Chapter 1

Amidst the bustling halls of high school, Malcolm stood out as a typical senior. His grades were solid, though not quite exemplary. He was an active participant in various sports, but his skills were not enough to earn him the title of star player. His after-school job was nothing extravagant, but it provided him with a sense of responsibility and independence. Despite this seemingly average lifestyle, Malcolm was content and comfortable.

However, there was one aspect of his life that seemed to be missing - a girlfriend. Surrounded by friends who were all happily dating, he couldn’t help but feel envious. Even those who weren’t officially in relationships were constantly on the lookout for their next fling. But Malcolm didn’t want to be at either extreme - obsessing over school and extracurriculars or not caring at all. He simply wanted to find balance between education and recreation.

Even his own 16-year-old sister, Carla, was actively going out on dates with several boys, even a couple of Malcolm’s classmates.

So, on this Friday night, while most of his friends were out on dates or hanging out with their significant others, Malcolm found himself sitting alone in his room playing video games like Call of Duty and Assassins Creed. However, his mind was far from the virtual battles; instead, it was consumed with thoughts of longing for a relationship like his friend’s - complete with detailed descriptions of intimate moments. As much as he tried to focus on the game at hand, his stats suffered as his mind wandered off once again.

Malcolm sat in his dimly lit room, the glow of his Xbox casting an eerie blue light across his face. He knew he was jealous of his friends with girlfriends, but he also knew that sitting here doing nothing about it would result in no change. With a sigh, he shut down the game and trudged back to his room on the main floor.

As he passed through the kitchen area, the smell of dinner being prepared wafted over him. His mother, Evelyn, looked up from her chopping as he entered. “All done already?” she asked with a warm smile.

“Yeah,” Malcolm grumbled.

His frustration must have been evident because his mother’s expression turned concerned. “Is everything alright?” she asked, putting down her knife.

Malcolm shrugged, trying to play off his feelings as nothing. “Just feeling a bit lonely, mom,” he admitted, leaning against the counter.

“Lonely? How so?” she prodded gently.

With another shrug, Malcolm tried to brush off his feelings again. “Just ... a lot of my friends have girlfriends. Can’t really hang out with them anymore.”

His mother’s expression softened even more. “Don’t worry, honey,” she said reassuringly. “You’ll find someone too.” She went back to cooking, adding vegetables to a pot on the stove. “Besides,” she added with a twinkle in her eye, “relationships are like farts: if you have to force them, they’re probably crap.”

Despite himself, Malcolm laughed at his mother’s joke. She always had a good sense of humor and he got along better with her than with his sister. Speaking of which...

He wondered if his sister treated his mother with the same apathy that she treated him. Carla wasn’t showing much affection these days, neither to her mother nor to her brother. Maybe she was just exhausted from all her cheerleading activities, dating and school and didn’t have the energy to show affection at home. Malcolm couldn’t help but feel a bit of envy.

His mother’s voice brought him back to the present. “Thanks, mom,” he said with a smile. “I’ll remember that.”

She turned back to cooking as Malcolm made his way to his bedroom. Closing the door behind him, he sat down at his desk and pulled out a pen and paper. He began making a list of all the single girls he knew within his circle of friends or acquaintances. In a school with five hundred seniors, finding someone who fit his criteria couldn’t be too difficult, right?

In a matter of minutes, his fingers flew over the keyboard as he compiled a lengthy list of potential candidates. He meticulously combed through it, crossing off names and highlighting others until he had a roster of twelve girls he deemed suitable for at least one date. With a confident grin, Malcolm was convinced that at least one of them would say yes to his invitation. And if things went well, he might even ask for another date. Surely out of all these options, there would be a compatible prospect. All he had to do now was muster the boldness to follow through with his plan.

Just as he pinned the list to his corkboard, Malcolm heard his mother’s voice calling him from downstairs. “Malcolm, Honey? Time for dinner.”

“I’ll be down in a minute, mom,” he replied absentmindedly, his focus still on the list in front of him. He read it over again, taking a deep breath to reassure himself that he was bound to have success somewhere before finally leaving his room and joining his mother at the dining table.

The first thing he noticed was the familiar absence of his sister. “Is Carla eating out again?” he asked rhetorically.

Malcolm’s mother looked up at him with a knowing smile. “What gave it away?” she responded sarcastically.

“Yeah...” Malcolm chuckled, shaking his head at the predictability of his sister’s dating schedule.

“Don’t give her too hard of a time, dear,” she said gently, coming to her daughter’s defense. “She is young and has the right to enjoy her life. Adulthood will arrive very soon and then she will be too busy for it.”

“I know,” Malcolm agreed with a dismissive shrug. “I just miss the days when she was my little sister.”

His mother smiled sympathetically. “That was several years ago, dear.”

“I know,” Malcolm conceded. “I just feel like I knew her better then.”

“You and me both,” his mother replied, her voice soft and wistful.

That was just how his mother was - always calm and reasonable. Rarely did Malcolm ever hear her say a negative word about anyone or anything. And when she did, it was always with a compassionate tone, offering constructive criticism rather than harsh judgement. She had a knack for speaking the truth without hurting others’ feelings, and Malcolm admired that about her.

They sat down at the table and began to eat their dinner: a delicious pasta casserole and steamed vegetables. As soon as he took a bite, Malcolm couldn’t help but smile in appreciation of his mother’s amazing cooking skills. She had a talent for experimenting with different flavors and always seemed to find the perfect balance of spices, salt, and sweetness. It was one of the many things about her that Malcolm loved and admired.

As they slowly made their way through their meals, Malcolm’s mind was elsewhere. His mother tried to initiate conversations about his job and school, but he was too preoccupied to engage fully. Finally, she noticed his detached demeanor and asked him what was on his mind.

Taking a deep breath, Malcolm blurted out his frustration. “Mom, what’s your first impression of me? Like, if you were a girl at school, would you find me attractive?” He set down his utensils more forcefully than intended, the pent-up frustration from earlier still simmering beneath the surface.

His mother’s wry smile caught him off guard. She studied him with a keen eye, and for a moment, Malcolm felt like she could see right through him. “You mean, if I were a girl at school, would I find you attractive?” she repeated his question back to him.

Malcolm stumbled over his words, unsure how to respond to her direct assessment. “Uh, well ... yeah, I guess that’s what I’m asking,” he admitted after a brief moment of awkward silence.

“Of course, son. I most certainly would,” she replied with a warm smile, leaning in closer to the table and gazing intently at her son. “You have a strong physique, not to mention an average build. Standing at 5’10” and weighing around 200lbs, you have good arm and leg muscles that show it,” she admired as she ran her hand over his bicep. “Your sandy-colored hair falls naturally over your ears and highlights your piercing green eyes.” Malcolm felt a slight blush creeping up his neck as he listened to his mother’s compliments. He was used to them, as his mother frequently praised him in this manner. However, he couldn’t help but feel that these words would hold more weight coming from someone who wasn’t related to him.

“You are quite handsome, my dear Malcolm,” his mother concluded with a gentle smile. “And not just on the outside, but on the inside as well. You are thoughtful and caring, qualities that any girl would be lucky to have in a boyfriend.”

Malcolm let out a small laugh through his nose. “You’re only saying that because you’re my mom,” he insisted.

“I say it because I am your mom,” she corrected him with a playful tone. “But also because it is true.”

“Hmm,” Malcolm hummed in response.

“Don’t ask for my opinion if you’re not willing to accept it,” his mother chided gently.

A small smile tugged at the corners of Malcolm’s mouth. “I suppose you’re right.”

“Do you have a specific girl in mind?” his mother probed, taking another bite of her food. Malcolm shrugged nonchalantly. After swallowing, she continued, “What about that girl in your math class? The one you worked with for last year’s fundraiser.”

Malcolm knew exactly who his mother was referring to. She had come over numerous times to discuss the fundraiser, and had met his mother on several occasions. She was undeniably beautiful, and happened to be one of the girls on his list.