Hero’s Reward
September 14, 1978, Thursday, New Paltz High School
The soccer coach extended practice to work on corner kicks and set plays. Conor was hoping to catch some of Kai’s volleyball game against Coleman. By the time he got to the gym, it was over.
One of Kai’s teammates, Amy, was still waiting for her mom to pick her up. Conor had known Amy since the fifth grade at the Campus School. More of an acquaintance than a friend, like most of his Campus School classmates, she was brainy and had a lot of classes with Kai. He casually asked her about the game.
Amy was excited that Conor had stopped to talk to her. With nervous energy, she spoke at hyper-speed.
“For the first game, we weren’t bad. Coleman had better spikers. We had better diggers. It was close. Kai Adams was the difference. Her serves were amazing. She was on fire. Totally won the game for us.”
“Man, I wish I hadn’t missed it. Do you know Kai well? I don’t have many classes with her.”
“Of course, she’s in three of my classes right now. She’s a real good friend of mine.” Amy paused to walk that back a bit and added, “I mean we do class projects together sometimes, and have been volleyball teammates since freshman year.”
Conor smiled and looked at Amy to continue.
“I’ve been to her house a few times. She’s always nice. She sometimes forgets to finish her parts of a project though. When she realizes it, she cranks like crazy to catch up. Never seen someone able to write a term paper in one night like she can, and still get an A. I think she’s awesome.”
Conor continued to nod and gesture like he was actively listening.
“I have typing class with her seventh period. We just started and she’s typing twice as fast as everyone. Anyway, it’s been great chatting Conor, there’s my Mom, I have to go. Let’s do this again soon, bye!”
Conor chuckled at how people sometimes reacted to him.
The next morning, Conor showed up at the guidance counselor's office, looking to change his class schedule. He told the counselor he was thinking of becoming a writer who needed typing skills. He walked out of the office confirmed for seventh period typing class.
September 15, 1978, Friday, Highland High School
“Hi Ash, are you cheering at the soccer game this afternoon”
“Yep, thinking of coming?” Ashley asked.
“I’m not sure I should. Remember I told you I kind of had a crush on Conor Walsh? Well, I haven’t seen him at all since Monday and maybe he’s not interested,” Kai said.
“You should come, Conor will definitely notice you. You can ride over with us in the cheerleader van,” Ashley said.
“Maybe. He’s extremely popular and well-liked. I don’t want him to think I’m a groupie or something.”
“No doubt he’s a catch, but Kai, it’s time for you to step up to the plate,” Ashley urged. “He might be the school’s soccer star, but you announced to everyone you have 36DoubleD jugs! That has to have upped your status.”
“I’m only 34D, Ash. Hell, I’d topple over if they were that big.” Kai replied.
“Yeah, especially with that teeny tiny waist of yours!” Ashley responded with a giggle.
“All right, all right, my jugs and all will come with you guys to Highland!”
∞
It was halftime and the newly formed Highland High soccer team had defended their home field well and were beating the perennial powerhouse team from New Paltz 2-0.
“This is a disgrace and an embarrassment!” Coach admonished the team, and he continued haranguing them for a poor start.
While the coach gave his halftime pep talk, Conor scanned the crowd. It was a huge turnout for Highland’s first-ever game with more than five hundred people surrounding the field. He got a jolt when he saw Kai Adams looking right at him through the crowd.
She stared him down with a serious determined set of eyes and then gave a cool half-smile and a nod of her head. He felt a rush of adrenaline and nodded back to her with a new sense of confidence ”
The coach stared directly at Conor and finished his rant by saying, “They’re running you off the field Walsh, where is our offense?”
The whole team looked at him and there was a lengthy pause as Conor scanned the team in the huddle, looking into the eyes of every player. Sisyphus would have easily rolled his stone to the top if he’d seen the confident smile Conor flashed to each of them.
“These Highland farmers have no idea what’s about to hit them. No upstart sod kickers are going to beat us. Got it!” Conor said with total confidence.
The whole team erupted as one and they headed out onto the pitch. From the very first possession, it was as if Highland was playing a different team.
In the next thirty minutes, Conor scored three times. Unfortunately, his team let in a fluke goal allowing Highland to tie it up. With less than a minute left in the game, Conor took a shot from forty yards out with a ton of topspin. It was a shot that only he would ever think of trying. It sailed high and looked to be headed over the crossbar of the Highland goal. At the last moment, it nosed-dived into the upper corner for an impossible score. It was his fourth goal of the day for a 4-3 win.
His teammates were delirious and mobbed him on the pitch. No question, at least up to that point, that it was Conor’s best game ever. As he walked off the pitch he scanned the remaining crowd to see if his extra motivation was still there, but he didn’t see her.
∞
Many of the players were already on the bus and were waiting for the coach and a few stragglers before heading back to New Paltz. Conor walked through the Highland High parking lot on cloud nine. As he turned a corner toward the bus, sitting cross-legged on the hood of a car down the aisle was Kai Adams. As he got closer his stomach flipped over several times as a thousand butterflies churned away inside.
She slid off the hood of the car and leaned back against its front end. She was glowing with an air of wonder and excitement as he approached her.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about you Kai Adams,” Conor said, pausing to let it sink in before continuing. “I know I’m not one of the popular kids, still I’d really like to get to know you better, much better.”
Kai paused for a second, then chuckling said, “You, not one of the popular kids? Conor, you just scored four goals and single-handedly beat an entire soccer team. You’re kidding, right?”
Conor said nothing, tilted his head from side to side as he rolled his eyes as if she might have a point.
She continued, “If anything I’m the groupie here. Until a week ago, I was completely invisible and the people I hung out with, if you could call it that, mostly talked about algorithms, square roots, and chess club. With that said…”
Kai didn’t bother to finish her thought. She looked into Conor’s eyes, reached up, and put her hand around the back of his neck. She pulled him close and kissed him on the lips for a long, long moment. She gently pulled away, and with their faces barely apart, continued to look up into his eyes for another several seconds.
Then placing her hand on his chest, she padded him there a few times, and then gently pushed him back a step.
Nodding toward the bus, with a dazzling sexy smile, she said, “To be continued,” and slowly walked out of the parking lot. Conor watched her walk until she disappeared behind a row of cars and was gone.
The guys in the bus who up to then held their collective breath watching the scene below erupted with jeers and cheers. Throwing an assortment of sweaty rolled-up ankle tape and ice cubes in Conor’s direction as he approached the bus in a mock salute for their returning captain.