The next morning Matt woke with a start. His head hurt and he felt a little off but it was nothing new. He began a mental list of the night’s activities taking time to linger over some of the better ones. It was still hard to believe they could pack so much into one night with so little time, most kids had no curfew, his seemed almost unreasonable, 12:30; most of the good stuff was just starting to happen. Jimmy was in rare form last night. After he downed that magnum, how could he drive like that? He took three out-a three races in that beat up truck he was unstoppable. Then when he drove through the side of Ole man Hosner’s barn and the main support beam come down on his truck. That was crazy! Like always though he’ll live to drive another day and so will his truck, can’t believe it didn’t get destroyed. It looked better than before the Barn. His mind just started to ponder that “reality” when he was jerked back to “now” by his mom’s voice; “Matt, hurry up I got to go and I’ll drop you off …you know I can’t be late.” Matt called back; “It’s okay, Mike is picking me up!” His mom headed out the door and as always shot back; “No Tim Horton’s you guys head right to school!” “Okay mom, I hear you!” He already knew they’d stop and like always stroll in three quarters of the way through first period. They’d drop off the Ice Cap to the security desk and pick up their pass or simply nod at their first hour teacher who would ask how their night was. She really didn’t want an answer …she knew, …she was there.
Mike’s horn blared as Matt headed down the stairs and out the door to the car. “Okay, Okay, enough already! You get any sleep last night? I slept like a rock man!” Mike looked over at him as he got in, eyes red and blood shot. “You don’t look so good.” Mike groaned and said; “I slept like crap!” “Michael, such language!” trying to mimic Mike’s mom’s indignant tone. “You should speak using a more intelligent vocabulary!” Mike replied; “Knock it off! First I downed a few more drinks just to stay loose and not think about Pete and Ron, then I was up all night pueking until I passed out! I wouldn’t have come to day ‘cept I want to play in tonight’s game!” The Pete and Ron thing, slipped right by Matt like he didn’t even hear it. “Are you kidding the game and then the extra curricular are the main stay! Now let’s head to Timmy’s we need some coffee!
Matt and Mike, really more Matt relived the nights activities, making plans for the game that night, as well as for the weekend. Like clockwork “The Team” walked into school three quarters through the first period and dropped off the “Ice Cap” to security, picked up their pass and headed to first hour. Strolling into the room everything was as it should be. Some students were catching up on their sleep, others were involved reliving their antics from the night before. Ms. Smyth was in the thick of it too and in rare form. She was laughing and recounting her version of the “barn” story complete with dramatization. This was always interesting, in her early thirties most of the parents didn’t approve of her values including her taste in dress nor her interaction with the students, but the students did especially the guys. Matt and Mike had just found their places when the class was interrupted by the office intercom. “Ron Sanders to the main office please, Ron to the office.” The class stopped long enough to take note of the name, but the usual cat calls and drawn out aaawwwwwwwwwh was strangely missing in fact no one seemed to pay attention except Mike, a small response, but to someone watching a response none the less. No one caught it not even Matt, but he had. The quick look up, eyes locking on the speaker, his weight shifting to the front of the seat, Mike had responded and he would be watching this one more now. He could tell, though it was small, it was the beginning and this quite, unassuming, almost invisible one, knew all to well the process. Yes he would be watching and proactive.
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