Smart Boys & Fast Girls (A Girlfriend's Guide to Boys)

by Stephanie Rowe

  "There are three open seats up here."

  Obviously, it would have behooved me to notice that little fact before opening my mouth, huh? "Hey, if you're going to be my boyfriend, then I have to get used to being in your presence, don't I? I'm practicing."

  "Boyfriend?" Matt's friend had his chair up on two legs, he was leaning so far over to hear our conversation. "Matt's your boyfriend?"

  Matt shot me a truly lethal look.

  As if that comment was my fault! He's the one who'd egged me on, giving me a hard time for sitting next to him, and he was going to benefit from this relationship too. Plus, he was the one who'd told Zach about it. "It's about the job, Matt."

  He gave me a lethal look. "It better be."

  He didn't have to spell out the "or else." I already knew: He'd expose my lie to everyone and completely humiliate me.

  It was definitely time to work on my dad. What if he didn't have a job this summer?

  No, he had to. He had to.

  "Boyfriend?" His friend wasn't giving up.

  Matt gave him a look. "None of your business."

  "Sure it is. What about Liz?"

  Oops. That girlfriend thing. I forgot about that. I suddenly felt bad. I didn't want to mess things up for him. I hoped he'd already explained the situation to her so she didn't hear about it from anyone else. Wouldn't want to add that to my list of things to apologize to him for.

  Matt groaned and slid down in his chair. "I can't deal with this."

  He looked so cute with his forehead all wrinkled and his mouth so unhappy, I almost wanted to hug him. Wow. The realization shocked me enough that I leaned back in the chair. I thought he was cute? Really?

  I studied him more carefully as he opened his book and pulled out his notebook. His hair was flopped over his forehead, his glasses were sliding down his nose, and the sleeves of his shirt were cuffed in a really cute way over his forearms. Wow. I really did sort of want to hug him.

  Well, not really, but he did make me feel a little warm and fuzzy. For a moment, a cold chill ran down my arms. How could I like a guy that hated me so much? I really didn't need that kind of grief in my life. I really didn't. But he was cute. I really thought he was.

  But then he glanced over at me. He got a surprised look on his face, and I realized that he could probably read my expression that I thought he was cute. I hadn't even had time to get embarrassed before he smiled. A nice, real smile. A kind smile. A smile like we were friends. And it felt amazing.

  I smiled back, and then ducked my head, my heart pounding. This was good, right? To think he was cute, to melt a little when he smiled at me, right? I mean, it wasn't like I liked him. I liked Zach. But Matt and I were going to have to convince people that he was my boyfriend.

  Boyfriend? The enormity of the situation suddenly hit me. I'd never had a boyfriend in my life. I had no idea how to act like someone's girlfriend. What was I supposed to do?

  Then I saw Matt's wallet out on his desk, and I remembered the picture of his girlfriend. Matt knew how to be a boyfriend. He could tell me how to do it.

  The thought made me laugh, like the kind of laugh that actually made you feel a little sick. Yeah, I was so sure he'd be glad to teach me girlfriend guidelines. Somehow I was one hundred percent convinced geometry was more his speed.

  "Matt."

  I looked up to find Blue standing in front of us. What now?

  He glanced up, a pained look on his face. "What?"

  "I invited you and Natalie to come out with me and my boyfriend, and she said she'd check with you. Has she checked? Are we on for Saturday night?"

  No way was I going to let him catch my eye on that one. Instead, I looked out the window and admired the leaves that were just starting to turn color.

  "Saturday night?" Matt's friend spoke up. "I thought you were coming to my house for a movie? You going to bring her?" He thumbed at me like I had cooties or something.

  Yes, I felt wanted. "I told Blue that I thought you already had plans with your friend," I said, enunciating clearly just in case he was too mad to hear clearly. "I didn't commit to anything."

  He groaned, leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

  I felt kinda sorry for him actually.

  "Blue, please take your seat."

  Saved by Ms. Olsen! Not that she was off my black list. After all, she was the cause of all my troubles. Her insistence that I have a tutor had landed me in this mess in the first place. Yes, it was all her fault.

  I spent the rest of the class being mad at her. Actually, I spent the first five minutes being mad and imagining embarrassing things happening to her. At that point, Matt picked my pen up off my notebook, shoved it into my hand and glared at me. "Listen and take notes."

  Right. Probably would be a good idea.

  I actually took two pages of notes; the most ever. Whenever I started to daydream, I'd see Matt out of the corner of my eye writing furiously. It was like he was psychic, because every time, he'd look up and scowl at me. Got rid of my daydreaming without fail.

  Who knew that being threatened was the key to improved concentration? That and the fact that I wasn't sitting next to Blue, so I had no one to pass notes to. Somehow I doubted Matt would be too psyched if I passed him a note about how Ms. Olsen's shirt didn't match her shoes at all.

  Matt bolted from class two minutes early, so Saturday night was left undecided and I didn't know where to meet him for tutoring.

  I chose not to chase after him, though. Go figure. Even I'm smarter than that.

  * * *

  Tomboy.

  That's what I was.

  My reflection in the girls' locker room mirror did me no favors. I was about to see Zach, and I looked like a boy. Or at least not like the glam girl Allie always projected. I didn't understand it. My hair was past my shoulders, and it was a little curly at the ends. I had decent eyelashes. My nose was small and cute. My breasts weren't huge, but they were there. So, how come none of these boys thought of me as a girl? I didn't understand. I really didn't.

  "You coming, Natalie?" Val poked her head around the door to the locker room, her gorgeous dark hair pulled back in a ponytail that made her look plenty girly.

  For a moment, I was so surprised that I forgot to reply. She wanted me to come? Then I grinned, my tension going away. If Val wanted me to be in her group, people would notice. "Sure thing, Val."

  Two minutes later, I was jogging out to the field with the gang, and we started stretching near the guys. Zach was there and he was checking me out, despite my lack of a cool haircut.

  Remembering Allie's advice to be cool, I ignored him and laughed at something Val said. If Matt showed up today, I'd kill him. I really would.

  I was stretching my calves on the bottom step of the bleachers when I felt his presence.

  Zach's, not Matt's.

  He said nothing. Just climbed on the step next to me and stretched his calf.

  Should I say something? Try to explain about the Matt thing? Or pretend it hadn't happened?

  "You got a boyfriend, huh?"

  My heart skipped, but I managed a restrained shrug. I wanted to tell him no, so badly, but how could I do that? It would get back to my parents and my friends if I did. "Kinda."

  "What does that mean?"

  I eyed him, but he wasn't looking at me. He was gazing across the field at some random whatever in the distance. Yeah, he was trying to play it cool too. "It means kinda."

  "Does it mean you have plans for Friday night? I'm having a party." He glanced at me. "Cross-country team members only, so your boyfriend can't come."

  My sneaker slipped off the step and I crashed down and smacked my knee on the metal. Ow. "Friday night? A party? At your house?"

  "Are you okay?"

  I stopped rubbing my knee and stood up. "I'm fine."

  "You need to take care of those legs."

  Yeah, no kidding. I flexed my knee, then hopped up and down on it. "See? Fine."

  He grinned. Nice tee
th. Cute dimples. "So, how about Friday then?"

  "Ah... What time?"

  "Nine?"

  "You're asking me what time your party is?"

  His smile slipped. "Nine," he said.

  Dinner with Matt and my parents was at seven. I could probably get out by nine. "Yeah, I can make it."

  He grinned. "Cool."

  Understatement of the year.

  "Need me to pick you up?"

  I couldn't imagine it would go over well to have another boy show up to take me out when I was trying to convince my parents that Matt was my boyfriend. "No. If you can give me directions, I'll catch a ride." With whom? Not really sure about that, but I'd figure something out. No way was I going to miss the first and best social opportunity of my life for some family game night!

  "Natalie! Let's go!" Valerie was waving at me.

  "Is Valerie coming?"

  "Of course."

  Sweet. I was so in. At least until Sunday, when our next meet was. If I blew that, I was out again. I wasn't a fool. I knew that my legs were the reason they were including me. I would just have to keep running well. I could do that…as long as I got B's, right?

  My heart sank as I thought of the test that was coming up next week. I had to earn a B? I didn't think I could do that, even with Matt's help. I really didn't.

  * * *

  Friday night, I met Matt on the front porch before he'd even had time to get off his bike. "Hi."

  I was so nervous. He'd been completely not interested in discussing the boyfriend thing all week during our tutoring sessions. Mr. All Business. He'd said he'd be here tonight at seven, and that was it.

  How was I supposed to act with a boyfriend? I had no idea. "How was the ride?"

  He didn't even get off his bike. He just sat there with his helmet on. "I can't do this."

  I nearly, fell off the step in my rush to get down the stairs to grab his throat and kill him. "What?" I shoved my hands in my pockets when I got near him. Maybe he just couldn't do it tonight. Maybe he wasn't talking about the boyfriend thing in general.

  "I spent two hours on the phone with Liz last night. She's not into it."

  What? His girlfriend was putting the nix on it? "You said she'd understand. That she'd think it was funny!"

  "I was wrong." He rested one foot on a pedal and the other on the ground. "I can't do this to her."

  "What's her problem? Doesn't she trust you? I mean, doesn't she realize how completely serious you are? If there is any boy on this planet that she could trust, it would be you!" The team party was tonight. If Matt bailed on me, everything would fall apart.

  Matt narrowed his eyes. "One of her friends heard I had a new girlfriend and called her."

  "Oh." This whole situation was getting way too complicated. I may not be an expert in dating, but even I knew that couldn't have been good. "You couldn't buy her a necklace or something?"

  "No."

  "Why not?"

  "Because it's not like that." He started to wheel his bike backwards. "I'll still be your tutor, and you don't have to tell people, but I'm going to deny the boyfriend thing."

  "But..."

  "No."

  The front door swung open and my dad walked out onto the porch. Great. Matt's timing couldn't have been more perfect. Now he could witness me officially being kicked off the cross-country team. Quick, what's worse than being a dumb jock? A dumb jock without a sport or a team or friends or a boyfriend. I wouldn't have any group to belong to, not even my closest friends, who apparently had become a boyfriend clique.

  "Welcome, Matt." My dad came off the steps and walked right out onto the pathway to shake his hand. "I'm really looking forward to dinner tonight. If you're interested and can drag yourself away from Natalie, I'd love to show you some projects I have going on at the moment."

  Matt stopped rolling toward the street, and I saw the yearning in his eyes.

  Go, Dad. "And Dad, isn't there a possibility you could hire him for the summer to do research?"

  "Now, Natalie, let's not go promising anything yet. It would take an extraordinary sophomore to impress me enough to hire him for the summer." He lifted his brow at Matt and I saw the challenge in his gaze.

  Matt hesitated, and his knee was jiggling. "What would the summer research be on?"

  "Come on in and I'll show you."

  Matt looked at me, then back at my dad. "I guess it couldn't hurt to come in."

  "What are you talking about? We're the friendliest family around. Just ask Natalie." My dad grabbed the handlebars. "If you sit out here dithering, dinner will be ready and we won't have time to go through the projects in my office."

  Matt lifted his chin. "Yes, sir." He swung his leg off his bike, and I knew he was hooked.

  Score one for my dad.

  * * *

  Nine-fifteen. Valerie was due here any minute to pick me up for Zach's party, yet the Trivial Pursuit game was in high gear. It was Matt and me against my mom and dad. Matt and I were actually a good team, because I knew all the sports and entertainment and he rocked at everything else. The dude was smart, there was no getting around that. But at least I was able to answer some questions, so I wasn't a total idiot, right? I mean, Matt had to realize that I had somewhat of a functioning brain, even if I sucked at geometry.

  Since my mom and dad were good too, it was the fastest game in the history of the Page household. We both had six pies and were going for the top.

  And you know what? I was having fun. Matt was sitting next to me on the couch, and even though we weren't touching each other or anything, we were on the same team. It was nice not to be fighting with him all the time.

  The whole night had put me in a great mood to go try to woo Zach.

  "Um ..." I glanced at my watch again. "I have to leave soon." I'd been hoping the night would end on its own and I could slip out, but it didn't look like that was going to happen. I had a feeling Matt and my parents would keep playing until two in the morning.

  Everyone stopped laughing and stared at me. "Since when?" my mom asked.

  "Team meeting," I muttered.

  "At nine on a Friday night?" My dad looked skeptical.

  "Yeah, it's a varsity thing." I shifted nervously. "JV doesn't have them. Since I'm now a scoring runner, I have to go."

  My mom frowned. "Well, it's good you're a scoring runner and everything ..."

  Be still my beating heart. How would I ever survive such endorsement? Made me swell with pride. "The girls' captain is picking me up."

  Matt lifted a brow, and I could tell he didn't believe me. "This is for the entire team?" His accent on entire made it clear what he was asking. Would Zach be there?

  "Yes." I eyed him. "But if you want to stay and hang out with my dad going over physics stuff, I'm sure that's fine with him. Probably good to get me out of the way so you don't need to entertain me."

  Matt's gaze brightened and he glanced at my dad. "I could stay."

  My dad clapped his hands. "Excellent."

  No way had my dad ever looked that excited about spending a Friday night with me. Why couldn't I have had jock parents who actually appreciated how hard I worked at running, and how amazing it was that their sophomore daughter had scored second for the team last weekend?

  But no. My dad cared about science and my mom cared about her nail salon, which her daughter had shown no interest in. The only time we'd ever gone to one of her shops was when Allie had wanted to get her nails done. Their daughter wasn't a brain and didn't get into pampering herself. A total waste of genetics, no doubt.

  Add stupidity on top of it? They'd probably disown me. I was a misfit in my own home. Matt, however, would fit right in.

  A knock sounded at the door, and I jumped up. "That's probably Val. I'll see you guys."

  My mom stood up. "We'll go meet this Val. How long has she been driving?"

  "Mom ..." I wailed. "Don't embarrass me."

  She ignored me and marched to the door and pulled it open. "Hi, I'm Nat
alie's mother. Won't you come in for a bit and chat?"

  Valerie was wearing a short skirt, a camisole and had glittery blue eye shadow on. I suddenly felt very dowdy in my jeans and top. It was one of my cutest outfits, but looked like I'd pulled it out of a garbage can in comparison to Valerie's. Val smiled at my mom. "I'd love to, but we're already running late. Another time?"

  My mom's eyes narrowed. "No. You'll come in."

  I was going to die of embarrassment. "Mom. Coach is waiting. If we're late we won't get to run on Sunday." I shot Val a look, hoping she wouldn't blow my cover.

  She gave me a wink. "Yes, Mrs. Page. Coach will bench us, and then we'll lose the meet and let our team down."

  My mom frowned, and then my dad and Matt wandered out of the family room. Crud. I so didn't need Matt to show up. "Who's this?" my dad asked.

  "Valerie Kranz." She stuck out her hand and flashed him a brilliant smile. "Team captain." Her gaze flicked toward Matt. "Are you her brother?"

  "Boyfriend," my dad said, putting his arm around Matt's shoulder. "Smart kid."

  Matt's face shuttered, but he didn't deny the boyfriend bit.

  I almost wanted him to, when I saw the look of surprise and disdain on Valerie's face. Maybe having him as my boyfriend wasn't going to help me with Zach. Maybe he wasn't cool enough to make me look appealing. Maybe he was so uncool that he'd only drag me down.

  Then I checked him out more closely. Yeah, he was still wearing the glasses and his shirt was a neatly ironed plaid oxford, but he had a nice smile and there was no way to miss those blue eyes. Plus he had a hot girlfriend.

  Matt might be a geek, but he was definitely not a loser.

  So I smiled at him. He didn't return it. "Can I have a word with you, Matt?" I said.

  Before he could say no, I grabbed his arm, detached him from my dad and dragged him into the family room and shut the door behind us. "So? What's the deal?"

  He straightened his shirt. "What deal?"

  "Boyfriend or not?"

  His eyes glittered. "I want to work for your dad."