The Circle of Friends

II - Life Renewed When he returned to the dorms, James forced his troubles from his mind and focused on his studies. With his roommate absent, he used the quiet time to his advantage. Regardless of how awful the rest of his life appeared at the moment, he wasn’t about to let his schoolwork suffer. His perfect GPA was the only thing James had going for him right now. He managed to avoid thinking about Sherry for several hours. Eventually, she called him on the phone. His rage refueled, James let her have it with both barrels. In the middle of their heated conversation, Drew returned. His roommate slunk to his computer and attempted to ignore the angry exchange. Determined to cause Sherry to regret her decision last night, James did not curb his words in front of his roommate. Drew remained silent even when James told her to go to hell and slammed his cell phone on the desk. Still fuming, James continued to work on his project in silence. He completed his assignment and hit the print button. Wearily, he pushed back his chair and brushed aside his hair. Leaning forward, he watched the report emerge from the printer under the desk. He felt numb, both mentally and emotionally. Dumping Sherry had felt satisfactory for about two minutes. The victory short lived, James now realized he was alone again. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Drew’s anxious expression. James had not uttered a sound for an hour, and he sensed his roommate was dying to speak. He had witnessed James’s temper in the past and probably feared rebuttal. Sighing, James turned to face his roommate and Drew regarded him with concern. “You okay?” he said with caution. James nodded and reached for his report. “Yeah,” he said, scanning the pages in his hands. “You’ll find someone else,” Drew assured him. “Easy for you to say!” James growled, shooting his roommate an annoyed scowl. His caustic reply caused Drew to hesitate. James returned to his computer, unwilling to snap at his roommate again. It wasn’t Drew’s fault that he never lacked for dates while James went without for months on end. Of course, Drew was usually just looking for a good time and wasn’t particular where he found it, either. As long as it remained casual but fun, his roommate was happy. James wondered if that wasn’t the attitude he should adopt, too. Despite Lori’s enticing promise, James struggled all week. He had managed to ignore Drew’s comments regarding his female conquests the first couple years at college, but now they grated on his nerves. After his recent failure and total humiliation with Sherry, James felt incredibly depressed. Only the possibility of the upcoming weekend resulting in a positive encounter kept him moving forward. He grasped that thin thread of hope and held on for dear life. He asked Lori several times during the week for more information, but she would only give him the name of Maria. During the bus ride to Florida State on Saturday, he managed to pry a few details from his friend. Maria had been one of Lori’s brides-maids, and from her brief description, James thought he could place the girl. His recollection of that night centered mostly on Lori. “You’ll recognize her,” Lori assured him. “And she’s looking forward to meeting you!” “Hope I don’t disappoint her,” James mumbled. “You won’t,” Lori said. Upon their arrival in Tallahassee, everyone exited the bus and entered the arena. The swimmers went to the locker rooms, leaving James to his own devices until the competition began. Clutching his camera bag, he approached a row of seats off to one side of the main pool. As he set the bag on a chair, James noticed a girl further down the row with a similar bag. She had beautiful, black hair, a petite figure and a very pretty face. The young woman fit Lori’s description. Occupied with her camera’s settings, the girl had yet to notice him. Again he wondered how she would respond and felt his confidence wane. After so many disappointments, James was unsure he could face yet another. Lori said she wanted to meet him, though. It’s now or never, he thought. Taking a deep breath, he approached the young woman. She was still examining her equipment and unaware of his presence. When he was just a couple feet away, James decided to speak. “Are you Maria?” he said, his voice echoing across the water. She looked up, startled. For a moment, the girl stared at him with wide eyes. Her wary expression was replaced by a slow smile. “Yes,” she said. “Hi, I’m James,” he said, moving closer and extending his hand. Maria returned his grasp, her dainty hand dwarfed by larger palm. “I remember you from the wedding,” she said with a nod. “You do?” James stammered, surprised she recognized him. His hair had been much shorter last spring. “Yeah, I do,” she replied, her smile growing. James found himself grinning in return. Now that he could clearly see the young woman’s face, he recalled her from Lori and Jason’s wedding. She had been the quiet, petite brides-maid whom had only danced with the groom. He wondered why no one else had asked the pretty young lady to dance. Maria regarded him with curiosity, almost surprised by his reaction. “Lori said you were a photographer, too,” she offered. “Yes,” James said, pointing toward his bag. “My stuff’s over there.” She glanced at the row of seats and nodded. At a loss for words, James struggled for something intelligent to say. Lori had warned him that Maria was shy and would need a little coaxing. His eyes fell on the camera in her hand. “What are you shooting with today?” he said. That question evoked a response. Maria held up her camera and showed him some of the features. James retrieved his own bag and they compared equipment. Now that she was talking, he enjoyed the sound of her voice. It held a soft, southern slur and matched her delicate features. There was a sweet, genuine innocence surrounding Maria that he’d not encountered in previous women. Right away, James knew he liked her, and they continued talking as the swimmers warmed up in the pool. When the first race was announced, James rose to his feet with reluctance. “I guess we need to get to work,” he said with a wry grin. “That is what we’re here for.” Maria glanced around the facility. “Yes, I suppose we should. I hope I can catch a couple shots of Lori for myself.” “She’s got a great jump,” James informed her. “When it’s time for her race, I’ll show you the best place to catch Lori’s dive.” “All right,” Maria answered, flashing him a warm smile. “Thank you.” They parted company and James turned his attention to business at hand. As much as he enjoyed talking with Maria, he had an obligation to the college and took his duties very serious. The swim meet would last for several hours and James intended to speak with Maria again before they returned to Gainesville. As they moved around the pool, he found himself watching her with interest. More than once, James caught her eyeing him as well. Pleased with her apparent interest, he vowed to get Maria’s number before the swim meet’s conclusion. It wasn’t until they called for the women’s 200 meters that James dared to glance into the stands. Jason sat in the very front row, his eyes on his wife as she prepared for her race. James remembered his promise and searched for Maria. Standing only a couple yards away, she met his gaze, camera in hand. He approached her in haste. “This side,” he said, guiding Maria into position. “Crouch down here. Lori’s in the third lane and you’ll get a great shot of her as she comes off the blocks.” Maria sank to her knees and aimed the camera. James knelt beside her, and they waited for the sound of the gun. He sensed her close presence and caught his attention drifting. He became so absorbed with watching Maria out of the corner of his eye that he almost missed the beginning of Lori’s race. He forced himself to focus on the swimmers. He continued observing her throughout the remainder of the meet. James said something to Maria every time they passed and was rewarded with either a quick response or a warm smile. He obtained all of the required shots for the meet and even took a picture of Maria while she was absorbed in her own photography. Maria continued to watch him as well, intrigued by his appearance. Her parents would disapprove of his long hair, but she found it very attractive. James had a nice smile, too. Maria doubted she could have approached James on her own and felt relieved he’d taken the initiative. Despite Lori’s assurances, Maria still felt awkward around the opposite s*x. Her confidence had risen while speaking with James, though, and she enjoyed their brief exchanges around the pool. After Lori’s second race, Maria sought out her friend. She gave the swimmer a hug before she vanished into the locker rooms. Lori asked what she thought of James and Maria caught her breath. “He’s really cute,” she answered, feeling a blush creep across her cheeks. “Well, if he asks for your number, give it to him!” she ordered. When the final race ended, James went in search of Maria. He discovered her seated by the locker rooms and examining the images she’d captured that afternoon. Determined not to appear overanxious, he casually approached Maria. This time, she noticed him right away and smiled at James. “Get some good shots?” he said. “Yes!” said Maria, setting down her camera. “Wish I’d gotten more of Lori though.” “If you like, I’ll send you what I took today,” James said, sinking into the seat beside her. “Oh, could you?” Maria pleaded. “Sure!” replied James, pulling a notepad out of his bag. “What’s your email address?” Maria gave it to him and watched as James scribbled down his own address. He handed her the sheet of paper and smiled. “Listen,” he said, glancing down at the notepad and nervously flicking his pen. “Could I get your phone number, too?” Maria caught her breath. James looked up, his eyes wide with hope as he waited for her reply. He thought he’d made a good impression and correctly interpreted her signals. His concerns were unfounded, though. Flashing him an enormous smile, Maria parted with her cell phone number. James wrote it down and tore off the sheet. He tucked it away in his pants pocket and arose, feeling triumphant. Maria rose to her feet as well, and James promised to send her the pictures by tomorrow. “That would be great,” she said, ducking her head. “It was really nice to meet you James.” “I think the pleasure was all mine.” Maria smiled and her whole face brightened. They said goodbye and retreated to the locker rooms. James paused just before entering the men’s side and saw Maria do the same by the woman’s entrance. She waved one more time before vanishing around the corner. He took a deep breath and felt all the tension leave his body as he exhaled. He’d done it! James sat beside Lori on the return trip and chatted about Maria. His friend appeared amused by his enthusiasm, as if she’d suspected all along the effect Maria would have on James. Lori’s knowing smile did not bother him in the least, though. He had hope once more, and that was all that mattered. That night, he downloaded the pictures from his camera and sent an email to Maria. James mentioned how much he had enjoyed their conversation and hoped to see her again. He stared at the message for several minutes before hitting send, apprehensive of her answer. Several times during the evening, he checked his messages, but to no avail. The hour was late though, and James finally gave up and went to bed. When he returned the next morning from the gym, there was a reply from Maria. She thanked him for the pictures of Lori and sent him two shots she had taken at the swim meet. Her message ended with how much she appreciated his assistance yesterday. James read her message three times before composing an answer. He complimented her photography, stating he’d like to see more of her work. He inquired what courses she currently enjoyed at Florida, too. Then James stepped out on faith and told her she was a very sweet girl and incredibly pretty.