This year high school was rough.  Even though a lot of people liked him, they were all in theater.  And while Erik was also part of theater for the past couple of years, he felt like this year, in his Junior year, he could not continue.  Yet, his friends were still in Theater and they did not have the same time for lunch as he did.  Hence, he had absolutely no one to sit with.  He would often stand or just walk around the cafeteria.  He could get a pass to eat his lunch in Theater and hang out there for the 45 minutes; but, he hated to ask his theater teacher to always sign the pass.<br/><br/>There was more important things to do at this time; he saw the bleachers were empty.  He perched himself on the second to bottom bleacher and to the far right.  When he got nervous, he tended to talk to himself.<br/><br/>He took his sketch book from his book bag and started flipping through the pages.  "Crap; I thought I had given her a drawing of her cat.  Now she must really think I'm nuts."  Suddenly, his cell phone rang.  "Oh hi Mom ... well that's normal, you and Dad haven't been around the past few weeks when I come home from school ... look, don't be sorry about it ... yes, yes I know.  Have fun camping out over the weekend.  Yes, yes - I know, you and Dad are working on your marriage ... yes Mom, I promise not to watch the bikini channel on payperview tv."  (Okay, he was lying to her, what was he supposed to do?  Tell her, yeah - that is one of my favorite private past-times?)<br/><br/>"Excuse me?" Erik suddenly jolted.  "What do you mean you're thankful its only one of me you have to call?  No, don't say sorry now.  You know exactly what I'm mad and upset with you about; I told you not to bring that up again, Mom ... just go, Mom.  Forget it."  (His Mom wasn't always so bright.)  "No, that girl at school doesn't like me.  It's a one sided thing ... look Mom, forget about it.  Just go, I'll catch up with you on Monday."  But she kept talking, and talking ... and talking.  Erik took the cell phone and pushed what he thought was the MUTE button; then he prayed out, "Lord, you know I love my Mom.  Could you please push the COSMIC mute button ... don't hurt her, just push the cosmic mute button!  Please!"  With that, his sketch book fell to the ground, in between the bleachers.  Oh great, now he'll have to climb underneath to retrieve it.<br/><br/>"Sorry Mom, I thought I pushed the MUTE button.  Uh, I was praying that you have a good trip.  Look, gotta go ... uh, Mr. Klitzke wants me to doing tutoring sessions for him on reproducing frogs."  With that, he  hung up and shut off the phone.  He sat there for a moment; sometimes when he got frustrated or when he didn't feel he was being listened to, he would pause and reflect, whimper a little bit, then pull his boot straps up and continue on.<br/><br/>Well, it was time to go get his sketch book; only way was to climb underneath the bleachers.