The Circle of Friends

IV - Dancing With Love-2

He departed not long afterwards. Jason stopped by Matt’s house to show him the Batman outfit. He and Heather were lounging in the family room when he arrived.

“Oh, that is going to be so awesome!” exclaimed Matt, holding up the costume. “And what did you say Lori was going as?”

“Cat Woman.”

“And she agreed to that?” asked Heather, astonished. “Now that’s love!”

Jason laughed and put the suit back in the bag. “I don’t know if it’s love…”

“Please!” said Heather loudly, holding up her hand. “You two are so in love. All anyone’s got to do is watch you for five minutes. I hope you tell her often!”

Jason shifted uncomfortably. “Well, I haven’t actually told her yet,” he began.

“What?” cried Heather, sitting up straight. Even Matt looked surprised.

“I almost did tonight,” he said defensively.

Heather was exasperated. “I can’t believe you haven’t told her you loved her yet! What are you waiting for?”

“I don’t know.”

“Want to make sure you’re over Rachel?” asked Matt gently.

Jason regarded him for a moment. Matt remembered his feelings for Rachel. She had graduated and moved to New York in June and Jason spent a lonely summer without her. He never intended to wait for Rachel but had certainly not sought another relationship. His plans had been to spend his senior year casually dating until Lori entered his life with her warm, loving spirit.

“I am,” he declared.

“Then you better decide how you feel about Lori,” said Matt firmly.

“Yeah, come on, Jason!” cried Heather. “Don’t play with that girl’s heart. You know she loves you!”

Jason nodded. “I’ll tell her.”

He left Matt’s fully intending to go straight home. Something inside would not let him wait until tomorrow, though. Instead, he returned to Lori’s house. She was surprised to see him again so soon.

“I forgot something,” he said by way of explanation.

“Oh, what?” she asked, starting up the stairs.

“Lori,” Jason said firmly, grabbing her hand.

The tone of his voice caused her to stop dead in her tracks. He gestured for Lori to sit on the landing and crouched on the steps in front of her. Taking a deep breath, he looked into her eyes. Lori gazed back, her face reflecting concern, and Jason held her hands in reassurance.

“I was trying to tell you what I was thinking earlier,” he said slowly, looking at her hands. “And I really did a botched job of it.”

He paused and raised his eyes. Stalling for time, Jason leaned forward to kiss Lori. She responded wholeheartedly and he caught his breath. Staring into her eyes, Jason finally took the plunge.

“Lori, I love you,” he said, his voice unsteady but the conviction real.

Her response was more wonderful than he had anticipated. Her face lit up with joy and his doubts instantly vanished. Lori threw her arms around his neck.

“I love you, too,” she whispered.

Lori’s voice trembled with emotion. Jason closed his eyes and held her tightly, prolonging the tender moment. Reluctantly easing his grip, Jason leaned back to see Lori’s face. As always, her radiant smile was present and Lori’s eyes shone very brightly. Grinning foolishly, he quickly kissed her again.

The sound of the back door opening caused them to separate. Jason swung around and sat beside Lori, his fingers entwined with hers. They smiled mischievously at one another and waited. High heels could be heard on the kitchen floor and in a moment her mother appeared in the hallway. She paused briefly when she noticed them on the stairway.

“Hello, you two,” she said absently, glancing up from the mail in her hands. “How are you tonight?”

“We’re fine,” said Lori nonchalantly. “We’ve been sitting here talking.”

“That’s nice. Have you heard from your father?”

“No, not yet,” answered Lori.

“Okay,” replied Rhonda, heading for her office. “Good to see you, Jason.”

“You too, Mrs. Anders,” he answered.

They regarded one another with wide eyes, desperately trying not to laugh. She leaned against him and he put his arm around Lori. Jason glanced nervously at the hallway, half expecting her mother to appear again.

“Let’s step outside,” he whispered.

They moved to the front porch and Lori turned off the lights on her way out the door. The night air felt cool and the crickets were singing. Jason kissed her again, reluctant to leave. Her hold on him expressed similar thoughts.

“I’d better go,” he said, hushing her when she tried to speak. “Don’t worry. I’ll feel the same way about you tomorrow, I promise.”

With a final kiss, he left her standing on the porch and climbed into his car. Glancing at the porch, Jason could still see Lori in the soft glow, her silvery strands blowing in the breeze. Under the moonlight, she looked like an angel. His beautiful, loving angel, he thought to himself.

Jason was glad he had returned tonight.

The Halloween party resulted in a fun and wild time. There were more risqué costumes than Lori’s, although everyone commented on her outfit and proclaimed she and Jason were the best-dressed couple. Several boys had brought beer and more than one person wound up crashing at Matt’s house for the evening. Somehow Matt managed to stay on his feet for the duration, although Lori wondered how he could handle so many drinks. Jason kept his consumption to one, promising to get her home safe and sound. Lori had only to observe the crowd to remember why she did not like to drink.

Once into November, the swim season started and Lori began attending practices after school. Her work ethic during the fall had kept her in prime shape and she discovered the school workouts to be easier than on her own after school sessions. Lori continued to devote five mornings a week to her trainer, Judy, lest she lose her competitive edge. However, her greatest concern with the school swim team occurred when the coach asked her to be the team captain. Encouraging others was easy, but Lori felt uncomfortable actually leading the team. With great reluctance, she accepted the position.

Football season also came to a close. The team finished with only one loss and qualified to compete for the state title. Unfortunately, their only other loss came in the final round and they missed being state champions by three points. Jason felt discouraged, despite his near flawless performance. His stats for the season were the best in the state, but he had wanted the championship title for the team. His last touchdown pass had been to Matt, and it was quite likely the last pass his friend would ever receive from Jason. Next year, they would play for different colleges.

The Monday after the season ended, they spent their break watching students tear down the football banners in the commons. Lori knew this depressed Jason and wanted to draw his attention away from the scene. She asked if he wanted to come see her first swim meet on Tuesday.

“Sure,” he offered. “Gonna win for me?”

“Of course! I don’t lose.”

“That’s what I’ve heard,” he said teasingly, giving her a kiss. “Besides, I want to see you in one of those cute little caps.”

Lori rolled her eyes. “Nobody looks cute in those things! I look weird with no hair.”

Jason just smiled, his fingers reaching up to play with her hair. Ever since their first encounter, Lori had worn her hair down, letting the long tresses swing freely. He preferred her hair loose instead of in a ponytail.

“You know, I was thinking,” he began slowly. “It would be easier to walk you to class if our books were in the same locker. Why don’t you move your things into mine?”

She regarded him cautiously. “Really?”

“Yeah. During lunch today. Should only take a few minutes.”

“If you’re sure,” she said slowly.

“Yes, I am!” Jason gave her a hug. “Ms. Doubtful! You have faith in everyone except yourself.”

“I have faith…” she began before being cut off by another kiss.

Lori believed in her swimming talents, but when it came to dealing with people, she doubted her abilities. Despite Jason’s frequent declarations of love, she did not completely trust herself to keep their relationship going strong. She dared not voice her concerns, especially around Sarah or Maria. Hiding her fears from Heather and Matt had proved more challenging. Occasionally they would mention how much Jason adored her, leading Lori to believe that she was being far too transparent.

Outside of her insecurities, everything else about their relationship appeared in order. A perfect gentleman, Jason remained her guardian and was fiercely protective of Lori. He always had a hand on her somewhere, as if by physical contact alone he could keep her from harm. Lori felt rather touched by this demonstration of love. Their physical contact in privacy had also increased, although he never forced himself upon her. At some point though, Jason would want to proceed further than Lori felt comfortable. She simply prayed that moment still lay in the distant future.

Jason came to see her swim on Tuesday. There were a few spectators, but swimming did not attract a crowd. Jason decided he needed to generate a little more interest within their group. At least Matt managed to join him and they waited at the top of the bleachers for the meet to begin.

“What does she swim again?” asked Matt, stretching out his long legs.

“The 100 and 200 yards freestyle,” answered Jason, scanning the pool for Lori.

Matt nodded. “And she has the school record?”

“For both!” he said proudly.

Jason suddenly sat up straight as a familiar figure emerged from the locker room. If ever he thought she lacked confidence, Jason buried that belief today. The girl who stepped on the wet cement did so boldly, her shoulders back and head held high. Today Lori was all business, with no trace of her usual smile. She nodded once at the swim coach before stepping into the side pool.

“Whoa!” said Matt, feigning a cringe as Jason raised his fist. “Sorry! She’s your girlfriend, man. But she sure looks good in a bathing suit!”

“Yes, she does, doesn’t she?” said Jason, the warning in his voice unmistakable.

Matt just grinned at his friend. They noticed Coach Holt coming up the steps and Matt called out to him. The coach waved and joined the boys.

“Hey, Coach Holt!” Matt cried, shaking his hand.

“Matt, Jason,” he said, turning to shake Jason’s hand as well. He looked Jason squarely in the eye. “Taken an interest in the swimmers, Mr. Phillips?”

Jason smiled ever so slightly, not rising to the bait. The coach knew Lori was his girlfriend. “Just one, sir,” he answered.

Coach Holt smiled knowingly. “You’ll be watching the best one, then,” he said, sitting in front of them.

The two hundred was the second race and the girls were up first. Jason watched Lori approach the starting block, her expression serious. She paused before stepping on the block, lowering her head for a brief moment. Pulling down her goggles, she then positioned herself for the race.

The starting gun sounded. She flew off the block and dove into the water. When she resurfaced she was already ahead of the competition. By the time she had taken five strokes, Lori had a definite lead. Jason stood up, not quite believing her speed. Already several lengths ahead of the other six girls, she was putting more distance between them with every second.

“Holy s**t!” cried Matt, rising to his feet. “Look at her go!”

When Lori touched the wall and the clock stopped, there were still girls at the far end of the pool. She pulled back her goggles and looked up at her time. She was two tenths of a second behind the school record, which she herself held. Frustrated, she slapped the wall again and swam for the ladder.

“What’s wrong?” asked Matt, confused. “She won!”

“Didn’t break the record,” Coach Hold informed him. “Lori’s not swimming against the other girls, Matt. She’s only competing with herself at this point.”

Jason nodded, slowly sinking onto the bleachers. He watched her climb out of the pool and return to the smaller pool. No one said a word to her as she passed, not even the coach. He had never seen Lori angry and wondered just how threatening she could possibly be to cause everyone to give her such a wide berth. The other swimmers were definitely avoiding her, though.

It was some time before her next race. Jason and Matt absently chatted with the coach, discussing the upcoming baseball season. Occasionally he would glance down at Lori, who now sat by the edge of the pool. Jason knew how dejected he had felt to lose that last game and wondered how deep her depression would be when the meet ended. Absently he wondered if he possessed the ability to bring her out of it.

Lori’s focus for her last race was unmistakable. She took several deep breaths before bowing her head. Stepping onto the block, she crouched down, ready to spring.

“Gentlemen,” said Coach Holt as the whistle blew. “I do believe you’re about to see a school record broken!”

“How can you tell?” asked Matt, but he received no answer.

Jason just watched, his own tension growing with Lori’s every stroke. She had another large lead and the other girls were simply fighting for second place. After the turnaround, Jason swore she was swimming even faster.

“Did she speed up?” Matt asked in his ear.

Jason nodded and began cheering. The time was ticking away quickly and he realized it would be close. When the whistle blew and the clock stopped, Lori turned immediately to check her time.

More than two seconds faster than the record. She had succeeded!

This time she smiled as she swam for the side. The team crowded around her to congratulate Lori. She pulled off her cap, letting her tightly wound hair fall free. Someone handed her a towel and she wrapped it around her neck. She grabbed her jacket and shrugged it over her shoulders. Her teammates continued to hover around Lori, caught up in the excitement.

When she finally broke free from their attention, Lori searched the bleachers and smiled broadly when she located Jason. He went down to meet Lori as she approached the stands. Once close enough, she threw her arms around his neck and he lifted her off the cement.

“That was incredible!” Jason exclaimed, returning Lori to her feet..

“Thanks,” she said humbly. Her eyes became serious. “I’ll beat that 200 next time. I promise.”

He kissed her, amused by Lori’s determination. “I know you will.”

Giving her hand one last squeeze, he watched her return to watch the boy’s race. Jason rejoined Matt and Coach Holt, his own spirits lifted. Coach Holt smiled at him.

“Didn’t I say you couldn’t do any better than Lori?”