Chapter 6

*WHOOSH*

The red frisbee went flying through the air and straight into John's right hand.

"Nice catch, John!"

"Thanks, Chris. Catch!"

Chris Jericho, 41, short blond hair spiked in the front, caught the frisbee wtih ease. He met John Shaw at the police academy during the classes. Chris had moved from Canada and had now resided in Cincinnati. with his wife and 3 kids and their pets. Both men had one thing in common; they wanted to make the world a better place, even in the smallest ways. So, they both enrolled into the police academy.

Just like any other normal day, John and Chris liked to spend their days at the Cincinnati park ridiing their bikes, fishing, or, like now, throwing the frisbee around. Sometimes a football took place of a frisbee.

"So, when is our final exam?" John pondered to his friend.

"Two weeks from tomorrow."

"Monday. Right. You nervous?"

"Not at all," Chris said tossing the frisbee towards John. "Been cracking down on my studying hard. A little too hard. I needed a break from it today."

"Me too."

"What about you? You nervous?"

"Yeah," John answered throwing the frisbee back to Chris. "I hope I can handle it."

"Of course you can."

"You think so?"

"Absolutely. You're Jonathan Moxley Shaw! You can handle anything. Except for this."

Chris launches the frisbee over John's head. He reaches up to grab it but misses completely. Chris begins laughing as John gives chase for the frisbee. However, John is so preoccuppied with wanting to catch the toy that he doesn't notice the girl sitting on the edge of the fountain until he collides with her and they both fall in. Chris stops laughing at the sight before him.

"Oops."

John and the woman sit up in the fountain gasping and coughing. John turns to his right and sees the woman for the first time. She begins brushing her long blond hair out of her face.

"Oh man," John whispers standing up in the fountain. "I am so sorry. Are you alright?"

"Ugh...yes, I'm fine."

"Here. Take my hand."

John extends his right hand towards the stranger and helps her to her feet. He exits the fountain first, her hand still in his, then holds her right shoulder and guides her safely out of the water.

"Are you sure you're alright," he asks with concern in his voice. "Did you hit your head on the bottom?"

"I promise I'm fine and no, I didn't hit my head."

"Phew. That's a relief. But, I still feel terrible. I was playing frisbee with my friend, who might not live to see tomorrow, and he chucked it over my head. I was so focused on catching the dumb thing and I didn't notice you. I just feel so awful and I'm so sorry."

Renee had retrieved the book from the water as John apologized.

"Great. And now, I ruined your book."

She looked up at him. "Actually, I'd like to thank you for this. I was only on chapter 6, but I just couldn't get into it. I found it boring so you actually saved me from reading another boring sentence."

John chuckled nervously. "Well, that's one thing I did right in this situation I guess."

"Wait a second. You were standing here being all gentleman-like to me and here I was being rude not asking if you were okay."

"I'm fine. Just completely embarrassed at myself and more worried about you."

She chuckled. "Well, I appreciate that," she said sticking out her hand in a formal greeting. "I'm Renee. Renee Paquette."

"Hi. Jonathan Shaw," he replied shaking her hand in return.

"Nice to meet you."

"You too, although I wish the circumstance played out differently."

"Actually, it wasn't too bad."

John found himself staring at her. Renee found herself staring at him. Neither one speaking. Neither one making a sound.

*ARF ARF ARF! ARF! ARF!*

John saw a bulldog chasing after a squirrel and the two animals were headed straight towards him and Renee. He pushed Renee to the left as the squirrel scurried past. The bull dog was running so fast it didn't have time to slow down. The dog bumped into John's legs knocking him off balance and falling back into the fountain. Renee stood and looked at him, hand covering her mouth. John sat up and looked to his right where the animals still ran. He looked up at Renee sighed.

"I'm not entirely sure that this day can get any worse."

*PLOP*

John scrunched up his face and looked on his right shoulder. Yep. A white runny blob of bird poop. John looked up in the trees above him. A pigeon. He gazed at the cooing bird and then...

*PLOP*

John cringed. He gritted his teeth in disgust..

"UGH!"

The pesky pigeon pooped directly on his face.

Directly on the mouth.

"ACK! BRUTAL!"

John turned towards the pouring down of water from the fountain. He formed his hands into a cup and caught water in his palms. He brought his hands to his lips and vigorously wiped them clean. He started to gag and dashed out of the fountain over to a nearby trashcan. His lunch from that day had reappeared as it left his body. After a few more seconds of vomiting, he took a few deep breaths. He shook his head back and forth.

John felt a gentle hand touch his right elbow. He saw Renee standing next to him with a soft smile on her face and an unopened bottle of water. He took it, removed the cap, and guzzled the beverage down. After a long gulp, he drank more water, swished tt around, gargled, then spit the contents into the trashcan. He replaced the cap, then locked eyes with Renee again.

"I appreciate that."

"No problem."

"I, um...I'm pretty sure this was not how you wanted your day to be."

Renee handed him a white napkin. "Actually..."

John went to wipe at his mouth, but stopped when he saw black ink on the napkin. Written on the napkin was her name and phone number. He looked at the number, then back at her.

"This day didn't go exactly how I planned it, but...to be honest, it wasn't bad either."

Renee draped her backpack purse over her shoulder, then began to walk away. John watched Renee disappear into the crowd of park atendees, and smiled. He looked at the number and took it as a clear sign that she liked him

Chris joined John seconds later. "Geez, John. What all happened?"

John replied. "Really, Jericho? Seriously?! I just bumped into a girl and knocked us into the fountain. Then I was knocked back into the fountain by a dog colliding with my legs. Then a pigeon pooped on my shoulder and my mouth causing me to throw up."

"Oh, John. I'm sorry."

"Sorry? You're sorry?!"

John stepped forward to give Chris more of a what-for for being so careless with the frisbee toss. Chris took this as a sign of an attack and reacted. John's headed snapped to the side at the force of the slap. John cradled his left cheek and turned rapidly to glance at his friend.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

"I thought you were going to hit me!"

"I had no intentions on hitting you!"

"I'm sorry, John. I'm sorry!"

John grabbed the collar of Chris's shirt, turned, and tossed his friend into the fountain. The onlookers pointed and laughed. Even some of them had been recording the incident from their phones. John walked over to where Chris was kneeling in the water.

"Of course, I can't be all that upset at you, Chris." He waved the napkin in front of his friend's face. "I got her digits."

"Huh?"

"That's right. She likes me."