Page:Jay Little - Maybe—Tomorrow.pdf/115

 rolled out in a heavy curve, almost meeting the deep dimples in his brown cheeks.

What had happened next, happened so swiftly that it was a blur of movement and sound. Then he had gone in the barn without even saying, "hello."

From the air, the high school building of Cotton looked like a large figure "H" sprawled on the ground below. The two-story center roof section was red tile and looked pretty from a plane, but the side wings were flat and covered with black tar. The many long lines of steel-framed windows didn't show from here, nor did its three front entrances. All one could see was a rectangular plot of red with a black, dry river-bed at each side.

When the last morning bell rang, Gaylord had gathered his things and hurried down the already crowded corridors toward his room. Gosh, he was glad the morning was over. He paused at Blake's home-room and looked through the square glass in the door. The room held no bronze god and the faces he saw were uninteresting.

In his own home-room he quickly put his books away and combed his hair carefully. A pimply-faced boy was watching but he didn't care. Gaylord thought, "He's just jealous because he doesn't have wavy hair … I don't care what he thinks … nobody likes him anyway … he's such a sneak … always trying to find out something on somebody so he can blab it all over school … well, let him blab about me … I don't care …

He cleared his throat … looked at the boy for a second, then walked out of the room without glancing back.

Rogers was not waiting for him. He went outside of the right wing and stood in the sun … damn, it was hot. He glanced in all directions and not seeing his date, walked back to the side of the building. He looked at the Catholic school across the street and, through the softly lighted windows, could see the nuns in their starched white. It made him feel good inside and he wished the school had been built when he had started. He thought of his first Holy Communion … coming into the church slow and all trembly and carrying a lighted candle. He remembered the girls in sheer, 105