Tish never thought that this Monday would be so different. Who liked Mondays anyway? First day of a new school week. What was so great about that? A new week of boring teachers who foolishly convinced themselves that their eleventh graders actually enjoyed listening to their blabber. Except Mr. Hill, the sociology teacher. He was the best in anybody’s book. He not only made his subject truly interesting but talked to them frequently about things in real life. Things they could identify with such as their parents, fighting, dating, sex, a teen’s bedroom, technology, you name it. And the class could ask him questions. Of course, he had to answer carefully and he did. Subject matter came first. But there was always that five or ten minute space after the class had completed its assignment and turned papers in. That’s when he’d talk to them. Gently, caringly, but always professionally.
“I can’t believe my eyes!” a squinting Tish told Wanda, her best friend and classmate, when they were on the morning break.
“What’s his name?” Wanda asked.
“I don’t know, Honey, but I don’t plan to leave this prison today until I find out!”
“He looks like an actor. I mean, he’s just perfect,” Wanda added.
“He’s here for me. I just know he is,” Tish said.
“Hey, let’s go ask Marla.”
The girls made their way toward the Admissions Office. Marla was the school’s admissions officer.
She enjoyed her job very much and was one of the friendliest staff members the school had.
“Hi Marla,” Tish said, opening the office door.
“Hi Dear. Hi Wanda. Nice to see you girls. I’m a bit busy at the moment. If you want to come back in about half an hour…”
“Don’t worry, Marla,” Tish said. “It won’t even take a second. I just need to know his name. The new boy.”
“With the eye patch,” Marla said.
“Yeah,” Tish smiled. “That one.”
“His name’s Kevin. Kevin Thorpe. He’s English.”
“English? He’s a doll!” Tish said. “See ya later.”
“Wow, we know his name!” Tish said.
“Now what?” asked Wanda.
“Now we figure out a way to say hi to him. We have to walk close to him in the lunchroom or in the halls,” Tish said.
“Maybe if we keep looking at him a lot he’ll look back,” Wanda said.
“Honey we’re gonna look at him and everything else. I just have to speak to him by the end of the day. I have too!” Tish said.
“What if he’s gay?” Wanda asked.
Tish looked at her friend. Murder was clearly dominant in each eye.
“Now does he look gay?” Tish said. “Don’t go spoiling everything, Wanda. Just keep quiet. I’ll handle everything.”
“It’s your baby,” Wanda said.
The two juniors practically came within a centimeter of running right into Kevin as they turned the hall corner. He noticed the split second of fright on their faces.
“Oh, hi girls,” he smiled. “Sorry here. I’ll close this now.”
“Hi. Uh, I’m Tish!”
“Hi, I’m Wanda.”
“Great! Kevin here. Nice to meet you.”
“Is this your locker? So far from the classrooms?” Tish asked.
“Afraid it is. They said all the others were taken.”
What a smile! Tish thought. And what a Monday!
Forget it, Wanda thought. When Tish gets a new boy on her mind…
Kevin smiled again. “I guess we’d better go to class,” he said.
Tish laughed funny like and looked at Wanda.
“Yeah, I guess we’d better,” she said. As they walked, chatted and giggled over little nothings, Tish was thinking of all the plans she had to make. And such progress! She estimated that she was already somewhere between steps 3 and 4 as far as snaring Kevin was concerned. After having had 5 or 6 boyfriends in her life, was she becoming a pro?
THE END
