Sidelines

I think Wednesdays are boring. It's not the beginning of the week anymore, but not the weekend either, the stupid in between. Completely pointless, I thought, Or at least they used to be, until one day. I was at my high school locker putting away my textbooks from Math class and retrieving my American Literature ones when I noticed something on the front. A yellow sticky note with my name on it. I flipped it over only to find a time and location, no signature.

Meet me at the Football field, 50-yard line, 8 PM tonight.

Who would leave me a note? I don't have a lot of friends wanting to hang out due to my lack of popularity, nor guys interested in dating me because of my bookish, shy nature. It could be a prank by Chelsea Barker, our resident homecoming queen/cheerleader who hates my existence, but the idea is still interesting. I'll check it out; not like I have anything going on anyway. I continued the rest of my day with no eventful moments to speak of, curious about the evening to come. As I walked home, I noticed the sun setting and the spring air was blowing; the atmosphere was perfect for a surprise.

I arrived at the school at 7:50 PM, just shy of the deadline, and made my way over to the stadium where my mystery caller would be soon. I used a shortcut through the campus to get there quicker. It was quiet and peaceful, warm and still, but also kind of lonely. Halls once filled with noisy, boisterous students are now a barren wasteland of metal lockers and laminate floors. Once out of the main building, I came to the sports section of the recreational activities area, where the entrance to the stadium was. A glance at my wristwatch informs me that it’s 8 o’clock on the dot, just in time.

It was dark outside, the bleachers were empty, and the stars were visible in the clear night sky. The field was massive and well-groomed, each blade of grass glistening with water from the sprinkler system. I reached the pre-determined destination but found nobody there- just an empty field in the middle of the night. I briefly looked around to locate my mystery person to no avail. A loud noise breaks the silence.

Suddenly, there was a burst of white light coming from the gridiron. I shielded my eyes from it as it’s way too bright when a voice called out to me from behind the light:

“I knew you would make it!” The voice sounded deep, husky, and male.

Footsteps began moving towards me, crunching on the crisp turf with each movement. I uncovered my eyes and saw a tall, muscular silhouette approach. It was a man, no doubt about it. Finally, my eyes adjusted to the blinding light, and I could see who it was. Arthur Keller. Star quarterback for the football team, a year older than me, and slated for graduation in a few months.

“Arthur?” I called out, rubbing my eyes. “You called me out here? How come?” I walked closer to him.

He got within an arm's length from me before answering. He looked handsome, dressed in blue jeans, black dress shoes, and a light blue button-down flannel shirt. His dark brown hair was combed and styled back with gel; he was clean-shaven and wore cologne. He’s date-ready in my eyes.

“I wanted to thank you for all you did for me, Melanie,” Arthur said, scratching the back of his neck. “I know it’s a bit late since I’m leaving in June, but I couldn’t just go without talking to you. “ He was sincere; his eyes were serious.

Not sure what he meant, I began to think carefully. What did I do for him? What was it? Wait a minute, the test! He struggled in Calculus and signed up for help; I happened to be very good at it, so I tutored him for three months. If memory serves me right, he got a B+ on his final and then showed it off at lunch the next day.

I chuckled. “Arthur, I didn’t do anything special.” I brushed my hair out of my face. “You needed help, and I didn’t want you to fail, that’s all.”

He smiles and says, “You’re wrong.” He places both his hands on my shoulders. “Without you, I couldn’t have graduated!”

I’m confused. “What?” I said, enjoying his warm hands on me.

“My grades were kind of normal,” He explained, “But I was failing Calculus. If I didn’t get at least a B on my final, I was going to repeat senior year.”

Whoa, I had no idea he was failing. If I hadn’t taken time to work with him, he would’ve had to do it all over again. How could I not realize this? I must be dense or something.

“I had no idea. But, it all ended well for you, huh?” I chuckled. “You're graduating, and from what I heard, you are going away to the University of Boston with a football scholarship. “

“That’s not important to me, but yeah, I guess so. “ Arthur let go of me and shrugged.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“It’s more or less something I got to do rather than what I want to do if that makes any sense. “ He said, pacing back and forth.

“But that’s got nothing to do with me calling you out here.”

Now I’m curious. Why did he call me out?

“So, why did you?” I asked

He gestured to his left, “Over here.” and then led me by my hand in that direction.

The light, it turns out, is from the headlights of his silver pick-up truck he got for his eighteenth birthday. They were being used as a light source so that we could see each other. How quaint. He led me to the truck's cargo bed and climbed into it, offering his hand to me so I could get up there. I accepted it, hoisting myself up. What I saw was terrific. There was a blanket and two pillows in the bed, several flameless candles on the sides and cab of the truck, and a wicker picnic basket in the middle.

I gasped. Is this a date? Did Arthur Keller treat me to a picnic? Whoa, I don’t know how to handle this.

“Wow... Arthur, this is beautiful.“ I whisper breathlessly at the sight of it all.

He smiled bigger “I was hoping you would like it, but I couldn’t ask you without spoiling the surprise.” He sat down on the blanket and patted next to him. “Please sit.”

I sat down and got situated with the pillow.

“I... didn’t just ask you out here to say thank you. “ He whispered to me, his voice very soft. “After spending so much time with you during tutoring, I found out that... I liked you.”

We sat there in silence for a few minutes until I broke the ice, “I... don’t understand, you like me? “ I was shaking my head, but he was nodding.

“Why? What’s so special about me that Chelsea Barker doesn’t have?”

They dated briefly, but it didn’t work out well. Chelsea was much better than me, prettier, golden blonde hair with green eyes, more popular, and wealthy to boot. In comparison, I am a poor, dirty brunette with grey eyes and a bookish nerd appearance. There was no way he liked me.

“Chelsea is rude, selfish, and stuck-up. We broke up because she was cheating on me with my friend Tony. She’s awful. You? You’re smart, kind, shy, humble, and carry yourself like a proper lady, with conservative clothing that flatters your beauty.” He said while holding my hand gently, “And... she doesn’t make my heart stop when I see her, you do.”

I blushed bashfully.

“Do you mean that?” I replied softly, with tears welling up in my eyes.

He nods.

“I think that I like you too, but I was afraid you wouldn’t go for...” I said while gesturing to my body, “All of this.”

He kissed my hand like a prince- my heart fluttered in my rib cage.

“You never asked.” He whispers, still holding my hand.

“So this is a date?” I finally asked, smiling.

“Yup. That is if you don’t mind. “ He replied.

“I don’t. It's nice." I said, looking around. "I can’t see the candles well because of the headlights. “ This was true; the bright lights dimmed the soft candlelight.

He reached behind him and turned off the truck. The area is bathed in a warm, romantic light.

“Better?” He asked.

“Yup,” I reply.

He opened the basket and pulled out a plate full of assorted nuts, meats and cubes of exotic cheeses, a bottle of Merlot red wine, and two glasses. Smooth, Arthur. I approve of this setup.

“Merlot, huh? Never tried it before, but I’ll try it out.” I said, examining the bottle carefully.

He chuckled. “My mom actually helped me pick it out, said it was good for people who don’t drink, and that it goes well with cheeses. I added the other stuff for variety in case you were allergic.”

I nod. That’s smart and thoughtful. Well, here goes. I take a piece of cheese, some nuts, and some salami while Arthur fills my glass about a quarter full. It has a pleasing fragrance, full of fruity sweetness with a hint of bitterness. I sip it slowly with my snacks and immediately enjoy it - a smooth complement to the saltiness of the foods.

“This is amazing, Arthur!“ I squealed. “Thank you.”

He nods. “ I’m glad you like it.”

We finished our selections and the rest of the wine while talking about all sorts of topics. What I like, what he likes, our plans for school, our hobbies, etc. It's nice just sitting here in his truck, watching the stars, enjoying each other’s company in a comfortable and romantic environment. Nothing could make this moment better. I was wrong. Very wrong. I felt something warm on my cheek but ignored it because I wan to savor this beautiful view of the sky.

I turned to face Arthur, who, while I was distracted, kissed me. I blushed furiously because this was my first kiss. The best moment of my life occurred on the worst day in existence, Wednesday. Never again will I complain about this day. From now on, it will be my favorite day of the week. The day I realized I was enough for someone to care for, to invest time in, and above all else, worthy of a sweet kiss. We cuddled with one another, wrapped up in the blanket and each other’s body warmth. I could die happy right now.