Junior Year Box Set

The girl washing the car wore a t-shirt that was a little tight, but I wasn’t complaining. As I pulled in, I recognized where I was. This was the Pearson farm. The last time I had been here had to have been three years ago. Roc Pearson was a couple of years younger than me and had played on my Little League baseball team. He’d had his birthday party on the farm, and invited the whole team. I remembered he had a sister, but couldn’t remember if she was older or younger. This had to be his sister, and for the life of me, I couldn’t remember her name.

I felt sorry for Roc and his sister because their mom insisted that they be homeschooled like the rest of the area children. The Mennonites had the younger women teach the kids. Roc only got off the farm to play baseball. I hadn’t seen him since then. I pulled up and got out of my car. Pam, of course, got out because she wasn’t missing the show.

“You want to wash mine next?” I asked.

She gave me a hard look and then recognized me.

“David, is that you?” she asked.

“Good to see you. I almost didn’t recognize you.”

We were checking each other out when I heard the distinctive sound of boots as they crunched gravel. My head snapped around, and I saw Roc walk steadily towards us from the barn. He had the same expression on his face that Brock and Bryan Callahan had when I checked out their sister Brit.

“Mister, you might want to be stating your business,” Roc said.

His sister backed up to me and stood between her brother and me.

“Roc, settle down. You remember David Dawson,” she said.

Roc had grown up. He was a couple of inches shorter than me; I would guess six-two. He had a skinny waist and a very developed upper body, which had to be from tossing bales of hay. If the girls at school saw him, he would be in high demand, because he was a good-looking boy. When Roc saw it was me, his whole attitude changed.

“David! What are you doing out here?” he asked.

“I heard your sister washed cars. I came out to get mine done.”

“Bullshit, she’s terrible at washing cars. I bet you were checking her out,” he teased me.

I put my hands up in surrender. His sister’s head snapped around to see what my response was. She got a big smile on her face when she saw I had stopped for that very reason. I decided to change the subject.

“Guys, I’d like to introduce my good friend Pam,” I said.

Poor Roc must have been on the farm too long because I thought his eyes would pop out of his head. Pam knew the effect she had on the males of our species and just smiled at him.

“Hey, Pam, ignore my dorky little brother. I’m Zoe, and he’s Rockefeller, or Roc for short,” Zoe said.

“You’re going to be a freshman this year, if I remember correctly,” I said, and Roc nodded in confirmation. I turned to Zoe. “What grade are you in?”

“I’m a junior, and you?” she asked.

“I’ll be a junior this year, as will Pam. Are you guys going to be homeschooled again?”

They both nodded and didn’t appear happy about it. It was such a shame Zoe wouldn’t be going to school with me. I felt bad for Roc, too. I remembered spending the summer at my Uncle John’s farm. It could be lonely. Then I had an idea on how to get Zoe to go to school at Lincoln High with me.

“Roc, why don’t you see about playing football with me? Do you think your parents would let you come to Lincoln to play ball?” I asked.

He seemed to brighten up. Then Zoe scowled.

“You’re not leaving me here by myself,” she told Roc.

He was obviously crestfallen. I turned to her.

“Why not join him? I’d be happy to introduce you to my friends. I’d probably have to borrow Roc’s shotgun to keep the guys away, but I think you’d like it.”

Pam gave me a look as she seemed to figure out my plan.

“I don’t know. We could ask,” Zoe conceded.

I went with them as they found their parents. As I suspected, all the farmers back in this area were having a hog roast. Of course, Pam and I were invited to stay and have a late lunch. I took Pam around, and we met everyone. We then filled our plates up with all the food everyone had brought. We found an empty picnic table under a large maple tree and ate. This had turned into an almost perfect day.

◊◊◊

While we finished eating, Roc and Zoe were having a conversation with their parents. I figured it would be best to stay out of it.

“So?” Pam said.

I gave her my confused face. I didn’t give anything away about my attraction to Zoe. There was just something about a farm girl that turned me on. While she didn’t quite hold a candle to Pam’s California-surfer-girl look, she was very cute in her cutoffs and tight t-shirt. Her innocence and her upbringing were also attractive to me. I’m sure that would surprise some people, knowing my history with girls. I think most guys would admit they would love to date someone like Pam and then marry Zoe. I know it wasn’t necessarily right, but I try to be honest.

“Don’t act stupid, you know what I’m asking,” Pam said.

“Actually, there are several things you could be asking. Maybe you could help narrow it down for me.”