The Unfortunate Occurence at Shenandoah High 2020 - 9. Chapter 9

“Are you going to eat that?”

I look up and see that Nick is gesturing at my leftovers. Last night I found a recipe for tzatziki so I made some from scratch. I packed it along with some hummus and pita bread slices for my lunch today but because I’m so nervous about going to Finn’s party tonight, I haven’t been able to eat much of it.

I slide the Tupperware container across the metal bleacher we are sitting on and Nick happily accepts my offering.

“I’m starving,” he says. “Mom and Dad didn’t bother to grocery shop before they left on their trip.”

“You could always go to the grocery store.” Keisha sits two bleachers above us. Sheldon’s sitting beside her. I notice their fingers are touching and something warm and fuzzy wells up inside of me. This is my first time seeing Keisha with someone, openly, out in public. Usually she is a bit more discreet with her romantic life.

“I haven’t seen the inside of a grocery store since I was like … seven,” he says. “Nathan’s the cook. He and our mom. Usually they do the grocery shopping.”

“Why don’t you just ask him?” I ask bringing my hand up to shield my eyes from the sun.

“I will … when I actually see him.” Nick looks annoyed for a moment and then sighs. Andy sees the look of confusion on my face and clears his throat.

“Nathan’s dating some girl who goes to Emory,” he says. “He comes here for school and when he leaves he drives immediately to Atlanta to stay with her. Apparently she lives in an apartment off-campus.”

“And your parents are okay with him staying with her?” I ask. “In Atlanta?”

Nick waits until he finishes chewing the huge wad of food he just put in his mouth before he answers. “As far as I know, Mom and Dad don’t know about Hailey. They’re not too invested in our social lives. As long as we’re doing well and school and not getting arrested, they’re happy.”

“Speaking of getting arrested, how old is this chick?” Keisha asks.

“Well,” Nick begins. “According to Nathan, Hailey’s twenty-two, twenty-three – can’t remember. She graduates this semester.”

“And how old is Nathan?” I ask.

“We turn 18 in November,” Nick says. “So technically at that point we’d both be adults which means technically he can date whoever he wants.”

“It’ll still be icky,” Andy says. “I mean theoretically speaking, when this girl was graduating high school, Nathan would’ve been in the seventh or eighth grade.”

“Of all the men to go out with,” Keisha begins, “Why pick a guy in high school. Why not date in the other direction? I mean what’s the point of even going to college if you’re not going to date one of your professors?”

“I get it,” Nick says. “It’s weird. I was weirded out when he told me but Nathan has always done his own thing and he seems happy.”

“I’m glad he’s happy,” Andy says. “I just wish it was with someone more … age appropriate.”

“Well, after everything you and I have gone through. I’m not about to knock what anyone else is doing.”

I grin. It feels so good to see Nick and Andy together again. Most high school relationships, especially the ones at Shenandoah, have the life expectancy of a gnat. Nick and Andy have seemingly beaten the odds. They’re are destined to be that couple at the beginning of Up! minus the whole Andy dying from some horrible terminal illness part.

“Neither am I,” Andy says leaning forward. Nick meets him halfway and the two share a chaste, we’re in mixed company, school-appropriate kiss.

“So,” Andy begins. “Tomorrow I usually do a Zumba class at the studio near my house. It helps to keep me limber.” He and Nick share a knowing look. “I can skip Zumba tomorrow morning and I can take you grocery shopping instead. I can’t have my Smooge going hungry in that big ole house.”

“Smooge?”

Each of us turn to look at Sheldon who is wiping crumbs off his navy blue Harvard sweatshirt. It’s the first thing he’s said since he and Keisha joined us about fifteen minutes ago.

“It’s my nickname for Nick,” Andy gushes. He playfully nudges Nick in the side.

“Gag me with a shovel,” Keisha says.

“I’d tell you his nickname for me but it’s pretty … explicit.”

“Can we guess?” Sheldon ask with a smirk.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” Keisha says.

“I’m feeling pretty nauseous myself,” I say.

I look over at Nick and see that he’s grinning. This is the happiest I’ve seen him all semester. Perhaps it’s the sun but if I didn’t know any better, Nick Ramirez is glowing.

“How about you shut that mouth of yours before I put something in it,” he says, his face inches away from Andy’s.

“Oh promises, promises,” Andy says leaning in for a second kiss.

“Okay,” Keisha says. “If you two are about to get it on right here on the bleachers, please give me a heads-up because I don’t think I need to be a part of that.”

“I second that,” I say raising my hand.

“I third it,” Sheldon says.

“Relax you guys,” Andy says. “We’re just making up for lost time.”

“Besides, we’ve already hooked up here,” Nick says gesturing to the seats we’re sitting on. “And we hooked up on the fifty-yard line. And in the guys’ locker room. And girls’ locker room.”

I haven’t even kissed a guy yet and these two are hooking up all over the place.

“Well,” Keisha says, “I’m glad you two are back together.”

“Yeah. School hasn’t been the same without it’s it couple,” I say.

The bell rings and the five us audibly groan. I’m so not looking forward to my next two classes but at least I get to end the day with Theater.

As we head back into the building, both couples – yes, I’m officially declaring Keisha Alston and Sheldon Lockhart are a couple – head off towards their classes leaving me standing alone at my locker.

I grab my notebooks for AP English and Speech and Debate and a tattered copy of The Things They Carried and I shove them inside my messenger bag. I close my locker and jump because Finn is there, again, leaning against Keisha’s locker. This time he laughs at my jumpiness and soon I join in on the laughing.

“I’ve been trying to catch up with you all day,” he says. “But you walk so fast. You’re like a blur.”

“This place is so big,” I remind him. “If I didn’t walk fast I’d be late to every class.”

“True that.”

I watch as he reaches into the pocket of his jacket. He pulled out a rolled up sheet of paper and hands it to me.

“What’s this?” I straighten the piece of paper out and I see a series of questions and Finn’s answers written out underneath them. I also notes written in red ink in the margins. At the top of the paper I see an 88 percent, or in high school terms a B plus, written across the top of the paper next to Finn’s name. “Is this your Pre-Cal test?”

Finn grins big and nods his head.

“Oh wow. You went from a D to a B plus. That’s incredible.”

“All thanks to you,” he says.

“Nope,” I say holding out my hand. “I only helped you study but you were the one who walked into the classroom and slayed that test.”

“I know, I know,” he says. “You’ve just helped me out so much this week. I feel like I should do something to repay you.”

“Mr. Montgomery, that will not be necessary,” I say. “I’m happy to help.”

“Well, thank you again, Mr. Goolsby,” he says. “Hey – by the way, are you going to be able to come tonight?”

“Yup. I’m tagging along with Keisha and Sheldon.”

“Awesome,” he says. “Hey – are they dating?”

I shrug my shoulders. “Nothing’s been officially confirmed.”

“I was just curious,” Finn says just as the warning bell sounds.

“I gotta jet,” he says. “Now I get to turn in that paper for Ms. Faragher. Wish me luck.”

“Good luck,” I say. “But I’m sure you don’t need it.”

“I’ll catch up with you later,” he says. Then Finn Montgomery does something no other man has ever done to me. Come to think of it, no one has every done this to me.

He winks at me.