Coincidences

Act LIII

"What in the world are you doing on the rooftop?"

Mr. Reed was furiously jogging around the office. Never actually thought I'd be in the principal's office twice in a single day. He was completely different from his earlier attitude, as if he was an inactive volcano at first, then suddenly exploded without a warning. I better stop making up analogies.

"How did you know we were there?" I asked him.

He shot me a glare. He replied, "I had business to attend to. That's the only place where there's peace and quiet. I know you can tell."

"What kind of business?"

"None of your business," he answered, looking the other way.

Suspicious, it seems. "No, I insist. Tell me."

Mr. Reed's head was boiling. "It's wrong to stick your nose on other peoples' actions. Anyways, I'm not telling―."

His secretary came in and interrupted him in the middle of his sentence. He stated, "Sir, I have the cigarettes you asked for. Just to let you know, for the millionth time, smoking's bad for your health." He began to leave, but, before the door shut itself, he added, "I thought you knew better, being a doctor and everything."

"Go back to work!" Johnny hollered. He turned around and faced me, with a flushed expression in his face. He sighed helplessly. Sitting down and reaching for a lighter, he lifted it up to the already present cigarette in his mouth, but then he stopped and said to me, "What a coincidence for him to come here in the exact time."

"You came to the roof to smoke?"

"Don't ever smoke, Marty. A message from a professional."

The cigarette spewed light embers to the air. Mr. Reed, with a few wrinkles in his forehead, gnarled at me, "And it's also a surprise to seeing you in a party over there. What in the world were you doing? I can take a guess or two, but I would like to hear it from you. I want to hear your story." He exchanged a look of vengeance. He's a friendly guy and all, but now, he's anything but a friendly cop. More like the leader of the mafia. A godfather or something.

"I dunno. It was unclear to me, too. I have no idea about what just happened."

He took a long drag. "What do you mean you don't know?"

"This happened, then that. Sheesh, it's confusing."

"Tell it to me from the beginning, Marty."

The room started to get foggy due to the smoke, I let out a small cough, and Johnny opened the blinds and the window to let it flow outside. The view to the town was spectacular, but that is not my concern right now. "Ok, let's see. Um, Ty, Rocky, and I were headed there and found Zoey having a snack break. I mean, it wasn't that big of a surprise, but a surprise nonetheless. She ate what she had there all the time, and, this time, I think it was a donut."

"Hold on, what?" he held his hand up to stop me.

"Zoey. She was eating a donut."

"What the heck are you talking about? I meant the part about eating on the roof."

"Yes, sir. She was eating a donut."

He extracted his cigarette to give me a better explanation of his message. "What I mean is, no one's supposed to eat there, at least, for security measures. What part of my words do you not understand?"

"Oh, I thought you meant the donut," I reasoned.

"Oh, gosh. You're dumber than I thought."

"It's not stupidity, Johnny. It's a sense of humor. And why didn't you figure out that we've been hanging out sometimes on the roof?"

He became more impatient with me and smoked the tobacco away. I may regret making him lose his cool, but it won't hurt to make a joke or two every once in a while.

He waved the remains of the cigarette and simply said, "Continue."

"So, already in a tight situation, the air back then was intense. I followed your advice to not jump in and make her do what she had to do, but that's when chaos reigned."

"What are you saying?" he sat on top of his desk, attentively listening to my little talk.

"Zoey did something so unexpected and meaningless. She said that she was gonna say her choice, but she ended up telling us that we were equal."

Equal?"

"Equal."

His arms shot straight up into the air. "The heck is equal?! Who says that?! Listen, that is what a woman says, if she doesn't like anyone. It's like saying, 'Sorry, you all have no absolute chance on laying a hand on me. Ever.' That kind of stuff."

I have no idea what he's talking about.

"Why did you let that slide? That's when you have to take extra measures, take action. Or else, you'll never get the girl in the end."

"You making it sound like you got that from a movie."

"No, Martin. It's real life. Reality is throwing you a sucker punch to the face. You gotta dodge that bullet. Avoid that rejection."

"Rejection? What?"

"She sorta rejecting you. Checking you off the list." He stood up and swung the door open in a jiffy. "Go."

I'm startled. "Huh?"

"Go to her. Don't give her a chance."

"Hold your horses, cowboy." I snatched the cigarette and threw it to the trash can. "First, don't get yourself high. Second, what is this all about? Is this even reliable stuff? You're spouting nonsense."

Mr. Reed rolled his eyes, as if I was the one not making any sense here. He lowered his voice to the point where he was giving serious talk and told me, "Martin, do you really want her? Do you really love her? And, most importantly, don't you think you deserve better? You gotta do what a man's gotta do, or you'll be missing the whole point of being a man. An idle person is worse than a tryhard. Even if it's difficult, it's better to try reaching the goal than staying where you are. Maybe you still have a shot at it." He patted my shoulder and sent me outside. "Now, go, Marty. Do your best."

He does have a point. There is no turning back. He's been giving me great advice until now, and it was me who didn't use it well. Perhaps I was too cautious about the consequences. I ran as fast as I can.

Far from the distance, he shouted, although I was unable to hear a single word from him, "No running in the halls! And tell Zoey to stop eating on the roof, or I'll have to call her mom!"