Something About Mary

Her name was Mary. The first and only time I saw her she was walking past in the required teenage uniform of blue jeans, t-shirt, and sneakers. She stood out from the crowd gathering around the consession stands not because of her beauty but more so the odd look she on her face. A look that suggest she'd lost something and was busy  having an inner debate as to where it was last in her possesion. Her face twisting to the left and right as she eliminated possible scenerios in her mind. She was simply minding her own business happy to be in her own world amoung the other students goofing off outside the football game.

Me...I was sorta in my own world too. Standing hold the evenings assortment of camera bags and bleacher seats. I'm not too comfortable around the public and at that moment while Mary was lost in thought I too was scanning the crowd for nobody in particular as I waited for Lucy to return from a trip to see an old friend in the press box.

Teenagers are notorious for their bad attitudes and evil tendancies towards one another. There she was just minding her own business when a particularly large girl ran her over as if she were reinactinting something she'd obviously seen a hundred times in the movies. Shoulder to shoulder, the two collided. Mary completely unaware of the power struggle that was currently taking place and her oppent keen to the fact that she'd already won it.

With a clap the larger girl's empty soda bottle bounced or possibly dropped to the cement.

HEY YOU PICK UP THAT BOTTLE!!

With her reality too slowly coming back to her Mary did as she was told and then just as quickly....caught my eye. As she glanced at me I saw my own high school face staring back from 15 years before. That face that said "Look at him/her. They'd kill me. It's just a bottle. No big deal. Just another day...just another scar nobody will see." Then she was gone.

I couldn't let it end there. As if I had been lassoed by a rope thrown way back in 1991 I had to do what somebody should have done to me. After about 5 minutes I found her alone again or possibly still, coming around a corner. Again she caught my eye, but this time I kept her attention.

Why did you pick up the bottle?

I don't know. I wasn't even paying attention. It happened so fast. What could I do?

You could start by telling her she was an a#@hole! You're better than that and the second you forget it so do they....by the way I'm Bill

Hi. Bill...I'm Mary...Thank you.

Have a nice night Mary. It's been very nice to meet you"

And just like that with a handshake and smile Mary dissappeared into the crowd.