Chapter 24

Monday rolled around again, and as I walked to my locker to start the day I wondered what it would bring. I was just about to close my locker when a hand settled on my hip. I turned to see Missy standing there looking around nervously.

"Hey good lookin'," I said, closing the locker and spinning the lock. "What's up?"

Missy smiled. "Hi, John." She was still a little nervous about something.

"What's the matter, honey?" I asked quietly.

"I, um," she started and then she stopped, took a deep breath and started again. "I want to walk to class with you."

"That's great," I said smiling and turning toward our class.

Missy tugged on my belt loop. "No," she said firmly. "I want to walk with you to class like you did with Olivia last week. You know, hands in each other's pockets."

I turned back toward her, smiling. "Okay, which alien are you and what did you do with Melissa Ann Harmon?"

Missy blushed bright pink. "Please, John, don't tease me. This is hard enough for me as it is. Ever since our talk at the Outlook last week, I've been thinking about what you said. I really, really want to do things with you," she whispered, "but this is all so new to me.

I kissed her lightly, instantly contrite. "I'm sorry, honey. It would be my pleasure to walk with you." I slid my hand into her pocket, sighing. Missy flinched a little when I squeezed lightly, but she put her hand in my pocket and we headed to class, bumping hips with every stride.

Missy was still blushing when we reached Mr. Hayes' classroom. She pulled her hand out of my pocket and nudged me toward the wall beside the door.

"Oh, my god," she whispered. "I had no idea something like that could feel so good."

I kissed her nose and pushed her into the classroom as the bell rang.

"I'm so glad you two decided to join us," Mr. Hayes exclaimed with light sarcasm, closing the door behind us. "Perhaps you would care to read the first part of today's poem, Mr. Robinson," he added as we sat down. I nodded and opened my book.

"Hey, Bobby," I called as I reached the cafeteria. He stopped and turned toward me. "Tell the gang that I'm not blowing them off, but I'm going to be sitting somewhere else today."

"Going to the mountain, Mohammad?"

"Something like that," I replied, smiling, knowing that Bobby knew the score.

I could feel the nerves in my stomach tighten as I approached Missy. Jackie looked up, her eyes widening as she saw me. "Mind if I sit?" I asked when I reached the table.

Missy looked up and smiled. She pushed her purse and books out of the way, and I sat down. Jackie shot Missy a nervous frown.

"How are you, Jackie?" I asked after I kissed Missy.

"I'm doing great, lover boy, thanks, but I'm really not sure this is a good idea, John," Jackie said nodding toward where Gail stood in the food line.

Missy grabbed my hand and held it on the table between us. "John is my boyfriend, Jackie. You and Gail both told me that I should be spending more time with him when we were dating last year."

"I know, Missy," Jackie replied. "But after the Olivia fiasco, do you..."

"Hello, asshole," Gail said, placing her tray on the table, sitting opposite Missy, and giving me an icy stare.

"Knock it off, Gail," Missy said firmly. "I want John to get to know my friends and spend time with us. Maybe after you get to know him better, you'll understand that he did the right thing."

"Yeah, fine, great," Gail said, stabbing her chicken viciously. Jackie frowned, but resumed eating, keeping a wary eye on both Gail and me.

I sighed to myself. Gail wasn't going to make this easy, but I was doing this for Missy, and for me, so I was going to do whatever I had to do, tough or not. "So, what are you ladies doing this weekend," I asked.

Jackie was staring at her food, and I could see her visibly debating whether to answer me. Finally, she looked up and gave me a thin smile. "Lyle is taking me to see the symphony in University Park tomorrow afternoon," she said. "They are playing Tchaikovsky." Gail shot Jackie a look of angry betrayal, but said nothing, choosing instead to again turn her anger on her lunch.

"Are they doing anything from 'Sleeping Beauty'?" I asked, ignoring Gail.

"No, but they are doing 'Romeo and Juliet'. It's my favorite."

"I'm kinda partial to the '1812 Overture' and 'The Nutcracker', myself," I replied.

Missy smiled. "I didn't know you liked classical music, John."

"I like a lot of different kinds of music."

"I figured you for a Sinatra fan the way you dance," Jackie said, finally giving me a short, but genuine smile.

Gail didn't join in, but neither did she make a scene, and the rest of the lunch conversation went well. As if by mutual agreement, we kept the topics of conversation firmly on the safe side, but the back and forth felt natural, not forced. Jackie seemed to warm to me a bit more, and I got to see a little of the private side of one of Missy's closest friends. Surprisingly, I didn't feel at all out of place eating with the 'in' crowd. Missy kept a grip on my hand the whole time, and the smile on her face made my effort worthwhile. All in all a success, I thought, as I walked out of the cafeteria.

Missy was staying after school to help Jackie with something for the school paper, so after a stop at my locker to pick up the books I'd need for homework that night, I was set to walk home. I had no more than taken than three steps out the front door of the school, though, when a big paw descended on my shoulder. I turned about and looked up to see Wally Wallace standing next to me looking decidedly nervous. Liv, I thought to myself.

"John, can I walk a ways with you?"

"Yeah, sure, Wally." We were headed in roughly the same direction anyway. We walked quietly for a while, and I waited for Wally to begin the conversation.