by Bruce Ingram
Paul grinned at me (he's not a bad guy at all, he's just boring to be with) and said by his "calculations" that the end of my grounding would be Friday and was I available Saturday night to go out and do something. That Ian had been thinking about taking Mary bowling and out for pizza afterwards, and if I was interested, we could all double date and maybe meet at the mall and go from there, since I wasn't allowed to date yet.
But I said, and I must not have been thinking at all, that my parents had given me permission to date now, and there was no need for me to sneak around like last time. And he said awesome, that he would drive and after he picked up Ian and Mary, he would pick me up at my house around 6:00 and we'd go from there. Before I even had time to think about whether I actually wanted to go on a second date with him, he was gone, the date was already arranged. How can I be so stupid!
I wasn't sure whether or not I even wanted to go out with Paul a second time, and here everything was all arranged and I couldn't go after him, telling him, wait, there's been a misunderstanding. So I just decided to go bowling...maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.
But then I got into a real tiz, what on earth was I going to wear. I mean, I was going to have my butt and backs of my legs visible to Paul and Ian most all of the night, and what were they going to be thinking when they saw all that...here comes Ms. Big Butt the whale up to roll another ball down the lane. How am I going to lose 20 pounds by Saturday at 6? So I immediately texted Mary about what was she going to wear. I had started to go find her, but, again I'm so stupid, she would be sitting with Ian and Paul and some of the other football players and obviously I couldn't go over there and start discussing my butt and leg problems.
Mary and I texted back and forth all during fourth period science, and finally we both decided that this was not a problem that could be solved through texts, especially when Mrs. Burkhead glared at me when she saw that I had been texting by holding my phone between my legs, instead of paying attention to her never ending boring lecture on the importance of flagellates in the ecosystem. I have an Λ in that class, but she's an awful teacher.
So Mary and I sat together on the bus, and we debated the pros and cons of what to wear Friday night. Mary decided that she was going to wear a skirt that came just two inches above her knees, so that when she dipped to throw the ball, Ian would see some more of her legs but not too much, and she suggested that I wear a skirt like that which was an absolute non-starter as far I was concerned. Mary said I had nice legs—bless her for saying that—but I know better and finally I decided on my usual option—loose fitting jeans with a long blouse...the safe choice.
When Saturday night came Daddy insisted that Paul had to come knock on the door to talk to him for a bit since it was my first date with Paul or any other boy, which sent me into another tiz because it was our second date and what if Paul let it slip that we had gone out before. Then I could be grounded again before I even left the house. But Daddy did almost all the talking while Paul was standing there next to me nodding his head and saying yes sir a lot, and we got out of there with no damage done.
The whole bowling thing was just a total disaster from the start. When we got there, all of those silly looking special bowling shoes were smelly and none of them fit, but I finally found a pair that I could put on. The first time I threw the ball, or is it rolled, who knows, it's a stupid sport...I threw the ball straight into the gutter. I thought I was done for that inning, no that's baseball, that round, right? But Paul said I got another chance, and he held my arm and had me practice the throwing motion and told me how to walk up to this line, but not cross it, and then "let her rip." I'm taking he meant the ball to rip, not my jeans...that would be so embarrassing if Ms. Big Butt exploded out of her jeans in front of everyone.
So I threw the ball again and this time, it went, like, 10 more feet down the aisle than last time before it fell into the gutter, I got that term right for sure...gutter ball, that's what Paul and Ian kept saying I was doing with the ball. And so it went for most of the time at the bowling place. I ended up scoring a 42 and Mary made a 53, which wasn't much better...what is a good score, a 100? Who cares. I don't remember what the guys scored, I really didn't care.
Afterwards, we went out for pizza, and they ordered three with all the toppings. Both of them ate a whole pizza each... they went on and on about "bulking up for next season," and I was so hungry that I ate over half the pizza that Mary and I both were supposed to split. When I was finishing off one of Mary's pieces, I started to worry that Paul would think I was making a pig of myself, but he and Ian weren't paying any attention to either of us; they were arguing over whether Golden State or San Antonio were going to win the basketball super bowl or something this year. It was so boring, fortunately they forgot to ask my opinion.
When we got back to my house, Paul walked me to the door, and I wasn't looking forward to that kiss I knew was coming. His face is rough. I can't decide whether he is trying to grow a beard or doesn't know how to shave right. The kiss was about the same as last time (not very good) except that it had the big time smell of pepperoni to it, and I mumbled something like "I had a really good time," and scooted inside the door. Daddy was waiting in his chair and looked at his watch and mumbled something. Mama had already gone to bed, which was a good thing because she can read me like a book and would've known that I had a bad time. I just wanted to go to bed and forget about the whole night.
Chapter Forty-Three: Marcus
Joshua and I got into an argument on Thursday on how the whole blind date thing with Tameka was going to go down. I said I wanted to take her out for pizza after my game Friday night, and he said no, that by the time the game ended and I showered and Coach Henson went over the game, there was no way we could go out for pizza and get Tameka home by her curfew.
Joshua's got me on such a tight chain right now and Jordan is probably playing the big sister role to Tameka, so I had to give in to his way of doing things, which was for him and Jordan to bring Tameka over to our house before the game for a quick meet and greet, and talk about our plans for Saturday night...then let her come see me play and take her home straight after the game.
Really, that wasn't a bad plan, and I've got to tell you that when I saw Tameka—she's a babelicious babe for sure. I just played it cool when Jordan was introducing us, and I made sure when the four of us were going to the game that I asked what Tameka's hobbies and interests were, just stupid stuff like that, so that Joshua and Jordan wouldn't get mad at me from the get-go.
I was so psyched when the game started to show her my skills and to impress her that I couldn't throw it in the ocean. I touched the ball for the first time on our second possession, and I dribbled around behind the line and shot and the ball careened off the backboard, which led to a fast break slam for Woodstock. Next time down, I drove to the hoop but got stripped, and then, maybe, I started pressing a little. I missed a floater in the lane and a jumper from the elbow that I usually make, and then Coach Henson got all bent out of shape and gave me an earful on the bench, which Tameka definitely didn't need to see. I was out of the game for the rest of the first quarter, and when I got back in about five minutes in to the second, I missed a jumper and had a layup blocked and again Henson benched me...this time for the rest of the half. We're down at home, for gosh sakes, by 10 at the half, when we should have put Woodstock away midway through the second quarter.
As I left the court at halftime, I looked up and there was Joshua's leaning over the seats next to the exit ramp, motioning for me to come over to him. I came over and he leaned down to me and says just "play your game, you're too good to be playing like that." I was expecting for him to really yell at me, but actually what he said was pretty good advice. Then when we got into the locker room, Coach Henson said about the same thing...just let the game come to me and "stop pressing."
On our first possession of the second half, Quentin and me got out on a fast break and he gave me a perfect feed, and usually I would just have slammed it home,
but this time I just laid it in...the way things had been going I just wanted an easy bucket to get me back in the swing of things. Two possessions later, I made a beautiful finger roll on a give and go, and then Quintin and me got together on another fast break and this time I slammed it home, and the crowd just went wild! We'd cut the lead down to four and all of a sudden I'm feeling it. Woodstock's coach called a time out, but it was too late. On our very next possession, I drained a long three from the top of the key and Woodstock turned it over on the very next possession and Quintin makes them pay with a perfect feed to our center. We're up one, and I canned a jumper and another three and, man, you could see it in the Woodstock players' faces—that they're about to get run out of the gym...warm up the bus, fellows, this game's over. I ended up scoring 22 points in the second half and we won by 15.
The next night, apparently Joshua and Jordan had decided just to keep the date simple—we went out for pizza, then went out to the mall and walked around and had some ice cream and coffee and then called it a night. Tameka, all she wanted to talk about was the game and my sizzling second half, but I felt that Joshua and Jordan were watching my every move and listening to everything I was saying...that Jordan, you can't put anything past her. So I was on my best behavior and kept asking Tameka about her favorite classes and how was school going for her, and what was her school like and what were her hobbies and what did she want to do for a career...just stupid stuff that nobody cares about, but stuff I had to say if there was going to be a second date.
I didn't put any moves on Tameka when I was walking her to the door, just asked her if she had a good time, and she said yes. And then I asked her if she would like to go out again, and she said "definitely yes," so it was a pretty good date and a pretty good weekend. It looks like I've got a brand new girlfriend!
Chapter Forty-Four: Mia
Thursday during math tutoring, I asked Luke if he would like to go to the library to hang out on Saturday, and he gave me a really big smile and said that would be "fantastic." I said I would ask my mama if I could go and asked if he needed to ask his parents. He said they were going to a stock car race for the weekend and were leaving on Friday morning. All he had to do before they came back was wash two cars, and he could get that done Friday after school and Saturday morning before he rode his bike to meet me.
So I told him I would ask Mama Thursday after school and our "date" would be set. As soon as I said the word date, I was a little mad at myself because our getting together like that really wouldn't be a date, but I do so very much want to date him next year. I confess that I think about going out with him all the time next fall. He's so sweet to me and we can talk and talk about all kinds of things, and, oh, he's just the type of boy I could fall in love with one day. I know I'm too young to know what love is, and I'm way too young to even think that I definitely know what type of boy would be the right one for me.
But when I look at boys at school and see how they act in class, in the halls, and in the cafeteria, I think I can tell which boys have potential to be really good men one day. Allen is a really nice boy that would make a good husband, but nobody I know is sweeter than Luke. On the other hand, being married to Marcus would be the worst kind of nightmare, the way he is now. It would be like training a cat—impossible.
I want a man that will make me feel safe and secure and will always be faithful to me. I definitely know that much already. I want a guy who will look upon me as a partner and will help take care of the house and not leave all the work to me. Mama expects Poppa to help out around the house; she once told me that he wasn't very good about that when they first married, that she had to "train him." I don't think I would have to train Luke, he would want to help me.
I could see Luke and me coming home from work and him doing the laundry while I was fixing dinner. I really could see that. I know it's silly to think that far ahead in life, but I guess that's what we girls do—think about the future. I don't think most boys do, but I bet Luke does.
So after dinner Thursday evening, when Mama went off to sew in her bedroom and Poppa was watching TV, I knocked on the door and came in and asked if it would be alright if Luke and I met at the library Saturday morning and read and hung out until it closed at 1:00? She frowned and then I hurried on and said that I would ride my bike and she wouldn't have to drive me and waste gas. Mama then said, no, that she would take me and pick me up and that she wouldn't tell Poppa that I was meeting a boy and that she wanted to look this boy over a little when she dropped me off. And I thanked her and thanked her, and she smiled just a little and asked what made Luke so special, and I told her how sweet he was, and that he was smart and would be a success in life, I just knew it. I didn't add that he would do well in something as long as there was absolutely no math involved.
Mama was a little slow leaving the house Saturday morning. I think she was stalling around so that she could make sure that Luke would beat us to the library, so she could look him over really well. Sure enough, Luke was sitting outside the library on a bench when we pulled up and Mama, when she saw him, said, "Well he's cute, I'll give him that." And that made me so happy that she had something positive to say. Luke stood up when I got out of the car. I had told him Friday that Mama was going to drop me off and for him to be on his best behavior, but I didn't really have to worry about him, I knew he would be polite.
Mama called out to us after I got out of the car to "get some good studying done," and actually we were going to work a little on history homework, but I think Mama was just trying to say something. Luke called out "Yes, ma'am," and then Mama drove away. I told him, "Well, now you've met Mama," and he grinned. And I reached out my hand to him, and he smiled again and took it, and we walked up the steps hand-in-hand for just that brief time, and it was just the most wonderful feeling holding hands with him again.
We were at the library for four hours until it closed, and the time just raced by, it was like we were only there 20 minutes. We got the history homework out of the way first thing, then we read Grapes of Wrath for a while and talked about it, and the rest of the time we just talked about all kinds of things while we sat side by side at a computer. The most amazing thing that Luke told me was that he had saved almost a thousand dollars from three years of mowing lawns and not eating school lunches this year. That he figured once he had saved $15,000 dollars he would have enough money to buy four or five acres out in the country, that he was 1715th there, and if he got a job after school next year and the rest of high school and continued to save his money and if he went to college and worked there, by the time he graduated he would have enough money. It was the first time Luke had ever talked about maybe definitely going to college and that made me really happy. Then my imagination really went wild, and I started thinking about living with Luke in a little house out in the country and how wonderful that would be.
It was just a perfect four hours, and Luke and I were outside the library when it was closing and Mama pulled up and Luke said, "Thank you for bringing Mia, ma'am," and waved and said goodbye.
Guy Talk, Girl Talk
Chapter Forty-Five: Luke
Wednesday, Allen said that Russell had offered to take him trout fishing Saturday morning really early when the fish would be biting, and would I be interested in coming over to spend the night Friday to save time in the morning. I said "Gosh, yeah," Mom and Dad were going out of town Friday night to go pick up a car somewhere, so I knew they wouldn't have any problem with me being gone.
Allen and I haven't talked as much this year as we used to, he's been so busy studying and he hangs out with Paige most every weekend it seems. usually they just go to her house or his house and watch Netflix and eat pizza. That would be okay to do with a girl, but I can't imagine taking Mia to my house to hang out. Dad would be furious to see a Hispanic person in his house.
Before I walked over to Allen's, I ate dinner alone at my house...the last two deer burgers left from that doe I killed last fall. Mom and Dad weren't too kee
n on me going hunting last year, but they sure haven't had any problem eating that deer. I'm not even worried about them letting me hunt next year. I'm going to try to kill at least three deer next year with my crossbow.
It didn't take Allen and me long to plan what lures we were going to use on Saturday—Mepps Aglia spinners. Early season stocked rainbow trout will hit them in a heartbeat. We decided we would try to catch at least four or five to eat—they're really good sprinkled with lemon juice, you know. Allen and I never have done much talking about girls, but I had to ask him what was it like hanging out with Paige, and he said it was great. The only bad thing was that his dad (Allen's parents are divorced) or Paige's mom had to take them everywhere, and it was really embarrassing sitting in the backseat with her and making small talk until they got dropped off at the mall or somewhere. But that was better than not going anywhere at all with her, and after all, what choice did he have until he got his driver's permit.
I had to ask Allen what his favorite kind of date with Paige was, and he first said going to a movie, but then he said maybe going to a coffee house at the mall was pretty good, too...that they would get dropped off there and could talk and hang out and drink coffee for an hour or so, and then go walking around the mall and get some ice cream or something. One time Allen said they were at the mall, and on the spur of the moment, he decided to take Paige to a sweet shop and bought her some dark chocolate truffles, and she got really excited about that. I listened really carefully the whole time he was talking about those dates, because I was thinking I might be able to use some of that information next fall if Mia and I start going out.
Then Allen started teasing me about Mia and said he heard that she and I were "talking," and I said that we were just hanging out, and he said "Yeah, yeah, sure," that I was "sweet on her" and I know I must've got red in the face and finally I said that I liked her a lot, and wanted to go out with her next year because that's when her parents said she could date. Allen next said something like "Everybody knows you two are going to go out next year, it's no secret, it's so obvious that you're both stuck on each other." At first, I got a little mad when he said that, but then I began thinking that Mia must be getting teased too about me, and probably she had told her friends that she liked me. I still have trouble believing that any girl would like-like me, but I guess it's true...it is true, but it's still hard to believe.
