Out Of My League
by
DG Hear
This is just a simple story that came into my head. I didn't even know what to title it. I want to thank Blackrandl1958 for editing this story for me and helping me name it. It was much appreciated. I do make changes before submitting my stories so any errors are on me.
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I came from a somewhat broken home. Mom and Dad had a troubled marriage. At home was my two younger siblings and me. My brother Josh was two years younger than me and my sister Marie was four years younger than me. I was nine years old when my dad came home drunk and started beating on my mom. I got out my baseball bat and started hitting him. I swung as hard as I could over and over again. Mom called 911 and they came and took him away. I couldn't let him hit my mom again. He'd done it so many times in the past.
He was charged with assault and battery, and Mom got one of those orders where he couldn't come around us anymore. Mom filed for divorce, and after getting out of jail, my dad moved out west. He was allowed to stop by and pick up his things. I hated him and took my brother and sister to the back room till he left. It was the last time we ever saw him, which was all right with us.
Mom worked in a small factory in town. She made a decent wage and tried her best to give us kids what we needed. When I turned eleven, I got a paper route. I didn't make all that much, but I was able to pay our way to the theater and even buy a few snacks. We got free lunches at school, so that helped us a lot. Mom's parents were still living but lived in the next state over. We didn't see them very often.
Mrs. Brown, our neighbor, watched over us when we were home from school until Mom got home. We struggled some, but we were a happy family. I was the man of the house now and always watched over my sister and brother.
When I started junior high school, I applied for a job at the local supermarket. I got the job of bagging groceries and stocking shelves. I kept the job till I graduated from high school. I really enjoyed it and I was able to help mom out a little. My little brother asked if he could have my paper route so he could make his own spending money. I gave it to him and was proud of him. When he started high school, my little sister asked to take over the paper route. We helped her whenever she needed it.
Mom always tried to do things with us when she was home. She always attended our school functions. She was a good mom. She pretty much gave up her life for us. I guess that was what moms do. I never played sports because I never had the time. School and work took up most of my time. Any extra time I had, I helped Mom with the chores and played with my brother and sister.
I never dated. I didn't have the time or the money. Besides, I was somewhat of a quiet guy. There was one girl of whom I was really fond. I met her in junior high school. In science class, our teacher put us in groups of two. Amber and I were partners. I loved working with her. She was so pretty and always smelled good. We kind of became friends. In the years that followed, she became very popular. Everyone and his brother wanted to date her.
In high school, she became the head cheerleader. In her junior year she was the homecoming queen. I remember she and the other cheerleaders came in the store to purchase a lot of goodies for a party. Amber smiled at me and told me I should come to the party. It would be the next day. I told her I would love to, but I had to work. I really didn't go because they were out of my league.
I pushed their cart out and put their groceries in the trunk. They all thanked me and drove off. Amber and her friends were always nice to me. I just felt that they were the popular students in our class and I felt more like a ghost.
The following year was the prom, I thought I'd take a chance and ask Amber. I stopped at her locker one day after school and asked her. "Amber, would you like to go to the prom with me?"
She looked at me with sad eyes and said, "I've already been asked and going with Dave. I'm sorry Jeff, I really am." I thanked her, tried to smile and walked away. I decided not to go and just worked at the super market that day.
I found out later that Dave was named king at the prom and Amber was the queen. It was only three weeks from graduation and my mom said she was going to throw me a party the day of graduation. She said she was so proud of me. Josh, my brother, was a sophomore and went around inviting all his friends. Unlike me, he was a popular guy and was a starting player on the football team. He was also on the baseball team. I went to his games whenever I wasn't working.
Mom and my siblings came to my graduation. They stood up and cheered for me when my name was called. It made me teary eyed. We really were a close family.
At my graduation party, all these class members were showing up. Mom said that Josh invited them. A car pulled up, and it was Amber and a car full of cheerleaders. They jumped out of the car and they all took turns hugging me and smiling at me. Everyone stayed for a few hours and ate up all the food Mom had made at well as three pizzas we ordered. They congratulated me and wished me the best. I hugged all the girls one more time and gave Amber a special hug. She felt so good.
After everyone left, I hugged my Mom and even my brother and sister. They were the best family anyone could ask for.
Toward the end of my senior year, my mom had a talk with me. She said she had met a man at work who asked her out and she wanted to know if I was okay with it.