Keith

So far, so good, I thought rather nervously on Wednesday evening as I sat at a library table across from Jana. We'd been working nearly an hour, finishing up our project, and we were almost done. Everything looked pretty good, too. We had decided to make a visual to go along with our speech and it had turned out really well, if I do say so myself. And the report was excellent. Mostly thanks to Jana. She's a much better writer than I am, but then, I guess I'm better at doing the visual work than she is, so it evens up.

We really make a good team, I thought wistfully, looking up from my work a moment to glance in her direction. She was proof-reading one of our final drafts, one hand cupped under her chin and her forehead all wrinkled up as she studied our paper. I quickly went back to the papers in front of me, not wanting her to catch me looking at her. She'd been fairly nice to me so far, but I could feel some tension yet, and I knew I had to really watch my step around her these days. I had the feeling the smallest little thing I did that rubbed her the wrong way could be the end of any friendship between us, ever.

"Well, I think that looks pretty good," she said suddenly, making me jump. I looked up to see her stretching her arms above her head and smiling. "The section you added at the last minute is really good, Keith. I mean it; those are some good thoughts."

I shrugged a little, fighting back a blush. "Thanks. I didn't um, know if they'd fit or not."

"They're great, I'm glad you decided to," she said simply, starting to collect her things. "I think the visual is finished, too. Mr. Naset should be pleased with it anyway."

I made a face. "He's never pleased with anything."

"Oh, be fair! He is too pleased with things!" Jana laughed. "He's strict, but he knows good work when he sees it. And this is good work. I think we should definitely get a good grade. We deserve it, anyway." She yawned and stood up, picking up our report and stuffing it into one of her folders.

"I'll take this home and type it up for tomorrow," she said, then grinned at me. "Unless YOU want to type it up, Mr. Amazing Typer."

I laughed. I had almost forgotten that nickname she'd given me back when we first started working on the project. "Oh, that's ok. I'll take the visual and be in charge of bringing that tomorrow."

"Ok," she agreed with a nod. We got our stuff together then walked outside to wait for our parents to come pick us up. We'd both told our parents to come around 8:30, but it was only a quarter after, so we had some time to kill. For a minute we stood there on the front steps on the libary in silence... which was really uncomfortable. It was just so hard to talk to Jana right now, yet I wanted to say SOMETHING. But what? I glanced around trying to think of a topic, when suddenly Jana shifted her weight and something around her neck glinted in a streetlight above us.

"Hey, that's a cool necklace," I said, leaning forward to get a better look. I really couldn't see it well enough to tell if it was 'cool' or not, but maybe it would get a conversation going. It looked like it might, too, as Jana immediatly started smiling.

"Thanks," she said, holding the necklace up so I could get a better look. "Randy gave it to me last summer, before I went away to the beach. You know- when I was gone over a month. We knew we'd be apart a long time, so he gave it to me so I wouldn't forget him. I thought that idea was silly- like I could forget my boyfriend- but I *love* the necklace anyway. And what it stands for. I wear it all the time."

Aw, how sweet, I thought disgustedly, trying not to gag. I forced a smile as I got a close enough look to see that the necklace was just a chain with a gold ring on it that said "Randy". Yuck, it's like one of those class rings or bracelets guys used to give girls to show their going steady, I thought. Well, I guess *some guys* obviously still do. I hated seeing that necklace. I wished I'd never brought it up. It was like Randy was marking out his property or something; making yet another visable reminder that Jana is so far out of my reach. It made me almost ill. Where WAS my mother?

"Oh, yeah. That's really, um, neat," I said quickly, with a nod.

"Yeah, he didn't have it made either. It was a ring that goes down through his family and it's really pretty special and everything, which is why I like it even more. Cause, you know, it shows how much I mean to Randy," she continued happily, her eyes shining.

I wanted to ask how the ring could be passed down generation to generation if it said "Randy" on it (I knew Randy wasn't a 'junior'), but I really didn't want to continue on this topic any farther, so I just smiled and gave some totally pointless comment like, 'how nice'. Luckily, my mom pulled up about then and I was able to escape to the car.

"Is Jana still waiting?" my mom asked after I called goodbye to Jana and slid into the passenger seat.

No, mom, I thought sarcastically. I just yelled "see ya tomorrow, Jana" to the libary's front door. Out loud I said, "Yeah, her step-dad's coming for her."

"Oh, I hate to make her stand out there all by herself. It's so chilly and dark and everything," my mom said worridly. She poked her head out of the car and called to Jana, "Would you like a ride home, honey? We'll be glad to give you one."

"Thanks, Mrs. Masterson, but my step-dad should be here any second. I don't want him to come by and find me nowhere in sight, you know?" Jana replied.

"Well, if you're sure," my mom said slowly.

"She's sure," I snapped. My mom gave me a surprised look and seemed ready to say something, then decided against it. She waved goodbye to Jana then pulled off the curb and headed down the street. I rubbed my forehead sleepily and wondered how my life could be so messed up sometimes.