by Nia Stephens
“No way,” Maria assured her. “You’re a supermodel. That’s why you attract all the hot guys—the mere mortals figure you’re out of their league. It’s not your fault that hot guys are mostly pigs.”
“Thanks. I think,” Gemma grumbled.
Maria had been Gemma’s best friend forever, even though Gemma envied Maria’s tiny, curvaceous figure. Of course, Maria always said she would rather be tall and lean, like Gemma and Maria’s own Costa Rican mother. Mrs. Alonso really could be a supermodel.
Gemma always told Maria that she looked like Jennifer Lopez. Maria, in turn, told Gemma that she reminded her of Iman, the African-born model married to David Bowie. “So I can look forward to doing Tommy Hilfiger ads with an ex-rock-star husband twice my age? Gee, thanks,” was always Gemma’s joking response.
“I’m going home,” Gemma declared. “I can’t tell you how sick I am of all this.” She flipped back the flap of her ripped T-shirt. “We are graduating from high school this year and I have never had a real boyfriend. All the guys who ask me out are either jackasses or idiots dressed up in jackass clothing.”
Maria laughed sympathetically. “Oh, chica, chica, chica. Don’t be like that. You’ll find a great guy someday. You’ve just been so busy with basketball you haven’t found the time to date. Now that you have your hoop scholarship, you’ll find that guy. Watch, you’ll see.”
“Au contraire,” Gemma replied. “I have been dating. You’ve seen the guys I’ve gone out with. How about Xavier Banks? Remember him? His breath was so rank I felt sorry for his toothbrush.”
“You’re exaggerating,” Maria said, laughing. “It hasn’t been that bad.”
“Have you not been around me the past few weeks? Yeah, it’s that bad.”
“That’s only one terrible date. You never give guys a second chance,” Maria challenged.
Gemma grimaced. “The guys I date don’t deserve a second chance.”
“What about that blind date I set up for you?” Maria demanded. “Jamal is really nice. Besides, his dad is co-owner of Pearl, the hottest nightclub in OC.”
“His father could have been the Sultan of Arabia and that would not have changed the fact that his son was two inches shorter than me and talked with a spitting lisp. Halfway through the night, I thought I was going to disappear in a pool of saliva, never to be heard from again.”
There was a roar outside by the pool, where several partygoers stood in a circle, watching some sort of spectacle.
“Oh, please. It’s not that bad,” Maria said after the cheering stopped. “Besides, what can you expect from a high school that boasts only, like, one percent minorities? If you only date brothers, the dating pool at J. Marshall is more like a Jacuzzi.”
“Not exactly. Jacuzzis are hot.”
Again the crowd by the swimming pool cheered. A few more people had gathered around to see what was going on.
“I guess we can’t all have a Manny,” Gemma sighed. Manny Rodriguez was the perfect guy for Maria—smart, funny, and very, very patient. They had been going out for over two years. Why couldn’t Gemma find someone like him? All she wanted was one decent guy. Was that too much to ask for? Apparently.
Thunderous applause came from outside. “What the heck is going on?” Maria asked. “Come on, chica.” She grabbed Gemma’s hand as they made their way through the crowd.
“What’s that smell?” Gemma scrunched up her face. “It’s like a brewery on fire.”
When Maria and Gemma finally pushed their way to the center of the crowd, Gemma wished they hadn’t. Nick and two of his football buddies were standing in a circle. Each one took turns chugging from a bottle of tequila. First Jake Willis, J. Marshall’s wide receiver, then Lawrence Johnston, took their turns, and chugging about a third of the bottle. The crowd went wild. Then it was Nick’s turn and he tipped the bottle like an old pro. The crowd cheered again.
Gemma didn’t know which was worse, the fact that they played this stupid drinking game or that people actually stood around and watched. Gemma turned back to Maria. “Do you still think I should give him another chance?”
Maria scowled, and then they headed inside. “This is exactly what I’m talking about, Maria,” Gemma complained. “I spent months lusting after a guy that drinks way too much and will probably pass out—only to wake up and start the binge drinking all over again. Those are precious moments I’ll never get back.”
The crowd outside began to disperse. Nick emerged from the center of the group of spectators and stumbled toward the house in a soaked T-shirt. As soon as he walked through the door, he headed straight for Gemma.
Gemma’s eyes widened in disbelief. What was he thinking? Was he going to try to pick up where he had left off upstairs, or was he going to start yelling that she was just a tease? Either way, this wasn’t a confrontation she wanted to have. She seriously regretted going upstairs with him.
Luckily, a girl jumped in his path. “You looked great out there, Nick,” she said, batting her tarantula-like fake eyelashes. Thank goodness the buxom freshman, wearing a too-tight T-shirt, was enough to divert Nick’s attention from Gemma. While she had the chance, Gemma grabbed Maria’s arm and pulled her into the kitchen. She’d feel a lot better after a Diet Coke.
Gemma poured two glasses of cola and ripped open a bag of chips. As she fished out a handful, she noticed Maria studying her.
“What?” Gemma asked. “Did Nick mess up my makeup?”
“Yes, but that’s neither here nor there.” Maria reached into her pocket and pulled out a small flyer.
“What’s that?” Gemma asked, trying to see her reflection in the toaster. She wiped off her smudged lipstick.
“Your ticket to finding Mr. Right. They were handing these out around school. I wasn’t sure if I should just toss it, but since your date with Nick went so wrong, well . . .” Maria handed Gemma the flyer. “A few kids in the county started a dating website for high school students. All screened to avoid pervs.”
Gemma took the flyer from Maria and started to read.
It’s all about choices!
We’ll size ’em up and find you the perfect fit!
“Is this a joke?” Gemma asked.
“No. It’s for real,” Maria said. “I logged on before I came to the party just to check it out.”
The site seemed intriguing, but no way did Gemma want to sign up and let everyone in Orange County who owned a computer, which was probably everyone, know how desperate she was.
A loud giggle followed by Nick bellowing for more beer sent shivers along Gemma’s spine—and not the good kind.
“I think I’ll decline,” Gemma said, laying the flyer back down on the kitchen counter and taking a swig of her soda. “I’d probably just end up with another Nick.”
“That’s exactly why you should try it. This weeds out guys like him,” Maria said. “The best part is, you choose the guy and decide whether you want to ask him out. It’s all about girl power, baby.”
“Hmmm.” Gemma nodded, and picked up the flyer again. “I do the choosing, instead of waiting for a guy to ask me out? And they weed out the bad seeds?”
Maria grinned, her dark eyes sparkling. “If I were single, I’d go for it myself. Shopping for boys. What could be better?”
“You’ve got a point,” Gemma said. The more she thought about it, the more she liked this idea. And if none of the guys on the website appealed to her, she could just drop the whole plan.
“And when you find that hot guy, I’m taking all the credit, and I’m going to throw it in your face whenever I can,” Maria teased.
Could this actually work? Gemma wondered. Fortified by caffeine, she and Maria wandered out of the kitchen with their sodas.
“Yo,” Nick called out to her over the loud music. Pretending she couldn’t hear him, Gemma shoved the flyer into the back pocket of her low riders. Someone please remind me what exactly it was I saw in that guy?
As if reading her mind, Maria slipped her arm throug
h Gemma’s. “This website is going to restore your faith in dating, chica,” she promised.
Gemma winced as she watched Nick drunkenly weave his way toward her. “I don’t know if that’s possible.” She sighed. “But I guess it’s worth a shot. Now let’s get out of here before Nick gets any closer. I can smell the beer from here!”
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ISBN: 978-0-7582-8672-7