behind and above them all and set my books down. Whether it came from my nervousness or somewhere else I wasn't sure, but I opened my sketch pad and at first pretended I was doing some sort of drawing related to the baseball practice. I knew that all the girls were turned to look at me. They were buzzing away like a mad hive of hornets. Mindy and Peggy were there among them, so I didn't expect I was getting any flattering compliments.
Nevertheless, one of the African American girls, Charlene Lewis, stepped away from the pack and headed in my direction. She was a very tall, pretty girl with very light brown eyes and probably the most attractive figure of any girl in the school. I knew she was going steady with a senior, Bobby Robinson, the baseball team's best pitcher. I overheard enough in the hallways and cafeteria to know he'd been offered a scholarship, like my father, to play baseball at a prestigious Midwestern college.
"Hey," Charlene said as she approached. "Why are you sitting way up here?"
"Better view," I said and continued to sketch some lines.
"That the only reason you came to the practice?" she asked, nodding at my pad and smiling
I looked up at her.
"Maybe."
"Sure," she said, laughing. She slipped onto the bench and looked at my preliminary sketching. It was a random view of the field. I hadn't yet drawn any players. "You know you and Craig were the biggest topic of discussion today?"
"I can't imagine why," I said, and she laughed.
"I like your outfit. Where'd you get those jeans?"
"I think the place was called Bottoms Up, something like that, in Middletown."
"You think? You don't remember the store?"
"We were in and out of so many. It's a blur." She pulled her head back.
"Girl, you sure surprising everyone 'round here."
"I can't imagine why," I said, and she laughed again. I stopped drawing for a moment and looked at her. "You know, if you form stereotyped opinions of someone, you get surprised when they do something different. Whose fault is that? I think you would know something about people forming stereotyped opinions. I think you would understand better than any of them why that's so distasteful and hurtful," I added, nodding at the pack of girls below us.
Her expression changed so fast I was sure she was going to jump up, say something nasty and go off, but instead, she nodded, smiled again and relaxed.
"I've been looking for an excuse to get away from those pack rats. Glad you came," she said.
We watched the players start their batting practice. Her boyfriend was on the mound pitching.
"Bobby is really graceful out there. Watching him wind up and throw is like watching a ballet sometimes," she said.
I studied her boyfriend and agreed.
"So, all kidding aside, how come you changed your style, and how did you hook up with Craig Harrison so fast? No one even saw you two talking before today."
"All kidding aside," I replied, "were you sent over here to find out?"
She laughed. "Sorta."
I liked the fact that she was honest.
"Well, I sorta decided to try new clothes, and then I put a spell on Craig and seduced him," I told her. "I've been studying witchcraft in the basement. You had better warn them. I can cast spells and turn girls into houseflies."
"Girl, you are something else," she said, laughing. "We're all something else, Charlene. That's the point."
She nodded. "You two go out over the holidays?" "Not really. I had a lot of family visiting."
"Here he goes," she said, nodding at the ballfield. Craig was at bat. "Bobby says he's the only one he can't figure out. They're always competing with each other."
I leaned forward.
Bobby's list pitch seemed to go right through Craig's bat.
"He's too anxious to show off because of you," Charlene said. "Bobby's going to get him"
Already someone's mistakes are being blamed on me, I thought. That didn't take long.
Craig swung and missed the next pitch, too.
He paused, stepped away from the plate, looked down at the ground and seemed to say a prayer or something. Then he
Nevertheless, one of the African American girls, Charlene Lewis, stepped away from the pack and headed in my direction. She was a very tall, pretty girl with very light brown eyes and probably the most attractive figure of any girl in the school. I knew she was going steady with a senior, Bobby Robinson, the baseball team's best pitcher. I overheard enough in the hallways and cafeteria to know he'd been offered a scholarship, like my father, to play baseball at a prestigious Midwestern college.
"Hey," Charlene said as she approached. "Why are you sitting way up here?"
"Better view," I said and continued to sketch some lines.
"That the only reason you came to the practice?" she asked, nodding at my pad and smiling
I looked up at her.
"Maybe."
"Sure," she said, laughing. She slipped onto the bench and looked at my preliminary sketching. It was a random view of the field. I hadn't yet drawn any players. "You know you and Craig were the biggest topic of discussion today?"
"I can't imagine why," I said, and she laughed.
"I like your outfit. Where'd you get those jeans?"
"I think the place was called Bottoms Up, something like that, in Middletown."
"You think? You don't remember the store?"
"We were in and out of so many. It's a blur." She pulled her head back.
"Girl, you sure surprising everyone 'round here."
"I can't imagine why," I said, and she laughed again. I stopped drawing for a moment and looked at her. "You know, if you form stereotyped opinions of someone, you get surprised when they do something different. Whose fault is that? I think you would know something about people forming stereotyped opinions. I think you would understand better than any of them why that's so distasteful and hurtful," I added, nodding at the pack of girls below us.
Her expression changed so fast I was sure she was going to jump up, say something nasty and go off, but instead, she nodded, smiled again and relaxed.
"I've been looking for an excuse to get away from those pack rats. Glad you came," she said.
We watched the players start their batting practice. Her boyfriend was on the mound pitching.
"Bobby is really graceful out there. Watching him wind up and throw is like watching a ballet sometimes," she said.
I studied her boyfriend and agreed.
"So, all kidding aside, how come you changed your style, and how did you hook up with Craig Harrison so fast? No one even saw you two talking before today."
"All kidding aside," I replied, "were you sent over here to find out?"
She laughed. "Sorta."
I liked the fact that she was honest.
"Well, I sorta decided to try new clothes, and then I put a spell on Craig and seduced him," I told her. "I've been studying witchcraft in the basement. You had better warn them. I can cast spells and turn girls into houseflies."
"Girl, you are something else," she said, laughing. "We're all something else, Charlene. That's the point."
She nodded. "You two go out over the holidays?" "Not really. I had a lot of family visiting."
"Here he goes," she said, nodding at the ballfield. Craig was at bat. "Bobby says he's the only one he can't figure out. They're always competing with each other."
I leaned forward.
Bobby's list pitch seemed to go right through Craig's bat.
"He's too anxious to show off because of you," Charlene said. "Bobby's going to get him"
Already someone's mistakes are being blamed on me, I thought. That didn't take long.
Craig swung and missed the next pitch, too.
He paused, stepped away from the plate, looked down at the ground and seemed to say a prayer or something. Then he
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