Doves and Crows

The English teacher from Classroom 14-C continued to call the names that he had memorized of his students without taking his eyes off his morning coffee.

Mister Lonker couldn't operate without his morning cup of Joe. He had become dependent on it throughout the years of getting up early to teach high school kids. He wondered why he had ever left teaching grade school, they were loud but at least the kids were better mannered.

"Jesse Mantle?"

"Here!"

As Mister Lonker continued to call names, he never lifted his head from his coffee, causing his thick rimmed black glasses to fog over his ability to see. He didn't even look up at the door as he heard it open and then close.

"So glad you could join us Mister Emerson," Mister Lonker from Classroom 14-C said.

"Sorry," I slinked into the classroom a little cheesed that I had to walk all the way around the school to get to my classroom. I smirked walking down the row of desks.

The girls were lined up primly, their poodle skirts falling over their legs that crossed at their ankles. One dame in particular crossed her legs high up at her knee so that her skirt would be more revealing.

Holy cow, that Lilith Hoots was easy on the eyes.

"Just don't let it happen again," he shrugged standing up so he could write on the chalkboard.

Then seated next to those girls, in the pattern of boy-girl-order, were the boys of the class. Some of them smiled and nodded my way. I went to the back and slid into my seat.

"Hey bud," my friend smiled coolly from the row ahead of me. His name was Todd Lament; we had played baseball together ever since we met in 5th grade.

"Hey", I replied handing in my homework to some drip that was collecting everyone's papers. "You ready for tonight?"

"Like you don't know, Friday nights always belong to the boys' night out on the town," he laughed and we high-fived each other.

"Of course it's not always only guys," I added coyly and his eyes lit up.

"Cause someone always picks up a lady or two," he grinned confidently. Todd was what you could call a "ladies man". He wasn't the only one though; most the guys on the team had no problem getting girls.

"You know me, chicks just happen to dig me."

"That's a load," the girl next to me scoffed and I didn't even bother to look at her. Mary Beth was a weird girl. She was always raising her hand when a teacher asked questions, she didn't do anything with her hair, her clothes were always… odd, and (probably most importantly) she hated any and all of us popular people unconditionally.

"Don't worry Mary Beth, you could be a babe too," Todd winked before leaning over to look up her skirt. She huffed and turned her head.

"Pigs," she hissed.

"There must be something wrong in your head; they should send you away somewhere real nice with the other nut jobs," I snorted as she rolled her eyes and got back to taking notes.

"I'm not crazy just because I've realized that you and the rest of your little teammates are a bunch of jerks. Why I—"

"Miss Adams, I suggest you stop talking," Mister Lonker said sharply. Mary Beth jumped in her seat and opened her mouth to argue but shut it promptly.

"Sorry, Sir," she whispered and sat up in her chair to show she was paying attention.

"And as for you Mister Lament, as much as the girls think the back of your head is attractive I think they'd much rather see you facing forward," the English teacher from classroom 14-C cracked and the classroom filled with laughter.

"Sorry, Sir," he laughed and turned back around.

"Now, as I was saying. We'll be starting our analysis of The Scarlet Ibis on Tuesday, I want all of you to go out and buy a copy," Mister Lonker said getting the collected homework assignments from who I now recognized as Marvin.

I'd missed enough of class that it was already over. The hallways were lit brightly with people bustling around. I got to my locker in the row of identical red ones. I hit my locker combination and slid my books over two love letters. I was going to dismiss them, but then thought: Oh what the hay, might as well check if they were cute.

The first one had the name Margaret Peters printed on it, a known bookworm and teacher's pet. When I imagined her brown braids getting tangled up in her glasses I frowned. I thought about what it would be to kiss her and I gagged at the mere image of my lips touching her cracked ones, having her head gear grind holes into my teeth. The crunching was unbearable and I had put a hand on my head to stop it.

"Ugh," I shuddered and crammed the heart covered envelope into the locker under mine. Then I pulled out the next one. It was neat and clean, with a big red kiss seal.

Dear Robby,

Babe, you make me feel all warm and tingly inside. I hope we can get to know each other.

Meet me at Sammy's tonight at 8? You know the place. Don't disappoint me Mister Superstar.

XOXO Lilith Hoots

I got the chills and I smiled. That was one bad girl that Lynne. She knew all of the team went to Sammy's at least once on our Friday Night escapades. And Sammy's was no place for good girls.

Ring!

Baseball Practice

We spent the first fifteen minutes with the team standing in a circle stretching with me standing in the middle directing them. We did that until our coach, Coach Campbell, arrived.

"Line it up boy," he said putting on his baseball cap leisurely as he walked up to us.

"Yes Coach!" we said in synchronism and lined up according to our numbers on our back

"Good to see you boys. Now I'm sure you're all aware that we have a good season ahead of us. Now we've spend this first month of classes training, and I expect all of you to be continuing to work out on your own time. Understood?"

"Yes, Coach!"

"Alright now give me a lap around the outfield and then we'll work on hitting," he said with a big spit to his left.

After we ran, we threw the ball around for a while till Coach was satisfied and we started batting.

"Come one Matt, keep your chin tucked in," Coach shouted as Luke pitched a curve ball, sadly Matthew struck out. Luke was one heck of a pitcher, sometimes Coach had to tell him to pitch worse so a few of our less talented teammates could have a fighting chance at hitting the ball.

"Come on now can't anyone get a good hit off me?" Luke laughed.

"You'll need a larger hat if you keep getting such a big head all the time Luke," I smiled coming up to bat.

"Bobby! Here’s my boy!" Coach grinned letting his rather large stomach shake. "You might just have to eat your words there, son, Bobby's my ace in the hole for batting." I smiled at the confidence, puffing out my chest and wrapping my fingers around the bat. Luke huffed and said a few snide comments under his breath. Then with a grunt he threw the ball at his normal 80 mph fastball.

When Luke let go of the ball everything slowed down. Once I realized it was a fastball I gripped the bat nice and hard. The ball always fell in a straight line with his fastballs. So I figured out where it was coming from, the low-right corner of the box, and got ready. My vision went normal again and I swung.

Just the feeling in my arms as I swung assured me it was a home run.

"Way to go, boy!" Coach laughed nearly choking on his tobacco spit. Man Luke looked crazy mad for a second, but he shook it off and smiled at me.

"Show me up, why don't you." Luke had one hell of a temper, but he knew when to be cool around his friends.

"Alright, now I'm letting you off early today cause I know what Fridays mean to you boys—" there was a cheer from our group of players, "—so have fun but don't do anything you'd be ashamed to do in front of your parents or me."

"Yes, Coach!"

We all practically ran to the showers and locker room. Though I didn't know it, my night with my team and Lilith Hoots would turn out to be more trouble than what I set out for.