Sublime Karma

by Peyton Garver

  He dropped his equipment bag and stepped close, really close. He reached for her hand, and taking one of the long sleeves, he creased it, snug around her wrist, then rolled it up, just enough to expose her hand. He repeated the process with the other sleeve.

  Brie watched him, amused. But then, he took both her hands in his and leaning close to her ear, he whispered, “I would come to your rescue any . . . day . . . of . . . the week.” His rough unshaven cheek, and then his soft lips, brushed against her face.

  Paralyzed, spontaneous combustion didn’t come close to explaining the warm rush spreading through her entire body.

  Then, after a simple squeeze, he released her hands, and walking away from her backwards, he gave her that intense look of his with hooded eyes and that twitchy, crooked smile. “See you tomorrow.”

  “See you,” she managed to whisper. Oh my gosh, I’m melting.

  Chapter 12

  Ari had described it perfectly. Brie looked around the gym from where she sat alone, behind the cross-country team. Along with the marching band, everyone who participated in fall sports sat on one side of the gym. They wore their jerseys and sat with their teammates. That is, every team except the football team. They stood at the end of the gym, near the locker room. The cheerleaders sat in the first row of bleachers, waiting for the pom squad to finish their dance routine.

  The gym filled to the marching band playing “We Will Rock You.” Stomping on the bleachers in beat with the band, the rest of the student body sat on the opposite side of the gym, mostly dressed in school colors.

  Brie thought about what Ari had said about the jerseys. She smiled to herself. What if I had worn Jake’s jersey instead of returning it this morning on the bus? “Here you go,” she’d said, taking his folded jersey and sweatpants out of her backpack.

  He furrowed his brows, looking first at her, then at the folded clothes she had placed on his lap.

  “What? They’re clean. Your sweats don’t even reek,” she had teased, leaning into him with her hand resting on the top of the pile.

  A lazy smile had replaced his curious look. “Thanks, you can borrow them anytime.”

  Like now? She scanned the filling gymnasium. She looked toward the football team, but they were still filtering in.

  Brie watched Ryan on the gym floor scanning the bleachers until he spotted her. Taking the bleacher steps two at a time, he passed by Kelly, even though she scooted over. She looked over her shoulder in time to see him plop down next to Brie.

  Brie rolled her eyes at Kelly’s venomous glare. “Maybe you should go sit with Kelly,” she whispered to Ryan.

  He smirked. “Why?”

  “Really? Look, I don’t know if you have a history with her, but if looks could kill, I’d be dead.”

  “Yeah, a history. That means past. It’s over. I’m moving on.” He scanned Brie’s body. “You look great,” he said, admiring her figure in a red cashmere sweater, faded black skinny jeans, and black ankle boots. “How come you didn’t wear your cross-country tank?”

  “I’m claiming ignorance, you know? New-student status? At least I got the colors, red and black, right? Why didn’t you wear yours? Did someone agree to wear it today?” She gave him a teasing grin.

  “You’re the only one I offered it to.” He shot a look at the football team and then back at her. “At least you’re not wearing someone else’s.”

  She felt her face warm and knew she was a nice shade of scarlet, same as her sweater.

  Ryan continued. “The only reason I didn’t ditch this bullshit rally is because I knew you’d be here.”

  In spite of herself, her lips curved up in a genuine smile.

  “Looks like they’re getting ready to show the spirit pictures they’ve been asking everyone for all week on the morning announcements,” Ryan nodded at the far wall where a marquis had begun to scroll: FCHS SPIRIT WEEK PEP PICS: THEN AND NOW.

  Brie nodded as the first images from last week’s bonfire were projected. Ryan stiffened as a picture of him with Kelly at the bonfire flashed on the wall. Brie bit her lips together in a stifled smile. She was relieved to see the only picture of Jake at the bonfire was of him embracing Troy.

  But, her sanguine mood slipped when a selfie of a younger looking Jake with Troy, Pam, and Sarah flashed on the screen. It must have been taken a couple of years ago. The guys wore their JV football uniforms. They looked so young, boyish even, and the girls in their cheer uniforms were on their boyfriend’s backs. They were all laughing. Leaning down, Sarah was hugging Jake from behind with her cheek flush against his. They were on top of the world.

  Brie’s flustered glance fell on Sarah who looked smugly back at her. But, just as quickly as it popped up, the slide changed to a group of pom girls. By the time the gym was filled, the slide show had ended.

  “Are you ready?” the student council president yelled into the megaphone.

  The gym roared to life with the students cheering and stomping their feet.

  Ryan leaned toward her. “Here we go. You’d think the only team at this school was the football team.”

  “Then, why are we sitting over here with our teams?” she teased.

  “Oh, they’ll announce our teams, and women’s and men’s soccer teams, field hockey, tennis, gymnastics, poms, and all of the JV and freshman teams. We’ll stand. They’ll clap. We’ll sit. But, watch. When it’s time for the varsity football team and cheerleaders, we have to sit through them announcing each player. They are the elite athletes. Then, we have to sit through them announcing the homecoming court.”

  Brie looked at Ryan. “Isn’t that the way it is at every school?”

  “Was it like that at the school you came from?”

  “Pretty much. Only that school wasn’t anywhere near the size of this one. It was a private school.”

  He leaned forward, watching the the pom squad take the floor. “Where’d you go before?”

  Brie rolled her eyes. “You’re drooling.” But, then, what guy wouldn’t drool at a pom squad doing a routine to “Timber”? She looked to where the football team waited. Was Jake watching them, too? She didn’t spot him, but she grinned when she saw Marcus, Kal, and Vic rapping with invisible microphones, chanting along with Pitbull.

  Then, she found him. Jake was behind the team, his back to the crowd in the gym, talking with Troy and a couple other guys, disengaged from everything going on around them. When Troy’s eyes met hers, she looked away, back to the pom squad. Play it off. Then, she remembered that Ryan had asked a question. What was it? Oh, yeah. Which school? She turned to him. “I went to Georgetown Day.”

  “What?” He turned to look at her. “In DC? I thought that was an all-guy school.”

  “Yeah, Georgetown Day is in DC, it’s co-ed. Georgetown Prep is the all-guy school. That school is in Bethesda, just outside of DC.”

  “Why’d you transfer?”

  She shrugged. “Long story.”

  “Fair enough.” He nodded.

  “What about you? Did you really transfer here from a boarding school?”

  “Where’d you hear that?” His intense gaze burned through her. A slight grin crept across his face.

  She felt her face flush again. Jake had mentioned it. Is it not common knowledge?

  He shrugged. “Yeah, I transferred from a boarding school near Hagerstown, not far from here. I was there for my freshman and sophomore years.”

  “Why’d you transfer?”

  He held her eyes a few seconds. “Long story.”

  Okay. We both have our secrets.

  “And, now, what you’ve all been waiting for,” yelled the SGA president. He handed the megaphone to Sarah, the cheerleading captain.

  “Are you ready!” she shouted.

  Ryan rolled his eyes. “Have
n’t we already done this Are you ready thing?” He checked the time on his phone and leaned toward her. “Okay, first they do the Spirit Cheer for each class. Then, they’ll announce the varsity football starters, offense and defense, player by player.”

  She grinned and shrugged. “I’m sure it’ll be painless.” She leaned toward him again, patting him on the leg.

  “Except listening to her,” he sneered, nodding toward Sarah.

  Who could argue with that? Looking back to Ryan, she saw he was still talking. But, all she could hear was the thunderous roar from the sophomore class that was now following the freshmen in the Spirit Cheer: “We’ve got spirit! Yes we do! We’ve got spirit! How ’bout you?”

  She grinned back at Ryan over the noise, with her hands up. The clear winners of that match were the juniors.

  “Now, what you’ve all been waiting for. Your undefeated Frederick Central Falcons!” As Sarah yelled the name of each starter, he ran out between the rows of cheerleaders into the center of the gym.

  The Spirit Cheer had nothing on this with the foot stomping, clapping, and screaming of the entire student body. Apparently, the players couldn’t hear their names over the megaphone. From where they stood on the side waiting, Sarah had to point at each player as she announced his name.

  Once they had all been introduced, the players bunched into a tight circle. They started a quiet chant that crescendoed to a roar.

  Brie leaned closer, straining to hear. “What are they saying?”

  Ryan wrinkled his forehead. “Believe me, you don’t want to know. They’re a bunch of Neanderthals.”

  He sniggered. “It has nothin’ to do with football or honor. You wanna know? Ask one of them.”

  “Maybe I will.” She sulked.

  “Look, Brie . . . I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to piss you off. I can’t believe we’re even talking about it. It’s just a crude chant they should’ve saved for the locker room, okay?”

  She nodded. “It’s not a big deal. I just wasn’t sure I heard them right. It’s kinda sweet that you don’t want me to hear what they’re saying, if it’s so crude.”

  Just as he smiled back, the SGA president’s voice came over the megaphone filling the gym. “Quiet. Quiet, please, so we can announce the homecoming court.”

  From the center of the gym, in the midst of the football team, Jake glanced back toward Brie. She was still deep in conversation with Ryan. His stomach coiled. Why are they sitting alone, so close, behind the rest of their team? He turned back to his buddies as the emcee continued.

  “Homecoming court, please come forward when your name is announced.” He called up each pair that made up the court, starting with the freshmen. When he got to the juniors, Kal and Lorianne were called up, and then the seniors: Troy and Pam.

  So far, no surprises. But, when Jake caught the look between Pam and Sarah, when Pam skipped up to the platform, he froze. “No,” he mumbled, closing his eyes.

  “And, now, your Homecoming King and Queen.”

  Jake had been stealing quick glances up at Brie from the gym floor. He watched Ryan lean close to Brie, saying something, then giving a single nod toward the announcer.

  “Your King: Jaaaake Goorrrrdon.”

  As the crowd cheered, Jake turned toward his buddies. “Screw that. I am not going over there. This is bullshit. She rigged it.” He shot a nervous glance back toward Brie.

  “True dat, but you gotta go, bro.” Marcus nudged him out of the group of varsity players.

  Jaw clenched, Jake sauntered forward.

  Miss Moore, the cheer coach, hurriedly pulled him to the center of the court. To Jake, it looked like a wedding party, with girls on one side and guys on the other. She stood him on the men’s side, next to Troy. Jake folded his arms across his chest, knowing what was coming next. He glanced toward Brie. He finally had her attention, but he didn’t want it like this.

  The emcee cleared his throat and the gymnasium quieted. “And, now, I will announce the Frederick Central High Homecoming Queen.” He dramatically unfolded a sealed card.

  “Your Homecoming Queen is Saaaarah Fishhher.”

  The crowd erupted.

  “Oh my gosh. Can you believe it?” she squealed. Bounding up onto the platform, she threw her arms around Jake. “My dress is burgundy. You can wear black, that would look great. You’re sure you can’t pick me up?” She leaned forward so the emcee could place the tiara on her head, and dipping into the sash, she accepted the roses.

  “No. I’m not picking you up. What are you doing, Sarah?” he muttered under his breath.

  “Then, you’re coming stag, right? You’re not bringing someone else?” She looked up at him, posing with a coy smile, just as the yearbook photographer snapped the photo.

  “Don’t. Do. This. Sarah. I’ll be here. Just relax.”

  “And, there you have it, the perfect couple,” Ryan said, leaning toward Brie. When she tensed, he shot her a questioning look. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, it’s finally over, right?” She smiled.

  Ryan checked the time on his phone, just as his text alert went off. He glanced toward Kelly, but turned off the volume and stuck his phone back in his pocket. “Yep, it’s over. You wanna go get a burger or something?”

  “Sure, where?” She jumped up from her seat. “Whoa.” She reached out, grabbing his arm for support.

  “Hey, slow down.” He wrapped his arm around her. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, I kind of have low blood pressure.” She laughed it off. “Whew, that was embarrassing. Oh wait, I took the bus to school. If we go out, can you drop me off afterward?” she asked, still gripping him.

  “Sure. You ride the bus? I thought you were chauffeured.”

  “Chauffeured? Oh, I guess. Carlos usually picks me up after practice, but there’s no practice today. I take the bus in the morning.” She shrugged.

  “Where do you live?” he asked, guiding her down the bleachers.

  “Iamsville.”

  “Me, too. That makes it easy.”

  From the stage, Jake saw Brie nearly collapse and then cling to Ryan. He pulled out his phone, texting: You ok?

  Watching her, he could see she didn’t check her phone.

  “Hey, Jake, you comin’?”

  “Huh?” Jake turned to Troy.

  “We’re going to DiPietros for pizza. You wanna come?” Troy repeated.

  “No.” Jake’s eyes darted to Sarah, then back to Troy. “Can you just drop me off at my place, then pick me up at four for the game?”

  The game. He pulled out his phone and texted Brie again: Hey sorry I missed you at the rally can you come to the game tonight? I mean I can’t pick you up or anything players go a couple hours early but I’d like you to come watch and cheer me on ;)

  He pressed send and then followed that text with another: Please

  He looked back at the bleachers. She was gone. Had she left with Ryan?

  Troy nodded. “Sure man. I’ll drop you off on our way.”

  “Shotgun,” Jake blurted, once more shifting his eyes from Sarah.

  “A’right.” Troy sniggered, shooting Pam a warning look.

  Chapter 13

  “Brie, I haven’t been to a high school football game in four years.”

  “Please, Leif. I don’t know anyone well enough, yet, to invite myself, and I don’t want to go alone. You’re leaving tomorrow, so this is my last chance to get to a game. And, it’s the homecoming game.” She grinned. “Look, he wants me to go,” she said, holding up Jake’s text.

  “Who is he?” Leif scowled at the message. “A football player?”

  “He is my crush. And, yes, he’s on the team.”

  “So, what’s going on with him? Is it that guy who was playing in that band last weeke
nd?”

  “Yes, that was him. And, I really like him, so don’t scare him away. I mean it!”

  “You gone out with him, yet?”

  “Gone out with him? Like out out? No. But, he wants me to go to the game, so will you please come with me? I’m begging you.”

  “Yeah, all right. C’mon.”

  She eyed the jacket he grabbed off the chair. “Can I wear your leather jacket?”

  “This leather jacket?” He held his arm up with the jacket draped over it.

  She gave him a pleading pout, arms akimbo, hip out. “Please? Mine won’t fit over this sweater.”

  He gave her a slight smile. “Sure.” He helped her into his jacket.

  “Wait. Do you have another jacket here?”

  “Yep, my field jacket. Come on, it’s in the Maserati.”

  Looking over his shoulder, Leif backed out of the garage. “So, what’s his name?”

  “Jake, Jake Gordon.”

  They fell into several minutes of a comfortable silence, then Lief glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “So, is he like . . . your boyfriend?”

  “No.”

  “What’s wrong? He’s obviously interested, or he wouldn’t have sent that text. You like him, right?”

  She looked away from him.

  “Brie?”

  “What? Nothing’s wrong,” she said, too sharply. She fell silent, staring at the scars on her palm. Her wall went up, shutting him out.

  “I call bullshit,” he yanked the steering wheel, pulling off the road. “Look at me, Brie. If you can’t be honest with me, we’re not going anywhere. I don’t want you filing shit away until you get overloaded. We’ve been down that road, and I’m not interested in going back. Take the jacket off.”