“You almost finished with that task?” she asked.
John glanced up, hitting his head on the bottom of the navigational station.
“Oh,” he yelled.
“Serves you right,” Jane snapped.
John slid out from under the navigational panel and just stared up at Jane for the longest time.
“What’s your problem?”
Under normal circumstances, a remark like that would have gotten him in trouble. It was insubordination for him to address a superior officer like that.
“You have been spending too much time with the earthling and not enough time getting the craft operational.”
“We were to observe them, I thought.”
“Is that what you are doing?” Jane asked with an apprehensive look.
“Well, yes,” John stood up nervously and just stared at Jane.
Jane stepped closer to John, making him uncomfortable, but all he could do was stand there with his back up against the navigational panel. They stood face to face for the longest time when Jane grabbed him suddenly and kissed him passionately. John responded, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to him.
Bobby and Shelby walked hand in hand down the street. As much as he wanted to get lost in the moment, his thoughts were filled with the board meeting at the school that evening. He hoped above all else that the potion they put in the coffee did the trick and he was indeed out of trouble.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Shelby asked.
Bobby turned to her and laughed. “Not on your life.”
“Why, what were you thinking?”
“I was just wondering what your father would say if he knows about us.”
“What can he do?”
“Ground you, for one thing.”
“I’ve listened to my mother, and he wasn’t an angel when he was growing up.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to welcome you dating me with open arms.”
Shelby put her head on Bobby’s shoulder and then kissed him on the cheek.
“You let me worry about him.”
As they near Shelby’s house, Bobby slowed his pace. He wasn’t terrified of Shelby’s father but didn’t want a confrontation with him that night. He did not want to ruin a perfect evening with Shelby. Once they walked up the path to the front door, they stood there for a moment before Bobby reached over and kissed her gently.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he whispered.
Shelby smiled up at him as the front porch lights suddenly came on, startling the two. Bobby quickly released Shelby, fearing her father making his appearance known. He was aware that he would eventually have to face him, but he was not willing to do it just then.
The sun rose over the ranch. Spot lay on his backside next to the front porch, completely exhausted. Mario Lanza was belting out “Santa Lucia” disturbed the quiet of the still morning. Birds took flight out of fear.
Inside the ranch, Bobby sat at his desk sleeping over an open chemistry book. He slowly raised his head when he realized it was only Mario. He grabbed the book and walked out of the room, down the stairs, and hurried into the living room over to the stereo and turned the music off. Just then Elmer walked out of the kitchen with a cup of coffee in hand. Bobby turned to Elmer.
“It’s Saturday, can’t we sleep in?” Bobby argued.
“It’s a beautiful day out there.”
Bobby glanced at the clock. “It’s also seven thirty.”
Elmer just held up the coffee cup. “Want a cup,” he asked with a cheerful grin.
Jenny walked down the stairs yawning as she approached the two. She turned to Elmer and then looked surprised at the chemistry book in Bobby’s hand.
“What’s up with all the racket?” she snapped.
“Gramps rolled in a little while ago. From the sounds of Mario, I think I might have a new grandma soon.”
Elmer handed Jenny the cup of coffee and then turned to Bobby with a grin.
“Don’t you have school?”
Bobby held up the chemistry book. “It’s Saturday. I was trying to study.”
As John and Jane descended the stairs, Bobby turned to the two and was struck by the change in their relationship. They were arm in arm and as they walked into the room John’s arm was around Jane’s shoulder. It was as if they could not get enough of each other. Jenny turned to Bobby, shaking her head.
“Did I just walk into The Twilight Zone?”
Bobby turned to Elmer, and then he slowly turned back to John and Jane while raising his hands and shrugging.
“I’m with you.”
Bobby motioned to John as if to say, “What’s up?”
Later Jane was in the back yard doing her chin-ups on the clothesline pole, while John just stood on the porch and gawked at her.
Jenny looked on from the kitchen window with Bobby at her side. Both seemed a little puzzled by the events of that morning. Jenny finally turned to Bobby.
“Do you notice something different about those two?”
Bobby knew what Jenny was referring to, but didn’t want to speculate on what had changed between the two. Bobby just turned to Jenny and hummed a familiar tune from the Twilight Zone.
“Do…Do…DoDo.”
The doorbell interrupted their conversation. Bobby set the chemistry book on the counter. He looked up at Jenny and shrugged before walking out of the room to answer the door. When Bobby walked closer to the front door, the silhouette of their visitor was visible through the glass door. Bobby was puzzled as to the reason for this early morning visit as he slowly opened the door.
“Are you lost?” was all Bobby could think to say.
Mr. Rowe grabbed a hold of Bobby’s hand and shook it. “You are so funny.”
Jenny walked into the living room just then. “Who was it?” she asked but then stopped.
Jenny was surprised to see Mr. Rowe. All she could do was remember the various times she had been called to school because of a complaint Mr. Rowe had against Bobby’s lack of interest.
Bobby turned to Jenny. “You remember Mr. Rowe, from school,” which was a stupid thing to say.
“I’ve had enough conference with him to be on a first-name basis,” Jenny said sarcastically and then quickly added, “Is there something wrong.”
“I was telling the board last night what a joy it was to have Bobby in our school.”
Jenny appeared puzzled. “You are talking about Bobby Drews?”
Bobby turned to Jenny quickly as if to say “thanks a lot.” It puzzled him that Mr. Rowe, the one teacher that was hell-bent on making his life miserable, seemed to have done an about-face with his thinking of him. Bobby remembered his first progress report from his class. He was getting A’s and B’s on the quizzes, yet he said in the interim report that his work was below average and was failing English. It all had to do with the antics he pulled in the honor study hall and nothing to do with academics. But after that, Mr. Rowe made it his goal in life to make Bobby’s life miserable.
Mr. Rowe turned to Bobby and smiled. “I wanted to be the one to tell you the news.”
Bobby swallowed hard. He never told Jenny about the trouble at school and now feared it would all come out.
“Tell him what?” Jenny said, curious now what would bring Mr. Rowe all the way out to the ranch on a Saturday morning.
Mr. Rowe took a certificate out of the folder he carried and handed it to Bobby.
“It’s a pleasure to teach such a gifted student, and we want you to know it was unanimous that he should be the valedictorian of his senior class.”
Jenny’s mouth dropped open, and then she finally turned to Bobby and shook her head. She mumbled to herself, “Is everyone going crazy?”