You Man Up and Walk In!

I started making my way to the pathway that led to the main entrance. Jimmy was a few paces to the path himself but from a different direction. I reached the path just a beat or two ahead of him. The worst part about Jimmy is he’s also relatively chill. So chill he can say ‘sup’ to me in the morning with us not being friends and I’d still feel like a dick if I didn’t respond.

“Sup” he said as sure as the sunrise nonchalantly, obviously not expecting it to go anywhere but just a nice greeting to two guys late for school.

“Hey man” I returned as we walked towards the main building together. This was the closest I’ve been to him probably ever, finally realizing his bulking frame up close was even more incredible. Jimmy played football in the fall, basketball in the winter, and baseball in the summer. He was already 6’1” to my 5’10” and probably had at least 50-75 extra pounds of pure American teen muscle. I thought I was going to melt into a puddle right there next to him.

“Chris right?” he asked as we continued walking. The uncertainty stung a bit because by senior year we’ve had about five odd classes together and our friend groups were well known with each other as Jimmy had even dated a friend of mine. I always wanted to ask her if Dino dick was true but tended to chicken out.

“Yeah, Chris.” I responded before waiting a beat, “and you’re Jimmy, right?” I asked back in a knowing tone.

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “Do you know anyone in the front office? Coach will have my ass if I get another late detention and miss the start of practice.” It was the same way I pictured him rubbing his neck in my dream. The vision almost made me burst right there on the spot.

I actually did know the woman in the front office, Janine. I learned early on in my high school career that knowing a secretary or two in the front office, especially the attendance office, would come in handy for times like this. But Janine only usually extended the courtesy to me and rarely my friends. Jimmy wasn't even a friend but I knew I could use this...