Within the Lines

7.

Atticus took my words literally. Extremely literally. Meaning: he said hello to me in the morning, and nodded whenever we saw each other in the hallway. That was all. 

Not that I had much time to worry about our still extremely bumpy relationship. I hardly had time to think about Atticus at all. With the opening party of the school year coming up and being in charge of all the decorations and designs, I was kept busy. 

Wiping the sweat off my brow with my sleeve, I got up and stared down at my freshly finished work. Since canvas painting was my forte, Becky and the others at the Student Council had agreed to let me paint some of the wall-decorations for the opening party by hand, rather than digitally designing and printing them. 

The theme was "Safari" and the goal was to collect money for animal protection services, the clear winner of the polls on what charity we should support as a school. 

I'd decided to go for a cartoon style. Some very adorable monkeys, if I could say so myself, hung from the letters spelling out: 'opening academic year 2018.' It would be placed in the assembly hall. 

"Aw, that's so cute!" Becky stood next to me and placed her hand on my shoulder. She smiled widely at first, but then her face contorted into a frown. "I'm so sorry you're missing your first football training for this, though." 

"That's alright, honestly," I assured Becky. "The paintings have priority. If I don't do them now they won't be finished and dried up before the party. Dad understands." 

That was only partly true. He was annoyed I wasn't going after signing up. But it was hot as hell outside, and Dad got a little too fanatic about me making the football team for my tastes. He gave me a training schedule to 'whip me into shape' and everything, and expected me to follow it to a T. 

"There's always the next football training," Becky said. "The party is only once." 

"Yeah," I agreed. "All the time in the world to become a football stud." 

I hadn't been slowing down any on the sweets and junk food in any case. Working hard, getting used to a new school, and trying to alter a lifelong diet just didn't go together. Didn't work. Despite Dad's efforts to whip me into shape fast for the football team. I should remind him that I wasn't suddenly a top athlete. 

"No," Mandy groaned. "Don't become football stud. You're such an adorable, soft boy now." 

I patted my stomach and laughed. "This will all still be here next week, don't worry. I'm not trainin' nearly half as hard as the varsity team." 

And Dad let pretty much everyone make the team after all, except that accidental body-slam guy who pissed off Atticus. I wasn't saying Atticus had a hand in it... but I kinda was saying he had a hand in it. I felt bad for the guy to be honest, and the jealousy theory seemed even more stupid now. I had hardly spent time with Dad aside from dinners, while Atticus seemed to literally be able to convince my dad not to take someone on the team.

I should invite Dad somewhere sometime. We finally had the chance to hang out more now, but we still kind of didn't. Living in his house had the opposite effect. We no longer had our weekly calls as a habit and it meant we talked less than usual.

"Mandy, could you get started on an inventory check in the back?" Becky asked with slightly pursed lips. 

She wasn't happy Mandy had word-vomited all over the place and told everyone I was gay, even after I said it was okay. I also got the feeling she was way more bothered than I was about Mandy gushing and squeeing about my accent, my golden-haired, freckled, sweet country look. It got a bit annoying and embarrassing sometimes, but she wasn't on my nerves.