When he went to school the next Monday, Dan suddenly found himself with a great deal of female attention, and he did not mind at all. Asleigh had been petulant as he kept her high and dry the whole weekend. Dani looked at him expectantly, but he could only shake his head slightly, because walking with her was Casey, eating him with her eyes. Miss Kline couldn't even look him in the eye, something Dan took particular satisfaction. Overall, he wasn't having a bad time.
That was until he was given a group project in physics.
The project itself wasn't too bad. Create a Rube Goldberg machine that would last for at least a minute and would eventually shoot off a water propelled rocket. Normally this would be something that would interest him. However, now that he was beset from all sides with available pussy, such a project would seriously cut into his sex life. Also, it wasn't as if he got to choose his partners.
The two he was assigned to work with would not have been his choices. Alicia, although cute, was an out and out jock, and only seemed to care about soccer. She had wavy blond hair that fell below her shoulders and her arms and legs were tanned a deep bronze. She didn't date, always wore sweats, shorts, or track suits, and in general only made her appearances at school so that she could be on the team. She was an excellent soccer player and was going to Duke on a scholarship, but Dan figured that he would be hard pressed to get her focused.
In that regard Dan thought he would have the same problem with Jane, the other eithteen-year-old, but for very different reasons. If there was someone who was the exact opposite of Alicia, it would have been Jane. Not that she was homely. But she was incredibly faux-Goth-slash-punk. Her hair, medium length, was jet black with bright green hi-lights. Dark eyeliner accentuated her pale face, as did the dark lipstick she wore. She was almost always in black, usually baggy jeans with the standard skater chain hanging low. A band's tee-shirt over a long-sleeve shirt normally completed the outfit.
Dan was not thrilled, and he was not alone.
When the three got together, the first thing out of Alicia's mouth was "I can't meet until after six."
"Whatever," muttered Jane.
"No, not whatever," snapped Dan. "We all have to get this done. I have practice too, but just like yours, it ends way earlier than six."
Alicia shrugged. "I stay late and work out with Coach." Jane actually cracked a smile at this, transforming her perpetual scowl into something almost agreeable. "What are you smiling at?" Alicia asked.
"Nothing," Jane replied innocently.
"The rumors aren't true," hissed Alicia, referring to the commonly held belief that Alicia was fucking her coach, Mr. Andrews (not that he was denying it. Hell, he was proud to be associated with such an alluring young woman. Besides, if it wasn't for the fact that she was a student and he was a teacher, everything was perfectly legal).
Clamming up as the physics teacher walked by, they all appeared to scribble into their notebooks. When the teacher passed, Dan looked up. "Listen, that shit doesn't matter." Turning to Jane, he asked, "When's the earliest you can meet? I finish tennis at four-thirty."
"That's fine," she said.
"Where do you want to meet."
"I don't care."
"The library?"
"No."
"No?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Don't like the library."
"Is there a place you do like?"
"I don't care."
Alicia giggled, and Dan shot her a furious look.
"How about my house, then?"
"I don't know where you live."
"Do you know where the school is."
"Yes."
"Then meet me here after practice."
"Fine."
Dan turned to Alicia.
"And what about you?"
"What about me?"
"Wait," Jane interrupted.
"What now?" asked Dan impatiently.
"Where should we meet?"
"AT SCHOOL!" Everyone in the class looked over at them, and the teacher was about to come over, but Dan shook his head and mumbled an apology. He whispered fiercely "Are you trying to drive me nuts?"
"No, braniac," Jane said quietly. "I meant where at school."
