Hope, Charity & Faith Ch. 06

* All characters in this story are of legal age. *

I managed to catch up with safety officer Pops in time to get the required hall pass. I barely had time to make it to my next class opting to return the small index card sized piece of paper afterwards. My head was still awash with the image of Charity. She definitely had the edge on Kimberly in looks and probable sophistication. Her figure was somewhere between Kim and Hope with an advantage in the bust.

I focused mentally on the single deep line that informed her prominent cleavage. I found myself wondering what her cup size, and other prurient matters about her shape. Charity didn't seem to mind me looking either. Class seemed to float by on those thoughts as I traveled back to Mr. Harvey's class, catching him switching with a substitute teacher.

"Oh Jaleel, what can I do for you?"

"Brought you my hall pass from earlier." I handed him the slip, but he was reticent.

"What's this for?"

"You told me that I could get a makeup quiz if I bought this to you." Mr. Harvey half snatched the piece of paper looking at it for a few seconds before taking a pen from behind his ear and scribbling on it.

"Take this to study hall on the second floor; the makeup quiz is about to start."

"HUH?!!"

Mr. Harvey apparently annoyed that a third of his class failed the pop quiz, set up an immediate makeup test in the study hall that I happened across by luck. Never mind that it was my lunch hour, I didn't want drama from my parents for failing a class in my final year of high school.

I bolted downstairs to study hall finding half of that failing third already in the process of taking the quiz. Two members of the student body were charged with administering the makeup as part of a vocational curriculum designed to give them fledgling experience in their chosen academic based electives.

"Test is already in progress; you're too late." Some nerdy female in horrifically dated clothing informed.

"Mr. Harvey sent me down here to take the test; see, he signed my hall pass."

"Regardless of the circumstance, you are late for the test." She refused to take the pass from me, speaking in an even measured tone.

"He said I could take the test."

"As I've said, you're too late for this quiz." It felt like she was looking down her nose at me.

"COME ON, I NEED THIS QUIZ!" Two of her associates drifted nearby looking at me apprehensively as a hall monitor peered into the hall from the nearest door. The academic classmen were standing in this weird fashion with their fingers interlocked in front of their bodies, staring.

"If you have a problem with school protocol, take it up with your counselor." Nerdy female reiterated flexing some perceived power over me. A section of the school counsel were working understudies to the faculty sometimes functioning as on the fly, substitute teachers.

"Hey brother, what's going on?" This underclassman, a high school junior was addressing me. His faux police type uniform signified his position on the Explorers, a training program for students with aspirations of being cops.

"Nothing, you can go back out in the hallway." I was beyond irritated as nerdy girl spoke up.

"The student is being disruptive; we'll trying to conduct a makeup quiz here."

"I am not being disruptive; I have permission to be here and take the test." I explained.

"The student was late and cannot be issued the exam."

"Jaleel, and I was given permission to take the test by Mr. Harvey; you can go ask him." I noticed a few more faces appearing in the open doorway. These pimply faced underclassmen were his backup, I suppose.

"Hey buddy, calm down; we can go ask him together." This equally geeky asshole tried to handle my bicep.

"I'm good, don't touch me."

"Say, what's your name, buddy." He actually took a pen and pad out of his pocket wanting my name. I folded my arms across my chest staring between nerdy girl and this asshole. The doorway was now filled with more of these explorer students, one pudgy female amongst them.

"I'm gone." I noticed one obvious freshman student favoring a pair of cuffs until one of his associates nudged him with an elbow.

I was aware the cuffs and occasional nightstick were more ceremonial in nature. Nerdy female and her two compatriots walked back over to my peers taking the makeup quiz without another word. Adding a bit of fire to the proceedings, the Explorers followed me a few feet down the corridor until I turned shooting them an intense glare that seemed to halt their ambitions of swarming me. I'd decided to return to Pops office to report them after notifying my teacher, Mr. Harvey. I still had a good fifteen minutes of lunch time, so suspect nutrition was first on my list.

"Oh, hello again Jaleel."

"Charity?" I found her standing five feet in front of my carrying a syllabus.

"You didn't forget my name, I'm flattered." The minute I saw her there, a haze settled over me, but I still looked otherwise agitated.

"Hardly; you're the best part of my day so far."

"Stop it; what's up?"

"Eh, nothing really; I was supposed to take a pop quiz in study hall, but this shitty girl is power tripping. Got uhm, permission from my teacher, but they won't recognize it." Charity gingerly took the signed hall pass from me staring at it.

"You must've been late, huh?"

"My teacher set up the makeup and signed this hall pass. In fact, the reason I was in the library this morning was because he locked me out of class because I was only two minutes late. I couldn't take the test then, and I can't now because of a technicality."

"But you were late, right?" Charity reiterated.

"Yeah." I was instantly humiliated under her authoritative gaze.

"Are you getting angry with me now, Jaleel?" Right there, Charity drew a line in the sand regarding any potential friendship we could've had or anything else. It was a challenge, nothing more.

"Look, I got bullied this morning, by a cheerleader; before I could react, Pops, the safety officer snatched me into his office and made me sit there to cool off. He also made me late, but I got a nice bottle of lemon water as a consolation prize, a likely failing grade on the quiz, and I got to meet you Charity."

"Brutal." She handed the hall pass back with a slight, incredulous smirk.

"So, like I said; you're the best part of my day going forward. I'll take that and now I'm going to finish up what's left of my lunch period. Keep your fingers crossed that I don't somehow trip down the stairs and break my neck before I at least get a burger." Charity was chuckling as I ranted.

"Sorry." She just shrugged.

I shrugged back stalking off without another word, intent on salvaging my lunch period. I didn't look back wanting to remember Charity just as I first met her instead of the seemingly entitled academic beauty standing in the middle of the corridor. I managed to snag a burger and fries with just under seven minutes to spare, eating like a savage when she appeared again. I was caught with my mouth stuffed full, embarrassed further by my own lack of dining etiquette.

"Hey Jaleel, I think I was uh, insensitive back there and I wanted to apologize."

"Uhm, okay?" I was surprised that she would apologize to somebody she'd just met earlier that morning. Her appearance and behavior were a contrast as most of the really attractive women behaved like snobs at our school.

"Peace offering?" Charity was holding a quiz in her hand.

"How?"

"Student body president; that's me." She pulled up a chair actually sitting beside me partially violating my personal space a bit.

"Thank you, Charity." She pushed it in front of me on the table as I noticed it was completed.

"All you have to do is sign it." Charity helped herself to a fry, smiling.

"Wow, I would've done my own test."

"I know, but I did it instead and I didn't use my clout to get the answers either. You've really had a shit day of it from my perspective, so it's my responsibility to correct things, Jaleel."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I'm the best part of your day." Charity chuckled taking the quiz back after I signed it.

"Can I ask you a question Charity?"

"Shoot."

"Did it hurt when you fell out of heaven?"

Both of us started laughing this time. The stuffed student cafeteria around us seemed to melt away as I found it hard not to look at her face. Charity helped herself to a few more fries as I did a bit of exuberant tumbling, internally. It seemed that she held a higher position over her fellow teen aides in the student council from the master syllabus on the table top adjacent to my books and tray.

"So, what's your last period of the day, Jaleel?" She asked getting up staring casually at the face of her phone.

"Ninth, why?" Charity quickly texted on her phone with both hands already turning to walk away with my signed test.

"Maybe you should come right back here after your last class and find out, Jaleel." She was about five feet away from the table affording me a good view of the tight, looking compact apple that was her butt.

I was definitely on cloud nine floating to gym barely noticing the usual raucous nature of the boy's locker room. I fished out my phone attempting to contact Ricky but found that he was still purposely unavailable. I understood because people had been messing with him about his appearance since we were underclassmen.

Charity was so casual about it all, but I had no illusions that anything was happening which was a tacit indictment of my own perceived self-worth. I copped a squat on the usual bench I shared with Ricky trying one last time to get in touch. I just wanted someone to know what had occurred. I found another pic obviously texted to me sometime during my troublesome day.

"Shit!"

Hope Arias decided to gift me a pic of her obviously taken from the night we hooked up. She was lying in bed on her back casually displaying her awesome curves in that one piece, sheer teddy. I checked the timestamp on the pic finding that she'd sent it while I was verbally sparring with the student TA contingent in study hall. It was one hell of a thirst trap that caught my attention for those few seconds to the detriment of all else.

"GIMME THAT!!" Rob McKenzie quickly snatched the phone from my hand only able to get a glimpse of the homemade boudoir pic for a second or two before the phone locked down.

"HEY, GIVE MY PHONE BACK!!" The bully threatened an throwed elbow while frantically trying to open my phone for a more comprehensive look as some of the other guys crowded around.

"HEY, THIS NIGGA CHEATING ON HIS GIRLFRIEND TITTY!! GOT ANOTHER TRANNY ON HIS FUCKING PHONE!!" I found myself on the outside of a wall of half-naked guys eager to see anything, even if it was a trans woman.

"FUCK YOU MAN!!" I reached in getting fingertips on my phone only for it to be snatched away.

Rob's evil looking brow furrowed as his countenance morphed into a visage akin to the vampires from that ole Buffy the Vampire show. This freckled albino was seriously that horrid to look at in person closer than anyone would like. I also took umbrage at his continual referral to my best friend by that shitty, eponymous nickname. Rob parted the crowd of guys with both muscular arms shoving me hard in the chest.

"Hey man, don't put your hands on me."

"Gimme my phone." At this point, I was in the neanderthal shooting gallery and was going to have to get my hands dirty, obviously to my detriment.

"Why don't you take it pussy!!" The challenge was clear as the other guys backed off expecting me to get destroyed by the delinquent part-time jock and full time thug. I felt like I was in prison staring at the muscled chest of a weight room monster.

"WHAT'S GOING ON IN HERE!!" One of the gym teachers appeared at the ninth hour, unknowingly saving my face from future reconstructive surgery. The other students began filing out as the tall, lean middle aged guy regarded us.

"Ain't nothing going on, Mr. Day; you always messing with me, man!!"

"Rob, you're an asshole; get your butt out there on the floor and stop holding up attendance." This coach sanctioned asshole was about to leave with my phone.

"Gimme my phone, ROB!!"

"YOU AIN'T GOT NO PHONE!!" He yelled back, but Mr. Day began snapping his fingers motioning for the phone.

"ROBERT MCKENZIE, IF YOU DON'T COME UP OFF THAT PHONE, BOY!!" He threatened like some long lost uncle instead of a teacher. Rob stopped audibly breathing as his chest visibly heaved from seething rage.

"TAKE IT!!" My modest android hit me in the sternum with the force of a speedball as Rob stomped out of the locker room.

"COME HERE BOY, YOU'RE GONNA BE DOING LAPS FOR THE NEXT TWO PERIODS!!" The gym teacher ran after the delinquent all but forgetting me there I the locker room.

I unlocked my phone finding an unseen text from my best friend, Ricky. He just wanted me to know that he was calling off from school the following day so I wouldn't be getting a ride with him there. I tried to call him back, but his phone was off. I ended up finishing my gym period while Rob McKenzie found himself on the receiving end of breakdown calisthenics from three of the male gym coaches including Mr. Day. There was no doubt they were putting a target on my back in the process, but I resolved to finish out my day bolstered by the fact that I would be meeting Charity at the end of it.

By the time my last class drifted around, Rob McKenzie was a distant if not forgotten memory. I found Kimberly sitting in her customary seat just inside the door with a large bouquet of roses across her lap. It turned out that motherfucking Jay Stello had the bouquet delivered two periods earlier to much fanfare from her attending friends and onlookers. Kimberly was looking me directly in the eye with that "Cat that caught the Canary" smile on her face while her right hand Charmaine looked ready to continue our building feud sitting behind the empty seat I usually occupied.

Fuck that noise.

I walked to the end of the class seating occupying the adjacent seat polar opposite to my ex, Kimberly Bivens. I avoiding looking over at the obvious glaring female asshole who wanted to rekindle aggression between us. A penny struck me behind the ear with fleeting pain as I afforded myself a glance, finding Charmaine grimacing in my direction. This thick cheerleader was definitely feeling herself, but I was looking past the class to my one day earth angel, Charity. Her and some of her clique tried in vain to get a rise out of me by making crying sounds, to no avail. That part of my misfortunate day ended with a well-deserved whimper.

I almost ran to the cafeteria wanting a "happy ending" to my horrific day. I hit those double doors finding an unlikely sight. Charity was standing at the table we'd sat at but surrounded by numerous underclassmen. The table itself was stacked with additional students as she led some sort of reading group. All of the students in her tutelage were reading from some periodical. I immediately gathered I was peering over at the drama club. I instinctively hung back content to watch, feeling stupid for thinking our earlier exchange was more. My happy ending appeared to deflate as Charity noticed me.

"JALEEL!" Charity called out drawing others eyes to me loitering near the cafeteria double doors.

"Uh, hey everybody." I half mumbled.

"I'll be done in a minute."

She explained reigniting some latent hope of awkward teen romance. Charity was conducting a class gearing up for a play. I kind of got lost in myself dreaming of impossibilities. Before I even realized it, Charity was standing in front of me.

"Would you like one?" She was offering a booklet which I took wholeheartedly to gain further favor with the studious beauty.

"Les Liaisons dangereuses?"

"Dangerous Liaisons, a personal favorite; are you familiar?" Her eyes seemed to light up at the suggestion. I wished I were familiar to further my hopes and efforts, but I shook my head in the narrative.

"Sorry."

"No need to be sorry for an opportunity; would you like a primer on the matter?" Charity looped her arm in mine with a smile.

"Sure."

"What kind of car do you drive?" I gulped at the question knowing full well I was a copilot at best. My parents hadn't even taken me to get my license at the time of her question. Their lack of insurance had supposedly been the deciding factor in this aspect of my development.

"Uh, I'm between cars at the moment."

"Don't worry about it."

Twenty minutes later I was sitting in the passenger seat of Charity's burgundy Kia Sportage in disbelief. She jokingly reached across me once I was seated, snapping the seatbelt into place chuckling at my demeanor. It felt like some kind of weird dream even though I was awake. Charity invited me to her place to watch the movie her upcoming play was based upon. There was no real interest on my part, only in spending more time in her company. I was surprised things progressed so far from an initial casual acquaintance with one another earlier that day.

"Why do you look like that, Jaleel?"

"Eh, you would have to be in my shoes to understand." She chuckled at my answer turning down the easy listening music on her radio.

"I'm a human being like anybody else; it's my hope to be judged not solely on my appearance."

"Yeah, me too Charity."

"Oh really." She chortled.

"Yeah, see you never heard about me, but the ladies can't get enough. I gotta beat them off with a stick and it's really hard making an honest connection because I'm so handsome. You know what they call me, huh Charity?"

"What do they call you Jaleel."

"Genuine Fine, the Greatest of All Time." Charity burst into laughter at my faux boasting. We laughed together for a few minutes.

"Alright, so tell me Jaleel; where do you see yourself in five years?" It was my turn to chuckle.

"You sound like a telemarketer or some kind of Primerica shill. Totally sounds like a sales pitch." I commented.

"It's still a question."

"Uhm, I'm going into coding and uh, I hope to be working at a large tech firm. They pay enough to secure that American dream. I guess, I wanna be a high salary employee." I was honest.

"Interesting, but I wanted to hear you say that you'll own a large tech firm. Personally, it's not worth it being an employee these days because there is no real guaranteed job security. I'm always going to own my time, so I'll always be working towards that end. I do have a five year plan for financial freedom." For some reason, her words felt like an attack.

"How can you be sure things will turn out the way you want?" Charity turned to me still wearing an easy going expression that I was becoming accustomed to, with a slight smirk.

"Because I play chess, not checkers."

Things were kind of quiet for the next ten minutes as I pondered Charity's words. I was intimidated by her on almost every level wondering if I were little more than a momentary amusement for this top tier academic. Her comments and questions put things into perspective in a way that had seldom been addressed with my own best friend, Ricky Arias. I fished out my phone finding him still off the grid.

"We're here." Charity lightly tapped me on the shoulder directing my attention outside my car window.

We were sitting outside an awesome looking three story brownstone apartment building. Charity lived in this affluent neighborhood just outside of the downtown area. It was a little puzzling because its location added a half hour commute to school when she could've just gone to one of the local affluent schools dotting the area.

"Nice."

"You have a question; I can see it in your face, Jaleel." Charity seemed adept at reading people, accurately sussing out my reservations.

"You commute thirty minutes to school, but there's a few around here; I mean really good high schools, Charity." She sighed softly leaning back against her driver's seat.