The Seed

Matchmaking

     That night, Ronald lay in bed and thought about Uriah and Ashley, trying to picture them together. He knew who Ashley was, although he had never really paid very much attention to her until now. She was part of the Drama Club and was also Class Treasurer. She was dark-skinned with shiny, straight hair that was always tied back into a ponytail. She constantly hung around the same three girls. Every once in a while, she would laugh and talk with some of the more popular high schoolers, but nine times out of ten, she was with her girls – Robin, Keisha and Antoinette. Robin was more of a nerd, complete with glasses and always with a book
clasped to her flat chest with both hands. Keisha was loud and boisterous, always laughing or
grinning or saying or doing something really, really goofy. Antoinette was tall and built almost like a man. She was always beating someone up after school, even the boys if they made her mad enough. Ashley was more the girly-girl type. Her breasts were large, and her lips were always way too shiny. She smelled like cotton candy and Skittles. Ronald didn’t think her face was so drop-dead gorgeous. Still, he couldn’t help feeling a twinge of jealousy for the way Uriah felt about her.
     But he wanted Uriah to be happy. After thinking about it for a couple of weeks, Ronald pulled Ashley to the side in gym class and asked her if she knew who Uriah was. When she
confirmed that she did, he told her about Uriah’s feelings for her.
     Less than an hour later, when the students were all in the process of switching classes, Ronald witnessed Ashley smile and wave at Uriah. From the way Uriah’s smile lit up, Ronald
felt that he had done the right thing.
But knowing that what he had done was honorable and good did not make Ronald feel any better. As Uriah and Ashley became closer, Ronald noticed himself pulling further and further away from Uriah. Uriah noticed it, too, but he thought that Ronald was just trying to give him time to be with Ashley. He believed it was a respect thing. But Ronald was hurt on the
inside. He did not want his bond with Uriah to be replaced with Uriah’s and Ashley’s, but he was not sure if he was ready to share that bond, either. Neither did he feel prepared to
compete for the bond because he felt that he was already at a disadvantage. Ronald even began to withdraw from the few others at school that normally spoke to him. Whenever Uriah
would call Ronald, Ronald would answer the telephone, but his conversation would be dull and
dry.