Meeting Halfway - 1. The Chance Encounter

The day that had begun averagely but had twisted in a wonderful way was ending in the most unexpected of ways.

How could one change so much? Why would someone change this much? Someone so wonderful at that. I couldn’t believe it was possible. The human brain could be full of intricacies but even in the stage of development the core characteristic of the heart remains intact.

The bell rang loudly and it was time for my next class.

History meant little participation and more pretence of listening. If the teachers cared less, so could we. I shared the schedule with fewer friends in this particular class and I was quite glad about it today. Even strangers could tell that something had upset me and I could really do without the probing. I was a born actor or so I had been told a lot. Somehow my face revealed even more than my words.

As I sat at one of the last benches, my mind found a way to wander back to the scene that took place in the break. Various reasons for his bizarreness were pirouetting in my head but I couldn’t place a finger on one. It was too shocking to get my mind around it and the shock had a numbing effect. Also the fact that I hoped this was all a prank. Some kind of an eerie whim on his part to seal our friendship. But the practical side of my brain knew it wasn’t so.

I tried to block the thoughts out. He wasn’t even a friend of mine. I hadn’t even known him much. I shouldn’t be wasting my time and energy on something that shouldn’t matter to me. The problem was that it did anyway and I could do nothing to change that.

It had been the first day of school. The first day of my ninth grade. Every school day made me jittery. Being well-liked in school, I could never tell where this feeling came from. Whenever I thought about my friends, I could feel a substantial difference underlying. It would make me feel like a part of them but still separated. It felt like I was watching a difficult time in a soap opera waiting for it to pass so that something better came along. Only it wasn’t a T.V. show but my own life and I couldn’t be the spectator. I was the protagonist. And more so, I was completely clueless as to what I was seeking.

My friends all knew about the brooding side of me and left me alone when I was in that mode. But they cared about me and the concern on their faces would be palpable. I was always thankful to them at such times but cursed myself for my own abstract behavior.

And then there was Mel. Melanie- my girlfriend. The girl I kind of grew up with. We were never best of friends but we connected. She was like the protective elder sister to me when we were kids. It seems funny now but it felt pretty natural then. I was kind of small and shy as a little kid and she was always the tall and strong girl of the batch. But fortunately we both outgrew that stage and into what felt like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. We were always meant to be the couple. She was Mel and I was glad it turned out to be the way it did even if she got the ‘girl’ germ. She suddenly started dressing up to impress, God only knows who. Our play-dates took an air of ‘dates’.

But she was still my Mel- the caring, soft-spoken, lily-white girl. Always the one to help others. And did I mention pretty? Pretty wouldn’t do her justice. She was marvelous, radiant, angelic and sublime. And she cared for me, without a doubt. With the passing time she had minored in the knack of reading me like a book.

She always said, “I just have to look in your eyes Jay, and I understand everything better. Even you.”

Those words always touched something deep in me and they’d leave me overwhelmed. As much as they made me happy, they also made me pensive. Even now I hate myself for refraining to admit that I couldn’t say the same to her. Couldn’t reciprocate her feelings with the same intensity. In retrospect, she used to be the capital of my thoughts. I loved her as much as I did my family. But I understood it much later that the disposition of my love was much different than what it was supposed to be.

I was brought out of the reverie with a loud ringing of the bell for a second time that day, this time indicating the end of the class. The rest of all my classes dragged in a similar fashion.

I wanted nothing more than to get to my drama class and become someone else for a while. The part where I took a role of some fictional character was dearer to me than the part where I was myself-which undoubtedly was the much truer and bigger part.

I had left my inhibitions far behind myself and faced the stage for the first time when I was six.

My parents loved theatre and took me for some local play night. It was no professional acting and even then I felt I could do a better job than them. That feeling triggered something in me and I started role-playing for myself in front of the mirror. Being only six it seemed like I was too ahead of myself to others but my parents could pick on the talent. They enrolled me with a drama teacher who taught me the basics and fundamentals of acting. And also facing the audience.

That changed me as a person. For the love of acting, I had to suppress the urges of bolting out the doors when I felt a lot of eyes on me. But fortunately, the feeling subsided and I became one of the best there was. This change also brought along some popularity and the other kids started including me. I soon had more friends than ever and they respected me for my talent. That was the phase when I couldn’t feel more satisfied with myself.

This passion of mine had made me popular in more ways than one. While I was enacting a role in a school play, a performing arts producer spotted me and cast me in his show. After a lot of convincing, my parents finally agreed to send me across the globe for the camp where students from all over the country were auditioned.

Being from a small school, I had been exposed only to so many good child- actors. But there was this one guy who totally swept me away with his talent. I’m not bragging, but he was the only kid better than me or so I think. He kind of molded himself into the character. His delivery was with such passion that whenever he spoke, I got these weird sensations all over my body. I got goose bumps when every time he looked across the audience and his gaze would fall on me. His piercing blue eyes, small nose, small ears made him so attractive. We were only nine then but I will never forget those deep blue eyes. Nor his name-'Chance'.

As I walked towards my last class- the drama class, the memories of what took place during the day were brought back.

As usual, I and my sister had been dropped to school by dad. While she had been chirpy and excited about the prospect of meeting all the classmates after a long break, I had been sulking in the background. The familiar gut-tightening feeling was having its way with me.

The familiarity of the school atmosphere was unnerving. The girls were all comparing their ‘new and hot’ stuff they shopped over the vacations and the guys compared CDs, video games and also discussed who scored with whom. A lot of giggles, snorts, as well as abuses with an endearing tone were being tossed back and forth. So it was all pretty average.

But somehow the school seemed more crowded than ever and there was a lot of chaos over something. After the occasional nods and greets which I returned politely, I was glad to reach my locker. I looked around to spot Mel but couldn’t find her in the flocks of students.

I tried the code to my locker but it didn’t open. I tried harder but it wouldn’t budge.

“Hey Andrews, what’re you doing, man?” It was Jean. Jean was one of the many faces I knew in the school and talked to occasionally.

“Hey, Jean. I was just trying to open this darn locker. Seems like it has rusted over the break.” I replied while still pulling the knob harder.

“You are breaking the poor locker.” He said with a hint of amusement. “Didn’t you know that the lockers have been changed? It’s put up on the notice. New ones are up on the first floor. We’ll be getting those. The younger classes will get these old ones.”

I had been running late and completely ignored the notices since nothing interesting was ever put up there.

“Oh, I can be a total birdbrain sometimes. So then I’ll have to get the new locker code from the office, is that right?”

“Yup. Hurry up Jay; it’s only ten minutes for the classes to begin. I’ll catch you later.”

“Okay, thanks Jean, if it weren’t for you I would’ve killed this loyal buddy o’mine.” I said while pointing at my ex-locker. He smiled at me and left in the opposite direction.

After standing in the long queue for what felt like a lifetime but was in reality only about three minutes, I finally got my code. The lockers smelled of new metal and had an attractive polished finish. The new one was definitely better than the rusted piece of metal they called lockers. I was thinking of just getting back to class with all my books since it was too late already. I decided to sort my locker in the break.

As if on cue, the bell rang while I was still deciding. Blaming myself for not coming a bit earlier than usual, I hastily turned and bumped into a guy. He was carrying a couple of books in his hands which went flying across the corridor.

“I’m so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.” I said while I went to pick his books for him. I turned to look up and familiar piercing deep blue eyes met mine. I felt an almost tangible feeling surge through me when I looked into those eyes again. There was a twisting in my gut but the feelings were of the pleasant kind, strong but good.

Since we were both in a hurry, he just nodded and left without hearing me say ‘Chance’ which came out of my mouth involuntarily along with a huge smile.

I met Mel and Grace near our homeroom.

“Hi sweets, hello Grace.” I greeted both of them. Grace waved at me shyly.

“Unusually cheerful are we today, Jay?” said Mel with a big smile. “I haven’t seen you this happy ever before on the very first day of school. Is there something special going on today or are you happy to see me?”

“Oh I am, Mel. I just feel especially good today for some reason. Nothing out of ordinary though. We should probably get inside the class.”

The classes began as usual but my mind kept on wandering to my childhood days when I had met Chance for the first time. I wanted to befriend him so badly; I went out of my way sometimes. His personality was the kind that sort of pulled you in. His goofy little smile and playful nature were an instant attraction to kids of that age. He was naughty but in a subtle way. He never hurt other kids around him

I didn't know where he was from. We never really got to be friends. I tried a lot to get close to him in the two and half months we were together. He was friendly but a lot of kids seeked his attention and it got distributed.

Maybe now was my chance to really get to know him. Now that he was here. That brought a smile to my face which was hard to hide. Mel noticed and lifted her brows a bit. I just shrugged but continued to smile.

I didn’t share lunch break with Mel. After I got my lunch, I looked around to see if I could spot Chance. He probably wouldn’t recognize me after all this while but I had decided to introduce myself anyway.

I spotted him talking to someone at the corner of the room. There were a lot of tables between us. I was trying to make up my mind to approach him while I observed him a bit. He had obviously grown taller but was about my height now when earlier he used to be at least two inches taller than me. His face had developed and hardened a bit losing the soft edges. He looked sort of beautiful to my eyes which my mind didn’t let me dwell on for long. With all his good looks intact, there was still something about him that looked off to me. He wasn’t smiling all that often and his eyes had lost some shine but it could have been the distance.

I decided it was time to cross the distance.

“Chance?” I said, but it came out a little softer than I expected. He didn’t notice but his friend did and nudged him to look at me. He looked in my direction and I felt my pulse quicken. It was so instant I felt helpless.

I realized I was staring. We were both staring at each other. I shook my head a bit and tried again, this time a little louder.

“Chance…Chance Everett?”

His eyes widened as if in shock, then he looked away, then back at me and narrowed his eyes.

“It’s great to know you’re going to my school now.” I said excitedly before realizing he wasn’t really responding. I guessed maybe he hadn’t recognized me. “Umm…I’m Jayce. We were together in a show back when we were kids. Remember?” I was trying really hard and making a big fool of myself at the same time.

His friend must have guessed my predicament and decided to not further humiliate me. He said a quick goodbye to Chance and left us both alone.

“Oh, yeah.” He said nonchalantly. He said it like he didn’t really remember me and I wasn’t worth his time. Even if he didn’t remember me he could have been friendlier than that. This wasn’t going like I expected and it disappointed me a bit. I hadn’t met with my friends and the break time was about over.

“So Chance, ummm…see you later? I need to rush or I’ll get late. And late on the very first day, not good at all, man. Anyway, I’m sure you’ll be there in the drama class. I’ll meet you there.” I was at a loss of words when there was no reciprocation. I decided it was time to put an end to our amiable convergence. I gave him a last nod and headed in the direction of where I usually sat with my friends.

“Jayce Andrews!” I heard someone call out. I stopped and turned. It was Chance. Did he just call out my full name? So he remembered me.

“Yeah?”

He came and stood close to me. Or should I say too close. In a very low but stern voice he said, “Get one thing very clear in your head, Andrews. Your popularity won’t pull me down. We know that we’ll both audition for the lead role. You have the student and teachers’ support and you’ll have the upper-hand when it comes down to the decision. But just so you know, I’m perfectly capable of holding my own in here. I don’t need others to favor me in any way like they’ll do you.

“Think the way you want but novelty attracts people. That is how it works- a new trend wipes off the marks of the old. You are old- like the rusted bike your friends would want to dispose off…, old like the outdated music no one wants to listen to anymore.

“You are the famous acting-hero, now. You can be the sensation of this school but it will change soon. I will make a point that it does without having to do more than merely exist. You shall soon see that your light will dissipate and they will only remember you as a blur in their minds while I will be the one they’ll want to watch. I’ll shine while you’re fading, Andrews, you’ll see.”

I stood there like the cat got my tongue. Stunned. Shocked. Astounded.

His tone was dangerously low and he was hissing more than whispering. The words came so fast but so cold. My mind was still catching up to one word while others followed. He was facing me with an expressionless look. Or could I rather put it as determined?

I could deal with being talked to in such a manner if it was warranted. Here, it wasn’t. Definitely wasn’t. The words were menacing enough to hurt me deeply. But the way he said it left me more dumbfounded than anything else. He spoke like he was reciting a poem. Like he had thought the whole thing through. He spewed it in one go without letting the meaning of any word affect him. He had maintained the stoic stature throughout while he performed his little scene.

As his eyes met my shocked ones, I saw a slight change in the demeanor. His nostrils flared a bit and he inhaled sharply. It seemed to do the trick and compose him considerably but he couldn’t hide his shaky hands.

But before I could react, he turned, tightened the strap of his violin case-something I hadn’t noticed earlier and stomped off. Without giving as much as a backward glance.

I looked around to see if anyone had overheard. Nobody seemed to be paying any attention. After taking some deep breaths to compose myself, I began walking towards the classrooms where the rest of my lectures were to happen.

It was one of the many chance encounters that were to happen. Needless to say, I wasn’t particularly fond of that one.