Planning (a short story, of sorts)

Drew waited all weekend to go back to school. He subconsciously fiddled with his hoodie string, leaning over the curb every few seconds, anxiously waiting for the bus. As he got on, he replayed it again in his head. He knew exactly what he was going to do when he saw Julie.

He'd calculated, planned and rehearsed, anticipating every moment to counter anything she'd do. Other people got ready, Drew got tactical. That was what he was best at. Some called him neurotic and anal. That's just how he was.

Drew was never a spontaneous guy. Doing things on the fly was of no interest to him. He was methodical in everything he did, from making his bed to drawing a sketch. Precision and care were his watchwords.

It didn't bother him that kids in school snickered at his stiffly starched jeans or his clean, bright white sneakers. He didn't care that kids in class raised their eyebrows at his color coded notes. He actually never noticed that he was any more careful or thought things out any more than anyone else. But to be honest, he rarely noticed what anyone else thought of him.

He noticed Julie, though. Drew tried to pinpoint the exact moment - was it a movement that struck him? Was it something he heard in her voice? The sound of her laugh? Was it the tell-tale sign of trying not to make eye contact but looking back to see if he was looking at her?

Could have been all of these things. Could have been none. He noticed her, though, and made note of it. He wouldn't act until he was certain that he read all the signs correctly. He was not going to misstep. He was not going to make a fool of himself, either - not that pride would stand in his way of what he had to do. He was, as you know, calculated and precise.

Over the past weeks, he planned a carefully mapped out course for following her and watching her, he had to be sure. Reconnaissance, he called it. And if he was wrong, that's ok. Julie was easy on the eyes. There were worse things to do than spend days watching her, taking pictures of her. She had this quiet beauty about her that even she did not recognize. Which probably made her appealing to Drew, and unnoticed by everyone else. She hid in the background. She had a small group of friends, but she was still somewhat alone. They had much in common, people that mattered notice Drew, otherwise, he blended in with the walls - which was exactly how he wanted it.

Drew wasn't sure if he hoped he was right about her signals or not. If things went as planned, after this he would be different. This one action would change his life. You can't go back and get a do-over. The one thing you can't plan on is someone else's reaction. What's that boxing analogy? It would be a critical mistake if he bobbed when she was weaving. Either way, he needed to be certain before he approached her. After these weeks of shadowing her, he sure he was. Still, for the first time, he was nervous. He checked his palms and wiped the sweat on a handiwipe from his backpack. His own nervousness unnerved him.

But he pushed it back as the bus pulled in. He needed to have a clear head. He needed to assess how many other kids were around. He needed a clear path in, and possibly out. He needed to read her signs one last time before doing anything. He needed, most of all, to be sure.

He stepped off the bus and saw her by the football field. To the left, her friends were quickly walking away from the school, waving as they headed out toward the smoking area. The bell would ring in a few minutes so they didn't have much time. To the right, kids were greeting each other, filing into the school. Some nodded and waved to Drew.

Drew took all of it in. He wanted to remember this moment. Julie looked over at the kids all flowing into the school like ants heading to a fallen piece of candy. She casually pulled out her cell phone, uncharacteristically grinned slightly to herself. He watched her dark bangs fall forward and dip below her eyes, covering her face as she started to text. Drew knew he needed to act now or he'd lose the moment.

He ran toward her.

He ran at full speed, arms pumping, heart pounding. He rushed at her as if his life depended on it. Actually, everyone's life depended on it - everyone heading into the school, anyway. He crashed into the center of her body - full force. His right hand out, grabbing the cell phone, making sure to keep it open so that it wouldn't activate the code she'd inputted. His left hand moving around to press her arms down. He used his body to pin her as immobile as possible. He felt as if he was moving in slow motion, but it took only seconds to tackle and cuff her. He was precise, just as he was in his planning this case.