Chapter 54: The Dating Game

February 25, 1983, McKinley, Ohio

"Janey, this is Clarissa and her date, Glenda. Glenda and Clarissa, this is my friend Janey from home."

"Hi!" the three girls said to each other.

"Shall we go?" I asked. "Chinese is still cool with all of you?"

All three girls agreed it was, so we headed out to my car for the drive to the restaurant.

"How did you guys meet?" Glenda asked. "High School?"

"Church, sort of," Janey said. "We started going to the same church Mike used to attend about a year ago. We were Roman Catholic before. My older sister had a Summer job at the same place Mike works every Summer, which is how they actually met because he has gone to church here since he started school. My sister got the job because the guy who owns the hardware store is from the church, and I met him through her. I work there now, on weekends and on breaks. How about you?"

"At a party last week. Mike basically set us up through a friend of a friend. He asked a friend, who asked a friend, who told Clarissa to ask me to dance. This is our second date!"

"Mike and I have only been on a couple of actual dates," Janey laughed. "It took me nearly six months to get him to pay proper attention!"

"Petrovich can be a real «глупец» (glupys) at times!" Clarissa laughed.

"Oh, for Pete's sake!" Janey groused. "You have HER doing it?"

"Hey, she used the term correctly!" I chuckled. "That means 'blockhead', by the way."

"I guess she knows you pretty well," Janey laughed.

"He's my very best friend," Clarissa declared. "He's the first person I ever told about liking girls."

"And I was the second," Glenda laughed. "Then we danced, and the cat was out of the bag, or the girl out of the closet, or whatever you want to call it."

"When did you come out, Glenda?" I asked.

"During my Junior year in High School, but only to a few close friends. I had my first girlfriend the next year, but it was totally secret except from my two best friends. My first 'open' date was two years ago when I was a Freshman. So I guess you could say that was it. High School girls can be really catty and nasty about stuff like that, and the boys can be worse."

"Has anyone given you any grief here at school?" I asked.

"Just one of the girls who got drawn in by that Bible-thumper who roams the campus on Saturdays and has the Wednesday Bible study for college kids. She gave me the usual bit about going to Hell. I reminded her I knew she was screwing her boyfriend, and THAT was going to send HER to Hell. She quit bugging me after that!"

"Mike's super-religious, but he's not like that," Clarissa said. "His church teaches that you're supposed to get your own shit together before you worry about telling anyone else about getting THEIR shit together."

"That's not QUITE how I put it," I chuckled. "But it does get the point across!"

"Oh, fine," Clarissa huffed theatrically. "Get the log out of your own eye so you can see clearly to remove the tiny splinter from your neighbor's eye."

"You know, I think Clarissa's version might be more effective," Janey laughed. "But somehow, I don't see Father Herman saying that in church!"

"Glenda, did you ever go to church?" I asked.

"Presbyterian when I was younger, but my parents never made us go once we turned fifteen or so. I knew by then I was lesbian and just didn't feel right going to church. I guess I'm agnostic, maybe leaning towards atheist. I honestly don't think there's a god, but I'm not sure enough to say there isn't. I take it you're religious, Janey?"

"Yes," Janey replied. "Not quite as gung-ho as Mike, but pretty close. What about you, Clarissa?"

"Agnostic. I'm a scientist, and science really has nothing to say about God. I can't run an experiment to prove it one way or the other, so my response is that I have no idea. But I can't rule it out, either, especially seeing how seriously Mike takes it AND lives it. Philosophically, I guess I'd say there's SOMETHING, but what that is, I have no idea."

"Mike," Glenda said, "Clarissa tells me you're going to be ordained right before Easter."

"Yes, but our Easter, which we call 'Pascha', is five weeks later than Western Easter. There's a disagreement on how to do the calculation that goes back over a thousand years. But I'm only being ordained to a minor order, which doesn't mean a whole lot except for my duties during church services."

"Could you perform weddings?"

"No. Only a priest or bishop could do that."

"Maybe I shouldn't ask this, but you're obviously just as much of a scientist as Clarissa, so how do you justify believing so firmly in God?"

"First of all, I don't have to justify it to anyone except myself. Secondly, science and theology, at least from an Orthodox perspective, don't overlap. No 'young earth' or 'literal seven-day creation' or any of that stuff is taught in the Orthodox Church. As I've said to others, God gave us our senses to observe the world, and He expects us to use them."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like I was attacking you."

"I didn't take it that way. What I was saying is that I believe, and that's all that matters to me. If you don't want to believe, there is literally nothing I can say to you to change your mind. So, to put it in Clarissa's 'earthy' terms, all I can do is get my shit together and live a life which reflects what I believe. Or, to put it as one of our Saints said — 'save yourself, and the whole world will be saved'. My job, if you will, is to reflect Jesus Christ in my own life. And unlike that clown who runs around campus condemning sinners, I'll stick to Jesus' way and love sinners and condemn self-righteous «мудаки» (mudaki), a prime example being that pastor who runs around campus."

"Mu-da-ki?" Glenda asked.

"A-holes," I chuckled. "Modern-day Pharisees; you know, the guys Jesus went off on with regularity. He expressed love for sinners."

"You might be the first very religious Christian I ever met who actually practices what Jesus taught!"

"There's a reason Mahatma Gandhi said, 'I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.'"

"No kidding," Glenda said. "I have to say I was really surprised to find out you had gay friends, and you were totally supportive of Clarissa."

"I happen to be the biggest sinner on the planet, bar none. I'm in no position to criticize."

"Do you think being gay or lesbian is a sin?"

"Not any more than being straight is a sin. Attraction isn't a sin. Sex outside the bounds of marriage is a sin. I'm not a virgin. That makes me a sinner in that regard. I'm in NO position to throw stones. And, in the end, your relationship with God, should you elect to have one, is between you and God. I have nothing to say about it, and I'm in no position to judge what you do. But honestly, do we want to talk theology and religion all night? Or do we want to have fun?"

"Fun!" came the chorus from all three girls.

I pulled into the lot at Ming's Chinese, and we piled out of the car and headed into the restaurant. We were seated quickly and, a few minutes later, placed our orders. Both Janey and I ordered shrimp dishes, as it was a Friday. The next week, though, we'd be free from fasting the entire week in celebration of the Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee to remind us not to be proud when we kept the Lenten Fast.

"Did you guys maybe want to go to a movie after dinner?" Glenda asked.

"I don't think there's anything interesting playing," Janey said with an impish smile, "and besides, I wanted to spend some time alone with Mike."

Clarissa smirked and rolled her eyes, and Glenda laughed.

"A Billy Joel song Mike sang the other night comes to mind," Glenda added with a smile.

"When was that?" Janey asked. "And which?"

"Only the Good Die Young at the party where I met Clarissa. He sang with the daughter of one of the music professors. I'm friends with two of her friends."

"The ones I told you about," I said to Janey with a silly smile.

"That was hot, even speaking as a lesbian!" Glenda laughed. "I was shocked you simply walked away!"

"There was no 'simply' about it," I chuckled. "I went outside in the 15°F weather to cool off!"

"Petrovich may talk like a pig at times, but he has better sense than to get mixed up with that gang."

"They're pretty wild," Glenda said. "Way beyond my speed. But they're fun to be around, and Milena's parties are the best."

"You sing at parties?" Janey asked.

"Six or seven songs to piano accompaniment," I replied. "Milena wanted me to do concerts with her, but there's no way I have time. I met her when I started taking guitar lessons from her mom, and she asked me to try singing with her."

"He does have a really nice voice," Clarissa said. "Glenda, you should come to his next concert on March 12th."

"Can anybody come to these concerts?" Janey asked.

"It's on our dorm floor, so space is kind of limited," I said.

"Doctor Blahnik and Milena want him to do one in the small theatre on campus," Clarissa added.

"You said no, Mike?" Janey asked.

"For now. I'm not ready for something like that."

"Janey, where do you go to school?" Glenda asked.

"Harding High. I'm a Senior. I was accepted to both UC and Ohio State, and I decided on OSU."

"What do you plan to study?"

"Accounting. I want to be a CPA and get an MBA as well. What's your major?"

"Art. I'll get my Master's in Art History, then either teach or work in a museum."

"Do you paint? Sketch? Sculpt?"

"All the above," Glenda said. "I prefer charcoal to paint, though."

"Nudes?" Janey asked with a silly smile.

"Sure. If you want to pose, I'd be happy to. You too, Mike."

I chuckled, "I think I'll pass."

"Coward!" Clarissa laughed but then frowned. "Uhm, sorry."

"It's OK," I replied. "I know how you meant it."

"Did I miss something?" Glenda asked.

"Sorry, just something private between Mike and me, and not about that topic, either. I shouldn't have said it."

"You SHOULD go for it, Mike," Janey teased. "You're pretty impressive!"

"TOO MUCH INFORMATION!" Glenda declared, but she was laughing.

Our food arrived, and I said a silent blessing, then joined the others in eating. When we finished our meal, we split the check four ways, then headed back to campus. Janey and I headed to my room, went into the bedroom, and shut the door.

"Should we pose nude for each other?" she smirked, pulling her sweater over her head.

"Privately, yes!" I grinned, pulling my rugby shirt over my head.

February 26, 1983, McKinley, Ohio

"So, what do you think?" Clarissa asked as we cuddled on my couch after breakfast.

"I like her a lot," I said. "But what really matters is what you think."

Clarissa blushed slightly and laughed, "I got to second base! But outside our clothes, only."

"And?"

"God, I was so excited at that point I was almost ready to just rip our clothes off! But I don't want to move too fast. You and Janey?"

"For you, and you alone, I'll answer. Home run."

Clarissa laughed, "Gee, there's a newsflash!"

"Then why ask?"

"To see what you would say. Not as a test, but just curiosity."

"I thought we agreed there were no secrets between us. Ever."

"We did. So what do you like?"

I shook my head, "You mean NO secrets? As in, you're going to tell me what you and Glenda do?"

"Who else can I talk to? You already listen to me complain about all my other girl stuff."

I grimaced, "Only because I love you."

Clarissa laughed, "You proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt the other day when you picked up a box of pads for me at the Quick Mart on your way home from Vespers!"

"I turned fourteen shades of red at the checkout. Fortunately, the clerk was a girl I didn't know, and not Nancy or Paula!"

"So?"

"I suppose the usual stuff."

"And you like giving oral sex?" Clarissa asked.

"Are you asking for a demonstration?" I teased.

Clarissa laughed, "You're the one who told me I had to be with a girl first! And honestly, now that I've thought about it more, I think you're right. I was just curious if guys did it because they had to or because they wanted to."

"I guess it depends on the guy. I think it's the same for girls. Some girls do it because they think they have to; others really enjoy doing it. People are different, and you just have to find a good common ground. If you can't, you probably don't belong together."

"It sounds like you're arguing for pre-marital sex to find out."

"You can talk about it without doing it, Lissa! Again, for your ears only, Tasha has made it abundantly clear that she's interested in doing everything we can think of, happily and enthusiastically."

Clarissa laughed, "So, like a movie trailer? Or 'coming attractions'?"

"I guess so," I grinned.

"And that was the problem with Angie, wasn't it?"

"This is one area where complete honesty has to give way to her privacy, but in a nutshell, that was going to be the problem, as you, Sandy, and Sophia guessed."

"Did you talk with Sandy this morning?"

"No. You and I came back here right after breakfast. Why?"

"I'm just curious how her date went," Clarissa said.

"She seemed pretty happy this morning at breakfast, so I don't think it was a disaster."

"How are you feeling about Angie?"

I shrugged, "I don't know how to feel, exactly. I miss praying with her and running with her, and I'm going to miss going to church with her. In the end, though, something had to give, and this was the most likely outcome. I just wish it hadn't resulted in her withdrawing from classes."

"It might not be too bad," Clarissa said. "I checked the Student Handbook, and even though it's after the 'drop/add' date, and she's not entitled to a refund, they will credit her with 90% of her tuition towards next semester, if she can return and she has two doctors certify she was unable to complete the semester."

"Then let's hope she can come back, though it could be really awkward."

"I was thinking that, too. All you can do is wait and see what happens. Maybe she could go in the all-girls dorm."

"Remember, there's only one more year of that, and then it switches to a few single-sex floors. Well, assuming Dean Parker doesn't get her way and prevent that."

"Oh, that's right," Clarissa said sarcastically, "all men are rapists, and women aren't safe in the same building with them. I keep forgetting!"

"There are dads who have that opinion, too."

"Forgetting that their 'virginal princesses' are looking to get laid as soon as they get to college! Assuming they haven't already been balling the linebacker or the pitcher in High School!"

"True. I'm hoping Melody gets her proposed curfew rule changed for mixed-sex floors in this building."

"Do you really think that will happen?"

"I think there's a decent chance, and so does she. And I'm sure our floor would vote for the relaxed rule."

"So, how would that work?" Clarissa asked.

"For the six floors in this building with mixed sexes, each floor could vote to eliminate the rule by 2/3 majority, and anyone who didn't want to be on a floor with the eliminated curfew would be allowed to move to another floor. The rules about bathrooms and showers wouldn't change, but the overnight stay rules and the rules about being on the wrong side of the border would go away. Melody thinks she has to give a concession that curfew still applies to non-students, and I think she's right. If she does that, she'll have all but two votes from the Student Government committee — Dean Parker and Doctor Lawrence, who is Dean Parker's lapdog."

"I just find it stupid that she rants about discrimination, but then proposes discriminatory policies, and rants about treating women as inferior, but then insists they need protection."

"Nobody has ever accused her of making sense," I chuckled. "But forget her. When is your next date?"

"Next Friday. We could double again if you can find a date! Or does church start on Fridays next week?"

"Not until after Meatfare Sunday, which is when Great Lent starts. Well, technically, it starts on Clean Monday, which is the day after. You can just check the calendar on my wall. If the day is pink, it's a fasting day. The feast days are listed there, too. I'm pretty sure Kristin would go out with me, but if not, I don't think Tess or Valerie are seeing anyone seriously."

"The Freshman girls we met at the mixer?"

"Yes. I saw them paying rapt attention at my concert," I grinned.

"You dog!" Clarissa laughed.

"I didn't say I was going to bed with them!" I protested.

"No, you didn't. Could I ask you something? Totally serious now?"

"Sure."

"How far do you really want to take this? I mean, you and me?"

"As far as our hearts desire and our brains allow."

"I like that answer," she said, snuggling close.

"There is one important thing you have to think about, Lissa. My hand on your breast didn't make you want to rip my clothes off."

"I know," she sighed deeply. "I know."

We sat quietly until there was a knock on the door. Stacey had come to let me know that Mrs. Stephens had arrived. I followed Stacey down the hall to the room she'd shared with Angie.

"Hi, Mrs. Stephens," I said.