Of course, it wasn’t difficult to get permission.

Monica and I stopped by Mom’s classroom after seventh hour in those few minutes between the end of the school day and the start of practices and clubs. Granted, I didn’t have any club or practice to get to, but Monica did have cheer practice.

The classroom door was still open after the last of the students had filed out, and Mom was sitting at her desk maybe grading papers, maybe making schedules, you know … teacher sort of stuff. She looked up as I knocked on the open door and entered.

“Good afternoon, James and … Monica? Did you need something?”

Monica answered first. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Jacobson. I was wondering if I could steal James this afternoon. We’ve got a little project in class and need to do some shopping across the river.”

“That should be fine,” Mom nodded. Then she gave me a long look. “Should I tell your dad to set one more or one fewer spots for dinner?”

“Huh?” Her question seemed a bit of a non-sequitur. At least, I couldn’t find the connection between shopping and dinner.

“One fewer, Mrs. Jacobson,” Monica said. “We’ll grab a bite somewhere between practice and shopping. There’s a few good places on the way.”

“Okay. Be sure you’re both back in time for DVI. Enjoy your date. I know you have practice, Monica, but can I speak to James for a moment before you steal him?”

I blinked. Huh? But Monica just nodded and smiled brightly, “Thanks! We will! James, meet me at the gym when your mom gets done with you, ‘kay?”

I was still a little lost, thoughts trying to catch up to the meaning behind certain things, certain terms, like a leaf caught in a whirlwind, but I still had enough presence of mind to nod and wave as Monica practically bounced to the doorway. “I’ll be right there.”

Monica closed the classroom door behind her as she left and Mom just gave me a long, measuring look. I grew a little uncomfortable under her appraisal, but finally she spoke, “Well, well, well ….”

“What?”

“Nothing. Just thinking about how you’re growing up. That girl’s had her eye on you for quite a while, Son. So you finally noticed?”

“Huh? She … what?”

Mom laughed. “Or you didn’t notice and she got tired of being subtle, hmm? You take after your father that way. But … here.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a billfold. Even though the economy was mostly digital, bank cards and all that, Mom was a bit old-fashioned and still carried cash around.

She pulled five bills out and handed them to me. “Here. You’re going to want something nicer than just fast food for your first date, James. If I may suggest a place …?”

I only half-processed her recommendations since my mind was still bouncing all around. Also … a hundred dollars? That would definitely be even a step above all the nicer mom-and-pop places on the peninsula.

With a “Th-thanks, Mom!” and an awkward hug, I fled her classroom. Not very far, though. Once in the hallway, I closed the door and leaned against the wall, taking a moment to try and figure things out.

A date?

Well, I guess in the strictest sense, it did meet that definition, right? Two people going out and doing stuff together. Sure, maybe it was an errand like shopping for matching attire for P.E. class, but …. Well … was I ready for this?

Somehow, I had always thought it wouldn’t be until we all went off on our separate ways to college before I found someone. Being the only boy in a close-knit circle of female friends, I had figured that it would have been difficult to find anyone new. But, well, maybe I was wrong.

I shook my head and stood straight. Whether this was a date date or just a “can you help me with a task?” date, time would tell. But for now, I needed to head to the gym. Tucking the money in with the little flip case that held my student ID and my own debit card, I headed down the hall.

On the way to the gym, I passed Mika, heading to the library to meet up with the others for, well, probably more discussion and planning and strategizing about DVI. She flashed me a quick smile and a thumbs-up. “I’ll let the others know you’ve got a date, James, so they won’t be waiting for you.”

I blinked. “Did everybody else figure this out except me?”

She laughed. “Pretty much. Monica’s a good person, though. She’ll fit right in with our merry little band. Anyway, have fun!” She punched my arm lightly. “And stop worrying about things. Just be yourself, you know.”

And with that, our paths split.

Somehow, the door to the gym was even more nerve-wracking than the apprehension before meeting the rest of my family in-game last night. But this time, I wasn’t going to hover around and wait for someone else to approach first.

“Ah-ha! There you are. What did your mom want?” Monica had been waiting just inside the door, on that section of the gym that street shoes were allowed.

“Um. She had some recommendations on where to eat out ….”

“Hmm? Well, I didn’t have anywhere in particular in mind. So we can go with one of her ideas.” Monica smiled brightly. “Anyway, here, can you keep an eye on this? I’m going to go get changed for practice.” She handed me her bookbag and purse -- both blue-and-gold for school colors -- and gestured off to the bleachers on the girls’ side of the gym.

Toward the middle of the bleachers, there was a collection of several other bookbags. Those of the rest of the squad, I assumed. So, I took a seat two rows up, a bit to the left of everything, and waited.

My phone buzzed. It was a two-word text from Jenna. “With who?”

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

I was in the middle of typing out my reply -- “Monica and I are going across the river to get some coordinated gym clothes for our mini-olympics team.” -- when the first of the girls started arriving from the locker room.

It was Beth and Liv, and apparently I warranted a startled look as they approached. “James …?” Beth began, with much more of a question lurking in her expression.

But Liv finished the question for her, or at least, finished a question. “Oh? Are you interested in joining the squad, James? We could use you. There hasn’t been a guy on the squad in quite a while.” She looked over at Beth, “Not since your father’s time, right?”

“Ah. No, no! I’m not nearly athletic or coordinated enough for that.” I shook my head hastily. Nevermind that I was apparently now considered a cheerleader aspirant in DVI due to that cheer bow Monica had made, that wasn’t a path I was going to try and walk out here in the real world.

“No,” I continued. “I’m just waiting for Monica.” I held up her bookbag and purse.

Beth blinked and then smiled. “Ah. I see.” Then in a softer voice that I could pretend that I hadn’t heard, she continued, “So she’s finally made her move, hmm?”

Ignoring that probably rhetorical question, I had one of my own. “I’m … I’m not going to make you all uncomfortable, sitting here while you practice, am I? I can wait in the library or something ….”

“Pshaw. One person watching practice?” Liv’s gesture was dismissive, but her tone was still friendly. “James, you are aware we perform in front of the whole school for pep assemblies and in front of the whole gym or stadium for games, right? We’re used to eyes on us.”

“Erh … um … okay, if you say so.”

“The only one who’s gonna be nervous here is you. Oh, and maybe Monica. She’s ….”

But the rest of her comment was cut off as the rest of the squad, Monica included, along with the coach came up out of the locker room together. And, of course, they all clustered around Beth, Liv, and me.

“Tryouts were two weeks ago, James.” Coach Carole said, “But if you’re interested, I’m sure we can make an exception. There’s only been one boy on the squad in the whole twenty years I’ve coached here. We could use a new trailblazer.”

Again, I had to hastily shake my head. “No, no, that’s quite alright, Coach Carole ….” Withering a little under all the attention, I tried a bit of levity to lighten the mood. “Maybe next year.” My tone was jocular if a bit forced.

That just made the coach’s and squad’s smiles bigger. “We’ll hold you to that," one of the freshmen girls said.

Fortunately, Monica came to my rescue. “Okay, girls, enough teasing James for today, okay? We’re going shopping across the river after practice, so I asked him to wait for me, okay?”

And Coach Carole followed suit, “Alright, Squad, line up.” She gestured out to the floor of the gym. “Let’s get you warmed up and limber. Then Autumn has a new routine we’re going to learn.”

She then proceeded to lead the girls in a much more intense warm-up and calisthenic routine than anything I’d ever experienced in her class. I had never doubted just how athletic the squad was, but now that was more than just impressions. It was knowledge. True, secondhand knowledge from observation rather than firsthand from participation, but still ….

Nevertheless, watching their practice was a bit awkward. It felt rude to watch them, but it felt ruder still to try and ignore them. It felt rude -- like staring -- to just focus on Monica, but it also felt wrong to be watching everyone else, too.

Being the only boy in a gym class full of girls was different. There, any observation was incidental since I was amongst them, participating. It wasn’t like I was ever ogling any of my classmates even if the general ambience of the visual experience was nice. Here, though, sitting to the side … it would almost have been less embarrassing to have been down on the floor, warming up and exercising alongside the girls.

Nevertheless, a little analytical portion of my mind was taking mental notes as the practice shifted from warm-ups to actual cheer routines. If nothing else, with Monica’s character likely continuing to play alongside Ace, me, and the group, having knowledge of the routines she was likely to use for her cheer buffs and inspirations would help with planning and reacting to the flow of combat.

I could see that a couple of the girls were getting a little tired -- the routine Autumn was teaching them was quite a bit more energetic than the average cheer -- and I was sort of itching to cast a stamina-replenishment spell.

Never mind that there was no magic in the real world and my character didn’t have that sort of magic anyway -- at least, not yet. Just … I was a healer and support player, right? It was second nature for me to keep an eye on everyone’s energy levels.

I may not have magic here, but … there was still something that I could do. While I was sure many if not all of the girls had a bottle of water or two in their bags, it certainly wouldn’t be cold by now. And while there were water fountains flanking the gym doors, two fountains for a dozen or so girls would mean that people would have to wait.

The cafeteria was right across the entryway from the gym. I could duck over there and pick up some cold water bottles for the girls.

And so I did. Leaving both bookbags -- Monica’s and mine -- on the bleachers to show that I’d be back, and leaving Monica’s purse tucked between them, I ducked out of the gym, across first the hallway and then the exterior entryway until I got to the cafeteria.

Even though classes were done for the day, there were still plenty of extracurricular clubs and sports going on, so the cafeteria, library, and even admin offices were still open.

“Oh, hey, Aunt Judy.” I was in luck, Dad’s sister was working today. “I’m fetching water for the cheer squad, do you think I can grab a case from the cooler?” The bottled water was normally sold for a quarter each individually, but maybe I could get a case at cost. At the very least, it would be easier to carry back a full case rather than a couple dozen individual bottles.

Her eyebrow rose, “The cheer squad, huh? That sounds like a story. Run on back, you know where they are.” She pointed off to a side door. And, indeed I knew where they were, since I often helped stow the deliveries of full pallets that they got every week or so.

“Ain’t no big story, Aunt Judy. Just waiting for Monica, and they’re all learning a complicated new routine or something. Some of the girls are looking beat, so I thought I’d make sure they had cool water.”

She chuckled. “There is indeed a story, I’m sure, James. Else why would you be waiting for Monica and not hanging out with Mika? But I’ll get it from you later, when you’ve not got a bunch of thirsty girls waiting for you.”

“Thanks, Aunt Judy!”

Hefting the twenty-four pack of cold water, I crossed back toward the gym, but rather than ducking back in and trying to be unobtrusive in my return, I made a little detour to the school concessions at the end of the hallway, just past the the stairwell down to the girls’ locker room.

I recognized the senior behind the half-open dutch door, but her name escaped me. Of course, in a small school like ours, almost everybody could recognize almost everybody else and generally knew or were related to them. But, still, not part of my social circle, not two years up from me.

Apparently though, she recognized me. “Whatchya need, James?”

Like the library, gym, and cafeteria, the school concessions was open after class hours to support the staff and students who stayed late for clubs, sports, and such. Unlike those, the concessions was closed during class hours and only operated during the hour before classes, lunches, and the two hours after classes. And, of course, during any home game that used the gym.

“Ah, can I get a jumbo pack of granola bars and one of those bags of fun-size candies?” I said. Sure, everybody also probably had little pick-me-up snacks in their bags along with water, but … it didn’t quite feel right to have only water and not snacks as well.

Granola because, well, they’re at least somewhat healthy and candy because who doesn’t like a sweet treat after working hard?

“Got a bit of an appetite, do you? Twelve dollars, please.”

I passed her one of the twenties that Mom had given me. I surely didn’t need a whole hundred for just two people eating dinner. And if I did, I did have my bank card with me.

Back in the gym, Coach Carole gave me an approving nod as I set the case of water and the snacks down on the lowest rung of the bleachers, but her focus and attention remained on the practice. Then I took my spot back up two more rungs and watched and waited while the girls finished their practice.