One Shot Away by T. Glen Coughlin

annoying.”
    She leads him into a wood-paneled room. The walls are coated with law books and framed degrees. “These are all your father’s?” asks Jimmy.
    â€œYeah, he has a PhD in economics. Sometimes people call and ask for Dr. Sweetapple. It’s totally weird.” She smiles.
    â€œMy father has his PhD in Post Hole Digging.”
    She laughs, then shuts the door. The floor is covered with photos, pages of stickers, colored paper, and scissors arranged around a large album. “I’m into scrapbooking,” she says. “I’m doing our entire senior year.”
    He is about to kneel and look, but she takes his arm. “No one sees it until it’s done, that’s my rule.” She puckers her lips and kisses him. She smells like strawberry shower gel. “It’s not completely safe in here,” she breathes in his ear. “I’m not allowed to lock the door.”
    They share a desk chair. He twists his body until she’s half on his lap. Her laptop and schoolbooks are spread across the desk’s glass top. “I heard you made captain. Are you going to get it sewn on your jacket?”
    â€œI haven’t thought about it.”
    â€œYou should. I mean, I wouldn’t mind showing it off. I know a place that does embroidery. I could get it done and make it our one-month anniversary present.”
    â€œIs it one month?”
    â€œNext week.” She sprinkles his face with kisses, then gently kisses his mouth. “I guess I should get you something,” he says.
    â€œYour jacket is enough.” Her cheeks are already red from his shaved face. His leg is falling asleep, but he doesn’t care. He goes on kissing her, running his tongue across her chipped front tooth. Roxanne is so soft and delicious.
    A door closes somewhere in the house. Roxanne freezes. “You better pull up another chair.”
    He sits on a low stool next to her.
    â€œI was checking on my early applications,” she says, turning on her laptop.
    â€œTo college?”
    â€œYes, to college.” She laughs. “Did you apply?”
    â€œNot yet.”
    â€œYou want to do it?”
    â€œNow?”
    â€œYes, now. I’ll show you.”
    He presses his lips on her neck. Having her help is like God coming down from heaven and showing him the secrets to the universe. Half of her classes are advanced placement, the other half are honors courses. He’s always studied just to earn his B-minus average.
    â€œWhat’s your dream college?” she asks.
    â€œEast Stroudsburg,” he says.
    â€œReally? Isn’t that a Pennsylvania state school?”
    â€œCoach Greco went there. He’s writing me a recommendation letter. It’s division one wrestling,” says Jimmy. “If I can win like I did last season, I’m in.” Saying these words out loud makes his stomach feel heavy.
    â€œWhat major?”
    â€œPhysical education.”
    She smiles. “What are you going to do with a degree in physical education?”
    â€œTeach phys ed and coach.”
    â€œDo you know what a teacher makes? Don’t you want nice things?”
    â€œWhat’s that supposed to mean?”
    â€œI don’t know, like a house with four bedrooms.”
    He wonders if she’s seen his house. “I never thought about it.”
    â€œIf you’re good at math you could major in accounting.” She says this like she has it all figured out. “Undergrad, my father majored in accounting.”
    â€œToo bad I suck at math.” He wants to say that in his family being a gym teacher would be like being elected president.
    â€œI guess all I’m saying is, I wouldn’t be able to major in phys ed.” She looks at the PhD degree. “But forget it. We can do the entire application tonight and save it. Okay?” She finds the college site and clicks “Applications.” They go through all the biographical