Highfield High School: A Short Story

As Denise walked through the hallway of Highfield High School deep in thought and with a frown on her pretty face, she almost collided with other students. She stopped in front of her locker and stared at it with dark unseeing eyes. Her best friend Liz walks up to her own locker and greets Denise, but Denise doesn’t hear her. Instead she continues to stare at the door of her locker. “Denise? You in there?”, Liz suddenly slams the door of her locker shut! Denise comes alive with a gasp and a little jump and finally sees Liz. “Well, that was rude,” Denise frowns. “Welcome back to earth. What were you thinking?” “I’ve been single for five months,” Denise announces. Liz rolls her eyes at her announcement. “This is the longest I’ve been single

Don’t get me wrong. Bryan’s my best friend, but he’s like an annoying big brother to me.” “Well, maybe I don’t see him that way.” Liz stares at her with doubt. “Don’t look at me like that. Think about it. My parents have been together for twenty five years and they were best friends in high school. Just like Bryan and I.” Liz sighs woefully, “this will backfire terribly.” “Have a little faith in me!” By the time soccer practice is over at the end of the day Denise is dripping in sweat, but exuberant. She walks into the girl’s locker room with a smile on her face, but it drops when she catches a glimpse of herself in the sink’s mirror. “Darn, I have a date with Bryan in five minutes. I really didn’t think this through.” She tries her best to make herself look presentable with a change out of her soccer uniform into what she was wearing earlier, deodorant, a spritz of perfume, and then she’s ready. Denise exits the gym and spots Bryan as he leans on the wall and waits for her. She walks over to him with a sway in her hips and a smile on her full lips. “Hey, Bryan. How was practice?” Bryan awkwardly shuffles his feet and refuses to meet her

Uh, I made a goal or two.” “I’m sure you were great out there,” she flirts. “Uh, thanks.” “You ready to go? I was thinking we could get burgers at Molly’s Shack.” “ I can always eat,”Bryan admits. “Let’s head out then.” By the time they get to Molly’s Shack, Bryan is tense and Denise is starting to rethink her master plan. They slide into opposite ends of a booth and pick up their menus. The young waitress asking them for their order is a respite from awkward silence. They order two cheeseburger deluxes with iced tea. Once the waitress has taken their order Denise and Bryan settle into awkward silence once again. Their tense silence is interrupted by the arrival of their food. Bryan begins to chow down on his burger with his mouth open obnoxiously just as Liz mentioned. Denise wrinkles her nose in disgust, but thinking of her parent’s love story she decides to make one last effort at seduction. Denise slyly runs her foot up Bryan’s leg teasingly causing him to jerk up and begin to choke on half chewed cheeseburger. Denise’s dark eyes widen in alarm. “Oh, my god.” She slips out of the booth quickly and is at Bryan’s side thumping him harshly on the back. Bryan gags and spits up half chewed cheeseburger back on his