High School Election Revenge – Part 2
HIGH SCHOOL ELECTION REVENGE – PART 2 – March 20, 2024 – American Falls, Idaho, USA
(This is the second part of a two part story. To read Part 1, click here: Part 1)
Of all the different kinds of plans and plots, revenge plans are the most fun to talk about with friends. When Porter Roberts lost the American Falls High School student council president election to Sarah Dixon, the most popular girl in Idaho, his band of six loyal friends turned from a campaign staff into a revenge staff. The farther in time they got from the actual election, the more they remembered it as being close instead of a blowout. They grew convinced that if Sarah had not cheated by using her social media accounts, Porter would have easily won.
The mission of the newly tasked revenge staff was to make Sarah pay for her deceit. Gordon Jensen stepped up to the most important role as undercover agent. He would devote his considerable brainpower into making Sarah fall in love with him. Then he would cruelly inflict suffering by rejecting her, the same way she had tricked 400 American Falls High School students into rejecting his faultless friend, Porter.
While his friends liked to say that Gordon was a mini-Wikipedia when it came to facts and figures, he did not have much expertise or experience with girls. But like the other members of the revenge staff, he believed winning over Sarah was simply a matter of dedication and executing a focused plan. To gather some background information on how girls fall in love, the group binge watched romantic movies recommended by one member’s mom. Gordon only tolerated the Jane Austen stories and The Notebook. He preferred the modern James Bond movies he added to his watchlist that were supposed to help with his undercover work.
As the revenge staff met while playing Minecraft online, Porter called for ideas on what should go into Gordon’s falling-in-love plan.
“He needs to spend lots of time with her. Just the two of them,” someone advised.
Another staff member added, “And he’s got to act interested in her feelings. She needs to think of him as a friend first before she starts falling in love.”
“How’s he going isolate her from her other girl friends?” Porter wondered. “She’s always got a crowd around her.”
Gordon spoke up and asked, “What about something after school? What does she do besides soccer?”
No one seemed to know. And then Cale Costner had an idea.
“Remember how we were saying Sarah was flunking her math class? Since I’m in charge of the tutoring club, I could talk to her teacher and convince him Sarah needs a tutor. Then I could match her up with Gordon.”
“That’s genius!” Porter cried.
“Should be fun. I like talking about math,” Gordon quickly added.
“Yeah, but the real reason you’ll be there isn’t about the math,” Porter cautioned. “You’re there to talk about her feelings and stuff.”
Gordon smiled deviously and grasped his hands together. “No problem.”
Caleb went to work and easily convinced Sarah’s teacher she needed a volunteer tutor. Two days later, under threat of not passing her junior year, Sarah showed up after school in the library. Gordon was there along with all the other volunteers. He waved Sarah over to their own table.
“I’m Gordon Jensen,” he said, as if he was a teacher introducing himself to a classroom.
“I know who you are. We’ve been in the same school for three years.” Sarah sat rigidly in her chair wearing a tight-fitting top. Her tanned arms and neck and the highlights in her hair made her look like she was living in mid-summer while everyone around her had barely reached spring.
“I think we should start with you showing me what you’re doing in class.”
Sarah pulled a book from her backpack, lazily turned some pages, and passed it to Gordon. He took an excited look at the graphs and began drawing more on scratch paper. He talked almost nonstop about lines and equations before realizing most of Sarah’s attention was on her phone. That made him remember his true mission.
“I was thinking that before we can do math together, we should be friends. How about telling me your feelings?”
Sarah looked annoyingly surprised. “I’m feeling that I hate being here and we’ll never be friends.”
Gordon tried to hide a devious smile that showed he knew something she did not. “If you have a bad day or something goes wrong, I’m a good listener and you can tell me all about it.”
“I’ll never tell you anything,” Sarah replied in a chilled voice.
Later that night, Gordon reported excitedly to the revenge staff. “She’s about to crack. We talked all about that friend stuff.”
The others congratulated him and laughed over the cruel fate awaiting their target.
Gordon and Sarah returned to the library the next afternoon. Gordon immediately launched into a continuation of the polynomial discussion he began 24 hours earlier. He made diagrams and worked examples with the same exuberance he used when describing video game levels and strategies. He stopped long enough to remember more personal questions.
“So, what did you do last night?”
“Nothing.”
“Are you watching any good shows?”
“Not that you need to know about.”
Gordon smiled as if she had shared something intimate. Then he told her all about the latest episodes of the Star Wars series he was watching, how he flew his uncle’s big drone, and what was happening in European Union politics. Sarah remained stone-faced.
After a week of similar exchanges during tutoring, the revenge staff decided to move to phase two of their plan. During his next math lesson, Gordon abruptly said, “Has anyone asked you to prom yet?”
The school was at the cusp of prom-asking season. Most upperclassmen, including Sarah, were thinking about prom dates. She responded to Gordon’s question with more than her usual indifference.
“It’s still early, so no one’s officially asked me. But I haven’t told anyone that I’d be willing to go if they did ask me. Not that it’s any of your business.”
Gordon clasped his hands together, smiling deviously.
The next morning, members of the revenge staff arrived early to hang a handmade banner over the high school’s main entrance. The banner read, “Sarah + Gordon = Prom. Will you go with me?” The rest of the banner was decorated with math equations.
While Sarah and her friends ripped down the banner in horror, the revenge staff planted the rumor across the school that Sarah had already said yes to Gordon’s proposal.
“I would never go anywhere with Gordon Jensen!” Sarah cried to her friends.
Bystanders at school were unsure what to believe, but the revenge staff continued its relentless whisper campaign. “You hear about Sarah Dixon and Gordon Jensen? Crazy, huh?”
They repeated the message to anyone who would listen. And eventually the taint began sticking. Classmates associated Sarah with Gordon. As prom-asking season truly started, guys waited for a positive signal from Sarah made other plans in case the rumor about Gordon was true.
In the meantime, the after-school math tutorial sessions continued in the library. If Sarah acted cool before the banner, now she was frozen solid. She sat like a chained prisoner but never actually acknowledged the banner or prom rumors. Gordon remained convincingly unfazed and oblivious and contentedly talked about math and connecting dots with lines.
“I’m happy to listen if anything’s bothering you,” he reminded her.
Then prom-asking season transitioned from its full steam phase to its winding down phase. Sarah remained without a date. Gordon noticed a new touch of sadness and desperation in her cold stare. She finally mentioned the banner.
“I don’t know what you were doing with that sign, but it wasn’t funny,” she said bitterly. “Like you could ever believe I would go with you. Never.”
Gordon returned an unflustered smile. “I still don’t have a date for prom. So if you change your mind, I can go.”
When Sarah talked to her friends about the prom situation, she realized her choices were miserable. She could either show up at the dance alone or maybe get one of her cousins from Pocatello to go with her.
“Would it be so bad to go with Gordon?” one friend asked.
“Me and Gordon Jensen? I’d rather die.”
“Everybody will know you’re doing it just to be nice. For charity or whatever. And you don’t have to go to dinner or anything. Just have him drive you to the dance.”
The idea slowly worked its way through Sarah’s mind like an acid. A few days before prom, during a math tutoring session, she unexpectedly stopped Gordon’s lecture about The Force in Star Wars.
“Okay, you can drive me. But that’s it.”
Gordon knew exactly what she was talking about. He reacted calmly. “Sure, if you want. I already know where you live.”
The revenge staff celebrated during their next online meeting. Almost everyone said some variation of the phrase, “I knew this would work.”
“She’s expecting you to pick her up right before the dance, right?” Porter asked.
“That’s what we agreed on,” Gordon answered.
“This is perfect. Now you’ll either not show up and leave her waiting or call and cancel at the last minute.”
Gordon paused to consider. “Is that the revenge?”
“No, it’s just the beginning. I don’t think she’s in love with you yet. But this little rejection will make her want you more. Like you’re hard to get.”
Gordon said, “Okay,” but inside he questioned Porter’s plan. Up to that point, he had followed all instructions and advice without any kind of emotional attachment. But he had been staring at Sarah for so long during their math sessions, he felt like he knew her in a special way. They were not normal friends and she treated him callously, but they did have some kind of connection. The idea of making a commitment and then blowing her off felt mean. Gordon liked to think of himself as cold and calculating, but he was not mean.
In a moment of lucid introspection away from the revenge staff, Gordon also recognized the improbability of his situation. Fundamental laws of biology and chemistry usually prevented him from taking someone like Sarah Dixon to a dance.
Gordon said nothing to Porter or his other friends as he turned to his mother and older sister for help. He got a haircut and a new suit and showed up on time at Sarah’s door as the best version of himself. He remained polite, complimented her dress, and did not mention the interesting facts he knew about the history of proms.
On the way into the school gymnasium, Gordon walked next to Sarah but did not attempt to touch or brush up against her. As she glided into the large space where most prom-goers gathered, everyone turned to look. Gordon smiled brightly with nothing devious in the expression.
Like all new arrivals, the asymmetric couple was forced to pose for a photo by a professional photographer. Sarah instinctively switched into pageant and Instagram mode, looking glamorous and happy. Then she disappeared into a crowd and Gordon did not see her for the rest of the night.
He bought physical copies and the digital file of their best photo. For the next ten years, he used it as a screensaver and profile picture. If anyone asked about it, he was more than happy to talk about dating Sarah Dixon.
Their tutoring sessions abruptly ended the next week when Caleb Costner announced Sarah was now passing her math class. She immediately walked out of the library and likely never realized why the tutoring started in the first place.
At first, Porter acted disappointed that Gordon did not stand her up. Then he decided the level of revenge exacted by the staff was satisfying enough. Porter also used the Gordon-Sarah prom picture as his screensaver.
“I guess it’s time we got out of the revenge and politics business,” he announced. “We can get back to things that really matter. Like Minecraft.”
Gordon immediately suggested a new multi-player game they should probably explore. “Because we don’t want to get too stuck on the same old thing.”
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