Frank Cassidy was one of those guys at school that you envied, yet couldnât help like. Everyone liked him, the girls loved him because he never tried anything on the first, third or even tenth date - unless they were ready - and the guys did because he seemed to be able to drift from social group to social group with the grace of an Olympic ice skater. His life was perfect, or so he thought, until today when he did something that could have the potential to bring his entire life crashing and burning around him.
As the echo of the school bell left all the studentsâ ears, the familiar murmur of voices drifted down the locker hallway, with a continual and almost musical âwhapâ of the locker doors as the students slammed them shut.
It was the final year of school and Frank found it fitting that Julie Bowmanâs locker was below his, and that she was greeted to the close-up of his crotch between each class and after school. Julie was a stuck-up snob and almost the only person that attended Grammacy High that disliked him, even borderline hated him. And he didnât know why. Heâd asked her, but each time she just upped her nose at him and walked away, leaving him perplexed.
Grinning, he pressed his crotch into the back of her head while pretending to reach into the back of his locker for something. There was no way she could mistake what it was. Yelping in surprise, she whipped her head sideways and looked up at him angrily. She was a cute girl, shapely figure, but at no time while in her tenure at Grammacy had she ever dated the opposite sex. The rumour was that she was a lesbian, but even Frank disliked gossip of that nature and never partook in it. Julie didnât make it easy for anyone to like her, Frank included, yet he didnât dislike her enough to spread unsubstantiated rumours of that calibre.
âYou filthy bastard,â she hissed.
âWhat? I didnât do anything Julie.â
Slamming shut her locker door with slightly more effort than necessary, she rose from her kneeling position and looked him right in the eyes.
âYou know exactly what you did and I have the right mind to go and tell Mr. Salsbury.â
âJulie,â he said, raising his voice so others could hear, âI canât help it if you like getting down on your knees in front of my crotch every day. I mean hey, Iâm flattered, sometimes it just gives me the wrong impression, thatâs all. Honest mistake.â
There was a hush in the hallway and Julie realised that everyone was looking at them. Her eyes opened wide with embarrassment, cast a nervous glance around and with the finality of a spoilt brat she yelled at him a singular, ever so unique comeback, âbastard!â and then stalked off.
When she was gone the guys laughed and patted him on the back, he even saw that most of the girls were sporting grins that they were trying to hold back or cover with their hands. No one at Grammacy liked Julie.
Pete Marshall, his closest pal, smiled, shook his head and shut his locker door.
âYou have a cruel streak in you, Frank,â he said.
âHey man, she asks for it. She needs to thaw out a bit and lighten up. Besides, sheâs never liked me and I donât know why.â
Frank shut his locker door and shouldered his knapsack. The people in the hallway had mostly gone on their merry way and Frank cast a furtive glance at his friend.
âWhy doesnât she, Pete?â
âYou know, the great Frank Cassidy is not a saint, thereâll be people who will come into your life and dislike youâŚit just so happens that around this place thereâs only one.â
Frank laughed. âYou know Pete, for somebody who talks a lot you donât particularly have much to say. Why doesnât she like me, a straight answer would be great?â
Pete Marshall sighed. Placing his hand on his friendâs shoulder, he looked him in the eye sporting a slight grimace and told him. âSheâs in love with you man.â
Pete picked up his bag and hooked it over his right shoulder, leaving his friend to digest this morsel of information as he turned away and started down the hall.
Frank looked at his hands, no way, thereâs no way she was in love with him. Was she?
âWhat the fuck do you mean sheâs in love with me?â he shouted down the now deserted hall to his friendâs back.
Pete couldnât hold it in, he started to laugh and it echoed down the hall into Frankâs ears. Frank shook his head and laughed softly, Pete the bastard, he nearly had him. He turned away from his locker and walked the opposite way down the hall.
âAu revoir asshole,â he shouted over his shoulder.
âSee you later, dipshit,â was Peteâs response.
Frankâs house was a couple of miles from school and he walked it every day, a sort of sure-fire way of keeping fit. He always walked it alone too, he made it clear to everyone that this was his time, his alone time. He didnât get much of that since he was so popular. It wasnât conceited of him to think that way, it was true, and it would be false modesty if he were to say that he wasnât well-liked by most.
Other than the periodical massaging of his crotch into the back of Julie Bowmanâs head, he was single and hadnât had a girlfriend in three months. The last girl he had dated, Kathy Williams, had left an emotional crater in him, heâd loved her, but sheâd had serious trouble trusting him. Sheâd thought that at any moment of the day he would leave her, find someone else and dump her right away. After a while he couldnât take it, she was just so worried and jealous whenever she saw him talk to another girl, or even cast his eyes over one. It broke his heart when he had to break up with her, but he knew that it was the best for both of them.
He sighed, yeah, it was best for both of them. But it still hurt.
Attracting the ladies wasnât a problem for Frank Cassidy. He was blessed with his fatherâs sandy-brown hair, his motherâs good looks and his great-grandfatherâs natural sporting prowess, which managed to keep his body athletic and in good shape.