Forget Green Gables

David Duchovny, Why Won't You Love Me?

"Cheyanne, Danny's on the phone. When he couldn't reach you on your line, he called the house line."

"Tell him I'll call him at 10, please."

My mom eyes the T.V. I just spent from 6:00-8:00 with Danny and he knows it is the season premiere night. It was all Jamie, Rebecca, Jessie, and I talked about while waiting for our rides. Of all the people in the world, fate has drawn together perhaps the only four girls in our entire class who were X-Files enthusiasts. I also enjoy the hell out of The West Wing, but there are some pleasures in life I keep to myself.

"I'm not going to tell your boyfriend that you can't talk to him because you're watching a T.V. show. Honestly, Cheyanne Xiomara! Sometimes I think it's a miracle that anyone likes you at all!" My mother has not bothered to cover the mouthpiece of the cordless. Tonight she feels hateful. I wish she still felt too overwhelmed to leave her room and then I feel guilty for wishing that on her.

I snatch the phone from her outstretched hand. "Danny, I'll call you back at 10."

"Oh! The X-Files is on, isn't it? My bad! I'll call back!"

I quickly hang up the phone and settle back into my show, ignoring my mother's presence in the room. "Maybe I'll just say my mother is Dana Scully," I mutter mutinously, setting the phone down on the couch next to me. Luckily, Juana is on her way out of the room and misses my comment. I don't even want to call her my mother anymore. Doesn't the title of 'mother' have to be earned by doing more than having your uterus cut open?

Danny calls back a little after 10 on my line, as promised. "How was bowling? I forgot to ask, but I figured something happened since all four of you were on the couch together tonight."

"This is going to sound like a total cliché. It started super awkward, but by the end of the night, we became best friends."

"Even Jamie and Jessie?" His tone says that he does not quite believe it works like that.

"Especially Jamie and Jessie. I'm really excited. I think this is going to be great for all of us."

"That's great, Cheyanne!"

"Thanks!"

"There's another reason why I'm calling."

"What's up?"

"Um...well...I know we're going out and everything, but I wanted to ask you, officially...will you go with me to the Homecoming Dance?"

"I will." He can't see me smiling, but I know he knows I am.

"Great! I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"

"See you in class."