I went graduated in high school in 95. In a literature class I read a
short story of a young boy that had a crush on a girl at his school.
He wanted to impress her but she ignored him completely. Eventually he
won an important football game or soccer game and he was now someone
that people recognized at school. Then at this point that girl that he
likes gives him either an address or a phone number and invites him to
some sort of a get-together. The story concludes with him trying to
convince himself that he is not going to go since he is sure that this
girl is only inviting him since he won that game. He seems positive he
will not go.  But in the end it conludes with him looking into a
mirror and deciding what shirt to wear. In the end I think it mentions
how he says to himself that he "needs to look sharp." So in conclusion
he still decides to go and that is how the story abruptly ends with
him deciding what shirt to wear. I have been searching for this short
story for a long time and cannot find out what the title is or author.
It would have been a story published in a high school literature book.
It would have been a literature book in use in the year 1996 at a high
school called Canyon Del Oro in Tucson Arizona.

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Request for Question Clarification by willie-ga on 08 Oct 2002 01:44 PDT

Would this be a latino high school? I have a reference for a book of
short stories/poetry aimed at latin american kids that was in use in
Tucson in your time frame.

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Clarification of Question by reyubeta-ga on 08 Oct 2002 08:40 PDT

No, this was a big 5A high school not just for latino people. It was a
book that was in use in an alternative english class during my senior
year.
So it was an alternative english class during the 96 school year.

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Request for Question Clarification by smudgy-ga on 25 Oct 2002 11:26 PDT

Was the main character's name "Felix" by any chance? Any other
recollections about the story?

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Clarification of Question by reyubeta-ga on 25 Oct 2002 12:33 PDT

It is possible that his name was Felix. I think he put on a red shirt
at the end or was contemplating which shirt to wear. I think he got
humiliated in the cafeteria trying to talk to that girl. I wish I
could remember more details, but I cannot remember very much else
about the story. It might be easier to find it, if I knew what
literature books were in use by the CDO HighSchool Alternative program
during the 96 school year. Maybe just the brand of book.

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Request for Question Clarification by rainbow-ga on 25 Oct 2002 13:53 PDT

Hi reyubeta,
I've been doing research on your question and decided to email Canyon
Del Oro. I contacted the english department and finally heard back
from them. They need more information to be able to help us find this
story. Here is the latest reply I received:
"I am sorry for the delay in replying to your e-mail re. the short
story. I am dept. chair at CDO now, and I was teaching here in
1996-97, but I do not recognize the story description, nor did other
teachers I asked.  If there are any other "clues" such as description
or name of teacher involved, grade level of textbook, or specific
course it was read in -- I'd be happy to make further inquiries."

If you can answer any of their questions, it would really help us in
this search. Thanks!

Best regards,
rainbow~

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Clarification of Question by reyubeta-ga on 25 Oct 2002 16:00 PDT

It was an alternative english program that was conducted during the
1996 school season. It was a building that was off River road in
Tucson Arizona. I don't remember the teachers name though. The level
of textbook in use would be a book for seniors. I remember very little
else about the story or the large literature book. Sorry.

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Request for Question Clarification by smudgy-ga on 25 Oct 2002 18:45 PDT

I have a very strong suspicion of both the name of this story and its
author; unfortunately I cannot find a copy of the story I have in mind
to corroborate the details you have provided. If I am able to do so I
will provide an answer. Here's hoping.

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Request for Question Clarification by rainbow-ga on 26 Oct 2002 03:09 PDT

Hi reyubeta,
I got it! I received an email and they remembered the story, author
and book it was published in. Giving you this information would
suffice as an answer? I'm sure once you have this information, any
bookstore or library which carries textbooks would have the Literature
book which contains this short story. Let me know what you want me to
do.
Best regards,
rainbow~

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Clarification of Question by reyubeta-ga on 28 Oct 2002 08:01 PST

Yes, that would be okay. I may then be able to go to a bookstore and
find that book.


Thank you.

Hi reybuta,

I started off this research by searching for this story with the
description you remembered. When I felt I wasn't getting anywhere with
it, I decided to contact your old high school, Canyon Del Oro. I
contacted the faculty of the english department and the ones who did
reply had no clue of the story. Finally the head of the department
responded with not much of an idea either. Like I told you in my
clarification, she needed a little more to go by. I wrote back and
explained it was an alternative program and she responded with this
reply:

"When I read your e-mail today that used the words "Alternative
Program at CDO," I knew whom to ask.  When I read the description of
the story to a teacher in that program, she said, "That is AMAZING
that someone remembered the story so well. It is called "Autumn
Leaves" and it is in the brown Journeys book."  I got the book from
our resource room and she is right!
"Autumn Leaves,"  by Sam Greenlee
We have it anthologized in JOURNEYS: A READING AND LITERATURE PROGRAM
published by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, copyright 1982  
Now, my own curiosity requires me to ask what is it that makes our
former student wish to revisit that story?"

Living overseas, with no public library, made it difficult for me to
verify that the book can be found in US libraries. I then contacted my
brother who lives in the US and got access to his library card. I
checked his local library and indeed the book is there. So I'm sure
you will be able to find this book with the short story you want in
your local library.
If you find any part of my answer unclear, please don't hesitate to
ask for clarification before rating.
I wish you the best of luck and happy reading! 
rainbow-ga

Very good answer. I appreciated the time that was spent on the final
answer. It did seem that it got bounced around a few times between
researchers but in the end it landed in the right hands and for that I
am grateful.