, if you don't use the new revised or such. The book under it is, well, it has the Book of Mormon and some modern scripture in it. Some people confuse it for our Bible. We do consider the books scripture, but they aren't really our Bible."
"I remember you saying something in art class about how you didn't think 'Mormon Bible' was, uhm, meaningful, or something. So you use the same Bible we do?"
"Yeah."
"Plus some other bibles?"
"Other scriptures, yeah."
"Aren't there conflicts?"
"We don't think so."
"I suppose not. So you know about Jonah and the whale?"
I picked up my Bible and looked at the index to chapters, got the page number of the Book of Jonah, and opened to that page, and read the chapter heading of the first chapter, and the first verse out loud.
"Oh. It does look the same, I guess."
"Your turn." I slid the Bible in front of her.
She read the second and third verses and stopped.
"So God tells Jonah to go preach in Nineveh, and Jonah basically runs away," she said, and pushed it back to me.
We traded reading verses through verse ten.
"It sure sounds," she paused for a thought. "Like God isn't letting Jonah run away."
"Making sure he rethinks things?"
"Why wouldn't Jonah tell the sailors why he was being punished?" she asked.
"God can make good things happen for us, but He doesn't force us to accept them."
"He?"
"Can we save that for another time?"
"Okay." She thought a bit more before smiling. "I think I like the idea, though. It feels more like I get to make my own decisions."
"I think that's exactly why we came to this world."
"Deep stuff." Sapphire looked at my books. "Bible, chemistry, calculus, electronics. No senior English?"
"I took that last year. Great teacher. Champion racquetball player."
"Champion racquetball player. I guess he's pretty tough."
"Yeah, Ms. Leeds is pretty tough. Like Ms. Hayley at Hood, she emphasized the mathematical aspects of language."
"Oh. Women's racquetball."
"Yep. Pretty cool."
"You didn't like English in the seventh grade."
"Ms. Hayley got me interested when she taught parsing and diagramming in ninth grade."
"Math again." Sapphire chuckled quietly.
"Yeah. Not the constrained math of high school algebra, but still mathematical. And Ms. Leeds introduced us to contextual semantics, as well."
Sapphire leaned her head on my shoulder and laughed.
I checked out her books. "Early childhood psychology, civics, principles of English composition, anatomy for dancers."
"So I can ask you about my English when we have questions."
"Sure. And my mom can help, if I get stuck."
Mom turned and smiled and nodded.
"Do you have a big dictionary?"
I looked at the wall across the room behind us. "Two volume unabridged over there, with the encyclopedias."
"That's a lot of encyclopedias."
"Dad got a deal on some used sets."
Sapphire stood up. "Are those two dark navy volumes at the end of the shelf the dictionary?"
I stood up with her. "Yeah. Did you want to look something up?"
"You said something about 'understand'." We walked over to the low shelf, and she picked up the second volume of the dictionary.
"This is heavy." She opened it up and scanned pages
until coming to the entry for "understand".
Whether she meant for me to see or not, if I lusted, that would be my sin. And that is the war with sin.
"Took it last year."
She laughed. "As a junior. You used to hate English."
"You're the one who talked me into doing at least some of my homework. I discovered it was more interesting than I thought."
She paused, not sitting down. "Do you have a big dictionary?"
Mom volunteered, "There's the two-volume dictionary over there with the encyclopedias."
I want to get it, Sapphire went with me.
"Does it have etymologies?"
"Some." I picked up the two volumes, and we returned to the table.
"Dad has his etymology dictionary in his study," Mom said.
Dad had turned the living room in the south half of the house into his study.
"I'll go get it." I left.
When I got back, Sapphire had joined my mom in the sewing corner and they were talking. They looked up as I came through the kitchen door onto the stoop, and Sapphire said, "I guess I don't need the etymology dictionary after all. Your mom is really smart. Thank you Mrs. Reeves."
"We'll keep this dictionary handy, just in case." I set it on the table.
Sapphire returned to the table and we sat down and picked up our books. I dug into chemistry and she dug into English. When we both had a hand free, our free hands seemed to find each other.
When I had finished my review, I moved on to Calculus. Sapphire finished what she was working on for English and moved on to the psychology text.
After maybe another fifteen minutes, Mom turned her sewing machine off and put things away and said, "I'm finished for the night. Turn out the lights when you're done." And she left.
Twilight was falling outside.
Sapphire started humming one of Carly Simon's tunes.
I picked up toward the end of the second verse. "... when I was thinking about how right tonight might be."
Sapphire stopped, but I continued the chorus. "Anticipation, ..."
She was giving me a strange look, so I stopped.
"I'm not sure I like that song so much."
"Oh. Well. How about, 'Everybody, have you heard, she's gonna buy me a mockingbird.'?"
She rolled her eyes. "Something a little more cheerful?"
I thought a moment, then started singing a song from the LDS hymnbook.
"There is beauty all around, when there's love at home, there is joy in every sound, when there's love at home."
She let me finish the first verse.
"What is that song?
I went over to the piano, picked up the hymnbook, looked the song up in the index, and showed it to her.
"Do you play?" she asked.
I laughed. "One finger."
Linda Lee poked her head in the door. "Did I hear someone singing?"
"Linda Lee plays."
She came in and sat down, and we started singing, and pretty soon Annabelle and my parents had come in and we were all singing.
When we finished all three verses, dad was reaching for the hymnbook. "How about another?"
I looked at my watch. "I think we need to get back to studying."
Sapphire gave me a regretful smile, and said, "Yeah. Thanks everybody for coming in though. I hope we can do this more."
Mom said, "I think we can. Tomorrow, next week. We'd better get out of the way now, though." And they did.
We sat back down, and I finished my calculus and started the electronics material. Sapphire finished her early childhood psychology.
"Understand."
I looked up. "Mmmm?"
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean, ..."
*****
You gonna let me in on what it was?"
"I need to think about something first."
"I'm going to get to work."
Sapphire read in her text and took notes while I worked through the review parts in the chemistry text. Then I picked up the calculus text, and Sapphire said, "What is calculus?"
**** Talk about integrals and derivatives
**** Talk about not having datasheets,
**** When Mom finishes her sewing and leaves, we talk about dance partners having to be not excited by each other
"The really interesting stuff I don't have anything to work with, without data sheets from a microprocessor manufacturer. So I'll have to satisfy myself with calculus and chemistry and Old Testament."
"You're taking a Bible class?"
"Church -- early morning seminary, from 6:30 to 7:30. This year, we're studying the Old Testament."
(Anyway, let's just say that was what it was that year. I don't remember any more, and the internet search results are a little ambiguous.)
She raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"Some problems for calculus and chemistry, and preview for the electronics, and some reading in the Old Testament for Seminary."
(I don't know if I should point out again that Joe is a bit stronger and more coordinated than I was at that age. I could lift my sisters in a fireman's carry and give them piggy-back rides, but I was not able to lift any of them onto my shoulder. My nieces and nephews when they were under ten, sure, but even that was a few years later.)
*****
"You can look front now."
"Oh-kay." I did so, careful still, with our balance.
"Don't try to force me straight, but keep your hand on my left ankle."
I looked up, being careful not to move my head so far back that she would lose balance, and our eyes locked.
"We have to be able to communicate."
"I guess I'm not in a position to argue. But do we ask my sisters to go get our books so we can study this way the rest of the night?"
She laughed. "Coming down."
"I think you should climb down once."
"It's actually safer to drop, since we know you can catch me."
"Uhm, ..."
"But then again, I do want to practice climbing down, as well."
"Great."
"Put your hands on my legs, but look forward so your head isn't rocking the boat."
I did so.
"You aren't holding me in place."
"I don't have the leverage."
"Right. You're giving me points of reference, and maybe helping me keep my feet from slipping."
"Gotcha."
She did several careful pliés.
"Both hands on my left leg. I'm going to do some leg lifts."
I complied, and she lifted her right leg to a low angle.
"Don't push him too far," Ivette cautioned.
"I agree. This will be enough for now." She brought her right leg back down. "Other side."
I steadied her right leg this time as she lifted her left to a low angle and then brought it back to my shoulder.
"Give me a stirrup at shoulder level, left side."
I moved my hands into position, and she stepped into them on her right foot.
"Lower me gently."
And I did so, until she sat on my left shoulder again.
"Okay. We'll be able to work with this more later. Now lift me back up and I'm going to drop."
I did so, and she did, and I caught her cleanly, and she wrapped her arms around my shoulders and didn't let go.
"Nice. Just be careful," Ivette gave us her approval from behind.
Mr. Andrews and my eyes met over Sapphire's shoulder.
He shook his head and laughed. "Phi, you may have met your match. I don't suppose you'll want a ride home?"
She jumped out of my arms and gave her dad a hug before returning to take my hand again.
"Nine thirty. I promise, Dad."
"We're holding you both to it. Well, son, we'll have to take some time to talk later. I think it's time we let you two get to your other studies. Charly, should we leave something to talk about for next time?"
"I think so." Mrs. Andrews nodded and stood up, saying good night to my parents. She gave Jennifer back to Ivette, carefully, so as not to wake her again, and joined us at the sidewalk.
"I do need to go, so I'll say good night here." Ivette gave Sapphire's parents and sister one-armed side hugs, then turned to give me a sober look and a hug. She handed Jennifer to me, then took Sapphire in her arms for a big, welcoming hug. "So nice to finally get to meet you," she said, before dropping her voice to less than a whisper. "Just be careful about how you exercise your power over my brother."
Sapphire nodded. "Understood." Also less than a whisper.
And they gave each other another hug before Ivette turned back to me.
I gave Jennifer, who was now waking up, back to her, and she loaded her into the car carrier in her car, speaking soothing words and stroking her head gently. Then she got in the driver's seat and waved another good night out the driver's window as she left.
"I could get a ride home with Joey and Phi?" Lisa asked, in mock petulance.
"Nope." Sapphire's tone was gentle, but firm, and they both grinned at Lisa's not-quite-joke.
Both their parents chuckled pleasantly.
And Sapphire's family bid us all good night as well, and left.
"It was nice to see your dad and your mom again, Sapphire," Dad said as we went inside.
"You know them?"
"They were my students at the college the year they were dating. Bob thought Joe might be my boy, but they weren't sure until they saw us here."
"Oh."
"The big table in the den is open," Mom suggested. "Or the kitchen table, if the coffee table is too low. But I'm going to be working on some sewing."
"On the sewing machine beside the big table?" Sapphire asked.
"Yeah."
Mom's sewing corner was the corner under the kitchen window into the den.
"Big table would give us lots of room for books," I suggested.
We moved our books into the den, and my sisters and Dad went back to their business, and Mom got our her sewing basket.
"Whacha got?" Sapphire asked me.
I showed her my textbooks. "Some problems for calculus and chemistry, and preview for the electronics, and some reading in the Old Testament for Seminary."
(I don't know if I should point out again that Joe is a bit stronger and more coordinated than I was at that age. I could lift my sisters in a fireman's carry and give them piggy-back rides, but I was not able to lift any of them onto my shoulder. My nieces and nephews when they were under ten, sure, but even that was a few years later.)
Before Ivette leaves, she tells Sapphire to be careful not to waste her power over Joe.
Dad taught Mr. Andrews Spanish
Sapphire sings something like "born between two parents is the usual rule, loving both of them can be hard", comments on her mother's worries and her dad's laid-back approach?
Dolly Parton's lyrics, and love doesn't have to mean sex
**** break it somewhere around here, studying is part two or something
Studying together,
chem, calc, electronics
government
Asperger and early childhood education
Now comes the hard part.
Does a successful first date make a relationship harder?
What first date. We've never had a first date.
**********
Sapphire had me stand behind her.
And she showed me where to put my hands.
I felt uncomfortable about where my hands were.
"Is this really okay?"
"This is dance. If you don't put your hands there, you're going to hurt me."
I looked at Ivette for help.
"Trust her."
I appealed to Mom and Dad. Dad said, "She's trusting you. Trust yourself, too. If you can't focus on the mechanics of dance, it will hurt her."
So I cleared my mind of the usual concerns, put my hands back on her rib cage, and focused on her rib cage.
"Too much pressure on my ribs. When I jump, push up, not in."
I eased up, and she bent her knees and jumped. But I was completely out of sync and unable to do anything without catching her under her armpits, so I tried to push up just enough to soften her landing.
"Sorry."
"Late start, but then it felt like you figured it out. Let's try again. One, two, ..."
This time I timed my plied to match hers, got far enough down to get leverage, and was able to extend the reach of her jump by a foot.
Ivette said, "You're getting it. In this lift, you won't be holding her up as much as giving her a bit of a boost and more air time, and slowing her descent. Can I take a turn, Sapphire?"
Sapphire and Ivette traded places. And I focused on Ivette's rib cage and we tried it. I was able to get the rhythm enough to get her waist up even with my shoulders.
just as a car pulled up to the curb in front of the house.
I had passed six feet in sixth grade, but my growth slowed in junior high, and I had somewhat towered above her then. But now she was tall enough to see over my shoulders. But my angle to her waist still was down if I stood naturally, and I wasn't getting much leverage, even imaging the inside muscles pulling and the triceps lax.
"And whose baby is this?" Mrs. Andrews asked.
What am I forgetting in here? Ah. Parents and sisters watching. Shoes for back yard. Partial lift. study. then front yard for full lift in twilight and Sapphires' parents and Lisa show up.
*************
-------things to maybe include---------
Sapphire walks to Joe's because her mom raises a fuss about that Mormon boy?
and found Sapphire talking to my Mom on the living room couch.
"Hi. I hope you don't mind my being early."
"No problem. Hang on a bit, though. Gotta put this away."
Sapphire excused herself and followed me to the hall.
"When I told my mom you'd be coming to pick me up, she threw a fit about 'that Mormon boy'. So I just grabbed my books and left."
"Oh. You mind if I'm still stinky from the route?"
Mom tilted her head, "'kay."
Sapphire followed me.
""
Mom and Sapphire
I sit down in the big chair, Sapphire gives me a look, Mom says it's okay, just your Maw and your girlfriend. I stay in the big chair, and Sapphire folds and starts to explain. Mom motions me to sit between part way through. "Don't treat her like a guy."
Thorns and stickers and the front yard,
Sapphires parents and little sister drive up while Sapphire is on my shoulder.
She looked out at the back yard, still lit by the late summer sun. "If we put our shoes on and stayed away from that tree would we be okay?"
"Maybe. We can check the ground first."
We all went for shoes, and Annabelle and Linda Lee volunteered to spot. Mom and Dad carried Jennifer out on the porch with them, being careful not to wake her.
We checked the ground in the area between the patio and the defunct rock fountain, and Ivette and Annabelle and Linda Lee took positions around us to spot.
Sapphire had me stand behind her.
And she showed me where to put my hands.
I felt uncomfortable about how close my hands were to her breasts.
"Is this really okay?"
"This is dance. If you don't put your hands there, you're going to hurt me."
I looked at Ivette for help.
"Trust her."
I appealed to Mom and Dad. Dad said, "She's trusting you. Trust yourself, too. If you can't focus on the mechanics of dance, it will hurt her."
So I cleared my mind of the usual concerns, put my hands back on her rib cage, and focused on her rib cage.
"Too much pressure on my ribs. When I jump, push up, not in."
I eased up, and she bent her knees and jumped. But I was completely out of sync and unable to do anything without catching her under her armpits, so I tried to push up just enough to soften her landing.
"Sorry."
"Late start, but then it felt like you figured it out. Let's try again. One, two, ..."
This time I timed my plié to match hers, got far enough down to get leverage, and was able to extend the reach of her jump by a foot.
Ivette said, "You're getting it. In this lift, you won't be holding her up as much as giving her a bit of a boost and more air time, and slowing her descent. Can I take a turn, Sapphire?"
Sapphire and Ivette traded places. And I focused on Ivette's rib cage and we tried it. I was able to get the rhythm enough to get her waist up even with my shoulders.
"Take good care of my friend, Tussa."
"Be careful with my friend, Sapphire."
Sapphire reached out from behind me and grabbed my hand, squeezing it. "I'll take good care of your friend, Joey."
Rick said, a little quietly, "Why does that worry me?"
I raised my hand for a hand clasp, and his expression shifted. He gripped my hand firmly. "Adventure." He grinned.
Coach Michaels joined us somewhere along about there, only observing, letting Sapphire run the practice.
Sapphire announced, "Three minutes to finish stretching, then let's warm up. Let the new guys see what you're doing, but you new guys, you're not expected to keep up."
Sapphire leaned close to me and said in a low voice. "You didn't really think I didn't know you like to dance?"
I leaned down until our heads touched and replied, as quietly, "I look forward to hearing more about what I don't know."
She laughed and tickled me.
"Abuse!" I said in mock distress.
"You wish." She slapped my backside. "Get over there."
"I'm going, I'm going."
Hec raised his hand to his face and Cyndy laughed.
Rick just shook his head. "Take it easy with my friend, Sapphire."
"He'll survive."
----------------
At the end,
----------------
"Struggling?"
"Sorry to be so clumsy."
"Nothing to worry about. I think you've got talent for this. How about you, Hector?"
"Same here."
"I think you'll do fine. How about you, Joe?"
"I'm having fun."
"You're going to need some real work. You'll be practicing with Phire every night?"
I blinked at Sapphire. "I smell a plot," I deadpanned.
She blinked at me in feigned innocence. "Not me!"
Rick shook his head. "No PDA, guys."
She giggled. "You've got to get back for your route, Joey."
Hec, and Cyndy stuck around to finish cooling down, but Rick, Sapphire, and I left.
"Phire?" I asked.
"Yeah?"
"You need to go to your house before you come over?"
"Yeah, I need to tell Mom."
"So you should ride with us," Rick pointed out.
"I was hoping I could."
"You can ride in front, but those are bucket seats."
She gave him a dirty look.
"I'll get to meet your mom," I said.
"I think it's fair."
Her mom seemed friendly enough.
"Two guys! Going from no dating for two years to bringing two guys home. I'm worried."
But her mom was grinning when she said that.
I called my mom and Sapphire got on their extension.
"Okay, I'll call my mom and warn her."
We went to the pay phones near the front office, and I called my mom.
"Mom, you remember me talking about Sapphire?"
"Sure do."
"She wants to come over and study tonight."
"Nothing fancy for dinner or home evening, but she can join us."
"And she's recruiting me for the cheer dance team after school."
"Will you be back in time to deliver your newspapers?"
"I'll make sure of it."
"Good. See you when you get here."
******junk below*******
"You want me to go with her group?"
"Could you?"
I turned back to Sapphire with she wrinkled her nose at me. "You remember Theresa."
"Yeah."
"One of the many girls you have a crush on, isn't she?"
Sapphire smirked.
"Hey Tussa, you think you can take this big lug under your wing today?"
Theresa turned. "Joe?" She gave me a sly grin and a wink. "Hi, Joe. I think I can do that. And welcome to the righteous school."
"Hi, Tussa. I guess I'm joining your group today."
"Take good care of my baby."
I turned back to Sapphire. "Baby?" I mouthed. She just crinkled her nose up again and grinned in reply.
"Get on over here, Joe. I'll take real good care of you."
Sapphire gave me a swat on the backside.
I tucked the muscles there and moved. "I'm going. I'm going."
"Sapph! PDA!" Ms. Michaels chastised, jocularly.
Sapphire, Tussa, and a couple of the girls around snickered as I joined Tussa's group. Sapphire gave me an encouraging grin.
"We start by stretching whatever needs to be stretched," Tussa explained. "Easy stretches only, don't want to tear anything.
"Okay." I stood puzzling for a few moments, looking around and trying to make sense of what the girls were doing.
Tussa said, "Try this. Right foot in front, let your left knee bend, keep your torso up, and feel some stretch in your hamstrings."
"Hamstrings?"
She patted the back of my left leg.
"Uhm, yeah, I guess I'm feeling some stretch there."
I looked over and saw Sapphire going through something similar with Rick.
"Focus."
"Right." I looked back at my feet.
"Now flex your forward foot."
I lifted my right forefoot.
"Not too much. You should feel some stretch in your Achilles and your calf, here, and here." Again, she patted my muscles. "How much can you flex before it hurts?"
I flexed my foot a little farther. "Doesn't exactly hurt, but that seems to be all it bends."
"Good. Now try the other foot."
I switched legs and gave the hamstrings a try.
"Okay, stretching here?" She patted the back of my right leg.
"Yeah, I guess."
"Flex it. But not to fast."
I put my left forefoot back down and flexed again, a little slower, and she checked my muscles again.
"Good. Now try this."
She sat on the ground with her right leg stretched out and her left tucked in, but not under. "This is the modified hurdle."
I followed her.
"Bend over the bent knee, keep your back straight. Good. Now over the extended leg. See if you can touch your toes.
I was just able to reach my right toes with my foot flexed.
"You're pushing too hard, ease up." She got up and checked my back muscles. "See how straight you can keep your back."
I complied. "How's that?"
"You tell me."
"Uhm, I can feel some stretch, but it doesn't hurt."
"Okay, other leg."
I swapped legs and stretched, with Tussa demonstrating first, then checking my muscles.
She stood. "Let's try one more thing before we start working out." She put her left leg back and right leg forward and stood with her upper body straight, facing over her right leg.
I copied her.
"Now," she bent over her right leg and touched the ground with her hands.
When I started to copy her, she stood up and put her hands on my waste, guiding me.
"Keep the back straight as far as you can without hurting things. Woops. Your hips are slipping sideways."
She put her hands on my waist, gently pressing the left hip. "Line that up with your upper body, and get your shoulders perpendicular to the line of your feet." Now she straightened my shoulders. "Good enough. How far over can you get?"
I bent over and touched the ground.
"Great. Now the other side."
She demonstrated again, and I noticed that several of the girls were watching and copying, with others of the group helping them.
"Lots of beginners with us this year," she said with her hands on the ground, as I stretched over my left leg. "Everybody's doing just fine. Now, I'm going to show you something, but don't do it yet."
She walked her hands to her right, bringing her body around perpendicular to her legs. "What do you think?"
I copied her.
"If it feels like it's going to tear, stop."
"I'm fine, I think."
"Hold that a moment. Merri, no full hurdles."
I blinked and looked at her, but she wasn't talking to me, now. She was looking at the girl I knew from church, Merralea, who was stretching by herself on the ground with one leg out and the other tucked under instead of in front, bending forward over her tucked knee.
"Sorry." Merralea pushed herself up with her hands, slipped her tucked leg forward and continued her stretches.
Tussa nodded. "I'm not the one getting hurt."
"I know, I just forget."
" 'sokay. But we don't want to give Joe a bad example, either."
"Sorry Joe."
"I'm okay. I just learned something I probably shouldn't do."
Tussa looked at me approvingly. Then she chuckled wryly. "And I've just left you there. Sorry."
"I'm fine. Thought I'd take a nap."
"Ooohh, Sapphire, this baby of yours is sassy."
"Quit flirting with my teammates, Joey."
"Whaddid I do?"
Tussa and Sapphire laughed and I chuckled.
Rick looked up and gave me a doubtful look from the modified hurdle he was doing.
"Wrap up the stretches, girls -- guys, too." Sapphire announced. "Then we'll get started with some easy warm-ups."
"Girls," Ms. Michaels stopped and gave a quick laugh. "And guys. Let's do a little standing work.
We all stood, in irregular formation, facing Ms. Michaels.
"We're going to start with basics. You who have been through this, check that you're doing it right, and help our new recruits. All of them, not just the guys."
"Not that way, this way." Tussa demonstrated, and I tried to copy her.
"Ehr yeah, close enough," she said. "Other side."
I shifted to stretch the other side. "We'll need to work on that, but good enough for now. Try this."
She moved her back leg back some more, bent over her forward knee, and touched the ground with her hands. I copied that, sort-of, with help from her hands-on guidance.
"Good enough for now. Other side. Easy"
She repeated to the other side, and helped me keep my legs and upper body in line
me through it. Then she walked her upper body around with her hands, letting her hips and legs rotate, until she was
stood with her legs spread, and I copied that. Then she bent over, touching the ground with her hands, and I copied that.
"Try that on the other side."
And I did.
"Now, let's try bending forward with your legs spread."
And I did that.
"Hold that a moment. Merri, no full hurdles."
I blinked and looked at her, but she wasn't talking to me. She was looking at the girl I knew from church, Merralea, who was sitting on the ground with one leg tucked under and the other out, bending forward over her folded knee.
"Sorry." Merralea sat straight up, slipped her tucked leg forward and continued her stretches.
Tussa nodded. "I'm not the one getting hurt."
"I know, I just forget."
" 'sokay. But we don't want to give Joe a bad example, either."
"Sorry Joe."
"I'm okay. I just learned something."
Tussa looked at me approvingly. Then her mouth opened in surprise. "And I've just left you there. Sorry."
"I'm fine. Thought I'd take a nap."
"Ooohh, Sapphire, this baby of yours is sassy."
"Quit flirting with my teammates, Joey."
"Whaddid I do?"
Tussa and Sapphire laughed and I chuckled.
Rick looked up and gave me a doubtful look from the modified hurdle he was doing.
"Give the stretches another half a minute, girls -- guys, too." Sapphire announced. "Then we'll get started with some easy warm-ups."
"How about a modified hurdle for you, too, Joe?" Tussa suggested.
So I gave that a try, both directions.
All the girls stood up as they finished their stretches, spread out in loose in semicircular rows, with Sapphire, Cyndy, and Tussa , and Hec, Rick, and I also finished ours and stood, finding places for ourselves among them.
Adrenalin and endorphins were flooding my brain and making me confused.
I grinned back. "I'll try to survive."
Theresa laughed, Sapphire chuckled, and Cyndy cracked up.
Rick and I exchanged fist bumps again, and I joined Theresa's group.
Coach Michaels joined us somewhere along about there, observing, letting Sapphire run the practice.
Sapphire announced, "Three minutes to finish stretching, then let's warm up. Let the new guys see what you're doing, but you new guys, you're not expected to keep up."
I nodded. "Of course." and lowered my voice. "She's one of the girls I used to sometimes have a crush on."
"I know. Hey Tussa, you think you can take this big lug under your wing for a few days?"
She turned and grinned. "Joe?" She gave me a sly grin and a wink. "Hello, Joe. Welcome to the righteous school."
"Hi, Tussa. I guess I'm joining your group today?"
"Tussa, you take good care of my baby, okay?"
I turned back to Sapphire. "Baby?" I mouthed. She just crinkled her nose up again and grinned in reply.
Theresa gave me a sly grin and a wink. "Sure. Real good care."
Adrenalin and endorphins were flooding my brain and making me confused.
I grinned back. "I'll try to survive."
Theresa laughed, Sapphire chuckled, and Cyndy cracked up.
Rick and I exchanged fist bumps again, and I joined Theresa's group.
I was a little surprised, of course, but it kind of made sense.
I nodded. "I guess."
"Tussa, you take good care of my guy, okay?"
Tussa turned around and gave me a sly grin and a wink. "Sure. Real good care."
Adrenalin took over and I grinned back. "I'll try to survive."
She laughed, and I heard Sapphire and Cyndy cracking up behind me.
I exchanged glances with Rick. He was looking a little unsteady.
"Don't make Phi work too hard," I said, not quite conscious of what I was saying.
Sapphire reached out from behind me and grabbed my hand, squeezing it. "I'll take good care of your friend, Joey."
Rick said, a little quietly, "Why does that worry me?"
I raised my hand for a hand clasp, and his expression shifted. He gripped my hand firmly. "Adventure." He grinned.
Coach Michaels joined us somewhere along about there, only observing, letting Sapphire run the practice.
Sapphire announced, "Three minutes to finish stretching, then let's warm up. Let the new guys see what you're doing, but you new guys, you're not expected to keep up."
Sapphire leaned close to me and said in a low voice. "You didn't really think I didn't know you like to dance?"
I leaned down until our heads touched and replied, as quietly, "I look forward to hearing more about what I don't know."
She laughed and tickled me.
"Abuse!" I said in mock distress.
"You wish." She slapped my backside. "Get over there."
"I'm going, I'm going."
Hec raised his hand to his face and Cyndy laughed.
Rick just shook his head. "Take it easy with my friend, Sapphire."
"He'll survive."
"Start with
Lose yourself to dance
*************
When I walked in the door of the typing lab, Sapphire was sitting on the front row. All the desks around her were occupied except the one next to her, with a book on it, and the one next to that, with a pile of books.
She saw me and waved a finger wave at me.
"Hi, Joey."
I waved back. "Hi, Sapphire."
I started to turn to the back, but she gave me a reproving smile and pointed to the desk next to her. So I walked over and hesitated.
"So are you going to just stand there?"
"Isn't Cyndy sitting here?"
She crinkled her smile and pointed to the pile of books on the next desk. I recognized Cyndy's notebook.
When we got to the field where the team was gathering, Sapphire took charge of the group. Cyndy and another girl helped her.
In the team workout, we spent five minutes stretching out, then Rick and Hec and I had fun trading banter and stumbling around like zombies while the girls on the team tried to show us how to do first, second, and third position plié, how to walk in triplet, and how to do rond de jambe a terre for about ten minutes. Then we tried to keep up while they worked through their routines for ten.
While the team did cool-down exercises, their coach, Ms. Michaels, talked with Rick and Hec and me.
"Struggling?"
"Sorry to be so clumsy."
"Nothing to worry about. I think you've got talent for this. How about you, Hector?"
"Same here."
"I think you'll do fine. How about you, Joe?"
"I'm having fun."
"You're going to need some real work. You'll be practicing with Phire every night?"
I blinked at Sapphire. "I smell a plot," I deadpanned.
She blinked at me in feigned innocence. "Not me!"
Rick shook his head. "No PDA, guys."
She giggled. "You've got to get back for your route, Joey."
Hec, and Cyndy stuck around to finish cooling down, but Rick, Sapphire, and I left.
"Phire?" I asked.
"Yeah?"
"You need to go to your house before you come over?"
"Yeah, I need to tell Mom."
"So you should ride with us," Rick pointed out.
"I was hoping I could."
"You can ride in front, but those are bucket seats."
She gave him a dirty look.
"I'll get to meet your mom," I said.
"I think it's fair."
Her mom seemed friendly enough.
"Two guys! Going from no dating for two years to bringing two guys home. I'm worried."
But her mom was grinning when she said that.
I called my mom and Sapphire got on their extension.
"Okay, I'll call my mom and warn her."
We went to the pay phones near the front office, and I called my mom.
"Mom, you remember me talking about Sapphire?"
"Sure do."
"She wants to come over and study tonight."
"Nothing fancy for dinner or home evening, but she can join us."
"And she's recruiting me for the cheer dance team after school."
"Will you be back in time to deliver your newspapers?"
"I'll make sure of it."
"Good. See you when you get here."
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Copyright 2025, 2026, Joel Matthew Rees
