Young Writers Society

“Iight class.” Don’t really know where Gale learned his language, but I like it. Ain’t never heard a teacher speak slang, especially a caucasian one with a tan. Bet it’s from football practices. Dark blue eyes and very curly eyelashes. Black hair that’s starting to gray. An almost pointed nose, but not too pointed and medium sized lips.

“Ya’ll have ten minutes before the bell rings, do whatever ya’ll want. Get to know the new guy or sit there and stare at him, it’s your choice.” Gale is never afraid of putting people on blast. I’m just glad he has nothing on me to put on blast.

“Mari, I need to talk to you.” Gale said.

“Okay, just let me get my stuff.”

I bent down and picked up my stuff, Kyle started talking.

“Hey Mari, can I have your number? You know, if I have any questions it’ll be nice to have someone to ask.” He said.

“Yeah sure.” I wrote down my number on a piece of paper, gave it to him, then stood up. He slid it into his right back pocket when he stood up. While I walked to Gale’s desk, Kyle went back to his seat. I didn’t have to look back to know that everybody moved over there by him.

“Whats up Coach?” I said once I made it to his desk.

“Coach Smith told me to tell you to text the girls and tell them ya’ll won’t have after school practice and ya’ll will be in the gym with me sixth hour.”

I reached in my purse and pulled out my phone. It’s black and pink and slides up. Creating a message about meeting in the gym and no after school practice, I sent it to the girls. Then looked back at Gale, lowering my voice.

“Thanks Gale.” I said, sitting in my favorite rolling chair. It’s so comfortable with the red leather. “Anything else?”

“You made a hundred on your test, but you already knew that didn’t you.”

“Yep, math’s my favorite subject.”

“Well if football was a subject, then that’s where you’ll find me.” We laughed.

“So does Kyle understand what we did yesterday.”

“Yep and I even gave him my number just in case.”

“Okay so will you go give him this work sheet for me. You know me, very forgetful. I’m going to my favorite subject next and I might forget to give it to him there.”

“He plays football?” I asked, wanting to slap myself for asking when I already knew the answer.

“Yeah, those shoulders aren’t there for no reason.” I looked over my shoulder at Kyle. Yeah he did have some broad shoulders on him. I turned back to Gale and with a sigh I took the paper from him.

“Alright Gale, but you owe me if anything happens. The whole cheerleading team is over there you know.”

“Ah, still don’t like the ‘preps’ I see.” He put quotation marks around the word ‘prep’. Same thing I do when I say the word, even think the word.

“Are they still prissy and act like if they break a nail during class they have to leave school just to get it fixed. If sweat rolls off their heads they’ll faint. If a tiny crumb or spot gets on their clothes they have to run to their locker and change.” We laughed. “Nope, still don’t like them.” I said after we stopped.

“Well I’m glad you’re not one of them.”

“Yeah I didn’t think they’d like lacrosse.”

“I’m also glad you joined the team. You’re a very good player, Coach Smith talks about you a lot. The team needed a player like you, you know.”

“Thanks Gale.”

“I heard people were asking about you. Also heard there’re gonna be scouts in the crowds during your next game. Make sure you show them what you’re made of, alright May.”

“Okay Gale.” Taking a deep breath, I stood up. “I’m gonna go face the crowd or flock.”

“Good luck.” I rolled my eyes but laughed again.

I wasn’t expecting to the crowd/flock move out of the way for me. As soon as I got close to them, thats what they did. Without even looking back. Not having to say excuse me all the way to Kyle was a time saver.

“Coach wanted me to give this to you.”

“Okay thanks.” He said and looked like he was going to say more but I turned around and walked back to Gale.

“See that wasn’t so bad, they even parted the waters for you.” Gale said. Him and his metaphors, or wanna be metaphors. You’d think he would teach English because of all of them. But when you hear him speak you’re like ‘Oh that’s why.’

Sitting down heavily in my chair. “Yeah I guess. So we’re walking to the weight room after the bell rings in two second.”

The bell rung. When it was over he said.

“How did you do that? You didn’t look at your phone, watch, nor the clock.”

“It doesn’t take a genius to count seconds nor minutes, plus I love math.”

While everybody walked out the room, Gale got up from his chair, and handed me my lacrosse bag. Then looked up at Kyle.

“Kyle are you gonna walk with us to the weight room or do you want to try and find it on your own?” Gale asked as he walked around his desk.

I remember him asking me if I needed to be walked to the lacrosse field on my first day. Should have taken that offer, instead I ended up on getting loss and being late.

“Yeah sure Coach, don’t want to get lost on my first day.”

“Wish I thought of that.” I thought I said it under my breath, but Gale laughed.

Walking out the door behind Kyle and I, Gale said to me. “Yeah you should have.” He looked at Kyle as we walked down the hall. “This one right here, on her first day got lost. I offered to walk her to the lacrosse field but she said nah she’ll manage. She ended up on getting lost and being late. So ever since then she has me walking with her. Even this very day I walk with her and she knows the way by heart.”

“Hey I only walk with you everyday because you give me advice along with some gossip. You help me out, you’re like my good luck charm. Why turn down a good luck charm.” We laughed, even Kyle, but Gale knew I was telling the truth. He is my good luck charm, wonder who’s my bad.

“So is that where we’re walking you to now?” Kyle asked.

“Nope, the girls and I are meeting in the gym. Gale right here is our teacher today.” I patted Gale on the shoulder.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to have ya’ll just sit there. I’m putting you in charge...”

I cut him off. “Now Gale, you know A-Marie is our captain, so she is the one who needs to be put in charge.”

“Now May, you know that you’re co-captain, so I can put you in charge. Plus you know the girls better than she does, shoot they like you better than her. Once she leaves you’ll be the one taking her place as captain.” Gale, mainly, only calls me May when he’s being very serious.

I opened my mouth to say something but Kyle cut me off.

“May and Gale?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.

“There’s this show called Father Daughter, their names are May and Gale. They act more like buddies father and daughter. Their relationship is real tight and it makes the seem like sister and brother or best friends even.” I started.

“Our relationship is like that. Well, I treat her like she’s my little sister and daughter. Plus she likes sport that most ‘preps’ don’t like.” Gale finished, with quotation marks around ‘preps’.

“What’s a prep?” Kyle asked, without the quotation marks.

“A girl that doesn’t like to sweat.”

“Or break a nail.” I finished for Gale and we laughed.