Chapter 1

Stephanie (Stef) Powers’ family lived five houses up from us. Had since my folks had moved into the neighborhood in 1950. The area was new then. I joined the family Danson ten years later. And, so did Stephanie join the Powers’ family. We both attended Emanuel Solis School from kindergarten all the way through high school graduation in 1968.

And, until we started high school, well, from sixth through the eighth grade, we were boyfriend-girlfriend. But, then, when we started the ninth grade, she dumped me. Oh, she was nice about it. Said we would remain friends no matter what. But the bottom line was, well, I was history—mostly.

“Jack, I am not dumping you, not like you mean. We’re just going to be experimenting and spreading our wings a little. Like I said, we’ll still be friends. Okay! Jack we’re only fourteen-years-old. We’re not married for goodness sakes! I mean really,” she said.

“Okay, I guess you’re right. And sure, we can still be friends. I misspoke before,” I said.

“Well, good,” she said. “Anyway, we’ve got to get to class,” she said. I nodded and we headed off to our classes only two of which we had in common: English and Biology and they happened to be the first two.

“So, did you break it to him?” said Melanie Pierce.

“Yes, and he didn’t take it too badly. I mean he wasn’t happy, but we’re still tight, I guess,” said Stephanie.

“Hmm, well good,” said Melanie. “Maybe he’ll still help you out with your school work.”

“Yes, well that’s the hope. He’s a genius and I’m, well, not,” said Stephanie. “I’ll probably still have to hang with him now and again to keep him happy, but at the least I’ll be able to hang with other guys too. He gets that. Still, rubbing his nose in it would not be too useful,” she said.

“Hmm, that’s for sure,” said Melanie. “And, Jack is a great guy any way you cut it.”

“yes,” said Stephanie.

First period was gonna be English, Ms. Randall. Bad news she had it too, Stephanie. And she was sitting in the front, with Donald, Donald Miller. We knew him. He’d been with us in the eighth grade; he’d transferred in in the middle of the year. He sure had grown over the summer; and no, I had not. He had to be five-nine or ten. Me, I topped out at five-four. I wasn’t the shortest guy in the new frosh class, but I was among ‘em. I took a seat in the back. I’d be able to escape before she could catch up with me and embarrass us both, me mostly.

And I did, escape that is. And then I bumped into, in the hall, Andrew, my bud since second grade.

“Who do you got next?” he said.

“Michelson, Biology,” I said. “You?”

“Baldwin, Math,” he said. “Hear we’re hitting the ground running in Bio.”

“Huh?” I said.

“Yeah, we’re gonna be introduced as to how to cut up dead things,” he said.

“Damn, I’m gonna hate that,” I said.

“Not me, I’m gonna love it,” said Andrew.

“Hmm, maybe I can get sick and go home early,” I said. Andrew laughed.

“Fat chance,” he said.

“Well, one can dream,” I said. He waved his goodbye and we headed off to our respective challenges.

I knew Stephanie was in Bio with me too. I wondered how she was going to do. Maybe she could save me from the creepy crawlies. No, she’d be saving Donald if she was gonna be saving anybody. I was pretty sure of that. But the bottom line was I was the genius in that little triad; she’d be coming to me regardless.

I tried not to stare at the two of them as they came into the classroom at the same time. Just like in English, the two of them were up at the front, tables not desks in this class, and I was in the back behind a really tall guy I didn’t know in the fourth row. I wanted to not see or be seen. But I was just delaying the inevitable.

I need to mention here that the Donald had made the junior varsity football team. And, he’d be scoring the winning touchdowns more than once as the season progressed; I was sure of that.

And then it was two weeks later, and it was Biology, which hadn’t turned out to be as bad I’d thought it would be.

Class ended and I headed out without trying to seem in a hurry.

“Jack,” she said pulling on the sleeve of my Pendleton.

“Stef, didn’t see you,” I said, lying in my teeth.

“Hmm, yes,” she said, clearly seeing through my ploy.

“What can I do for you?” I said.

“Well, for one thing, you can stop dodging me,” she said. I could feel my face turn a deep shade of crimson.

“I wasn’t...” I started.

“Jack, I know it must be kinda hard you seeing me in class with Donald. Jack he’s a good guy, just like you. Cut me some slack here okay. And, you need to hang with some girls and have some fun too. Okay?” she said. I nodded, but not too enthusiastically. She frowned.

“Yeah sure,” I said.

“But Jack, I need a favor,” she said.

“A favor?” I said.

“Yes,” she said. “I need a little help in Biology. Could you? Would you?”

“Uh, sure,” I said. “Anything for you. You know that.”

“The bio-project. I know it’s not due till end of quarter, but well, you know...”

“Okay, when? We’ll need to get together,” I said.

“Maybe tonight?” she said. “At my house?” I raised an eyebrow at that. Her house is where she and I had made out five nights a week back when we were both in the eighth grade.

“Sure,” I said. “Seven o’clock?”

“That’d be good,” she said. She smiled and touched my cheek. The woman could always enslave me with that smile, that touch, especially the touch, her touch. This time was no exception. I knew I’d be doing most of the work, but for her? Anything!

And I did help her, and she did do well on her project—got a B+. For the record I got an A+, uh, as usual. “Oh, and Donald? He got a C-. Oh, and he did score winning touchdowns, and he had for sure become mister big man among us lower classmen.

Then I got the biggest surprise of my so far uneventful high school career. The love of my life, Stephanie Powers, invited me to be her date for homecoming! I couldn’t believe it, and I couldn’t say yes fast enough. Was I happy; hell yes I was!

And then it was the last Saturday in October and my mom and I picked up the most beautiful girl in the world and took us to school. The homecoming dance? It was the second most important school social event of the year, second only to the prom. It was being held in the school auditorium.

“Gosh your pretty tonight,” I said. And, yes, I was trying to make points with her. Her smile made me think that I was succeeding.

“Thank you, Mister Handsome,” she said, as I led her, for the third time, out onto the dance floor, which was also the basketball court during season.

We were once again sitting at one of the four person folding tables that surrounded the dance floor. We’d been doing good, and it was still early. But I had a question, maybe more than one. I knew better than to ask Stephanie. But my bud, Andrew, half of the other couple at our table, was another matter; he was with Melanie Pierce, the second prettiest girl in the place, well, as far as I was concerned. Our two women were currently in the bathroom.

“So,” said Andrew. “She decided to let you take her tonight.”

“Yes, and I don’t know why. I mean she’s not been around for me much since school started. Well, except for school stuff,” I said. He gave me a look.

“Andrew?” I said, pinning him.

“You don’t know? Haven’t heard?” he said.

“No, I mean no,” I said.

“She caught him and Melanie, yeah my date tonight, making out. Stef kicked him to the curb. I hear he actually begged her to forgive him; but she all but spit in his face,” said Andrew.

“So, I’m just a fill in?” I said.

“Hmm, I don’t know if I’d go that far. I mean she does like you and for sure owes you. And in case you really are out of the loop, so does Donald,” said Andrew.

“Huh?” I said.

“You help her with Bio and Math, and she helps him using the stuff you help her with to keep him from failing virtually every core subject,” he said. “Oh, but he did get an A in PE.”

“Fuck!” I said. “So, I’m just a mercy date?”

“No, no, like I said. She does like you, as well as owe you. No, you may be second line, but a mercy date? I wouldn’t got that far,” he said. Just then the girls returned. But there was one difference. Donald was with them.

“Guys, I asked Donald to join us, okay?” said Stephanie. But when she said what she said she was looking at me. I nodded and the others nodded. But I said nothing. I knew the score. That was one thing that didn’t take any genius IQ.

“Hi everybody,” he said, in his most engaging manner. His smile was almost winsome. I could imagine his conversation with Stephanie, short though it obviously had been, had been more than successful.

The interloper found a chair and pulled it up and joined us. Oh, and he sat just to the right of my date. I was on her left.

Over the next two hours plus I got exactly one more dance with my date, as Donald kind of pirated her from me, and it was the last dance of the night. We danced and I didn’t say anything negative as per my being neglected for the largest part of our so-called date. Mom picked us up right at 10:30, the agreed upon time, and we rode home. I got a kiss on the cheek from my girl, and a sweet goodnight wish, but that was it. Socially there would never again be an us per Stephanie and me in high school; my humiliation had been that total.

I say socially because she did ask me any number of times for help in her school work, and I acquiesced each and every time.

She did try to kiss me on the cheek a couple of times during those next three years, but I backed away each time. She just smirked each time. Her way of saying that she knew she could have me anytime she wanted in spite of what she for sure understood were my feelings per how she’d done me at that one homecoming dance. Yeah, I’m certain that that was her thinking, but her thinking was oh so not accurate. But it would be a good while before she came to realize just how in error that her thinking in fact was.

And then we graduated. We graduated and I had a decision to make. I had full ride scholarships for the taking to Wharton and Yale in Business Administration. But school had not been my friend. It had rather been little more than a vehicle for my humiliation, well at least socially. The good news? I was no longer five-four. No indeed. I ended up topping out at five-foot-six. Oh and ... I had a ninety-nine ASVAB, but the Army wasn’t going to be my thing. Nope, I opted for junior college with an emphasis in Criminal Justice. I was going to be a cop; well, in two more years.

At any rate, I was five-six as stated, one-fifty-five, eighteen-years-old; and, living at home with my mom. Oh, and no girlfriend. Stephanie still lived at home too, five houses up the street. I knew, had heard, that she was enrolled in beauty school. But she and I had not shared one word between us since graduation. And yes, I still loved her, and I mean loved, not just lusted after. But it was clear to me that she needed something more than I was ever likely to be able to supply. More’s the pity.