A Tantalizing Kiss

Twenty Questions

                It was Friday, and there wasn’t a single person in our school that wasn’t pumped for the game. The State Cup was just as big as-if not bigger than-our football team going into playoffs. Since both sports were at opposite times of the year, it worked wonderfully for our school.

                My team wore our home jerseys that day to school. The black and red team colors were all over the school. Banners had been hung, lockers of players had been decorated, all sorts of things. Nearly every five minutes someone was wishing me and Roger luck as we walked through the hallways. The excitement was evident in the air.

                I had skipped the rest of the week’s drama rehearsals like Rose had suggested for soccer. It was a good thing too. I needed the training. I stayed after with Coach for an hour or so to get back into my groove. The play was beginning to distract me from my goal.

                Tonight was going to be the first two games in the tournament. The soccer team was leaving the school had hour early to get to the capital where the tournament would be held. All the top teams from all over the state would be there. If we won the first two games, we played three the next day. If we won all three of those as well, we played one more game at nine o’clock in the evening. All games were shortened from the usual 90 minutes to 50. Twenty minute halves with a ten minute halftime.

                Lose one game on Saturday and we were done.

                 Rodger hadn’t stopped talking about how he was going to celebrate our victory Saturday evening. It would be nearly ten o’clock by the time the game ended, and very little would be open. But he had extravagant plans he intended to carry out.

                 “Man, we are going to kick ass this weekend!” He said as we walked down the hallway. Barely three periods into the day, and Rodger was starting to annoy me. It seemed in most classes, the teachers were being fairly easy. All so far, save for Drama Class.

                Stein seemed rather annoyed about my skipping and had decided to surprise the class with a 100 point test on Monday on acting skills. It was specifically chosen as something I would have difficulty with.

                I had no intention of studying.

                As we walked to study hall, a few people wished us luck. Rodger and I matched nearly identically, save for the numbers on our back.

                Even so, we were still both odd.

                “Keep your head in the game this time, Johnson.” Rodger advised. “We don’t need your distraction again.”

                “I won the game for us, moron!”

                “Accidentally! I saw you. You weren’t even looking at the ball. If you had been standing even an inch any other direction, we would’ve lost!”

                I rolled my eyes, shoving him playfully, “Just be glad my head won us the damn game or we wouldn’t be going to the State Cup.”

                “Whatever man, I’m just saying.”

                I laughed, shaking my head as I opened the door to study hall.

                “You sitting with your wife today?” He asked, walking in ahead of me. I hadn’t intended to hold the door for him, but I let him go through anyways.