Perchance (10 page)

             
I got to sleep early after an explanation to Aunt Brenda about my lip.  She didn’t even ask other than to make sure that I was ok and not in pain, but I wanted to explain so that she didn’t think I got into a fight.  I didn’t want her to think that I was anywhere near making trouble or pulling a Tuesda
y.  She just patted my hand and said she never thought once that it was anything I did.  It was a new feeling to  be trusted.  Mom never trusted me not because of who I was, but because of stress, not to me
ntion Tuesday’s constant antics and her distrust in the general male population.

             
I had a real problem, I realized as I lay in bed.  I wanted Cooper to kiss me today.  I wanted him to hold my hand again.  I wanted him as close or closer to me as he was today in his Dad’s kitchen.  And that was a problem, because it wasn’t in my plan.  Perchance it could work.

             
I c
ame on too strong.  I barely knew her and I held
her hand and God help me when she was standing there and I could smell the toothpaste scent coming from her mouth, I nearly went for it right there in front of Troy and Josie.  I wanted to kiss her with everything in me.  Kiss the pain away from her lips and make her so dizzy she would forget that it was my fault in the first place.  She walked away from me, probably because she was pissed.  I was pissed at myself for her. 
This was not your average girl that you just liked and dated and then broke up with.  She held a reign on my every thought and she probably didn’t even know it.

             
When Eric went to work, I asked him if he had Brenda’s number since he acted like he was friendly with her the other day.  He chuckled and wrote it on a piece of paper by the phone.  That was about two
hours ago and I sat and held
the piece of pa
per in my apartment and stared
at it. 
Should I call? Should I just wait until tomorrow?

             
Then it was almost as if the decision was
made for me.  I dialed
without even thinking about it. 
I could tell that it wasn’t her who answered.

             
“Hi, this is Cooper, may I speak to Remi please.”  I asked
.

             
“My, my, such manners.  Yes, Cooper, hold on please.  Let me go get her.”

             
I waited a few minutes and heard knocking and doors opening and scuffling.

             
“Hello?” She said like she had never received a phone call.

             
“Hey, it’s Cooper.  I just wanted to make sure you were ok.”

             
She sighed and I didn’t know if it was anger or just exasperation.

             
“I’m fine Cooper, thank you for calling, but I have to go to bed.”

             
“It’s only nine thirty Remi.” I laughed a little but she did not.

             
“I know, but I have to get good grades this year so I can get into college or some kind of school.  It’s not a choice.  And I suck at school, so it’s going to be tough.  I’m not gonna end up like my Mom.”

             
There was a long silence because I didn’t know what to say to her confession.

             
“Ok, I’m sorry again.  Go to bed. Can…Can I bring you to school tomorrow?”

             
Another sigh.

             
“Josie’s already
said she was
picking me up Cooper.”

             
Her voice had gone cold.

             
“OK, bye Remi.”

             
Then she hung up without even saying goodbye. 

             
It was then after being hung up on
like a dork that I made my plan even though I didn’t know if it would work or not.
  She wanted to make good grades? She wanted to get into colleg
e and get an education?
I thought that was a good plan of course.  Did she think I was going to distract her from that? And what was the deal about not being like her Mom?  I needed to find that out too.  But first, I needed to prove that I supported her.  I had never put so much thought and planning into getting a girl to like me.  But I don’t want her to
like me.  I want her to…well…
really
like me.

             
I got in the Cuda and set off to the grocery store for the things that I needed.  That pistol of a girl wasn’t going to know what hit her. 

             
The first morning of school I showed up early.  Troy complained and whined until he saw that I had breakfast in my hand and then he calmed down.  We parked in a place that would give me a good
view of the whole parking lot and went to sit on the trunk of my car.
He stuffed his face full of food while I watched.
Cars
of every shape, size, style,
make and model pulled into the parking lot and it was funny to hear Troy be the commentator for the whole thing.  Then I saw her.  A turquoise
Karmann Ghia pulled into the lot and parked towards the back of the parking lot.  I watched it like a hawk.  The girls both brushed their hair before getting out of the car.  I guess the convertible had messed with it though I saw nothing wrong. 

             
As they got out and grabbed their bags, I got up and got my bag and other stuff out of the back seat and waited for my chance.  They got closer and I stepped into their path and smiled at Remi. Her lip was still a little swollen, but not much. She turned her head to the side and looked at me like I was a cock-eyed clown.

             
“Good morning.” I started.

             
“Morning Cooper. What’s up?” 
She sounded annoyed. 

             
“I brought you breakfast.  You know, you can’t do well in school without breakfast.”
I sounded like one of those health shows.
She almost smiled but then she turned it down
.  Josie was giggling but tried
to keep it covered with her hand.  Remi elbowed her in t
he side and she stopped and cleared her throat
.

             
“Um…thanks?” S
he took the bag
from my hand and walked off towards the school. 

             
“Dang man, that didn’t work.  What’s n
ext?” Troy was next to me as he tried
to control his laughter at my fail.

             
“Oh, it worked.  She almost s
miled.  Just give it a minute.”

             
“Man, you haven’t even walked in school yet.  What if there’s a hottie in there that you can’t resist and you’re putting all of this effort into
one girl?”

             
I didn’t even look at him when I answered.  My eyes were still on her.

             
“Troy, there is no other girl.”

             
And ju
st when I began
to think that maybe she didn’t like my gift, she looked over her shoulder and smiled at me.

             
Remi left
the office with her schedule as I entered and she d
idn’t even look at me.  She
focu
sed on her schedule and studied
the map like her life depended on it. 
I got my schedule and headed towards my locker.  I saw her down the hall and she was having trouble getting into her locker.  I walked down and she looked at me in relief.

             
“Give me your combination so I can help you.” I said and wasn’t taking ‘no’ for an answer.

             
She handed it to me wordlessly and took a drink of her orange juice as she went back to studying her schedule.  I opened her locker for her and smiled at her.  She smiled back this time and then I went back to my locker, leaving her to think about it a little.

             
The first th
ree classes went by and then it was lunch time.
It sucked that I had no classes with her, so I would have to make lunch count.
I waited until she got into the cafeteria line and saw her making faces at the choices we had to make about eating garbage or eating cardboard.  I tapped her on the shoulder and showed her the bag that I was carrying.

             
“What?” She laughed. “You brought lunch too?”

             
“Yeah, I did.  Can’t do well in school eating this crap.”  I tried to be as serious as I could.

             
She shr
ugged and we started to walk outside
and someone was yelling my name.  I turned around and there was a girl with the blondest hair I
had ever seen coming towards me. She also had the shortest skirt I had ever seen. 
How did her mother let her leave the house like that?
  I’m sure most guys like that, but jeez, leave something to the imagination for crying out loud.

             
When her voice came out my teeth ground together. It was like fingernails on a chalkboard.

             
“Cooper, why don’t you come sit with us?” Then she smiled and did some kin
d of twirl thing on her feet as she pointed to a table of over-manicured people.

             
“No thanks, I have plans.” I turned around and Remi was gone.

             
I looked around and spotted her sitting under a
Cypress tree as she took in the view
.

             
I also spotted Troy and Josie on a bench on the other
side of the grassy area and they looked
like they were enjoying their lunch.

             
When I reached her, she looked surprised.

             
“Why’d you run out on me?” I asked.

             
“Um…I thought you were
going to eat with High-Pitched
Blondie
.” She said and shrugged.

             
“She’s a little too underdressed and um...blonde for me. Anyway, I
thought I already had a lunch
date.”
             

             
She let out a sigh and
then gave me the biggest smile.

             
“So, do I get breakfast and lunch every day?” She joked as she took a bite of her sandwich.

             
“Will it help you in school?” I got comfortable and started eating.

             
“Yeah, but how about we switch?
I make a mean sandwich.
” She suggested.

             
“Ok, so it’s your turn tomorrow.  Just so you know…I hate mayonnaise.”

             
“Good to know. And Cooper?” She stopped eating and looked me straight in the eye.

             
“Yeah?” Man, I loved that smile.

             
“Thank you.  I was sorta a wench yesterd
ay.
But breakfast and this? Well, thank you.”

             
Before I could say anything she reached over and hugged me, putting her arms around my neck.  Some of her hair fell in my face and it smelled like apricots and honey. I rubbed my hand down her back and she gasped in a breath.