Chapter 5

We had our first calc exam on Monday. I didn't have any problem with it. After class, Sheila walked by me and said, "I think it went well. We'll see."

Wednesday we got them back. We were sitting on opposite sides of the class, but when she got hers back, I saw her light up with a smile, then she turned around, found me, and grinned at me.

When class was over, she came running out of the lecture hall-and grabbed me in a hug! "Brendan! You're a damn miracle worker!" She held up her test-which said 91. "I can't believe I did this well!"

"I'm glad," I said-which I was, but I was also thunderstruck that she was hugging me!

"Oh, Brendan, you did this for me! I'm so excited! Look, how can I repay you? Anything. Anything at all."

I said it before I even thought. "Well, how about going out with me for dinner Friday?" And then immediately wanted to take the words back.

"I'd love to!" she said happily.

WHAT?

"Really?" I stuttered. "I mean, well, great!"

"I was waiting for you to ask," she grinned. WHAT?!?!?!? "We can go wherever you want, I have a car-I know you don't."

"Well, I do, but it's in Illinois," I grinned. "That's fine, we can decided then what we're in the mood for."

"Great!" she said. "I'll see you in class Friday, we can work out the details. I have to swim Friday afternoon, but I don't know when yet."

"That's fine."

"Great! See you Friday," she said, and she was off.

Oh my Jesus, did I just do that?

Oh, Christ. Now I had two days to go out of my mind.

I was sitting in my room after supper that night, pretending to do homework but really obsessing about it, when Jake stumbled in from football practice.

"Hey, Rooms, what's up? You look preoccupied."

"You know that girl I've been helping with calc?"

"Yeah, Sheila Mitchell, the swimmer, " he said, "you told me. I've never met her, but I know people that know her."

"Yeah, well, we have a date Friday night," I said.

"That's great!" he said.

"Yeah, great," I said depressedly. "Jake, I've only been on a couple dates in my life, and none since, oh, tenth grade-and that one was a set-up from my mother. I haven't yet been on a date that wasn't a disaster. And I actually asked out this beautiful, popular, incredible girl. I am going to fuck this up. I can't believe I actually asked her out! What was I thinking?"

"You were thinking that you like her," he grinned. "Bren, don't obsess, eh?"

"What's worse is that she's only going out with me out of gratitude."

"Bullshit," he said. "Girls don't do that, trust me. Especially girls that know you like them-and believe me, she knows you like her. Girls pick up on those things. Unless she's cruel-and, from what I've heard about Sheila Mitchell, she's a sweetheart-she'd never say yes just out of gratitude."

"Hmm. Then why would she say yes?"

"Because she likes you, you idiot!" Jake said, but not nastily.

"Why on earth?"

"Bren, you've got some major self-image problems. I don't know what to tell you about that. All I can tell you about Sheila is this, though-go with the flow. She likes you, OK? Go with it. And relax, for Chrissakes!"

"Easy for you to say," I laughed.