me. Automatically my eyes flickered down, but hopeful for some reason I dared to look up. Jason wasn't looking at me now but as I stared at him, my stomach doing flips, he slowly turned his eyes back to me. I didn't look away and after locking eyes momentarily, he was the one who averted his gaze.
Unexpectedly, I saw him smile.
The bell sounded and the class rose to its feet, chattering and shouting. Stunned, I got up slowly and stared after Jason. He left his desk and walked off, but I thought I could see him smile again.
The thrill I got from this exchange of looks and seeing him smile made me think maybe I shouldn't give up just yet.
I was confused, longing for something I couldn't quite put into words.
Being Friday, there was a party on at the quarterback's house. His parents were away and he was making the most of it. I needed to be distracted, have some fun. I went along, drank a beer and made out with a girl who seemed interested in me. As I held onto her neck and kissed her, I couldn't help but feel frustrated that this wasn't really what I wanted.
When I was leaving the party I overheard a small group of girls by a car discussing how they were getting home. I noticed they weren't the usual girl-next-door or cheerleader types. They wore slightly ripped jeans and had teased hair but weren't totally scruffy. One of those transient crowds that always hang out with everyone, never quite fitting in with one group for long.
As I walked past they were debating how they were all going to fit in the car, and which direction to go in first. One of the girls said they had to go over to West Hills, which wasn't too far from here. An idea came to me then, and I helpfully offered two of them a ride. After the girls had weighed up whether I was drunk or a creep, they agreed to accept the ride home.
As I drove and they giggled in the back, I struck up conversation. I didn't know them but I had seen them about at school. I figured if I was going to ask anyone, might as well be these girls. I said I needed to take my sister out somewhere, and casually asked where else was cool to hang out. They shrugged and mostly said ‘I dunno,’ but then one said, ‘We go to Eddy's.’
‘Oh, the pool hall, right?’
‘Yeah, that’s it,’ she replied.
Eddy's, I thought.
I was at my charming best, and asked if they knew my class-mate Jason.
Oh yeah, they replied.
And when will Jason be at Eddy's, I asked, pretending I had something I needed to give him.
‘Most people go out tomorrow night,’ one of them said.
Tomorrow then, I thought, nervous energy already coursing through me.
When Saturday night came around I was determined to talk to Jason again. What probably would have helped was if I'd rehearsed what I could say, but it never even entered my mind. The furthest my plan got was to find Jason and talk to him.
I drove out to Eddy's and parked outside, hoping my car would be alright. The neighborhood Eddy's was in was known for being a rough place. Outside the entrance a group of shiny motorbikes were parked, with huge guys in leather jackets standing next to them holding beers. They seemed busy comparing their bikes, so I hurried past them through the door and looked around.
The pool hall was dimly lit, smoky and loud. They mostly played rock music here, which was what made it popular with passing bikers, truckers and kids with ripped jeans. I was probably the only person here with clean jeans on.
I made my way inside, thankful that the guys I knew didn't ever come down here, and looked for Jason. I walked around all the pool tables but couldn't see him. Disappointment gripping me, I was about to buy a drink to at least have something to do while I waited, when I heard a girl call, ‘Hey Mike! Over here!’
I looked over to see one of the girls from last night waving at me.
‘Oh, hey,’ I smiled at her as I approached.
She was sitting up on a window ledge with another girl, as they watched some others play pool.
Unexpectedly, I saw him smile.
The bell sounded and the class rose to its feet, chattering and shouting. Stunned, I got up slowly and stared after Jason. He left his desk and walked off, but I thought I could see him smile again.
The thrill I got from this exchange of looks and seeing him smile made me think maybe I shouldn't give up just yet.
I was confused, longing for something I couldn't quite put into words.
Being Friday, there was a party on at the quarterback's house. His parents were away and he was making the most of it. I needed to be distracted, have some fun. I went along, drank a beer and made out with a girl who seemed interested in me. As I held onto her neck and kissed her, I couldn't help but feel frustrated that this wasn't really what I wanted.
When I was leaving the party I overheard a small group of girls by a car discussing how they were getting home. I noticed they weren't the usual girl-next-door or cheerleader types. They wore slightly ripped jeans and had teased hair but weren't totally scruffy. One of those transient crowds that always hang out with everyone, never quite fitting in with one group for long.
As I walked past they were debating how they were all going to fit in the car, and which direction to go in first. One of the girls said they had to go over to West Hills, which wasn't too far from here. An idea came to me then, and I helpfully offered two of them a ride. After the girls had weighed up whether I was drunk or a creep, they agreed to accept the ride home.
As I drove and they giggled in the back, I struck up conversation. I didn't know them but I had seen them about at school. I figured if I was going to ask anyone, might as well be these girls. I said I needed to take my sister out somewhere, and casually asked where else was cool to hang out. They shrugged and mostly said ‘I dunno,’ but then one said, ‘We go to Eddy's.’
‘Oh, the pool hall, right?’
‘Yeah, that’s it,’ she replied.
Eddy's, I thought.
I was at my charming best, and asked if they knew my class-mate Jason.
Oh yeah, they replied.
And when will Jason be at Eddy's, I asked, pretending I had something I needed to give him.
‘Most people go out tomorrow night,’ one of them said.
Tomorrow then, I thought, nervous energy already coursing through me.
When Saturday night came around I was determined to talk to Jason again. What probably would have helped was if I'd rehearsed what I could say, but it never even entered my mind. The furthest my plan got was to find Jason and talk to him.
I drove out to Eddy's and parked outside, hoping my car would be alright. The neighborhood Eddy's was in was known for being a rough place. Outside the entrance a group of shiny motorbikes were parked, with huge guys in leather jackets standing next to them holding beers. They seemed busy comparing their bikes, so I hurried past them through the door and looked around.
The pool hall was dimly lit, smoky and loud. They mostly played rock music here, which was what made it popular with passing bikers, truckers and kids with ripped jeans. I was probably the only person here with clean jeans on.
I made my way inside, thankful that the guys I knew didn't ever come down here, and looked for Jason. I walked around all the pool tables but couldn't see him. Disappointment gripping me, I was about to buy a drink to at least have something to do while I waited, when I heard a girl call, ‘Hey Mike! Over here!’
I looked over to see one of the girls from last night waving at me.
‘Oh, hey,’ I smiled at her as I approached.
She was sitting up on a window ledge with another girl, as they watched some others play pool.
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