Locked Out

Locked Out

           Josh Skeldon, Bartmore High School Leopard basketball star—known for his three-pointer field goals—silently stalked behind Melinda Roffe who held hands with Aaron Asdemol. Josh’s friends, not far behind, watched with amusement.     

           “Do you understand how to solve for ‘x’ in all those parentheses in algebra?” asked Melinda. “I got lost after he said, ‘distributive law’.”

           “Sure, but it makes more sense to work it out on paper,” said Aaron.

           “Who needs paper if you’ve a browser search engine?” Melinda started at Josh’s voice behind her. “Just put in any equation in any internet browser, and it’s done.”

           “That’s cheating,” said Melinda. “I want to know how without a calculator. I don’t want your kind of explanation.”

           “Then explain to me what you do know, Mellie,” Josh said to Melinda.

           “My name is Melinda to you.”

           Aaron interrupted to stop the argument. “The Bartmore Leopard Student Tutoring Club helps anyone having trouble with a class, including algebra. We have some athletes you may know.”

           Josh angled his head forward toward Aaron. “You teach me?! You think I’m stupid?!”

           “It’s like sports. You train and observe. Or lose the game.”

           “Like sports, huh? Sports take skill. I’ll make a bet with you. You join me practicing in the park basketball court. If you don’t make even one goal, you stay away from Melinda. If you do, I’ll let myself be tutored.” Josh winked at his friends.

           “It’s a deal,” said Aaron. “I could use some practice.”

*****

           Half an hour after the appointed time, Aaron remained to wait them out.

           Casually, Josh and his two friends arrived. He carried a basketball under his arm. Josh grimaced at seeing his opponent at the court, so he shifted the blame.

           “Sorry we’re late. Parents, you know,” said Josh.

           “If you say so…Well, we’re all here now. Shall we start?” asked Aaron.

           “We’ll play three-on-one.”

           Aaron spat out his question. “What kind of practice is that?”

           “We practice throwing the ball around while you practice shooting.”

           “That’s not fair. I didn’t expect three-on-one.”

           Josh shrugged his shoulders. “We didn’t set any ground rules. You wanna forfeit the bet?”

           Aaron frowned, but agreed to play.

           Aaron jumped higher than Josh expected. He also knocked the ball away from Josh and started dribbling. Passing under the arm of a friend of Josh, the algebra expert scored a goal. Bet won.

           “Do you want to quit? I won the bet. I ’ll tutor you in algebra for the rest of the year.”

           Josh said, “That’s not fair.”

           Aaron shrugged his shoulders. “We didn’t set any ground rules. You want to forfeit the bet?”

           Josh narrowed his eyes. “No. Let’s see if you can keep making goals.”

           Habit dictated their responses that failed due to Aaron’s lack of height. Going under their arms for lay-ups, Aaron made two more goals before the three recognized his pattern and stopped him.

           Aaron left pleased with himself. He purposely neglected to say he had three older brothers who played college basketball.

Josh left with his pride barely intact.

*****

           Walking down the hallway, Aaron saw Josh beside Melinda. Aaron followed and watched, that is, until Josh captured Melinda’s arm.

           Aaron moved in to take Josh’s free arm, but Josh pulled back his arm from Aaron’s hand.

           Josh narrowed his eyes to look at Aaron, then grinned. “’Errand as them ol’” said Josh as if a cliche. “That’s what Aaron Asdemol means. Do an errand for me. Go fetch us all some drinks. Mellie, it’s you I want to be around.” He continued his hold on her arm and led her away.

           As they passed the girls’ bathroom, Aaron grabbed Josh’s free arm with both hands. Melinda saw her chance, pulled away from him, and ran into the bathroom.

           Stunned by the fact the girl blew him off, he yelled to the bathroom door, “I’m captain of the basketball team!” His shoulder pointed in toward the door. “I can have any girl in this school I want.”

           Josh could not understand the muffled reply.

           Aaron smiled as he passed Josh. The math tutor shook his head and did not turn to watch.

Josh took note. “Melinda’s my girl. You hear that, Aaron?” His anger rose like a geyser when his basketball opponent did not turn or answer.  Aaron hadn’t noticed the moth hole in his t-shirt, but it caught Josh’s attention. He stuck his finger in it and tore open an embarrassing gap.

Aaron quickly turned and said, “Why’d you do that?!”

Josh, head thrown back with laughter and satisfaction, sauntered off to his next class.

*****

“I appreciate you distracting Josh while I escaped. I wish he would leave me alone,” said Melinda to Aaron while at a table in study hall.

“He won’t be satisfied until he has ‘conquered’ you.”

“I know.” Melinda looked Aaron squarely in the eye. “He’s going to cause problems for you because of me.”

“I’ve thought about that. Maybe if I can make friends, and he learns to know me, then he might let up on you.”

“Oh, Aaron. After the way he tore your shirt? You know he will try to make a fool of you.”

“He has already. What’s to lose?”

“Let’s talk about something else. I want to throw a party for our graduating class. I’m inviting all the seniors, except Josh.”

“You know he will feel left out.”

“I know. But he deserves it for the way he treats me and other girls,” said Melinda.

“I think you should invite him,” said Aaron.

“Why?!”

The school bell rang for class.

“I’ll tell you later.”

*****

           Josh turned his convertible into the entrance, but was brought to a standstill by an impressive double gate. The two pillars for the gate, flanked by walls, imposed their presence with layers of stone masonry. At the top of each pillar, foot-tall angels guarded the gate. The lettering on the curved top of the gate said, “Ralph Roffe”.

The address sign matched his GPS. “It must be wrong again. This can’t be Melinda’s father’s house.”

Josh stepped out of the car to find the button to attract the owner’s attention.

“May I help you?” said a male voice.

“Is this 13029 Meriwether Lane?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Is the owner the father of Melinda Roffe?”

“No. Former Senator Ralph Edward Roffe, the owner, is her uncle.”

“I’ve come for Melinda’s party.”

“Who may I say has come?”

“Josh Skeldon.”

“Oh…Someone will come to speak to you.”

Amazement crept in as he considered the manicured lawn and artfully pruned bushes. The landscaper planted colorful flowers to line the driveway for the best effect.

Still waiting, he counted upstairs windows in the house beyond the gate. Seven. He could not see all the windows. If each was a bedroom, how many bedrooms were there anyway?    

A long way off, Josh perceived that the man coming was Aaron Asdemol, not Melinda as Josh hoped. Aaron stopped three feet short of the gate.

“Why are you here, Josh?”

“I heard about Mellie’s party. All the other seniors were invited. I figured she just missed sending me an invitation.”

“What do you want?” Aaron said without anger.

“I want in for the party. I heard my favorite band, the Angry Bears, are playing in person.” He looked around Aaron’s shoulders. “Are they in there?”

“Yes, they are. You received an invitation, but you chose not to come.”

Josh’s attention shifted back to Aaron. “What are you talking about?”

“I handed you an invitation to a party. You just assumed it was my party, and threw it in the trash.”

Josh shrugged. “I’m here now. Quit kidding and let me in.”

“No.”

“You know me. I bet there’s dancing and plenty of good food. Why won’t you let me in?”

“Melinda didn’t want to invite you.”

Josh paused. “Then why did I get an invitation?”

“I talked her into it.”

Josh paused again. “Why?”

“I never really knew you. I thought this would be a good way to become acquainted with you, and for you to know us before we seniors part our ways. Also, I see potential of leadership qualities in you, but that is useless without humility.”

“Thanks for the leadership compliment. If you believe that, let me in.”

“No.” Seeing Josh’s confusion, Aaron continued. “The invitation said, ‘Be punctual. Bring the invitation with you.’ Do you have the invitation?” Josh shook his head. “Even if you did, I wouldn’t let you in.”

“Why not?!”   

“You’re twenty minutes late.”

Josh paused, then lowered his eyebrows and pursed his lips. He thrust an arm between the bars to grab Aaron’s shirt to force him to obey him.

Aaron looked down at the fingertips touching his shirt, then back to Josh’s face.

“I suggest you reflect on your actions for the past year.” He turned to walk back to the mansion.

“You know me, Aaron. Let me in!” Josh only gave up when Aaron could no longer hear him. He sighed deeply. This would be hard to live down.