Best Intentions

Best Intentions…”The First Twenty”, is a short story, a collection of twenty tales of young love from 1970 through 1980. It is written in a creative non-fiction format. A love story of one boy’s relationships with the girls in his life. From ten years of age, through to his twentieth year.

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Chapter 1

1970

4th Grade

10 years old

Huber Heights, Ohio

“I’m going to be late, my first practice”, Jackson Bulluck said out loud to anyone listening all the while peddling as fast as he could up the street to the baseball field. “Man, the grass smells great”, he said to himself, the sweet, dewy, fresh cut, so predominant in the suburbs of central Ohio.

Bulluck keeps peddling, faster and faster on his green Huffy banana seat stingray bicycle.

Around the next corner, a full block down the street was the field. He will only be five minutes late, maybe the coach will not say anything. He hoped anyway, not wanting the attention drawn to him.

“I can take this corner fast” turning a tight right, which for a second brought his eyes to the left to a front porch of a ranch styled house. As he turns and looks at the house, he sees a cute girl, his age he thinks, maybe someone who will be in his class this fall when school starts again.

Time slows as he looks at her. Short shoulder length brown hair and a bright yellow dress. At that moment, Jackson realized she is looking at him!

WHAM, CRUNCH, OUCH, Jackson Bulluck begins to pull himself up off the rear trunk of a blue Ford Mustang. “Ouch again, that hurt”, he thinks to himself to be followed by from adult voice, “are you all right”?

It was the girl on the porch’s father. He had burst through the front door, ran out through the moist grass to see what had happened. The father had just heard his daughter, scream out about the boy who just ran his bicycle into the back of their neighbor’s car parked on the street. She had been watching him.

“Yes, yes sir, I am ok, thank you”, Jackson Bulluck said as he looked at the back of the car, then to the girl. She smiled at him and he sheepishly smiled back. She had deep dark brown eyes to match her brunette shoulder length hair.

Surprisingly, nothing terrible had occurred to the car, there were no scratches or dents and for Bulluck, he had only a bruised ten-year-old ego. Her father spoke again, “well, looks like there is no harm done here, you better get to your game son” noticing the Thomas Hardware uniform the boy was wearing. The man was considerate, kind and was not aware that the boy had crashed into the back of his neighbor’s car while looking at his own daughter.

Bulluck climbed back on his banana seat, “chopper” and began to peddle away. He looked back over his shoulder to see the brown-haired girl once more. To which, he was rewarded with a smile and a small wave of her hand.

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Chapter 2

1972

Early Spring, 5th Grade

Westerville, Ohio

“You can sit here” she said as she patted the cold vinyl covered school bus seat. “Ok, thanks”, Jackson replied. “Kristi wants me to sit with her”, he thought to himself. The bus pulled away from Handby elementary school for the field trip. They were both dressed in late winter jackets since it was still cold outside. She spoke again to him, “Are you excited to go to the museum, Jackson”? Her voice, as sweet and innocent as a 5th grade girl could be. “Yes, I am”, he replied, careful to not say too much to not look dumb. “What do you want to see there” Kristi asked him, vigilantly approaching the eleven-year-old boy to speak with her.

“I don’t know, maybe the Model T?” he cautiously replied. Kristi continued, “I want to see the outside exhibit of the Ohio Village, I think it will be neat to see”, she confidently said back to him. He looked outside the window and nodded to her that he liked that idea too.

The bus turned from Main Street in Westerville to the ramp taking them up onto the I-270 freeway. I-270 led quickly to I-71 south into Columbus. Soon the bus driver took the exit taking them to the Ohio Historical Society Museum located on the Ohio State Fairgrounds. Jackson noticed there were a lot of school buses in the parking lot though did not comment about so to his seat mate.

As the bus stopped to park, Kristi jumped up from her seat and enthusiastically said, “Come on, let’s go”, as she looked back to Bulluck, still sitting in the seat waiting for the teacher to tell her students what they should do next. Kristi was smart, might be the best in her class and was always the first to raise her hand for a question. With her encouragement, he got up and followed her with the rest of the students getting up and standing behind the two.

When Jackson got close behind Kristi, she sensed him and turned around to smile at him. He returned the look, this time with a little more confidence than before.

The teacher collected her students and made way for the museum entrance. She had them standing in a line, boy, girl, boy, girl. Once indoors, the boys grouped together as boys will do and the girls did the same. The tour was quick and once the kid’s bag lunches were served and eaten it was time to visit the outdoor Ohio Village.

Once outside, this time it was Jackson’s turn to look for Kristi and he did so as quickly as the tour began. She was visibly excited to see his face and that he had looked for her first. Jackson followed behind Kristi and her friend’s group, making sure to not be noticed, but nearby just the same. When the tour ended, the teacher assembled the group again took them back to the waiting bus. Kristi’s friends got on first and a large group of boys followed with Bulluck in the lead. This time, it was he who found an empty seat and motioned for Kristi to join him.

She smiled and sat down next to him. She seated on the outside and Bulluck had the window. “What did you think of the museum, did you like it Jackson”? “Yeah, it was ok”, he replied. “Well, I thought it was really nice and I like sitting beside you too”, Kristi said. Then with a quick motion she reached and touched his hand.

Jackson had to think a minute, not knowing exactly what to do next, but fortunately for him, the bus leached forward, and both sets of eyes were drawn frontward.

It was quiet on the ride back, but as the bus got off the freeway onto Main Street again, Kristi looked at Jackson. He felt her looking at him as he gazed outside while the town passed by them. When he turned back to see Kristi, she reached out to hold his hand, and whispered to him, “I like you”.

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Chapter 3

1972

Summer

Springdale (Cincinnati), Ohio

“Zack, check it out, I think they are watching us”, Jackson said to his ten-year-old brother. Zack looked up across the street to where his brother’s gaze through the summer sun led him. Zack did not understand the meaning behind his brother’s interest in the twins from across the street but nodded yes, that he saw them looking at he and his brother.

The Mayflower Moving Company’s men continued to unload the truck into what was the 7th house, Jackson and Zack had lived in since being born. Jackson had a one more relocation under his belt than his brother, but that was just because he is two years older.

One of the girls noticed the conversation the brothers were having and made a nervous wave at the two. Jackson noticed and said to his brother, “if Mom asks, I am going across the street to meet our new neighbors”. Zack nodded back to Jackson, that he would do what his brother asked and turned back to watch the Mayflower men work.

“Hi, I am Jackson Bulluck”, and each girl said back “Hi”. They are twins, both had long blond hair with one having more of a reddish hue the color a strawberry. Both had green eyes and a tan from many days spent at the pool.

“I am Sandy”, “I am Candy”, they continued and added, “We live here” pointing the house behind them. Their home was a nice suburban ranch style home, manicured lawn and painted a darker green with brown shudders.

“What grade are you”? Sandy asked. “I am in sixth and will be going to the school, over there”, Jackson said waving in the direction of an elementary school he had seen before their dad pulled into the neighborhood. “We go there too and will be in sixth grade” Candy excitedly said back and added, “maybe we will be in the same class”. “That would be ok”, Jackson replied.

“Jackson, get back over here, help your brother”, Jackson’s father Cecil sharply bellowed from across the street at his oldest son. “I guess I have to go, maybe I can come over sometime and watch TV with you”? Jackson asked the girls. “Ok”, Candy said before her sister Sandy could speak up.

Jackson’s blue eyes and Candy’s green eyes met for a few quick seconds, which turned into smiles for each.

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See you tomorrow for Chapter 4, 5 & 6