Adam had just gotten done with his gym class and using his third period to help out the gym teacher. The next class was all girls and they all came downstairs, talking and giggling. Holly was in that class and was talking to Becky. Adam didn't pay attention to them, he just continued to organize the equipment locker.
"Hey, Parker," shouted the teacher. "Can you bring me 22 vests--11 blue and 11 red?"
Adam nodded and grabbed the see-through vests used to differentiate the teams. He loaded them up in his arms and began carrying them to the gym.
The locker rooms were designed so that you had to walk into the room to see anything but as Adam walked by, he caught a glimpse of a girl just finishing putting on her sports bra. Adam stopped to look at the girl's small chest in her gray bra. He glanced up at her smile and face and smiled himself. Adam took a last look at he breasts and took the vests to the gym.
Back in the locker room, Holly pulled a white shirt on and she, Becky and a small group of other girls headed for the gym.
Mitch came back from lunch and saw a man sitting slumped in one of his waiting room chairs. "Oh my. Who's this?" he asked Stella.
"I don't know. He wanted to see a doctor and didn't mind waiting," Stella chuckled softly. "He must've fell asleep."
"Excuse me, sir?" Mitch gently shook the old man. He did not respond. "Sir!" Mitch shouted and shook harder. Mitch stooped and looked for breathing then placed a couple fingers on the man's carotid artery. "Stella? He's dead."
"The Dead Man of Wrigley"
"What's going on here?" Mayor Floresch barged into Mitch's office.
"Nothing is going on here. We have a dead man in the waiting room and we're waiting for the paramedics," Mitch explained.
"A dead man?" Mayor Floresch looked at the man. "You didn't kill him did you?" she asked Mitch.
"No!" he replied angrily.
"Did she?" Mayor Floresch motioned to Stella. "I never thought something like that would happen again. Boy, was I naive."
"I didn't kill him!" Stella said.
"Well, who is he?" Mayor Floresch asked.
"We don't know. He doesn't have any identification and there's no out of town car outside so he must've walked here. From somewhere," Mitch said. "Where are the paramedics? I called them twenty minutes ago."
"They should be here in another fifteen minutes," Mayor Floresch said.
"Why does it take so long?" Mitch argued.
"Wrigley is a small town, Dr. Barton," Mayor Floresch began. "It doesn't have it's own emergency services."
"Oh, right. But if they are coming from Ocean View or Bethany Beach they should still be here by now."
"Our paramedics come from Georgetown," Stella said.
"Georgetown? Where's that?"
"It's the Sussex County Seat. It's about 35-40 miles that way," Stella pointed to the northwest.
"Wish I would've known that! I could've just pronounced him dead myself and just called the coroner," Mitch complained.
"Should've. The coroner comes from Wilmington," Stella revealed.
"Why?" Mitch asked.
"I love Wrigley, Dr. Barton and it deserves the best!" Mayor Floresch said.
"But not at the expense of people's lives," Mitch argued.
"That's why we have a doctor. If someone needs immediate medical attention then you are called," Mayor Floresch revealed.
"I really should've read that contract better," Mitch sighed. He looked back over at the dead man. "If he's not from Wrigley, I wonder where he's from. You didn't see anyone drop him off or anything?" he asked Stella.
"He walked in by himself from down the block. I only saw him pass by the window and then open the door. Nothing else."
"He could be a local," Mayor Floresch began. "If he has no identification then maybe he figured he didn't need it. He didn't have an appointment or anything?"
"Nope. A walk-in," Stella answered. "Wonder how he died."
"I would assume a heart condition. Maybe an anerysm," Mitch said. "I think I hear a siren." Mitch stepped out and saw an ambulance tooling down Ocean Street.
Within moments, the paramedics declared the man dead and got on the phone with the coronor. Mayor Floresch almost had them call Wilmington but Mitch stopped her and they called Georgetown.
"Do we have a name for this guy?" one of the medics asked.
Mitch shook his head. "No."
"All right. We'll load John Doe into the ambulance and we'll take him to Georgetown," another medic said.
"You will find out who he is and find his family right?" Stella asked.
"Of course," the medic smiled and they began wheeling the man out of the office.
Toward the end of school, in a science class, Laurie cautiously approached Ralph who was quietly doing his homework for the day. "Hey, Ralph?"
Ralph finished writing his sentence and looked up. "Hey, Laurie. What's up?"
"I was wondering if you could help me get a job at the grocery store," Laurie said. Ralph's mom, Eve, owned the only grocery store in town. Ocean View had the next closest store. "I'd be very appreciative. I'd be willing to do anything. I just need the extra money."
"I can't guarantee anything but I'll definately ask my mom. It'd be kind of nice working with a friend instead of the people I currently work with," Ralph said.
"Oh, thank you, Ralph. I appreciate it."
Elsewhere in the school, Adam was slowly approaching Holly who was startled when he cleared his throat to speak.
"Sorry," Adam said. "I didn't mean to startle you."
Holly turned toward him and blushed. "That's okay. I really don't mind," Holly's eyes seemed to involuntarily move down to Adam's crotch and she had to force herself to look at his face. "What do you want?"
Adam cleared his throat again. "I was wondering if you would want to go out with me this weekend."
"I would love that," Holly said. "To tell you the truth I was kind of hoping you'd ask me out."
"Really?" Adam asked. "Why?"
Holly blushed even more. "Let's just say I saw something that set you apart from the rest," and she glanced back down at his pants.
To be continued
Delaware Affections returns in December with six new issues.
