The Circle of Friends

I - The Incident-3

“Oh, you do? Well, then you have me at a disadvantage, because I don’t know anything about you. Where do you live?”

“Chancellor Street,” she answered.

“Redwood Park area, huh?” he asked, impressed. “Some nice houses there.”

She glanced at him. “Where do you live?”

He shifted the pack on his shoulder. “On Malcolm, just down the street from Friendship Park. My dad built the house over ten years ago. If it were up to him, we’d have moved into something better by now, but my mom loves the place.”

They were now crossing the parking lot. Lori walked up to a convertible blue Mustang and beeped the alarm twice with her key chain. She opened the door and Jason leaned in to place her bag on the passenger seat. Lori climbed into her vehicle, gingerly easing her back into the seat. Smiling at Jason as he peered inside, she searched for the right words to convey her gratitude. She had not imagined he would be so thoughtful and kind to a stranger.

“Thank you,” she finally managed to say.

He reached in and squeezed her left hand. “You’re welcome. Always wanted to save a damsel in distress. Maybe I could check on you later. Which house on Chancellor?”

Surprised, she had to think a moment before she could give him the street address. Jason smiled triumphantly and nodded.

“All right then,” he said, releasing Lori’s hand. “Bye.”

“Bye.”

Jason thought about her as he walked toward the locker rooms. He vaguely recalled having Lori in a few classes over the years, but could not understand why he had never noticed her before today. Their circle of friends was obviously different. Considering her gorgeous appearance, Lori should have caught his attention, though.

He returned to Coach Holt’s office. Jason sat down on a stool by the door, his mind still digesting the afternoon’s events.

“Walk Lori to her car?” asked the coach, not looking up from his paperwork.

“Yes,” answered Jason, leaning back against the wall. “So, what else can you tell me about her?”

Mr. Holt smiled. “You fancy Lori, huh?”

Jason just grinned. “She’s pretty. Don’t think I’ve ever met her before though.”

“Surprised you’ve never had the same weightlifting class together,” the coach commented. Completing his paperwork, he turned to face Jason and leaned back in his oversized chair.

“I have her third period for weight training. Hardest working person in the class. Do you know what that girl does seven days a week? She does an hour and a half of jogging and swimming before coming to school, either with her trainer or on her own. She’s taken my weight class every year, so there’s another hour. Then after school, she swims three or more hours. Has for years.”

Jason was awestruck. “Wow! That’s impressive.”

“That’s why she’s the best at what she does. Lori could go to the Olympics in four years. With her dedication, I know she’ll make it.” He paused, watching Jason mull over this information.

“Now, that may not be the answer you were seeking, but she’s a sweet girl. Doubt you could do better.”

“Well, I’ll just have to ask her out then,” said Jason decisively, letting his stool drop to the floor. “Hey, while we have a minute, I wanted to ask about a play we did yesterday.”

Lori came home to an empty house, for which she felt grateful. Her father was away on business for a few days and her mother wouldn’t be home for hours. The real estate business kept her mother out late almost every night. She had decided not to tell her parents about the incident at school. While she had a few hours to herself, Lori washed Jason’s shirt and put ice on her back.

When Sarah came by after school, she told her best friend what had happened. Enraged, Sarah claimed she was ready to take on Joe and Devon all by herself. She was never afraid to scrap with anyone, either physically or vocally. Sarah’s anger subsided when Lori told her about Jason. Much to her amusement, her friend acted more excited about their meeting than Lori. Despite a crush she had on him in tenth grade, Lori wanted to remain realistic. He had simply come to her rescue. Once she returned his shirt, she would not see him again.

After pacifying Sarah, Lori attempted a few leg and arm exercises. It felt awkward not to swim today. Mindful of her back, she did a light workout. After her shower, she peered at her wounds in the mirror. The ice had helped the swelling, although there would still be bruises. In a week, it would be gone.

She went upstairs to do her homework after dinner. She had just printed the last page of a history report when the doorbell rang. Her back felt stiff from sitting so long and she descended the stairs slowly. Before opening the door, she glanced out the side window and held her breath when she caught sight of a football jersey. Lori quickly opened the door, not wanting to keep him waiting any longer. Jason stood on the porch smiling at her, his hands in his pockets.

“Hi,” he said.

“Hi,” she answered, her eyes wide.

“How are you feeling?”

“Sore, but I’ll live. Um, do you want to come in?” she asked nervously.

“Sure. Thanks.”

He stepped through the double doors and into the large entryway. Jason glanced up at the chandeliers and large winding staircase. Lori closed the door, her eyes never leaving her visitor.

“Nice house,” he said, turning to face Lori.

“We got it mostly for the pool.”

“The pool?” he asked.

“It’s an oversized, indoor pool. Want to see it?”

“Please,” he answered, genuinely interested.

He followed her down a large hallway, turning right into the kitchen and dining nook. The back wall was all glass and a side door led into the pool area. Lori opened the door and they stepped inside.

Jason was impressed. Immediately in front and to the left sat a large sunken Jacuzzi big enough for eight people. To the right was an enclosed exercise room, complete with a TV mounted on the wall. He could see several weight machines and a treadmill inside. Before them and completely surrounded by a glass wall was the largest pool he had ever seen in a home. A lighted wooden handrail ran the entire way around on the inside of the room. The lights from inside the pool cast a shimmering glow on the ceiling and the scene had a surreal quality. Jason could hear soft music and noticed speakers mounted at intervals along the top of the wall. A sliding door just past the Jacuzzi led outdoors to a deck that wrapped around the far end of the house.

“All this for you?”

“My parents use it, too,” Lori said, feeling self-conscious. “But it’s mostly for me.”

“Your parents must really believe in you,” he said, watching her with interest. “Are they home?”

“No. My mom owns a real estate agency and she’s out with clients tonight, and my dad’s out of town this week.”

“So you’re by yourself? No brothers or sisters?” he inquired.

“No,” she said. “I’m an only kid, too.”

Jason laughed. “See? That’s why I’m here. You still know more about me than I know about you.”

“I think you’re catching up,” said Lori, opening the door into the breakfast nook.

As they passed through the kitchen, Lori asked, “Do you want something to drink?”

“No thanks, I’m okay,” he answered, peering down the long, dark hallway. “How big is this place?”

“I don’t remember how big the downstairs is, but my living area upstairs is over 2500 square feet.”

Jason stopped. “How big is your room?” he asked incredulously.

“Well, it’s not really all mine. There’s a guest bedroom and bath I never use. But the game room is mine…”

She trailed off, feeling a little embarrassed. Jason still had not moved so she decided upon a different approach.

“Do you shoot pool?” Lori eagerly asked.

“Yes.”

“Come on, then.”

She moved slowly up the stairs. Jason was patient and followed behind Lori. At the top of the landing, she turned left, walking past the small guest room and into an immense room with a high ceiling. The right side of the room had a full size pool table, complete with a fancy bar lamp. The walls were lined with books, forming a sizeable library. In the far right corner sat a small bar with three round stools. The window by the bar had a padded seat for reading, while the window opposite the doorway held a computer and desk. To their left was a big screen TV facing a couch and two chairs, angled for the best view. Smaller windows with closed blinds flanked the large television. On either side were two smaller TV’s, each with a gaming system attached. The entire room was done in deep oak and decorated like a log cabin.

“Oh wow, this is great!” exclaimed Jason.

“Yeah, it’s perfect for entertaining friends,” said Lori, although she’d only had the swim team over one time.

Jason walked across the room to the couch, eyeing the TVs. “You play video games?”

“Sure,” she said boldly. “When my father’s home, he plays, too.”

“Who wins?”

“He usually does! I think he needs someone new to play against.”

“Maybe I’ll have to challenge him, then,” Jason declared as he approached her. Pausing in front of Lori, he reached for her left hand. “You know, you’re not what I expected.”

“Neither are you,” she answered quickly. His hand was distracting as his thumb gently rubbed hers.

“Is that good or bad?” he asked.

“Good.”

He smiled. “You know, I really would like to get to know you better. If that’s all right with you.”

Lori’s heart pounded nervously. “Sure.”

He took a half step closer. “You’re very beautiful. Did you know that?” he asked, his left hand coming up to brush aside her hair. Jason didn’t wait for a reply and bent to kiss her.

Like waking from a dream, Lori opened her eyes as they parted. Jason was just inches away, his left hand alongside her face. A thousand pleasant thoughts sprang to mind and she slowly smiled. Seeing her joyful response pleased Jason. He stroked her cheek one more time before letting his hand fall. Still holding her other hand, he returned her smile.

“And you have a pretty smile,” he observed.

“Thank you,” Lori managed to say.

Glancing around the room, he noticed the clock on the wall. It was nearly nine o’clock and growing dark outside.

“I guess I should go,” he said reluctantly. “Sorry I couldn’t come by sooner.”

“That’s okay. Wait, let me get your shirt.”

He released her hand and followed Lori down the hallway and into another large room. Stepping just inside the doorframe, Jason knew this had to be her bedroom. The decorations were similar to the game room, with many pictures of animals on the wall. He glanced to his left and saw an open door leading to a private bath. To the immediate right, the room formed an alcove for the bed. The entire wall to the left appeared to be a closet.

She returned holding his folded shirt. “I washed it,” she said, handing it to Jason. “Thanks for letting me borrow it.”

“No problem,” he said.

Jason reluctantly followed Lori downstairs. He maneuvered to reach the bottom of the stairs first and assisted her down the last couple of steps.

“You sure you’ll be okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’ll work it out tomorrow.” She paused at the door. “I really do want to thank you. I’m sorry you had to get involved.”

“I’m not,” he said, giving her hand a squeeze. Reluctantly releasing Lori, he opened the door and stepped out on the porch. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

She nodded. “Bye.”

Closing the door, Lori stood there a moment taking several deep breaths. Stunned by his appearance, her feelings were in a state of happy turmoil. The moment she heard his car pull away, she raced upstairs as fast as she could to call Sarah. News of her unexpected visitor would stun her best friend.

Jason felt elated as well. The evening had begun on a rather sour note at Jamie’s house. Actually, it had started on his way to football practice. Jamie had been angry that Jason ditched her before their last class. Fortunately his best friend, Matt, had retrieved his book. Still fuming, Jamie had jumped him when he emerged from the locker room. He already felt annoyed with her petty behavior during the past few weeks. She drained Jason’s energy. Knowing she would make a big scene, Jason has brushed aside her complaints, unwilling to deal with Jamie.

On his way to see Lori, he had stopped at Jamie’s house. They had only been dating a few weeks, but he could tolerate it no longer. She had sensed the purpose of his purpose and made it incredibly unpleasant. He tried to be nice, but she had been horrible about the whole situation. By the time he finally departed, Jason had felt incredibly angry and drove around for twenty minutes trying to erase the poisonous exchange.

Seeing Lori had raised his spirits. Many things about her fascinated him, from her gorgeous face to her gentle disposition. He had not intended to kiss her just yet, but the moment felt right. She had not appeared to mind, either. Jason would talk again with her tomorrow and perhaps ask her out on a date. If it still felt right after that, he planned to ask Lori to be his girlfriend.