Chris in Highschool - Prologue. An average day

“Did you hear about the tryouts?” The guys were standing in a kind of a circle, in front of school, as usual every morning. Everybody was in their red and white football team jackets… these were from last season.. new seasons is coming, new jackets… everybody wants to make it on the tryouts.

“Yeah, it’s only three weeks from now.” Derek said.

“I’m already working out everyday to be in shape, you know?” Bruce complemented.

“Hey, Linda, Ashley.” Derek waved all smiles when the girls were passing by.

As soon as they approached, Derek side hugged Linda, who was in small white skirt along with a white jacket and Sheila was playing with her hair beside Bruce, so that Linda put her arm around my shoulder as well.

“Hey.” I said, all smiles.

“You’re gonna make it to the team this season. I bet you’ll be better than last one.” she said and winked, all smiles too. ‘Chris, Chris, what are you waiting for to go at least for base two’, I thought to myself…

“Yeah, we’ll be all cheering you guys up.” Ashley complemented.

***

First class was arts and we had modeling clay to work with…

“Hey, Mrs. Green, this is queer stuff, do we really have to?” Trevor asked.

“Watch your language, and yes, you really have to. If you don’t pass this class you will have a low grade and you can say goodbye to your new jacket like this one (referring to the football team jacket).” Mrs. Green said.

As she turned her back, he threw some of it on Sheila’s hair and we all laughed. But, man, she got really mad! She got him by his jacket collar and got him on the floor, with the desk and everything… the guys started to laugh out loud… ‘though later I guess she would have to cut a whole lock of hair.

Then, it was Lit… it’s not that I don’t like going to school but listening one hour about what old dead people said, and mostly, they were high and it doesn’t make any sense. Besides, it’s not about how I like it, it’s about keeping the grades high not to afford being cut from the team… the team is what matters… last school I was so very interested about all the subjects and the teachers liked me a lot, about my colleagues back them… let’s say not so fun, to summarize.

And finally lunch, the best moment when the ‘school food chain’, or social standards, if you prefer, is shown up in its maximum. There are the skinny guys, and that alone doesn’t make them very masculine, hormones, idk, but not my problem, the nerd guys with their pretention to think they’re better than everyone… well, I guess, I tell to myself that to justify the fact they’re always bullied to ‘avoid them to think they’re superior’, the fat guys who are bullied… for that fact alone, I guess… To be honest, usually the team does all the bully, I don’t have to do anything, just be beside them.

And as we walk through the halls, I have to bump into one or two people and the fun thing is no one dares to look back much.

“What, huh?” Trevor said And that’s what happens when someone looks back.

And we’d get the line… sometimes cut the line and it’s cool to have this feeling of superiority… probably this is the ‘pre version’ of what happens in real life when you have a Corvette and goes to downtown where everybody has popular cars.

“Hey you pale guy, I need three bucks to buy a soda.” Trevor said to a kid. He gave him five bucks and he didn’t even have to actually ask!

Well, I never did that because I always have enough money. Actually I have enough money to go having lunch in the restaurants across the block, but I don’t problematize the issue as I don’t know if the other guys from the team have too, so I usually eat with them and only sometimes go with the girls, usually Ashley and Linda to the restaurant, when they do that, mostly on Fridays. Besides, I don’t think it’s right, but again, no problematizing!

Usually Bruce or Trevor just choose a table. Yeah, that’s it, whether it’s occupied or not… mostly when people see the team approaching they just change tables, or at least move to make some space.

And usually they’d talk a lot about the football season, the police purchase program and, oh yeah, about dirty things, like having two girls at the same time or which girl was ‘maybe available’, etc.

“And you Chris, did you already go third base with Linda?”

“Oh… yeah, yeah, sure…” I replied out of the blue as I was lost in my own thoughts. This is it Chris, just go along and laugh.

Actually, the other day, she let me touch her breasts but it wasn’t exactly nice and then she said she couldn’t do anything else and I didn’t push it because I didn’t want to be rude, I mean, she was so cool with me all the time at school. Besides, that has to feel good first and then you just ‘know’ when you move forward, right?! I didn’t really want to rush things, what if I don’t do something right? What if she doesn’t like it and rejects me? I know they say, ‘then you move to the next one’, but I don’t know if I could take it well… how would I look at her in the face again?!

After having lunch Bruce bumped into a guy’s tray and juice slipped all on the floor. Thank god the janitor was close and gave Bruce a dirty look. Bruce didn’t bully the guy anymore but gave the janitor a dirty look back, to pass the message that he stopped because he wanted, not because he was intimidated. That was the right thing to do… I guess.

I was polite enough to know I should help my schoolmate to get the things from the floor, ask if he was okay, but I wouldn’t, because I have this memory from my old school. Last time I tried to help a guy in a similar situation, I ended up bullied along with him, so no, Chris, ignore and don’t get behind, go with the guys back the halls. Lunch is over.

***

When classes were over they would hang out in front of school. I was glad ‘everything went alright’ again today… and for some time I guess. I guess I was getting really popular at school.

“Hey, don’t be so tense.” Linda grabbed me from behind with a kiss on the cheek, surprising me. “Gotta go, bye.” she finished and was gone.

Yeah, Chris, don’t be so tense. Play cool, everything is right. Just, do something cool to make your way out of here, because you have to study at home.

I would usually get only ten or twenty minutes along with them, then I would make up some excuse to go home and study, after all, I had to keep my grades up. Deep down I know, first of all, that’s why I made it to the team, because last time, the two other guys who tried out for the same position had poor grades and that ‘handed me’ the spot… to be on the bench most of the games, but still, I had a jacket, I had to guys to hang out with, so everything was cool, right?! Tomorrow's gonna be a better day...