“Hey, go get me a Coke yeah?”
“Adam, you’re a big boy, you can get your own coke,” Jackson said, not even looking up from his magazine.
“I can’t leave the computer, I’m talking to Marly. Just get me one.”
“OK,” Jackson told him, but when a minute had elapsed without Jackson moving, Adam got up with an “Arg!” and went to the kitchen.
Mike had been unsure what to tell the guys about his night with Monica. Adam had asked him the next day how the drive home went, and Mike had given some positive comments, but he’d left out the really personal feelings. Mike’s crush was old news, but divulging his feelings at this stage was a little uncomfortable. Mike was partly afraid to get his hopes up only to be let down again. Any thoughts of winning over Monica had been crumpled up and thrown away years ago, but the recent change of events rekindled those hopes Mike had long given up on. As much as this excited Mike, it scared him too.
Adam slurped on his Coke and click-clacked away on the keyboard. Even though it was Jackson’s computer, whenever the guys were over Adam lived on it. Why he didn’t just go over to Marly’s house, Mike didn’t know.
“Marly wants to know who’s double-dating with us?”
Jackson looked up from his computer magazine at Mike. “As of right now, not me,” he said. “But I’m sure there is a line of girls outside waiting to ask me.” Jackson’s dry delivery annoyed the heck out of Adam. “I think I can hear them now.”
“Yeah yeah, whatever,” Adam said leaning back in the office chair. “Marly says her friend Jessica needs a date, and she’d rather go with one of you guys than go alone.”
“At least she’s honest,” Mike pointed out.
“Hey Romeo.” Adam pushed off the desk and spun around. “Why haven’t you asked Monica yet? She let you drive her home, and from what you told me, she actually enjoyed it. What are you waiting for?”
Mike had certainly considered it. From the moment she’d shown an interest it had been on his mind. The only thing that had kept him from calling was fear.
“If I don’t call her, she can’t say no.”
“True,” Jackson said in his philosopher voice. “But she can’t say yes either.”
“I guess there’s only one thing to do then!” Adam grabbed the phone off its charger and gave it a toss. Mike caught the phone and stared it, like his fate was wrapped up inside its technological bits.
“I don’t even know what to say to her. Remember, she asked me to go out for coffee, it was her prerogative.” Mike was unsure. “Going to homecoming with me is serious.”
Jackson held his hands palm up. “Give it a shot. The worst that came happen is she says no.”
Exactly.
Mike clicked the talk button and dialed slowly. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
The most beautiful voice in the world answered. “Hello?”
“Hey Monica, it’s Mike.”
“Oh hey, what’s up?”
“Not a lot, how are you?” Adam rolled his eyes and made a “get on with it” gesture.
“I’m good, just working on a physics project. Hey, thanks for taking me home the other night, that was nice of you.”
“That’s fine, it wasn’t a problem.” Adam looked up at the ceiling and got serious. “So there’s a reason I called you. I was wondering if you’d like to go to homecoming with me…as my date.”
The silence that followed on the other end of the phone seemed to last a lifetime. Thoughts of regret and self-doubt filled Mike’s head.
“It’s too bad you didn’t ask me earlier, but Kelso Baker asked me last week. I told him yes.”
The hope and excitement that had been fueling Mike evaporated. “Oh…yeah, that’s too bad.”
“I’m sorry Mike, otherwise…”
“No it’s OK,” Mike said, cutting off his former crush. “I understand. I’ll see you around,” and he hung up the phone.
Mike wanted to cry, but he held it back. This wasn’t a new feeling for Mike. Countless times he’d built something up in his mind, only to be crushed when he came plummeting back to reality. His “date” with Monica was a distant memory now. He’d made a fool of himself even imagining that a girl like her would go to homecoming with a guy like him.
I guess some things will never change.
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