"How many times do I have to tell you ?" Archie was losing his temper "She would rather hang out with him than go with me for HP 2. Not only that she told me that we are over ! We are over Reg ! We are OVER !" Archie grabbed his hair with both hands and sat down on the pavement. He never thought that Betty would actually say that, she loved him, he was the only boy in her life, he was an idiot to even introduce Jug to her all those years ago.
Reggie rolled his tongue in his mouth, he couldn't say that he didn't expect this but it only made things more delicious. Yes, it would have been too easy if she had agreed. He liked this. He sat down next to Archie, his arm over his shoulder "He was there right ?"
"Yes, they were just about to meet, I ignored him as I always did when talking to the girls, but this time..." he looked at his hands "this time she really wrenched her arm free from my hands, she never did that Reg, never !"
Reggie patted him "Don't worry pal, can't say I didn't expect this." He turned to Archie, smiling "Needlenose is smart right ?"
"What do you mean ?" Archie asked.
"I mean, come on ! You two may be best friends but who's the better in class ? Have you ever seen that guy even read a book ? And yet, every test, every exam, every assignment he cracks as if it was nothing." He leaned in close "You are his best friend, never asked him how he does it ?"
"I...I..." Archie groped for words "I asked him once, years back when he was Best Student, he just shrugged his shoulders. He...He...he does that every time Reg, every time I ask him how he does it, he just shrugs his shoulders with a smile, or snickers, that's it !"
"Not very confidant your good friend is he ?" Reggie grinned "Don't get me wrong Arch, I am not trying to make you green or anything, but a guy who can give Dilton tough competition with no effort can always be a Casanova if he wants to."
Archie stared at Reg "Casanova ?"
"I mean think about it ! Debbie, Sandy ... all the girls that doted on him, even Trula, wouldn't you say Trula is cute ? Yet he never encouraged them, I mean why should he, he was aimimg for the best silently." Reggie paused, waiting for Archie to get it. "It can't be !" Archie gasped.
"What more proof do you want ?" Reggie threw up his hands "Think about it ! Didn't they both go out on dates before ? Do you think they hadn't kissed each other way back ? You know how much Betty flirted with him years back, he is clever Arch, he is very, very clever."
Everything came rushing back to Archie. Yes, he remembered how much Betty used to try to get Jug interested in her, she sometimes threw herself in his arms. And yes, they did start dating quite some years back, and often Arch would ask Jug to take Betty out or even suggest to Betty that she should go out with Jug. His face went pale.
"He wanted her but he never made it explicit, he made her give herself to him. He played hard to get, always the nice guy, caring, holding, hugging and he moved in for the kill when the time was right." Reggie smiled, Archie went more pale. Yes, that's what girls always said about Jug, the hardball. It all fitted together.
"But...but why Betty ? Why not Ron ? Why not Cheryl ?" Archie tried to reason.
"Ron hates him, so does Cheryl. They are not that smart, I doubt if Ron will be able to clear school even but they have an inner dislike for him. They are hardwired to repel him. And besides..." Reggie smiled "Ron and Cheryl have more eyes on them, sure Betty is cuter than both of them put together but she dresses like a plain Jane. She is not the fancy, feminine type. Hell, she can fix cars and is smarter than every other guy in school except Dilt and Needlenose. Guys would get a complex if they dated someone like her !"
Archie never thought like that, yes, Ron and Cheryl hated Jug's name, let alone stand his presence. And the only guy who could converse with Betty as an equal, having all the info on all matters was Jug.
"Dilt is not her type really, I mean yeah he is good with books but that's the only thing he is good with. He can't cook, he doesn't know the ways of the world, he is ideal to be a prof in some univ or some freakin' lab ! But not Jug." Reggie narrowed his eyes "He is Dilt plus worldly wise. We have eaten his cooking and the only one who can give him serious competition in that department is Betty."
Archie listened silently, yes Reggie was right. How stupid he could be ? Jug planned all of this carefully, he let Archie and Reggie and anyone else who cared about Betty to do all the hard work. He sat back, only stepping in when the time was right. A touch here, a word there, a kiss. And now when they were about to graduate, their last year in school, Jug delivered the masterstroke.
"But not to worry, my good friend, he is smart, but even Caesar was conned and we all know what happened !" Reggie patted Archie's back.
"What do you mean Reg ?"
"I had a talk with Dilt today, listen." Reggie talked and Archie kept losing faith in Jug, how could he keep this from him ? Yes, Jug was modest, too modest, but this was big. "And so, he and Dilt will be gone for a week, they will be camping in Stanford matching wits with nerds from all over the world. And while they do..." Reggie smiled "While they do, then it's time to set her free."
"Free ?"
"Yes, free ! It's not even one week since they fell for each other or rather Betty fell for Jug, with him not around it will be so easy to get her back." Reggie grinned.
"Yeah right !" Archie rolled his eyes "Come on Reg ! I know Betty ! She is not like that, plus we have cell phones these days, GTalk, Facebook ! Hell there are a million ways she will let him know that we are making moves on her behind his back. And a guy that smart would think of something to screw us both right from the west coast !" Archie fumed.
"Ten to one, she won't tell him, plus we will start subtly from next week itself. Let things cool down this week, Next week, you will see the master in action !" Reggie smiled.
"She is not your girl Reggie !" Archie growled "Neither yours, admit it !" Reggie shot back "Man ! Are you a klutz or something ? Wouldn't you go for Ron anyday over Betty ? I am just trying to keep Betty available ! Face it carrot-top, with Betty out of the picture, you are at the mercy of Ron and Cheryl !"
Archie buried his face in his hands, who was he kidding ? Reggie was right, Betty was, well, a good friend, a very good friend, a great girl to be with, but it was Ron he loved. "Fine." Archie spoke "But why won't she tell him ?"
"Because she would know what this means for him, 25000 dollars is a lot of money Archie, it will set up Needlenose for the Ivy Leagues he is secretly aiming at, she would die before she calls out for help. That's Betty, the sweet, nice girl next door."
Archie stared at Reggie in wonder, he had this all figured out. He had to give him credit, boy was he smart ! "You really think he will win the top prize ?" Archie asked.
"I hate his guts, but I know him Arch." Reggie stood up "If anyone can do it, it's him and he can do it without Dilton !"
Haly way across town, Dilton was staying up whole nights gobbling down info on the net. Tearing through books, cramming in every last detail. Yes, Jug needed the money but money was not Dilton's objective, it was his dream. A dream he nurtured ever since he got his first computer, and now he was really going there. The home of Google ! That's where it all started. He was going home ! And he wanted to make a damn good impression !
-
Jug was sitting on his roof, staring up at the night sky. The stars came out when poeple turned in for the night, the lights turned off. He was done with the books, they bored him. The problems would fall apart before his eyes, he was wasting his time with them.
And then he thought...
He looked at the dishes on the rooftops, peering out of windows, over closed chimneys, all pointing in the same direction. But what would happen if there was an error ? If the satellite bounced about in orbit ? If a plane flew into the path ? If there was a huge storm ? How would people still watch TV ? What really happened behind it all ?
He stood up, he could see her home from here. Her light was still on, was that her in the window ? The light went off. He made fists, his nails digging into his palms, she felt so good, he didn't want to let go, but he was not ready and more importantly, she was not ready, yet.
He climbed back into his room, turned on his desklamp, and started scribbling in his notebook.
In the night sky, cold lights blinked on and off, satellites dancing in the sky.