The Lucky Charm

Chapter 10: Let the Games Begin Part 1

Last Time:

I got ready for bed, and then lay down, pulling the sheets up under my chin, wondering if I should call Sammy and talk some
more, but decided that would seem too clingy. So I decided to text her.

Me: Hi there
Her: Georgie?
Me: Yeah
Her: Now I have your #
Me: Keara gave me yours
Her: What I thought. WRU doing?
Me: Laying in bed thinking about U. HBU?
Her: Same as U
Me: Sammy?
Her: Y?
Me: Happy we met! Heart emoji
Her: Y!!! 2 heart emojis
Me: G'nite, will dream about U! Kissy face emoji
Her: M2! Heart kissy face heart emojis

I put my phone on the charger and rolled to the side. Closing my eyes thinking about Sammy.

And Now:

I was soon asleep and deeply dreaming. The dreams were peaceful and refreshing, about being out in the hills hiking and
fishing at a local lake I remembered as near or home in the Seattle area. All the dreams were similar in that they were
about the love of the outdoors. In the dreams I met and talked to different people, including Park Rangers in their
uniforms.

*****************************

When I awoke before Keara knocked on the door, I heard her at the door, "I'm up Keara." I felt wonderful stretching as she
peeked in the door. Just as she was about to say something, we both heard something hit the floor with a small tinkle of
metal. Looking down, we saw that it was her charm bracelet. "I told you that you would get it back soon."

I reached down to pick it up as she sat down on the bed with me. I took her arm and placed the bracelet on her wrist and
fastened the clasp. Keara says, "You were right all along Georgie, and this has been the best gift I ever received, without
this charm bracelet you wouldn't have become who you were meant to be. It will always be precious to me!"

Putting my hand to her cheek, "As you've always been precious to me."

Quickly we got dressed for school, remembering to pack our uniforms for the game today after classes. I was also looking
forward to seeing Sammy this morning. While we were eating breakfast, my phone toned with a text message. It was from Sammy.

Her: U up?
Me: Y.
Her: WRU doing?
Me: Thinking about U!
Her: Aww, sweet! kissy face emoji
Her: M2 about U.
Me: See U soon. big heart emoji
Her: Can't wait. arrow through heart emoji

Darla came in, passing through for the door, smiling at me, "You, are so a girl, texting while you eat like you've been
doing it for years. Well, toots girls, I'll see you at the game today!" Rushing out.

Another chime note.

Sammy: Marti and I will pick U up in 10m, that way your mom can take it easy.

I showed Keara the text, and she nodded ok. I hollered out for mom, "Mom, Marti is picking us up, so you can take it easy.
Are you, coming to the game today? To watch your girls?"

Mom called out, "Wouldn't miss it for anything. Love you, girls!"

Soon, Marti and Sammy are there to pick us up. Sammy starts to get into the back seat to be with me when Keara stops her,

"You two will have plenty of time together, so just cool it and this way you can both be part of the conversation." Keara
even went so far as to push me to the drivers side to put more distance between us.

We couldn't even touch fingers together. Setting off towards school, Marti said, "So ladies, everyone ready for Career Day
today, only half day of school, because of it." The other three talked excitedly, making me wonder what would draw my
attention.

Sammy asks, "SO Georgie, do you know what you'll be looking for yet? With the traveling you've done, you surely have many
ideas."

I thought. "I really hadn't put much thought into it. I just know that I want to do something important and meaningful. I
certainly don't want to waste this life."

Marti says, "What an odd way to say that. But, I know what you mean, I want to do the same thing, before my parents pressure
me into marrying some guy and popping out a couple of kids and being the dutiful wife and mom. We're more than just baby
factories after all."

"You're right Marti!" I said. "Women can do anything that men can do. The difference is that we look better while we do it.
We can all do anything we want to do, even if that is being the President of the United States! But why would anybody want
such a thankless job. Politics, blah."

Then teasing me, they all started chanting, "Georgie for President! Hail to the Chief!"

After parking and heading for the front entrance and our lockers, I said, "The only thing I want to be chief of, is myself
and my significant other." Giving Sammy a quick squeeze. Which she returned.

****************************

Friday, because of games, we started one class period earlier, so today, we had three classes then lunch followed by the
Career Fair. The interesting thing was that this school was run much like a college in that some classes were Mon / Wed,
others were Tues / Thurs, and some Mon / Wed / Fri. Todays classes were the last sort.

That meant first up, Home EC, followed by Geography and my elective class, 20th Century British Lit. The four of us had the
same classes, but for the last one, they had an open study period so they could get their homework done before the games on
Friday and have the weekend free. My classes were easy enough that all my homework was done in class.

I'm not sure what I expected to do in the Home EC class, thinking it would all be about cooking and cleaning. And some of it
was. But it was also about learning about budgeting your home life and how to live within your means. Like how to save for
your future and how to prioritize things when you didn't have enough to pay all the bills.

We met up with some of the other girls at our geography class door. Sammy and I walked together holding hands. I felt happy
just being near her. She seemed to feel the same. Half of the class comprised most of the softball team, most of them were
bored with the class, and looked forward to what was essentially a free class.

I, on the other hand was fascinated, mostly because it still dealt with the great outdoors. That made me think that what I
was looking for as a career would have to include the outdoors, there was no way I wanted to be tied down in an office like
the job I just left. Boring. Been there, done that. I also wanted something where I could help people.

After geography, we parted ways, me to my English elective class and the others to study hall. Sammy and I parted with a
quick kiss and a bye-bye.

Today in Brit Lit, we were going to read and disect a poem by John Keats, called 'To Autumn'.

To Autumn

By John Keats

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless with fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees, And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells with a sweet kernel;
to set budding more, and still more, later flowers for the bees, until they think warm days will never cease,
for summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.
Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind; or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,
drows'd with the fume of poppies,
while thy hook spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep steady thy laden head across a brook;
Or by a cyder-press, with patient look, thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.
Where are the songs of spring?
Ay, Where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too, while barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day, and touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn among the river sallows, borne aloft or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft the red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

While not filled with the typical rhyming pentameter, it was filled with meaning. It seemed that Keats was writing about how
he saw his missing love in the loving colors of autumn and everything around him. Autumn was his metaphor for the ending of
a romantic relationship, and spring was its birth. Autumn, morning the spring.

While it was a little sad, it was important in that Sammy and I, were just beginning the 'Spring' in our relationship, and
hopefully it would be a very long time before we would have to worry about our 'Autumn'. I don't think that most of the
class understood what Keats was talking about. They weren't old enough to be able to understand.

****************************

The others were already sitting and eating when I made my way into the cafeteria and got a Chef's Salad and joined them.
Sitting down, I gave Sammy a tender kiss. While surprised, she was happy to accept. By way of an explanation, I just said,
"Spring!" I laughed, "I'll explain it sometime." Then added, "Hon!"

She answered with a soft, "Ok, Babe!"

We all talked with animation about the careers we were thinking about. Even though I had an idea of what I wanted, I didn't
have an exact goal in mind, but would be open to as many possible choices available. One thing for certain was college, a
good college that was still in the northwest, either staying in Washington or Oregon.

After we were done with lunch the cafeteria was thinning out as the Career Day had already started in the gymnasium. We all
headed that way to see the offerings. The first displays inside the entry were your basic 9 - 5 drudge work jobs. The
positioning was so that you would want to get past them as quickly as possible.

Next, alternating between various smaller colleges, Vocational tech campuses, were the corperate ladder offers. Basically
what I had already had. We walked the lanes looking at the various booths, checking some things and passing on others. Some
of the team was checking out some of the ROTC groups, mostly checking out the guys in uniform.

As I wandered around, not looking where I was going, I nearly bumped into a person, "Sorry!" I said, as I took a step back
and looked up. My first sight was of hiking boots with short socks folded over at the ankle, followed by smooth tanned skin
and shapely legs.

My gaze continued up, to see modest, but short, shorts in a deep green. The shorts covering a shapely rear, topped by a
common black leather belt and a 9mm service weapon, typical of all law enforcement officers. Except, most LEOs, don't have
their bellybutton showing.

Rising my eyes further, reveals an ample chest held in place by her khaki button down blouse tied below her breasts. A badge
proclaims her to be a Ranger with the National Parks. Her name tag reads. Lawrence. I look at her face as she smiles at me
letting my finish my appraisal. Her beautiful face is framed in a new copper penny red, brighter than mine. Her most
discerning feature, though were her ears.

They were pointed, like an elf or such. When she cleared her throat to break my staring, "Hi, I'm Ranger Lawrence, but my
friends call me Freya." Then in a whisper, "I can tell you're a very 'special' girl, most people don't see my ears being
different because of a glammer."

I stammered out. "I'm ... Georgie, um, Georgette Lawrence. We have the same last name." Smiling warmly returning hers.

Freya asks, "So Georgie, looking for a career in the great outdoors? To help people? To help Mother" then a pause, "Nature,
to give back for all you have received. Well, look no further Georgie, cause you, Keara and Samantha have found what you're
looking for!"

End of Chapter 10

Thank You for reading!

Mopar

Goddess Blessings!