Whatever It Takes
Homecoming
"Philip, c'mon!" Jersey yelled grabbing onto his hand and pulling him along after her. Philip rolled his eyes. He felt a little ridiculous. It was homecoming so they had all dressed up in the spirit of things. It was their senior year after all. Too bad the senior class reps had gone and chosen something silly like the thirties. His football buddies had at least suggested something meaningful. That had been the joy of the gangsters. So there Philip was in a fedora and zoot suit with the keys to his father’s supped up and re-modeled well whatever the car was. Jersey probably knew, but Philip wasn’t a car guy much to the shock and awe of many of his male companions. It was true, not all guys liked cars.
Philip went along with his girlfriend. Jersey wasn’t a cheerleader like everyone expected. She wasn’t even the class president or anything like that. She was just a normal girl who had been his best friend growing up. Most of the time, Philip had forgotten she was a girl. Then on the first day of their freshman year in high school, the girl had decided to start dressing like a girl. From that day forward, Philip how found himself unable to stop watching Jersey. She was becoming a woman and everyone could see it. He wasn’t quite sure when he had decided that he was falling in love with her either. It had just kind of happened sometime during the summer before their junior year in high school. At first, he had hocked it up to sheer jealousy.
Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), the jealousy hadn’t gone away. He had been forced to yield to the powerful emotion. He and Jersey had been dating since the beginning of their junior year. She didn’t seem to mind him too much. After all, she hadn’t dumped him. And despite what most people said, it wasn’t because he was on the football team. That wasn’t the way that Jersey was. She stayed with people because she liked them. It was a very strict rule she had. Since she had stuck with him over all these years that they had known each other, he took that all as a good sign.
“Let’s drive,” Jersey begged with a smile. He couldn’t resist that smile. It lit up her whole face. Usually he would have told her how silly she looked in her current outfit. He had always liked her best in jeans and over-sized shirts with a smudge of grease on her cheek. It was the Jersey he knew. But looking at her right now, it didn’t seem to matter what era they were in: Jersey was gorgeous. Her hair was pulled back with a bump on top that usually annoyed the hell out of him. He could stand it on her though. The dress she wore was white with buttons all down the front coming to a stop above her knees. Her stilettos were open-toed and yellow. By all right, she should have looked just plain silly. He couldn’t stop staring at her though.
Philip led Jersey to his dad’s car, holding the door open for her so she could get in before running around to the other side. His friends made snide noises and wolf-whistles as Philip got into the car and drove away. He ignored them. It took all his concentration to drive the manual transmission vehicle. He was used to an automatic. That was the kind of car he owned after all. His dad, and Jersey, however was obsessed with the old timers.
He drove them out to the field. It was a place where the football team tended to hold most of their after-game parties. It was known for it’s depravity at night, but during the day, it was peaceful and beautiful. Looking at it and Jersey in the dying sunlight, he realized that whoever said teenagers couldn’t fall in love was a damn liar. Philip got out of the car and went around to Jersey’s door, drawing her out and to him he moved to the front of the car and sat on the large round tire. “Marry me Jersey,” he said simply pulling off his high school ring. “I know I don’t have much, and that I’m not a car lover, but marry me anyway. Teach our kids all about cars so that they can laugh at their dad. Be there for me every day when I get home from work or maybe it’ll be me waiting at home for you. I don’t care. Just marry me.”
Jersey leaned forward, popping a high-heeled foot into the air and touching her nose to his. “Run away with me. Forget about high school and football. Take me away from this place and let’s go see the world. Let’s have an adventure. Let’s get married at some place in Vegas and then blow all our money at poker tables. I want a story we can remember forever, a story we can tell our grandkids.”
Philip titled his head up and kissed her slowly, gently, thoroughly. “Leave tonight?” Jersey’s face erupted into a grin and she laughed before kissing him again.
Philip went along with his girlfriend. Jersey wasn’t a cheerleader like everyone expected. She wasn’t even the class president or anything like that. She was just a normal girl who had been his best friend growing up. Most of the time, Philip had forgotten she was a girl. Then on the first day of their freshman year in high school, the girl had decided to start dressing like a girl. From that day forward, Philip how found himself unable to stop watching Jersey. She was becoming a woman and everyone could see it. He wasn’t quite sure when he had decided that he was falling in love with her either. It had just kind of happened sometime during the summer before their junior year in high school. At first, he had hocked it up to sheer jealousy.
Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), the jealousy hadn’t gone away. He had been forced to yield to the powerful emotion. He and Jersey had been dating since the beginning of their junior year. She didn’t seem to mind him too much. After all, she hadn’t dumped him. And despite what most people said, it wasn’t because he was on the football team. That wasn’t the way that Jersey was. She stayed with people because she liked them. It was a very strict rule she had. Since she had stuck with him over all these years that they had known each other, he took that all as a good sign.
“Let’s drive,” Jersey begged with a smile. He couldn’t resist that smile. It lit up her whole face. Usually he would have told her how silly she looked in her current outfit. He had always liked her best in jeans and over-sized shirts with a smudge of grease on her cheek. It was the Jersey he knew. But looking at her right now, it didn’t seem to matter what era they were in: Jersey was gorgeous. Her hair was pulled back with a bump on top that usually annoyed the hell out of him. He could stand it on her though. The dress she wore was white with buttons all down the front coming to a stop above her knees. Her stilettos were open-toed and yellow. By all right, she should have looked just plain silly. He couldn’t stop staring at her though.
Philip led Jersey to his dad’s car, holding the door open for her so she could get in before running around to the other side. His friends made snide noises and wolf-whistles as Philip got into the car and drove away. He ignored them. It took all his concentration to drive the manual transmission vehicle. He was used to an automatic. That was the kind of car he owned after all. His dad, and Jersey, however was obsessed with the old timers.
He drove them out to the field. It was a place where the football team tended to hold most of their after-game parties. It was known for it’s depravity at night, but during the day, it was peaceful and beautiful. Looking at it and Jersey in the dying sunlight, he realized that whoever said teenagers couldn’t fall in love was a damn liar. Philip got out of the car and went around to Jersey’s door, drawing her out and to him he moved to the front of the car and sat on the large round tire. “Marry me Jersey,” he said simply pulling off his high school ring. “I know I don’t have much, and that I’m not a car lover, but marry me anyway. Teach our kids all about cars so that they can laugh at their dad. Be there for me every day when I get home from work or maybe it’ll be me waiting at home for you. I don’t care. Just marry me.”
Jersey leaned forward, popping a high-heeled foot into the air and touching her nose to his. “Run away with me. Forget about high school and football. Take me away from this place and let’s go see the world. Let’s have an adventure. Let’s get married at some place in Vegas and then blow all our money at poker tables. I want a story we can remember forever, a story we can tell our grandkids.”
Philip titled his head up and kissed her slowly, gently, thoroughly. “Leave tonight?” Jersey’s face erupted into a grin and she laughed before kissing him again.