Junior Year Box Set

My grandma got a little drunk and began to tell stories on my dad and uncle. She told one about them being arrested by the county sheriff when they were found naked with the local preacher’s daughters. I said I would have to add that to my list of things to do, and was promptly sent to my apartment.

I had to get up to take my finals tomorrow, so it worked out for the best. Plus, my hound wanted to go to bed.

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Chapter 14 – Sometimes You Just Need to be the Hero Friday November 27

Duke and I wandered into the kitchen to find my dad and uncle nursing their coffee.

“Good morning!” I boomed in a cheerful voice.

“We could bury him somewhere,” Uncle John suggested.

“If his mother wouldn’t have missed him, I’d have done that a long time ago,” Dad said.

“I was going to make breakfast. I just love runny eggs soaked in grease. Would you guys like a plateful?” I asked.

I think Uncle John might have thrown up in his mouth, while Dad flipped me off. They may have had too much scotch last night. Mom waltzed in.

“Did you offer them green eggs and ham?”

“Runny eggs soaked in grease,” I admitted.

“Make me up a batch. They can watch me eat it,” Mom suggested.

That cleared the room. I made bacon and scrambled eggs with toast. Grandma and my aunt joined us.

I didn’t see my dad or uncle again before I left for school.

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My first final was in PE. Coach Diamond spotted me as I worked out. He compared how I did at the start of the semester and now. I’d gotten stronger, so I received an ‘A.’

My next test was AP Trigonometry with Miss Lowden. Halle had the same class, and they put us in a conference room near the teacher’s lounge. I soon found my preparation had paid off. I didn’t have any trouble with any of my finals.

At lunchtime, I took Halle to my house and introduced her to my grandma, aunt, and uncle. I made grilled cheese with ham sandwiches and tomato soup. When we finished eating, Halle wanted to talk about LA.

“I don’t know how to say this without sounding like a snob, but in LA, you’ll need to dress better,” Halle said.

I just smiled and took her to my apartment. Halle had never been through my closet before. She blushed when she saw my selection of clothes. I had plenty of trendy things from Jade and fancier stuff from Dakora. I’d also gotten lots of clothes from my trips to New York and Chicago. My wardrobe even included dressy clothes from Range Sports. I’d always felt more comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt. I’d reverted to wearing more casual clothes this year, so Halle hadn’t really seen me in the clothes I got from photo shoots.

“Why don’t you ever wear this stuff?” Halle asked.

“What do you see everyone else wearing?”

“I guess, but will you be okay dressing up in LA?”

“Of course I will. I want to fit in, and I promise not to embarrass you.”

“Can I pick out what you’ll bring with you?” she asked.

Why do women want to dress us? I just shrugged. We didn’t have time then because we needed to get back to take the rest of our tests. But I promised she could come over after we were done and pick out clothes. I’d learned my lesson and would check everything before I left. Halle would have to do it on her own because I was to talk to Coach Mason and Coach Diamond after I was done with my tests. Then we were all going to State for a quick walk-through practice.

Our last test was Art–Life Drawings II. Halle had her painting to turn in; I hadn’t seen it yet. Even though I knew it was of me, I was shocked to see how good it was. If I hadn’t known that Halle had painted it, I would have thought it was a real piece of art. She’d captured me as I casually sat on the couch with Duke at my feet. I had a little smirk on my face as if I knew a secret of some kind.

“What do you think, David?” Ms. Saunders asked.

“The painting draws me in with the little smile and makes me wonder what he’s thinking. Halle has captured a very lifelike representation of her subject matter. I like how she used the repeating pictures above the subject without making them repetitive by varying their size and subject matter. I’d say this is the best painting I’ve seen by a high school student,” I surmised.

“See how she used shadows here and here,” Ms. Saunders pointed out. “That little extra gives the painting much more depth. I agree with David’s assessment: this is the best painting I’ve seen done by a high school student in any of my classes over the years. You both get ‘A’s.”

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After practice, we were having our second annual awards banquet for football. Last year, the Booster Club had sponsored the event and unveiled the plans for the Field House. This year it was being held at my dad’s country club again. When I arrived home, there was a note that said my parents would meet me there.