Nina Cox Must Date

Chapter 9 - Batman and Joker

I've been reluctant to look at dating profiles after what happened with Remus. I didn't mean to be unkind when I said he looked like Harry Potter; the coincidences were too numerous, and the situation was amusing—at least to me.

His words have stuck with me. I've heard them too many times in my life. A girl once called me "Weird Nina," and that label followed me everywhere until I got to college.

I was fortunate that Lisa was at the same school. She discovered that my classmates were subtly bullying me and told my mom. One of the boys started a game in which everyone pretended I didn't exist. My mom went down to the school and gave the principal an earful. The kids stopped the ridiculous game, but they still referred to me as "Weird Nina" whenever they could.

What was so strange about me? I began showing interest in computer systems at a young age. I also collected cards and played role-playing games with dice alongside Elijah and his friends. I didn't have friends of my own because no one shared my interests or wanted to be seen with me.

Starting college felt like a fresh beginning. People didn't care about what I liked or how I looked. Still, I harbored a nagging concern that others would find me weird. That changed when a guy with bushy hair, wearing shell necklaces and smelling like "herbs," took a seat next to me.

"Is this Programming 101?" he asked.

"Yeah, are you supposed to be here? We started two weeks ago," I replied.

"I was indisposed," he said with a mischievous grin.

"You mean high as a kite?" I raised an eyebrow.

"That was some crazy stuff I bought. Never again," he said, shaking his head. "I was so sick; I felt like I had three stomachs," he added, making me feel a bit disgusted at the thought.

"When was the last time you smoked?"

He scrunched his face in thought, and it was kind of cute. "Two weeks ago."

"Really? You smell like you just did it five minutes ago," I laughed.

"Oh, crap! I can't get the smell out of the van."

"Why didn't you come to college? I assume you weren't sick the whole two weeks."

"I milked the illness. Played games and let my mom take care of me. She figured out I was faking it and sent my ass here."

I looked at him and admired his unique honesty. Then I realized that he was in a wheelchair. His extraordinary personality kept me entertained, and I hadn't noticed at first.

"I'm Nina," I said, offering my hand.

"Taylor," he replied, shaking it. "Your name is cute."

From that moment on, I stopped being Weird Nina and started being myself. Taylor and I embraced each other with all our virtues and flaws. We were quirky together, and it was perfectly fine.

I settle down in front of the TV with a bowl of awful microwave noodles, lacking any desire to cook. The doorbell rings, and I wonder who it could be.

"Hey, you have a key. Why didn't you just come in?" I say to Taylor, who holds a large box on his lap.

"I'm afraid I might let the box fall," he replies, entering with a scent of something delicious trailing behind him.

"What do you have in there?" I ask, tilting my head toward the box.

"Well, I felt bad about what happened to your cake mixes, and one of my colleagues had a solution," he says as he opens the box. I peek inside and see two adorable kittens.

"Are they for me?" I gasp, cradling them in my arms.

"Yeah, they can keep you company, and if you make a pet door between the cottage and the barn, they can come and go while keeping the area mouse-free. My colleague has a bunch of them ready for adoption, and I thought of you."

"You are the best!" I exclaim, placing the kittens on the couch and hugging Taylor tightly.

"I also brought some food. From your last message, I gathered you had a busy day," he says.

"Not only are you the best, but you are also heaven-sent," I reply, taking the bag of food dangling from his chair. "I had to drive two hours up and two hours down, but that collector had some amazing stuff. I found the Thundercats action figures I was asked to hunt, all in mint condition!"

"What else did he have?" Taylor asks eagerly.

I set a large box on his lap.

"No way! These are all the He-Man action figures!" Taylor exclaims in awe.

"And see the box on the dining table? That's Skeletor's castle! Also in mint condition!"

"I'm very happy for you! Nina, this is a little gold mine!"

"I know!"

My celebration is interrupted by two loud meows.

"Oh, I don't have anything in the house for you," I say to the kittens.

"I have everything in my van: food, litter boxes, and some toys," Taylor offers.

I kneel next to his chair and take his hand. "Marry me, Taylor Reed. I'm lost without you."

Taylor laughs heartily and gives me a gentle push, causing me to lose my balance and fall onto my backside. The kittens immediately crawl into my lap.

"Jeez, I have better balance than you," Taylor chuckles.

"Only because you caught me off guard. Hey, what should we name these little guys?" I ask, peeking under their tails.

"I thought you could call them Batman and Joker," he suggests.

I look at them and laugh. Batman is a tuxedo cat, looking like he's wearing a black mask. He is completely black except for his white belly, chest, and muzzle. Joker has a mix of colors in his fur, but his mouth is shaped in a way that gives the impression he's smiling.

"Those names are perfect!" I say.

Taylor and I enjoy the food he brought while the kittens sleep on the couch.

"Have you picked the next date?" Taylor asks after letting out a loud burp.

"Nah, I don't want to repeat the last one," I reply, and a burp escapes me too, making Taylor laugh.

"Let me check your profile for messages. I think our mistake was going with the first one without checking if the guy was compatible. Whoa, Nina! You have tons of messages!"

I glance at his phone, and indeed there are plenty. Taylor scrolls through a few profiles and reads them while frowning. Suddenly, he smiles.

"Bingo!" he exclaims, handing me the phone.

On the small screen is the profile of a role player named Xander.