Chapter 62: Dates Offered and Enjoyed

Friday, March 5, 1982

Amit, Cammie, and I briefly discussed things. We put off a bigger talk about where we were until Monday so we could each think things through.

Megan came over to me midway through Debate. I figured it was about the insurrection, but it might’ve just been Debate stuff. That wouldn’t be a surprise. I’d been working with the freshmen all year (along with Cammie and others), first as mentors and then just as colleagues.

“Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Of course.”

She jerked her finger towards the practice room, which was empty. That surprised me, but I smiled and nodded.

I went in, she followed, closing the door. She was starting to blush, which gave me an idea what this might be about. “I, um...” She took a deep breath, then words tumbled out, almost too fast to catch. “WouldyoubemydatetotheSadieHawkinsDance?”

I started to speak, but she shook her head. She got redder, refocusing, then tried again. “Would you ... um ... be my date? To the Sadie Hawkins Dance? I uh ... I checked with Jasmine and she said, um ... to go for it. If I wanted. Which I do. And then I thought, um ... Lexi ... but Jasmine said no, so...”

I smiled. “I’ll ask. Why...”

She started tripping over her words again. “I’ll, I, I’ll entertain...”

“No, wait. I’m not asking why I should say yes. I’m asking: why do you want me to say yes?”

She blushed. Considerably. “Oh! I um ... gosh! You’re really handsome and nice and you’ve been a tremendous help and you talk to my face and not my tits and you’ve been a complete gentleman and everyone likes you and you’re really sexy and I think it’d be wonderful to be your date.”

“Calm down.” She blushed a little more, but did. “Deep breaths.”

“I, um ... thanks.”

“For?”

She giggled a tiny bit. “For being nice and calming me down and not laughing at me. I know I’m just a giant gawky freshman stork...”

I shook my head. “As a friend of mine said to me recently, look in a mirror. You’re beautiful. So what if you’re tall? Being tall isn’t bad. If they can’t handle it, it’s their loss, not yours. You have lovely hair, beautiful eyes, a great figure, you’re charming, smart, funny, interesting. What’s there to laugh at?”

She looked down. “No one asks me out. I mean, not once. Except ... um ... nevermind.”

“Did you ever stop to think that you might intimidate guys?”

“I ... what?”

“Listen to what I said before. You’re beautiful, you’re charming, smart, funny, and interesting. And a lot of other things. Now, think how you felt asking me. Believe me, a lot of guys find you just as hard to talk to, that way.”

“I ... really? Seriously?” She looked startled.

“Ask Angie if you want a second opinion, or ask most anyone else. Probably not Cindy...”

She giggled at that, making a face.

“ ... but most anyone. Pretty girls intimidate many guys. Tall pretty girls, even more so, especially freshmen guys. They tend to be short.”

“I really hadn’t thought of that. I’m still not sure I believe you.”

“Mirror. Look in it. If you’re worried about being tall, I’ll toss out a name. Brooke Shields. You might or might not have seen her in a movie, but I’m sure you know who she is.”

She got redder. “I ... um ... we ... it ... we snuck, um ... watching... ‘Blue Lagoon’. At a friend’s house. They have Cinemax.”

“She was five foot ten when they filmed ‘Blue Lagoon’. At a guess, just slightly taller than either of us.”

“Really? Are you serious?”

“I’m serious.”

“Wow! Damn. I um...” She smiled a bit, still blushing slightly. “Thanks for letting me down easy.”

“Who said I was letting you down? I didn’t. Don’t give up that easily.”

She blinked. “Wait, I thought ... I need to listen, don’t I?”

“Believe in yourself. You’re good at that in the rest of your life. I’ve seen examples of that.” She blushed a tiny bit more. “Here’s a deal for you. Talk to at least two people and look in the mirror. Take the weekend, get your head straight, and decide what you want. If it’s me, you have the inside track; I promise I won’t say yes to anyone else until Monday after class. If it’s someone else, I’ll help you introduce yourself and so will a few friends.”

“I ... I don’t know what to say. Thank you, I guess! I really was expecting you to laugh at me ... except, no I wasn’t, you’re too nice. I mean, laugh inside. Silly Megan, right? This is already beyond what I expected.”

I took both her hands in mine, making her shiver a little. “You’re a friend and a teammate. I never would laugh at you, even inside, unless you were trying to be funny.” She giggled a bit at that. “You, and Anne, but I mean, both of you, as individuals and as a team, are pretty special. If anyone is laughing at you, I want to know who it is, because I will be pissed at them. And you should laugh right back. You’re already doing more than most people. I’m proud you’re part of this team.”

“Damn. I think...” She took a deep breath. “Okay, I’ll remember the steps. Talk to people, look in the mirror, then ... Monday. I already know what I want. But you’re right, I’ll take my time. Thank you for holding the date for me.” She leaned in, hugged me, then quickly planted a kiss on me. A serious one. “Thanks, Steve. I mean it. Thanks.”

We exited, and I went and sat back down, next to Cammie.

“You ... have a little something ... on your lip,” Cammie said.

I resisted the temptation to wipe. “Are you sure?”

“Damn. Thought I’d get you!”

“It was a possibility.”

“I knew it! Sadie Hawkins?”

“Let’s talk later. I don’t want her thinking we’re gossiping about her.”

“Even though we are. Got it.”

Angie watched the whole thing. I knew she’d bring it up later.

Just after class I went over to Amit. “Got a minute?”

“Sure, Steve. What’s up?”

“Question for you. Inspired by my sister’s success with Jasmine and me, I might play matchmaker. I know someone who might be looking for a Sadie Hawkins date and I wondered if you’re open to being asked, or if you have someone else who’s already asked or some girlfriend we don’t know about or whatever.”

He looked down. “Well, there’s this arranged marriage...” After a brief pause, he grinned. “Good poker face! I have friends whose families still do that, but mine doesn’t. I’m guessing she’s Caucasian?”

“Yeah.”

“Not a problem, but I appreciate you asking. I’m pretty sure if you think we might click, that’s a good recommendation. And, blind date, right? If it goes wrong, not a problem.”

“Great!”

“Thanks for thinking of me. I appreciate it.”

“Hey, if I can help two friends at once, that’s ideal, right?”

“Can’t argue with that! And I can argue about most anything,” he said, giving me a grin.

After talking with Amit, I needed to run to my date with Jasmine and Lexi. They were waiting down in the Drama room. I got greeted with hugs and kisses. And an eye-roll from Steffie. And a smirk from both Mikayla and Paige.

“Let’s get going.”

“Sounds good,” Lexi said. “And where are we going?”

Jasmine laughed. “Insert obligatory pho joke. I didn’t have a plan.”

“Italian good?”

“Very good,” Lexi grinned. Jasmine nodded.

“Well, we’re practically already there. It’ll save time.”

“Time is good!”

We headed over and were seated and ordering within ten minutes. I went with Chicken Saltimbocca; the girls opted to share Eggplant Parmigiana. I was certain we’d all wind up sharing. Dinner, at least, and I had a feeling about the rest of the evening.

After we’d ordered, they resumed questioning. “Okay, explain. I know you had a big meeting yesterday. And a meeting today,” Jasmine smirked.

“Today’s is easily explained. Someone — you know who — asked me on a Sadie Hawkins date.”

“Since it was during Debate, I do know who. You don’t think she was the only girl who’s talked to me, did you?”

I chuckled. “I’d gotten the impression there were a few contenders, so I guess not.”

“And?”

“She was coming into it with the wrong attitude, thinking she was the frog that maybe the prince would deign to kiss.”

“Um ... that’s supposed to be the other way around, I think.”

“You got the idea, didn’t you?”

“Well, okay. So, you gave her some advice and...”

“And said if she asks again Monday and has her head together then it’s a yes. If she’s still got me on a pedestal, we’ll see. That would make me pretty uncomfortable on a date, I think.”

“She’s got my blessing,” Jasmine said. “But then so do a few others. Sounds like she has the inside track.”

“She asked first. And she was scared to ask. That counts for something.”

“She’s cute. In heels she’ll be taller than you are, but still cute.”

“I’m okay with that. Heck, if she wants to lead, I’ll try to dance backwards.” They both giggled at that.

“I’d pay to see that. Okay, that’s one mystery explained. What’s the other?”

“I ... okay. You can’t share this with anyone, at all. Except Angie, I suppose. And Sheila, but not until after my date tomorrow.”

“Mysterious. Okay. I promise.”

Lexi nodded. “Me, too!”

“Tom Myerson is either plotting or assisting some other people in plotting a revolution via Student Government.”

“El Presidente Marshall?” Jasmine said.

“Nah. El Vice Presidente Marshall, if all goes well.”

Lexi blinked. “Really? Not class rep?”

“Plan is me for VP. I think I’ll keep names out of most of the roles. Angie isn’t running for anything. She’d be a committee chair.”

“Jessica Lively is in the mix. I know because Megan was obsessing about her, and you haven’t been in her orbit.”

“Junior class rep.”

“Getting rid of that prudish bitch Becky Palmer?” Lexi said. “I could totally go for that.”

“What’d she do that I missed? I know why I don’t like her, but I’m guessing she did something around you.”

“I have English II with her. She went on a tirade about how not only should they not cover Walt Whitman, but also that all of his books should be burned. According to Becky, Whitman was a gay degenerate and ‘Leaves Of Grass’ is obscene and an affront to all good people. Ms. Henry suggested she bring a note from home and she would provide an alternative assignment; Becky said she would, and that the school board would hear from her parents.”

“Charming. As if I needed another reason to dislike her.”

Jasmine grinned. “If Tom Myerson is involved, this is going to kick sand in the faces of a bunch of prudes, I’m sure. Vive la révolution!”

“Even we candidate recruits just know the plan is to vote out the conservatives and the do-nothings. There must be more than that, but yeah, I imagine a lot of sand will be kicked. Just throwing out an obvious example, imagine if Lizzie and Janet could go to prom.”

“Never happen. Riggs won’t go for it,” Lexi said. “I mean, they could do what Sheila and I did, but they’re a real couple. We’re just occasional fuck-buddies. They’d find a morality-clause argument to kick them out. I love the idea, but...”

“Riggs will go with whatever causes the least trouble. There’s a Supreme Court decision saying that schools can’t bar same-sex couples from activities like prom. I know there are some lawyer parents who are pretty liberal on social issues. If Student Council changes the rules to match the law of the land, it’ll bounce around, but they can either cancel prom, allow it, or get sued. Riggs does not want to get sued.”

“Damn. That would be something to see!”

“Anyway, that’s the plot. I’m going to think about it because it’s a big time commitment, but...”