I was feeling anxious; this was probably a one night stand to relieve some stress, and I thought it might have been something more. I felt so stupid, now.
Mr. Takahashi took his usual place in the front and began to speak.
“We have a special presentation at the beginning of class today; Hollis will be exciting us with an experiment of his and his partners design using hydrogen.”
Hollis walked to the front of the class quickly and gave his presentation. I was impressed at his ability to state the facts in a concise manner, and he showed how much he knew.
“Ms. Reynolds seems to be a better teacher than I,” said Mr. Takahashi.
I blushed and hid inside my book.
“She really is,” Hollis added.
I got a couple pats on the back from classmates nearby and was surprised by the attention.
After class had finally ended, I was hoping I could get a moment alone with Hollis, but he marched out quickly and avoided my gaze altogether.
I sighed deeply as I gathered my books.
“You did a great job with him, Christine. How did you get through to that meathead?” asked the teacher.
I pondered what I really did, and couldn’t really think of anything.
“He’s smarter than he lets on,” I replied.
He laughed and continued erasing the whiteboard.
My phone vibrated, and I got a text message from Hollis’ number.
“Come to the pep rally tonight,” was all it said. I responded and asked why, but never got a reply.
I wanted nothing more than to just go for a run and forget everything that had happened the last couple days, but I was still extremely curious and needed to know.
The campus stirred with activity as I followed the crowd towards the local stadium, it seemed everyone was wearing team colors, and I felt out of place.
Hollis sidled up next to me as I walked, and he grabbed my arm, leading me down a side road where we could talk.
“What’s going on, why haven’t you talked to me since yesterday?” I asked.
“I get incredibly nervous, I don’t like to let anyone know, but I just seize up and can’t think of anything else.”
I could understand where he was coming from. I’ve had to give presentations plenty of times and always ended up a ball of nerves before starting.
“So Mister super star does get nervous,” I said.
He let out a nervous laugh. “Christine, listen. I don’t know what’s going to happen between us. But, it’s the only thing I can think about.”
I felt a little less nervous after he said so.
“I really like you, and I’ve never wanted to be with anyone so much. I know that you’re much smarter than I am, and if you really just want to go back to being peers then I won’t try to force anything. But, after yesterday, I don’t think I can.”
I reached out, grabbed his shoulders and pulled myself up for a kiss. “I’ve thought about the same thing, and I don’t want this to end,” I replied.
His eyes started beaming with pride as he thought about it. He sighed and looked much less tense after hearing that, as did I.
“Hollis, they’re looking for you,” shouted a voice from down the street, it was his coach from down the street.
“Oh, it’s you, Ms. Reynolds,” he added.
I nodded.
“Come on, Hollis. We’re about to start.”
Hollis turned back to me and leaned in for a kiss which I welcomed.
“You know, I’m going to need people in my cheering section. I know it isn’t your thing, but-“
“You didn’t have to ask,” I interjected, “I’ll always be in your cheering section.”
He smiled and ran down the street towards the coach.
I got a ‘B’ in athletics that year, and it didn’t bother me at all.
THE END
SPORTS Romance – The Coach’s Game
Hi, coach, the girls said as they passed him on their way to cheerleader practice.
Ladies, Sam said touching the peak of his cap.
Coach, I'm free this evening, Cora said. Cora was one of the most beautiful cheerleaders at Westchester College, and she'd been trying to get Coach Warren to take her out for months. He was beginning to get fed up with it. At thirty-nine, he was almost twenty years older than her. For him it was clear. She was a student at college and he a sports coach, and it was unethical for him to take her out. Not that he didn't sometimes sit in his apartment and dream about the girls that cheered his football team on. But as far as he was concerned that's all it would ever be, a dream.
He'd divorced five years earlier. He and his wife had decided it wasn't working and gone their separate ways. It had all been very amicable, but it had left him afraid of commitment. He'd had a couple of flings with female lecturers, but as soon as they'd begun talk of a future together, he'd cut them out of his life. He kept telling himself that he didn't need a wife because he was already married to football.