by L B Pavlov
I saw Charlotte on my way to the locker room and told her I would meet her at the truck shortly. She was just finishing up her cool down. She gave me her warm smile, and I immediately felt soothed. Charlotte always knew when something was bothering me. But this was something that would be tough to talk to her about because she clearly liked him. The thought of Charlotte with this guy made my stomach roil.
In the locker room, Blane walked over to me and said with an amused smile, “Hey, Daniel, your throws aren’t bad. I think you could work on your force a bit, but it wasn’t bad.”
This guy has got some nerve.
I just stared at him and said, “Oh, I’m just used to guys like Gomez who can catch whatever I throw.” I added, chucking, “You probably just need someone to put it in your lap, huh?”
Gomez and Sean were staring at our tense interaction.
The douche bag retorted with a disgusting smirk on his face, “Well, the only thing I want on my lap is your friend Charlie.” He congenially put his knuckles up, as if I would give him some sort of guy fist-bump.
I felt every part of my body tense. I wanted to tackle this prick, but Sean and Gomez jumped in between us. They had heard the comment, and they realized a fight was about to break out.
“It’s not worth it, Daniel,” Gomez said in a concerned voice.
I just stared at Blane. I could feel my hatred pouring from my eyes. “You need to be very careful, Blane. Do you understand me?” I asked. My voice was icy, and even I was surprised by the seething tone that came out when I spoke.
He smiled, completely unfazed. “Dude! Chill! She’s not your girlfriend. I’m just saying she’s hot.”
I continued to stare right into his eyes. “I’m watching you. Keep that in mind,” I said, feeling the animosity in my voice.
Sean walked over and steered me out of the locker room.
“I don’t know what that guy is thinking,” he said.
“I do. That’s the problem,” I responded solemnly.
I walked over to the truck, and Charlotte was sitting on the curb waiting for me. Her greeting smile started to fade when she saw my face.
“What’s wrong? Is everything OK?” She rushed over to put her hand on my shoulder.
“Get in the car, I’ll tell you once we’re driving,” I said, trying to compose myself.
She got in the car, and I started the engine. She stared at me, silently waiting for me to fill her in. “You’re not buckled, Charlotte. I’m not talking till we’re driving, and I’m not driving till you’re buckled,” I said quietly.
“OK, I’m buckled. What’s the matter? You have me worried.” Her voice was suddenly filled with concern. Charlotte was not someone who could hide her emotions. She wore them on her sleeve.
“Blane is a prick, Charlotte! You can’t go out with this guy!” I exploded.
With a disturbed look on her face, she replied, “This is about Blane? Is it because he wants to take Gomez’s place as the starting running back?”
Sometimes Charlotte’s innocence was more than I could handle. How was I going to explain this to someone who always saw the good in people?
“Charlotte, he was talking, um, inappropriately about you,” I said in a more sedate voice.
She looked surprised, and her cheeks flushed bright pink. “He was talking bad about me?”
I just stared at her, and she really wasn’t getting it. I pulled the car over to the side of the road and turned to look at her. “Charlotte, he was talking about how hot you are in the locker room,” I finally blurted out.
She burst out laughing! “Blane thinks I’m hot? I don’t think anyone has ever called me that. Is that bad, Daniel? I have heard you and Sean say that before. Is this what you’re so upset about?” She was looking at me as if she was completely puzzled.
“This was different. I can’t explain it. He said other things that I didn’t like, but I don’t even want to talk about it with you. Can’t you just trust me on this one?” I asked.
She turned, and her big eyes welled up with emotion-filled tears. “Daniel, you have known me for a long time. Have I ever been asked on a date? Ever? There is a new kid in school, and everyone is interested in him. And he likes me, Daniel! Why can’t you just let me have this? Why are you trying to ruin this for me? Because he said I was pretty?” She burst into tears. I felt my heart sink as the sobs escaped her throat.
I couldn’t stand to see her unhappy so I said, “I’m sorry, Charlotte. I just don’t trust him. But I won’t say anything else about him to you. Go to dinner with him Friday, and I will keep my mouth shut.” I paused and then continued, “But you better have your cell phone with you in case he tries something so I can come get you. Can you agree to do that?” I asked apologetically.
She turned back to me and attempted to smile. I wiped away the last tear that was coming down her cheek, and she reached across the seat and hugged me. “Of course I can do that, Daniel. Thanks for understanding,” she said, finally smiling. “Lenora left me a message. She made enchiladas tonight. Do you want to come for dinner?” she asked.
Charlotte and I usually ate dinner together since all of our brothers had gone to college. She either joined my parents and I, or I joined her and Lenora. Charlotte’s dad worked a lot. He was rarely home for dinner. He was not very involved in Charlotte’s life outside of her running. Her running was extremely important to her dad. I think it was a way of honoring her mother in his eyes, and she tried very hard to please him.
“Of course, I will shower and then come over,” I said as she got out of the truck.
“OK, see you in a little bit, Daniel!”
My week flew by so fast. Daniel and I spent a lot of time together, between practice, school, and the fact that we literally had dinner together every night that week with the exception of Friday.
Friday was my big date with Blane. Daniel still did not seem to like him, but he seemed to bite his tongue for my sake. I appreciated it. Daniel really liked most people. He had a ton of friends. But when he didn’t like someone, he really, really didn’t like him or her. He usually had a good instinct about people, but clearly this time he had gotten off to a bad start with Blane because of the Gomez situation.
Blane had texted me a few times that week. It was very exciting to get his texts. Daniel was the only boy who had ever texted me, aside from my brothers and Coach Miroballi, my cross-country and track coach, who texted me often about different workouts.
Blane was the first “real” boy to text me. It was all about our date. He was going to take me to Antonio’s Italian Restaurant. Dad and I had eaten there before with my brothers.
I hadn’t really planned what to wear for the date because most of my free time had been spent with Daniel, and I definitely didn’t want to discuss this with him. At lunch I planned to ask Steph and Kathleen about what I should wear. They were both better at this than I was. They both had boyfriends, not to mention the fact that they were both very fashionable. They would tell me what to wear and what to say. This dating thing was a little overwhelming. I quickly got ready for school and hurried downstairs to eat breakfast.
Lenora was cooking breakfast with loud, Spanish music playing, and I could hear her laughing as I came down the stairs. I rushed into the kitchen to see if I had caught my dad before he left for work, and there was Daniel. He had Lenora’s apron on, and he was holding a spatula in his hand to flip the pancakes. I burst out laughing. He was spinning Lenora around in the kitchen and dancing with her.
“Good morning,” I said, giggling.
We all started laughing as Lenora grabbed the spatula out of Daniel’s hand and he grabbed me to twirl me around the kitchen. Daniel came over for breakfast on the days he was up and ready early. He usually preferred to sleep and was in a rush in the morning.
As he spun me into his arms, he looked down at me and said, “Are you ready for your big date tonight?” He had an uneasy look on his face.
“Yes, Daniel. Why are you up so
early this morning?” I asked.
He stared for a minute and then spiraled me forward in a twirl and said, “Couldn’t sleep.”
Lenora turned the music down and told us it was time to eat. When we sat down at the table, I looked at Daniel and asked, “Is everything OK? Is something wrong?” He took a big bite of pancakes while he thought about it.
He quickly said, “No, I just have some things on my mind. Nothing to worry about, and stop biting your lip, please.” He gave me a wink and then continued, “Oh, Lenora, these just may be your best pancakes ever.” Lenora beamed.
Daniel had a way of charming Lenora into cooking whatever he wanted. We finished up breakfast and headed to the truck. On our drive to school, we talked about his upcoming game, which was a week from Saturday.
“Will Gomez get to start?” I inquired.
“Yes, Coach Pank seems to be cautious about your boyfriend, so he is starting Gomez. But I suspect he will still play the douche bag a lot too,” he said, smiling.
“Daniel, he isn’t my boyfriend. I hardly know him. It’s one date.” I felt my face flushing with embarrassment.
“Did you tell your dad about going to dinner yet?” he asked.
“No, I have hardly seen him since school started. He occasionally comes upstairs and says good-night to me, and he asks the usual questions: how was school, how was practice, et cetera.” I paused and continued, “Daniel, do you think that my dad could be dating someone? He is hardly ever home until long after dinner. He rushes out in the morning. Do you think he would be afraid to talk to me about it?” I asked as he pulled into his parking spot at school and turned off his truck.
Daniel turned toward me with a very serious look on his face. “Charlotte, I think he would be afraid of telling you something that would hurt you. I know I would feel the same way. And stop biting your lip, please,” he said, and he quickly planted a kiss on the top of my head and got out of the truck.
“Really, Daniel? But it wouldn’t hurt me if he was dating someone. I would be happy for him. How long can he be alone? It makes me worry about him,” I said, and even I could hear the urgency in my voice.
“I think your dad has a hard time sharing his emotions. But I think you should bring it up to him. He has been alone for so long that he may be afraid of your reaction. Don’t worry, it will all be OK,” he said in the calming voice that only he had. “So what’s the plan for tonight? Do we need to get you home quickly after practice so you can get ready for your dinner?” he asked. He almost sounded nervous.
Daniel probably was nervous for me. He knew how nervous I could get and probably was worried I would make a fool of myself.
“Yes, if that’s OK? I want to take a quick shower and need to figure out what to wear,” I said anxiously.
“Charlotte, don’t overthink it. You always look great. Just be yourself tonight. And remember, it’s bad luck to kiss on the first date,” he said, laughing loudly.
“Oh no! I hope he doesn’t try to kiss me. You don’t think he will, do you? That would be more than I could handle right now,” I said, a little distressed.
Daniel turned and stared at me for a minute, and then he sounded very serious and said, “If he tries to kiss you, tell him no. If he gets pushy, kick him in the balls. As hard as you can.” His eyes were blazing, and then he relaxed and finished with, “And stop biting your lip. It’s going to be a long day, isn’t it?” He chuckled as we walked to class.
I was fidgety all day. I couldn’t wait to get to practice. Running was always very soothing to me. It was my time to think things out and clear my head. I pushed myself and always worked through a lot of my anxieties.
“I heard that Coach Miroballi has us doing mile repeats today,” Kathleen said, horrified. We had just sat down to lunch.
“Oh, good ol’ mile repeats, huh? Let’s hope Charlotte doesn’t chuck her cookies before her date,” Daniel said, laughing as he gave me a half hug at the table.
I was known for pushing myself on interval workouts. I expected myself to run certain times, and I wasn’t happy when I didn’t hit my goals. So, yes, I had chucked my cookies a few times over the years, but I was proud to say that I wasn’t afraid to work hard.
“Thanks, Daniel. You would love me to chuck my cookies today, wouldn’t you?” I giggled at the thought. I actually wasn’t feeling great today. I had an upset stomach and wrote it off to being flustered about my date. I turned to Kathleen and Steph, who were talking about the workout. “He told me we are doing five-times-one mile repeats today. Get ready to seriously break a sweat,” I said, laughing.
They both made a face to let me know they were dreading our afternoon workout. I was actually looking forward to it, but that wasn’t something I would tell anyone but Daniel. They would think I was crazy.
Steph looked at me with a silly face and said, “Well, at least we can go home after and collapse, unlike little missy over here.” Kathleen and Steph both burst out laughing at me.
I was starting to dread this date. Why had I thought this would be a good idea? I had a terrible stomachache now. I had no idea what to wear.
“What should I wear to dinner? Should I dress up?” I asked them both nervously.
Steph turned quickly, eager to share her fashion advice. “No! You don’t want to look like you are overly excited. Definitely jeans, right Kath?” she said.
Kathleen chimed in, “Yes, jeans are a must.” She was now in deep thought but thinking out loud. “But what top? What shoes? I am thinking here…” She looked to Steph for assistance.
“I’ve got it!” Steph shouted in a very loud and excited voice, causing half the table to turn and listen as I reddened with humiliation at my obvious lack of independence.
“Wear your sheer, cream blouse, and I think you should wear a bright pink bra underneath to really catch his attention. That will definitely make a statement,” she proclaimed as if she was beyond proud of herself.
I quietly turned to her and said, “I am not wearing a pink bra under a sheer top that you can see through! Are you crazy?”
Now it was just Kathleen and Steph listening, and Daniel seemed to be half listening because he kept looking over at me to see my response.
“I like the sheer top, but I would wear a lacey tank top underneath. Can I wear my pink ballet flats?” I asked hopefully.
“No! Absolutely not,” Kathleen declared. “You need to wear heels to dinner, Charlie.”
Steph piped right in, “Absolutely. Heels.” They both stared and waited for my response.
“Gosh, I can barely walk in heels. Really, it’s an absolute must?” I asked.
Suddenly Daniel chimed in. “I like a girl in flats. I think you should be comfortable when you go out.” He winked at me.
Kathleen turned to Daniel. “Is that what all the girls you get together with wear? Ballet flats, Daniel? Really? Are you serious?” she said, teasing him.
“Well, if I liked a girl enough to take her on an actual date, I would want her to be comfortable. And yes, I’m serious,” he said, smiling.
Kathleen and Steph both smiled at Daniel and seemed to believe him. Boy, he sure had a way of charming just about anyone.
Just then Blane approached the table, and everyone seemed to go silent. Blane did not seem to be hitting it off with the football players on the team, and just his presence seemed to tense everyone up. I felt bad for him. It would be tough to start at St. Viator’s as a senior. Many of us had gone to school together since kindergarten, and most had at least been together since ninth grade. It was a small school and probably seemed cliquish to say the least, and I imagined it would be tough to fit in if you were an outsider.
“Hey, Charlie,” he said with his dazzling California smile.
“Hi, Blane, how are you?” I asked and smiled back at him.
“I’m looking forward to tonight. I will plan to pick you up around seven if that still works? I just want to make sure I give you plenty of time to primp. I know how you girls a
re,” he said, chuckling.
“Oh, OK. Sure. Seven is great,” I said.
I tried to think about what he had just said. What did he mean about me primping? I wondered if primping would mean wearing a sheer top with a hotpink bra. Gosh, I hoped not. I would definitely be disappointing him.
Before I could say good-bye, Daniel just couldn’t resist his chance to take a shot. “Charlotte doesn’t primp. She doesn’t need to.” He stared at Blane with the angriest look I have ever seen on his face.
I felt the hair on my arms stand up. My gosh, Daniel, I thought, this Gomez thing has gotten out of control. Even Gomez was friendlier to Blane than Daniel was.
Blane just glared back at him, and then he turned and said, “See you tonight, Charlie.”
I just simply said, “Bye, Blane,” as I turned to look at my best friend.
“What in the world was that about?” I asked in an undertone so only he could hear.
“Sorry. Couldn’t help myself. Who tells a girl to primp? What is this guy’s deal?” he said, annoyance and disgust in his voice.
Everyone else at the table seemed to understand what Daniel’s problem was with Blane. They were all glancing at each other like they knew some secret. I refused to inquire. I wasn’t going to let anything ruin this first date. I needed to at least be able to say I had one date under my belt, I thought, laughing to myself.
Daniel and I walked to our next class together because his class was just down the hall from mine. He turned to me with a guilty look on his face. “Sorry, Charlotte. I am trying,” he said and kissed me on top of my head and walked away.