(Inspiration 3.2.1) Jayme McGhee & the Power of Attraction

As she watched Kyle look up from the secret message and flash a quick, brilliant smile to Jessica, Jayme secretly wished that she herself could have been passing the note, a note, any note, to Kyle at that very moment.  Regardless of proximity, there was something else that Jessica had that Jayme did not - that extra something that meant during lunch time, Kyle would sit at Jessica's table - not at Jayme's table.  In fact, Jayme wasn't so sure that she even had "a table."  Struggling to understand this social phenomenon, Jayme thought, How does she do it?  How does she attract guys like Kyle?  Suddenly, it came to her!  

She began to write:

If I were a superhero, my super power would be the power of attraction!  

~Plain-Jane, Jayme

Whatever it was that attracted so many friends - and boys -  to Jessica, Jayme wanted that, too. She imagined the possibilities of such a power...

(continued)

Art class - Jayme started a cornfield landscape (more on this assignment later)... Pre-Algebra class - peer group activities (scary experience for  shy Jayme - more on this later)... 

"Tomorrow, bring in your five, fast math challenge answers, and we'll collaborate in challenge groups," energetically announced Mr. Counts as the hungry students stuffed away their pre-algebra materials and watched the final seconds tick away on the clock.

Finally! The bell! thought Jayme as she dashed out of her front row seat and out the door.  She met Louisa at her locker.  Now in eighth grade, Jayme and Louisa were "neighbors" for the third year in a row, but they only shared one class together.

"Jayme, I'm starving!  No offense to Ms. Boring, but I thought the lunch bell would never ring,"exclaimed Louisa, who did not open her locker but stood in the hall behind Jayme, holding a firm grasp on the shoulder strap of her messenger back to alleviate the pressure of the heavy books within it.  Louisa was in Ms. Boring's advanced English class.  In fact, Louisa was in most of the advanced classes.

"How did your presentation go?" asked Jayme, remembering the frightened look on Louisa's face as she went over her speech notes before class.

"It went well, I think, but..." stammered Louisa, her bag crashing into the wall of lockers as she was jostled out of the way by a group of hungry boys.

"Hey, watch it!  What's in that thing anyway?" shouted one member of the passing herd who had apparently struck the bag in passing.  He rubbed his elbow as he clamored on his way.  Rolling her eyes, Jayme said, "Let's just go."  With that, the two girls silently paced to the cafeteria and waited in the long line to get their food.  The cafeteria food seemed less appealing than ever today.  

Sitting down beside Louisa, Jayme watched the stray peas roll around her tray and thought for a second that her potato soup was actuallybubbling up at her. 

(At this point, I will add in descriptions of Jayme's "friends" and circle of more intimate school mates.  This will be a friendly discussion among peers.  To be continued...)

Jameson, with his mouth wide-open and lips curled back for a second bite of his cornbread muffin, turned his head in response to a firm tap on the shoulder.  Jaws open and eyes wide, his pupils followed the slender fingers... sunny-brown arm... delicate collar bones... to the face of Wendy Massengil. Dropping his muffin, he stared at Wendy's glossed lips as she asked, "So, do you have Gilbert?"  Snapping his jaws shut to swallow his food, as if he had only just realized that his chin was dangling in awe, Jameson lifted a small brown bag on the table.

"Yes, he's in here."

"You stuffed him in a paper sack?!" exclaimed Wendy.  Jameson stammered, "No! I, um, didn't have much to hold him... it... in, so I packed the egg in cotton and wrapped it in a towell."

"Well, tomorrow is day 5, and then the project is over..."

(Here, Jayme will be intrigued by the conversation and begin to daydream until she is interrupted by the lunch bell - to be continued...)

"Don't worry, the egg is in tact. No cracks.  Not even a scratch.  Did you bring any... um... clothes?"  

"No.  Look, I'll just see you in class.  Bring Gilbert," snapped Wendy as she turned to face her grinning boyfriend, Kyle.

(Here, Jayme will snap out of her daydream...)

Startled by the screeching bell, Jayme reached quickly for her tray, nudging her sketchpad off the table.  Sighing as she watched it bounce to the floor, she stood and reached down to collect her anthology of designs.  However, Kyle quickly lifted the pad from the toe of his shoe.  Flipping through the private pages of color and shapes from Jayme's imagination, he said, "This is why I use stick figures.  Let the artists do the real work.  Nice!"  Jayme contemplated his smiling face as Kyle handed her the book, put his arm around Wendy's waist, and disappeared into the crowd.  

Louisa, having taken her own tray and Jayme's to the dumpster, appeared at her side.  

"Ready for science class?"

"No," chimed Jameson, although he was not going to science class with them.  "Didn't you hear?  Wendy didn't bring the clothes today!  We have to dress the egg!  Eggs are NOT babies.  Whose idea was this anyways?"  Cheerfully patting him on the back as he stared at the bulky, brown bag in front of him, Jayme said, "You'll be such a great father, Jamers.  So devoted and concerned!"  Louisa stuffed a handful of napkins into his pocket.

"Take a marker.  Color these high-fashion garments on your way to Home Economics!"  Jayme and Louisa parted from their frazzled friend and started off to their own class.