So so, there are a couple of pictures to the side there, I"m sure you can figure them out.
There is also some language in this one too, warning there for you.
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Asked a boy out on a date, been on a date with a boy or been on a date.
February 4, 2012
Mhm.
Yeah.
Never been on a date.
Ever.
Is that sad?
I don't really think so.
Harriet, Fran and Sam, trying to break me out of my shell and have me meet boys, tried in vain to get me with so many guys since high school started that I’ve seen the entire rainbow of the male gender.
Which makes it sound like I had to date a lot of gay guys, which now that I think about it they did pair me up with this guy Fransisco, he was gay.
Anyway, I’ve never actually been on a date, like a real date, I went to the movies once with this guy McGuire, that is a really dumb name now that I think about it, but the point is that he made me pay for my own ticket and drink because he was saving for a new video game. Besides, when I heard him ask for a ticket to 10,000 B.C., I was like no way and got a ticket for Wall-E, which was SO CUTE.
I also went to McDonalds once for a Big Mac with this guy Peter, all he did was make jokes about him being Peter and me being Wendy. Like really?
Those are the only ‘dates’ I’ve been on.
So the girls came up with the plan to have me go on a date. I may have the final say in what tasks go so I could have said no to this one, but I need this, and what if I go out on a date and voila! Love!
I doubt that, but still why are guys the only ones that can ask girls out on dates, why can’t a girl ask a guy. Which is another reason why I’m doing this.
So the only thing that terrifies me? The fact that it’s February, which means one thing…Valentine’s day.
No way in the name of everything holy am I asking a guy out on Valentine’s day, maybe during the day, but most definitely not at night. No, most definitely not anytime of that day.
I have…twenty-four days left of this month too and you know somehow, somebody found out that I’m doing this and now guys really won’t let me be.
“Is it just me, or did that guy drool because he forgot to close his mouth?” I whispered to Adrian as we walked past a large group of nerds that were staring at me.
He snickered and nodded, “Yeah, I’m pretty sure you stunned him into hoping you would ask him out on a date just because you walked by.”
I elbowed him in the ribs as we walked up to my locker. It was after lunch and we had to get our books for our third period. Adrian didn’t have a locker because he came into the school year late so we shared one.
“You know, I don’t even know how it got out I was going to ask a guy on a date.” I whispered, grabbing my Calculus book.
He shrugged nonchalantly, too nonchalantly if you ask me, and I narrowed my eyes at him, grabbing his Calculus book before he could.
“Wendy Bird—” He started but I cut him off.
“It was you, you did it. You told everyone I was doing this.” I whispered harshly, holding his book out of his reach. He stopped trying to grab his book and raised his eyebrows at me, “Oh come off it you jerk, you told everyone didn’t you?”
He sighed and shook his head saying calmly, “No, I didn’t.”
He was lying, I just knew it, I could tell, my jaw dropped, “You did! I can’t believe you did! This isn’t a game Adrian—”
Suddenly he cut me off angrily, “Except that’s all that it is Wendy!” He threw his hands up in the air and the few students that were at their lockers scurried away, afraid of his outburst, “It is a game, especially to you! Did you ever think that by asking a guy on a date you would hurt someone in the process?” He hit the locker next to mnie and turned around quickly, “You could really hurt someone’s feelings. What if the guy you ask really likes you,” He turned back around to me and looked at me with pleading eyes, “And he finds out you ask him just because you needed a convenient body this month.”
“Ah, I see what this is.” I said quietly, my fingers limp, the book falling out of my hand, hitting the ground with a loud snap.
“What are you talking about?” He growled ignoring the book that had fallen.
“You’re mad that I asked you for my first task. That I just used you, you’re mad and now you’re finally telling me.” I stated plainly.
There was silence so deafening the bell for third period went off and he just stared at me, “I never regretted you asking me.”
I shook my head, “This isn’t about regret, this is about feeling used, you know how it feels and you don’t like that. You don’t want me to use someone else.”
He closed his eyes, “Yes, that’s it.”
I sighed and rolled my eyes, realizing that i wasn't right, he was just giving in, “No it’s not, but I’ll live with that explanation for now. Until you feel like I’m worth a real one.”
I bent down and picked up his book, stacking it with my own. With my free hand I grabbed his left hand and led him to Calculus class.
I handed him his book and smiled at him, “Let’s go learn some stuff.”
He gave me half-hearted smile and I opened the door, waiting for the reprimand our teacher was about to give us.
February 14, 2012
“Harriet, your parents are rich, right?” I inquired as we sat down at the lunch table.
“Yes.” She answered unsurely.
“So if I murdered you for say, asking Kyle Rolands to go on a date with me, do you think they would buy you a nice coffin or just put the few remaining pieces into a jar?” I questioned sweetly so she glared at me. Fran snorted into her pudding and Sam was looking down at her phone, eyes wide, teeth working on her lower lip, trying to stop herself from laughing.
“You did what?” Fran hiccupped loudly causing half of the cafeteria to look at her weirdly.
“She asked that pompous argh, I can't even say his name! To go on a date with me.” I growled through clenched teeth.
Sam chuckled, “I don’t think argh is an actual name or thing Wendy.”
I glared at her, “That’s not the point, the point is she asked for me and I really didn’t want to ask him.”
Harriet rolled her eyes and pointed an accusatory finger at me, “We all know who you really want to ask, but you won’t and you’re not going to, so I took it upon myself to ask for you.”
“But Harriet its Valentine’s day, I really don’t want to go out tonight especially with a guy I don’t really like.” I whispered, whining to her.
Sam choked on a grape and Fran quickly started to smack her back, quite loudly I might add. She gasped and then the grape flew out of her mouth hitting Donnie Kendrick’s back, bouncing off and landing in Rhonda’s hair. We all sat there stunned for a moment before we all burst out laughing causing most of the cafeteria to look at us again.
We all brought our laughs down to chuckles, wiping our eyes and shaking our heads as Sam drank some water to calm her throat.
“What the heck Sam?” I questioned, chuckling a bit as I saw Rhonda scratch the back of her head.
“You’re going out tonight?” Sam gasped, setting the water bottle down.
I rolled my eyes away from Rhonda’s grape quest and looked at Sam, “Yeah, all thanks to Harriet.”
“It was gonna happen sooner or later; I just made it happen sooner rather than later.” Harriet shrugged watching Rhonda.
I looked over at her again and watched as she pulled out a safety pin, two quarters and an eraser, but no grape, “You know I didn’t want to go on a date tonight Harriet.”
Fran sighed, “Harriet’s right though Wendy, we all know you want to ask one person, but you won’t so she helped you.”
I shrugged and watched Rhonda pull a small slice of carrot from her hair, “I guess, but I just wish it wasn’t tonight. But that just means you’re all coming over to help me pick out my outfit.”
Sam patted my back softly and was about to say something but then we all four burst out laughing as Rhonda pulled the grape out of her hair, looking at it with more confusion than everything else combined.
It was seven o’clock and I was ready, unfortunately. The girls had all left an hour ago with their boyfriends and I was sitting nervously, pulling on my wavy blonde hair, hoping that he woul—
Honk, honk! Dang I was hoping he would forget I thought checking my black purse to make sure I had everything, my keys, phone, wallet, ne—
Honk, honk! Wow no patience, I thought closing my purse and walking to the door, locking the handle as I walked out.
I walked out to his car, which I admit was beautiful even though I wasn’t much into newer models of cars. Before I opened the door I could hear the rap blaring from the speakers. Cringing I opened the door and climbed in, smiling at him.
“Hi.” I practically yelled at him over the music.
He smiled cheekily at me, “Hey, you look good.”
Though I could hardly hear him, I got the gist of it and smiled before turning to the window and rolling my eyes.
The car ride was filled with loud rap music, I had no problem with it in general, but I do have a problem losing my hearing because of it.
Arriving at the… restaurant if that’s what you wanted to call it since it was the Yolinda hotel, was a godsend for my ears.
Turns out there was an amazing restaurant inside the hotel, okay well there was also an amazing restaurant called Isadora’s that was half the price, twice as good and on the other side of town, and yet we were here.
We were seated and I looked around, taking in the beauty of it. The waiter appeared and I ordered an iced tea, he ordered a mountain dew.
“So, what do you think of this place?” He asked once we were alone.
I shrugged and looked around at the high ceilings, the marble dance floor and the mauve and beige color scheme. Over all it was pretty, but everyone held that air of importance, like everyone else was beneath them, “It’s beautiful.”
He grinned and nodded, “Yeah, my dad owns it.”
I made an O with my mouth and looked down at my menu as the waiter brought our drinks. He left and I read through everything they had to offer while Kyle sat calmly, not looking at his menu, apparently he came here often.
The waiter came almost as soon as I closed my menu. Kyle ordered the regional burger and I ordered the Thai chicken salad seeing as how it was the only thing on the menu that didn’t have mushrooms in it.
We lapped into silence after that until suddenly he wrapped his fingers around my own, startling me, “Would you like to dance?” He asked, nodding his head to the small band that was seated on the low stage by the right wall.
I nodded and smiled, standing up as he led me to the dance floor. He wasn’t that much taller than me with my heels on and we fit easily with each other, slowly swaying to the music. I rested my head on his shoulder after a few songs and almost immediately my eyes flew open. His hands, which were apparently the traveling kind, were not on my waist anymore.
I jerked them up to my waist and he chuckled before moving them back down. I jerked them off of me completely and stepped back, “Where is the restroom?”
He raised an eyebrow at me, but pointed behind me, towards the entrance and I walked to the table, grabbing my purse, before walking to the bathroom. Banging the door open I stumbled in and sat down roughly on a padded stool that was in there, digging through my purse I pulled out the red box.
I didn’t want to wear it tonight, but I wanted to bring it so I could feel a little comforted at least. I opened the box and stroked the pearl once and sighed, I was newly determined to finish this date. I blew out a breath and looked at it once more before snapping the box closed and standing up, straightening my skirt out and walking out of the bathroom.
He was already eating and that just caused me to roll my eyes at his lack of manners.
I sat and smiled tightly at him, “Sorry, I had an emergency.”
He shrugged and spoke through a mouthful of mushroom, Swiss cheese and avocado, “No problem.”
I smiled again and ate my food in silence, wanting the night to be over. It wasn’t the most horrible night I could ask for, but it was definitely not the best. Once our food was done our waiter came and collected our plates before placing the check on the table; very prompt waiter, I thought with my eyebrows raised.
Kyle looked at the check, left a ten and stood up making my jaw drop, “Aren’t you going to pay?”
He raised his eyebrows at me, “Why? My dad will pay for it, the ten was just the tip”
I shook my head in disbelief and followed him out of the restaurant. We were walking by the desk when he turned and gave me another cheeky smile, grabbing my hand, “You know Wendy, it is the night of love tonight and I do get free ro—”
I cut him off by yanking my hand from his, “Don’t push your luck Kyle.”
He shrugged and turned around, “It was worth a shot.”
My mouth dropped and I rolled my eyes, taking my phone out of my purse, “You know Kyle, thanks for dinner and all, but I think I’ll call someone else to pick me up.”
He turned to me, arms crossed over his chest, “Wendy, it’s Valentine’s day, no one is going to be able to pick you up at eight-thirty on Valentine’s day.”
I wasn’t listening; I was already dialing Arian’s number. Kyle shrugged and walked away, leaving me alone in the hotel lobby.
Adrian answered on the third ring and I smiled, “Could you come pi—”
I was cut off by a female laugh, making me stop short. I knew it was Valentine’s day, I knew it, but I didn’t think that I would have to worry and now, oh my goodness, now, well never mind it I was going to just hang up and walk home, it was after all ten minutes from my house.
“Hello, Wendy Bird?” He asked over the background noise of doors slamming.
Another female laugh brought me out of my stupor and I gave a small tight smile while I walked out of the hotel, “Sorry, I must have butt dialed you, see you tomorrow.”
I quickly hung up and wrapped my arms around myself, my arms were bare and I was regretting the decision to wear a vest. My phone rang and I answered without looking at the caller I.d.
“Wendy Bird, you never butt dial anybody especially when your wearing a dress.” Adrian said when I held the phone to my ear.
“Well I dropped my phone and accidentally pushed my speed di—”
He cut me off, “You are such a liar, you called because the date with Kyle was a disaster and you want me to pick you up from whatever crap hole he left you in because I know you well enough to know that you only stood for his crap for so long.”
I was silent as I crossed the street from the hotel to the Starbucks across from it.
He sighed into the phone, “He probably took you to the Yolinda didn’t he.”
I sighed and walked past a Jamba Juice, “No he didn’t, look just, enjoy your Valentine’s day, like I said I accidentally called you, so have fun and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I hung up on him without waiting for an answer and turned my phone on silent, putting it in my purse. I walked with my arms wrapped tightly around me and my head down, wishing Harriet had never asked Kyle, it was really all her fault, but I knew why she did it.
She didn’t want me to stay hung up on Adrian all the time because clearly he wasn’t hung up on me. I knew that, it was never a secret, but that didn't stop me from hoping. And now here I was, walking at eight-thirty at night down a practically deserted street in heels and a dress.
Our town wasn’t a scary place, but at night, no matter where you are is scary, especially if you’re a girl. I walked as fast as my heels would let me down the street before coming to a stop light. I waited to walk even though there was no one there. I imagined that there would be a cop that would just appear out of nowhere to arrest me if I stepped onto the street without the proper signal. I waited and finally with a little huff, put my right heel into the street.
Just as I was putting my left foot into the street headlights shot down the street ahead of me and I almost fell in my haste to get back on the curb.
Two feelings went through me in an instant, I was ever thankful it wasn’t a cop, but then I was pissed when I recognized the sound of Adrian’s car. I tried to blend in with something but there really isn’t anywhere for a salmon pink dress to blend into especially on a cold February night at the corner of a Panda Express.
I gave up on blending in and sat at a table outside of the dark Panda, waiting for my doom to ride up in a black Chevy nova ss. He pulled to a stop and rolled down his window.
“Come one Wendy Bird, get in!” He yelled at me.
I shook my head and he hit his head on the steering wheel before he rolled the window up and turned the car off.
He got out and came over to my table, sitting down across from me, “Why won’t you get in the car?”
I shrugged and avoided looking at him.
“Look Wendy, I really don’t have time for this.” He growled, standing up and reaching for my arm.
I jerked away from him and stood too, angry as all hell, “Well then by all means, please go then, I didn’t ask for you to come here, so don’t be angry at me.” I turned and started walking in the direction of my house before I was yanked back angrily; stumbling on my shoes, my purse toppled over and everything fell out, the little red box included.
“You jerk!” I yelled at him, rushing to pick everything up, but he was too quick and got to the box first.
“Why are you carrying this around?” He held it up accusingly and I stared at him dully.
“Because you gave it to me and I didn’t want to wear it for Kyle, but I wanted to have it with me.” I ripped it from his fingers and stuffed it back in my purse before I turned around again.
“Why did you go on the date with Kyle if you didn’t want to?” He yelled at me before I’d even taken three steps.
I stopped and turned to him, a thoughtful expression on my face, “Because I’ve been on some terrible dates, so bad I don’t consider them dates, gone to horrible places with funny guys, rude guys, even gay guys,” I nodded at his disbelieving face, “I have done some dumb things to please my friends. I went on the date with Kyle because I figured if I did, it would get them off my back and it would complete my task.” He shook his head disbelievingly, “Maybe it wasn’t the right way to go about it, but at—”
“That is stupid.” He cut me off so I raised my eyebrows at him, “You did it because you were too scared to ask a guy yourself.”
“Too scared?” I yelled at him walking over, “Harriet took matters into her own hands and I am tired of taking orders from them. Best friends that we may be, I have always been too fucking nice, I’ve let them make decisions for me since we were six years old.” I poked him in the chest, “I wanted red but Harriet thought a blue tree would look better. I wanted pink sequins but Fran thought that the stars should be purple sequins. I was going to make a Popsicle stick picture frame but Sam decided a straw picture frame was better.” He rolled his eyes at me and I pushed him, hard, so hard he stumbled back a bit and his eyes widened at me.
“I never get to make my own decisions, never. So I decided to play this game and that this game would be about me and making my own decisions. I chose you for your number, I wanted to swim in the ocean, I danced and sang in the rain, I got drunk, ran though Wal-Mart and threw a sick party. Maybe I had help, but this was all still my choice. I went on this sad excuse for a mother-FUCKING date so that I could have the next two weeks to find my own damned date.” I was screaming at him, frustrated, irritated and irate. “I am not scared and if you knew me at all, you would fucking know that.” I gave an aggravated scream and turned around.
“I wanted this task, this one alone at least, to be mine, to be somewhere I wanted, with someone I wanted, doing what I wanted; I went on the date with Kyle so that I would have that freedom.” I sighed and sat down at the table, though I’d been angry earlier, now I was exhausted.
I rested my head in my hands and heard him walk over to me, there was a shift and suddenly I was warm, the smell of leather and Adrian enveloping me. I lifted my head and gripped the jacket, looking up at him.
He sat across from me and smiled, “I know you weren’t scared, I just wanted to know why you really went on a date you didn’t want to go on.”
I punched him in the arm playfully and he smiled, wrapping his warm fingers around my cold ones, “Can I ask you something then?” I whispered, playing with his fingers.
“I am your favorite book.” He smiled at me.
“I know you told everyone that I was looking for a date.” He stiffened slightly and I tugged on his fingers, “Why, exactly? And please be honest.”
He sighed and rubbed his free hand over his face, “I figured no guy would want to be used that way and I thought that if you went on a date with a guy and really liked him, you might not have time for me.”
I looked up at him sharply, “What in the name of hell’s bells are you talking about?”
He chuckled and shrugged, “I figured you would only ask someone you really liked so if the date went well, you would get a boyfriend and we wouldn’t hang out as much.” He shrugged but I could see his pink cheeks in the dim streetlight.
I laughed loudly, and he scowled at me, so I hurried to explain, “I would have asked a friend, someone I would enjoy the company of, and we would have fun, but I doubt a boyfriend would come out of it.”
He shrugged, but seemed relieved, “You never know.”
I shook my head and laughed, “I do know, and I happen to know that I probably wouldn’t date someone off an impulse like that.”
He looked up at me and gave me a crooked grin, “What does that mean?”
I shrugged and looked down at our hands, “It means that I would have to get to know them a bit longer than an hour long date would allow. Besides I’m moving off to college in six months, I would never start a relationship I would know is going to end in six months.”
He nodded and we sat in silence for a few moments before he stood up suddenly, grabbing my hand, “Come on, let’s get you home, you must be freezing.”
I nodded and allowed him to pull me up and lead me to his car. I got in and took off my shoes and his jacket, removing the vest before putting his jacket back on. Once he was in the car and had it started up he turned on the heater and we drove away from the dark Panda Express. I leaned my head back against the head rest and listened to the low sounds of music coming from the speakers. I don't remember how quickly I fell asleep.
I was suddenly shaken awake, and I blinked rapidly causing Adrian to laugh. I climbed stupidly out of the car and followed him blindly up to my front door. He had my keys already and was opening the door, leading me inside to the empty house.
I dropped my shoes and vest right there in the entry way and was about to turn and tell him thank you and good night, but he promptly steered me into the living room and settled me down on the couch.
I blinked at him again, my sleepiness clearing as he started fiddling with the TV and stereo.
He finished whatever he was doing and walked over to the hall closet grabbing a blanket and settling down next to me.
“What’s going on?” I asked, genuinely confused as the menu for Due Date came on the screen.
He bundled me under the blanket and pressed play before answering, “I figured that I would wait with you until your parents got home that way your not home alone.”
I laughed, “I’m eighteen Stranger, I think I can handle it.” I rolled my eyes and then a thought struck me. It wasn’t pretty and I hated to say it let alone think it, but I had to, “What about the girl you were with earlier?”
He looked down at me, “Erica?”
I sucked in a quick breath, "Your sister, Erica?"
He laughed and nodded, “Yeah I had to 'babysit' tonight, I mean she is sixteen, but apparently she’s incapable of not dying while my parents aren’t there.”
I chuckled and settled low in to the couch, “Okay, well thanks for staying with me.”
He shrugged and pulled me closer, “Well just think of it this way, your watching a movie with a boy on Valentine's day, doesn’t that count as a date?”
I looked up at him, the light from the TV making his face shadowed so that my heart beat erratically and I blinked before smiling and snuggling into him, “I guess that’s task seven, done.”
He laughed quietly and I let the sound reverberate through me as I watched the movie.