White flowers blossomed on the trees, the days grew longer, and it was time for the fifth grade boys to begin to notice the fifth grade girls. Sometime in the winter their resistance broke, but it took the dawning Spring for them to realize that girls were different, not just from themselves but from the girls they were that fall. They shook off their wool hats and bulky coats and suddenly there was an awkward tension, the little boy heads following the girl's migrations like a field of sunflowers nodding dumbly at the sun as it crossed the sky. They took up factions drawn along gender, very few stragglers crossing enemy lines, and made their plans.
Taylor had always been a young man of propriety. He never got too rowdy or took advantage of a substitute teacher. He was chosen to be on the safety patrol for his serious demeanor, which meant he wore an orange sash and left class early to make sure people didn't run to the buses. He appreciated order, and always wanted to know what was expected of him.
He was rankled when his classmates started having clandestine, whispered conferences at recess. He felt the same undeniable pull but didn't know what to do about it. Taylor was in favor of waiting, and planning a sensible course of action. His bolder friends started declaring their affections, and eventually their meetings included a reconnoiter of the dating scene. The relationships were fluid and volatile, in the beginning only lasting a day or two but as they became more daring maybe as much as a week, including small dates after school. Taylor was not ready to take that plunge, it was too nebulous, too chaotic. Some of the boys and girls even parted on bad terms, with minor scandals involving other loves.
There was a pack mentality, girls falling in and out of favor with the tide of boys. When one of them declared his intentions there was always instantly several competitors. Taylor watched friends turn on each other for favor and attention. There were some heavy hitters who always commanded a devoted following of glossy eyed boys. Jill was the tallest girl in class, she wore more grown up clothes and had a purse. Jolie had white blonde hair in a pixie cut and sparkling blue eyes, no matter how many boys asked she would never go out with them. Megan was the prettiest.
Taylor liked a girl named Julie, who had a strawberry birthmark on her neck and a plain, sandy ponytail. She was on the safety patrol too, and they stood near each other, waiting for the final bell, to direct kids exiting the school to their buses. The sun was a strong orange after a cloud burst, Taylor was watching the last puddle shrinking slowly. He had told his friends that he liked Julie and inevitably they had agreed, they liked her too. He had his hands in his pockets and before he knew it he was standing next to her. "I know someone who likes you." He told her. He couldn't believe it, it was out of his mouth before he could stop himself, and now he had to deliver.
"Who?" she asked. She had lightly freckled cheeks and her teeth were a little crooked when she smiled. She had the thin bony arms of a girl coming into puberty who couldn't eat enough to keep up with how she was growing. "Who is it?" she pressed, giggling with her shoulders.
Taylor made two tight fists at his sides, like he was afraid he would be flung clear of the Earth. He couldn't believe he had done something so uncharacteristically impulsive, it was like he was possessed. "It's me," he blurted as abruptly as throwing up, turned sharply on his heel and went walking briskly in the other direction.
Taylor had always been a young man of propriety. He never got too rowdy or took advantage of a substitute teacher. He was chosen to be on the safety patrol for his serious demeanor, which meant he wore an orange sash and left class early to make sure people didn't run to the buses. He appreciated order, and always wanted to know what was expected of him.
He was rankled when his classmates started having clandestine, whispered conferences at recess. He felt the same undeniable pull but didn't know what to do about it. Taylor was in favor of waiting, and planning a sensible course of action. His bolder friends started declaring their affections, and eventually their meetings included a reconnoiter of the dating scene. The relationships were fluid and volatile, in the beginning only lasting a day or two but as they became more daring maybe as much as a week, including small dates after school. Taylor was not ready to take that plunge, it was too nebulous, too chaotic. Some of the boys and girls even parted on bad terms, with minor scandals involving other loves.
There was a pack mentality, girls falling in and out of favor with the tide of boys. When one of them declared his intentions there was always instantly several competitors. Taylor watched friends turn on each other for favor and attention. There were some heavy hitters who always commanded a devoted following of glossy eyed boys. Jill was the tallest girl in class, she wore more grown up clothes and had a purse. Jolie had white blonde hair in a pixie cut and sparkling blue eyes, no matter how many boys asked she would never go out with them. Megan was the prettiest.
Taylor liked a girl named Julie, who had a strawberry birthmark on her neck and a plain, sandy ponytail. She was on the safety patrol too, and they stood near each other, waiting for the final bell, to direct kids exiting the school to their buses. The sun was a strong orange after a cloud burst, Taylor was watching the last puddle shrinking slowly. He had told his friends that he liked Julie and inevitably they had agreed, they liked her too. He had his hands in his pockets and before he knew it he was standing next to her. "I know someone who likes you." He told her. He couldn't believe it, it was out of his mouth before he could stop himself, and now he had to deliver.
"Who?" she asked. She had lightly freckled cheeks and her teeth were a little crooked when she smiled. She had the thin bony arms of a girl coming into puberty who couldn't eat enough to keep up with how she was growing. "Who is it?" she pressed, giggling with her shoulders.
Taylor made two tight fists at his sides, like he was afraid he would be flung clear of the Earth. He couldn't believe he had done something so uncharacteristically impulsive, it was like he was possessed. "It's me," he blurted as abruptly as throwing up, turned sharply on his heel and went walking briskly in the other direction.
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