The Perfect Prom Date (4 page)

     
Another good tactic is to say something unexpected that will make him remember you. For example, let’s say that you are trying to hang a banner above the lockers and you can’t quite reach, and suddenly he walks over and offers to help. You might say, “It must be great to be so tall because not only can you hang posters, but you wouldn’t have to stand on your chair to see Brad Paisley on stage, even if you were in the last row.”
 
(You say this because you’ve often seen him wear the t-shirt he bought at the concert last summer). You’ll have to think deep to come up with a clever unexpected comment, but I have every confidence in you, that you will.

     
If you’ve run out of compliments, and it feels like the conversation is dying out, try asking him open-ended questions. Always ask questions that begin with what, why, or how. You can chose from the following list or be creative and come up with your own.
 
“What’s your favorite sport? What’s your favorite professional sports team? What kind of music do you like?
 
Who are your favorite bands? What concerts have you been to?
 
What instruments do you play?” And my personal favorite, “What do you like to do during your free time?” Just remember to keep it balanced – make sure he realizes he’s not the only one who is charming, witty, and fun.

     
Brennan and I planned to meet the following Saturday afternoon in front of the public library to go over a sample AP Calculus test. I was running a couple of minutes late because Ellie was all over me wanting to know where I was going wearing another new pair of jeans and with my hair down. I refused to tell her anything, but she kept getting in my way.

     
I arrived out of breath and slightly flushed from running from my car so that I wouldn’t be any later than I already was. I stopped short when I saw Brennan waiting with a cup of Starbucks coffee in each hand.
 

     
“Hi. Sorry, I’m late,” I said looking right into his ice blue eyes even though there was nothing icy about them. I felt my face flush even more.
 

     
“That’s okay. I just got here. The line at Starbucks was longer than I thought.
 
Here I got this for you…a caramel macchiato.” He smiled shyly, “I hope it got it right?”
 
I made sure that my fingers lightly brushed his as he handed me a steaming cup.

     
“Are you kiddin’? I live off of these. How did you know?” I closed my eyes as I took a sip, enjoying the familiar taste while marveling at his thoughtfulness.
 

     
“Lucky guess?”
 
His voice went up when he said that, making him sound guilty.
 
But of what, I didn’t know.

     
“Really?”

     
“No,” he laughed, shaking his head. “I see you pull in there every morning before school.
 
Sometimes I can still smell the sweet caramel/vanilla flavor on you when you walk into English.”

     
My eyes got wide. “I hope that doesn’t mean that I scare you with my bad coffee breath,” I said, covering my mouth with my free hand. “I’ll have to buy the expensive little tin of after coffee mints that are right next to the register from now on.”

     
He laughed. “Don’t worry, you don’t have bad breath.”
 
He shyly added, “I think you smell sweet.”

     
“I’m still buying the mints next time.” I grinned, embarrassed. I wanted him to notice that I smelled nice, but I thought it would be my perfume that got his attention, not my latte.
 

     
He held the library door open for me. “Thanks,” I said. “Thank you for the coffee too.” I raised my cup up in the air. “I really do appreciate it. I always need an extra boost of caffeine before doing calculus.”

     
“My pleasure.” He smiled so sincerely that my insides turned to jelly.
 

     
I quickly searched for a distraction, “Let’s go upstairs to the study rooms. Maybe there’s an empty one we can use.”

     
“Lead the way,” he said, extending his arm in an overly exaggerated motion of chivalry.
 

     
I laughed. The librarian behind the checkout counter gave me a harsh look, which caused us both to laugh even harder.
 

     
We hurried to the second floor, and moments later I pushed open the door to the only remaining study room. “Here’s one.”

     
We sat down at the table across from each other and spread out our notebooks. I was nervous because this was the first time I had ever been on a study date. Hell, who was I kidding? This was the first date, of any kind, I’d ever been on. I wasn’t even sure if this counted as a date, even though he did bring me my favorite Starbucks coffee, but I was sure that didn’t mean anything. In order to clear my head, I looked down at the math test on the table. Oddly, math had a calming effect on me. I knew I could always count on the logical steps of solving an equation. “How about we each do problem number one by ourselves, then we can compare answers. That way we can see which topics you haven’t covered, and we can then spend time on those.”

     
“Sounds like a plan. I like a girl with a plan.” I smiled inwardly at his ironic word choice.
 

     
We sailed through the first four problems without any trouble, each time coming up with the same answers. “Okay on to number five,” Brennan stated matter-of-factly.

     
We both copied the problem, and then I saw Brennan pause. It wasn’t like him to not dive right in, usually finishing before me.

     
“What’s wrong?” I asked.

     
“I haven’t done any problems like this one before.” He had a puzzled look on his face.
 

     
“No problem, it’s easy. Watch, I’ll show you.” Without even thinking, I walked around the table and sat next to him. He smelled so good, like fresh soap mingled with pine. I tried not to let it distract me. Surprisingly, the next hour flew by. We worked on solving implicit differentiation problems, which as it turned out; he hadn’t covered at his old school.
 

     
“Let me check the answer key to make sure we’re right.” I licked my finger, and then thumbed through the pages I had printed out until I found the one I was looking for.
 
“We are right. You’re a quick learner,” I beamed. “Are you sure you really haven’t done these problems before?” I teased playfully, leaning over to draw a star on the top of his paper.

     
“It must be because you’re such a good teacher.”
 
He drew a smiley face at the top of my paper.
 

     
We both laughed. It was easy to be my goofy nerdy self around Brennan.
 

     
Brennan stretched his right arm up in the air and said, “I think my brain has consumed all the calculus it can for one day.”

     
“Mine too,” I said, standing up. I reached down and grabbed my bag and began packing up my stuff that had taken over the whole table. There were more pieces of paper with calculations on them than I would have thought possible. “By the looks of things a new tree will need to be planted,” I joked.
 

     
Brennan and I reached for the same piece of scrap paper at the same time, and our hands touched, sending a warm fuzzy feeling throughout my body and making my face flush. I quickly glanced up at Brennan to see if he experienced the same thing I did. I watched as his eyes light up, and his smile deepened. I couldn’t be sure, but I thought that he felt something too.

     
I slowly put the last few things in my backpack. It had been the best afternoon I’d ever had. I didn’t want it to end without at least making plans to study together again. Nervously, I began, “Brennan-”

     
“Hey, Josie-”

     
“You first,” I said.
 

     
He smiled. “I was just going to ask if you wanted to grab a slice of pizza. Studying makes me hungry. Or do you have plans?”

     
Of course, I didn’t have plans, unless you considered the fact that I needed to repaint my nails, as plans. I had peeled it all off while studying. However, I didn’t want to come across as sounding too eager or desperate. Casually I replied, “I’m in no hurry. I’d love to get a piece of pizza.” I picked up my backpack and smiled.
 

     
“Great. Let’s go.”
 

     
We walked the block to the pizza place. It felt good to stretch my legs after sitting for so long. I couldn’t help but notice that the air was losing its crisp winter edge and was quickly being replaced by the warmer weather of spring. But warm weather wasn’t the only thing that spring brought – it also brought prom season. It was only ten weeks away.
 

     
We arrived at Tony’s New York Pizza and ordered our slices. Brennan continued to be the perfect gentleman, insisting he pay because he claimed that he couldn’t have learned how to solve implicit differentiation equations without my help. We chose an empty table near the entrance and began to eat.

     
I had barely taken two bites of my pizza, when I noticed that Brennan was finished. “Wow – I guess math really does make you hungry,” I laughed.

     
He looked down at our plates and laughed too, “I guess it does,” he leaned back and patted his flat stomach, “but please take your time. I’m just used to eating fast because I have three brothers and one sister. I have to eat fast in order to get my share before it disappears.”

     
“Ah…so that’s what’s like to come from a big family.”

     
“You have no idea,” he laughed, shaking his head. “What about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

     
“Just one, a sister. And believe me, it’s more than enough. Actually, I would be happy to trade her for all four of your siblings.”

     
“She can’t be that bad,” his blue eyes challenged.

     
“Oh…yes she can,” I said with conviction. And then as if I had magically summoned her, the door opened and in walked Ellie with her group of friends, all perfectly beautiful. They were laughing loudly, drawing a lot of attention to themselves like always. A groaned escaped. How could this be happening? Was she purposefully looking for me so that she could sabotage my date with the boy of my dreams?

     
Brennan looked to see what had upset me. “Do you know those girls?” He asked, nodding his head in their direction. “Aren’t they Sophmores?”

     
“Yeah. And I know them too well.” I could see the revelation dawn across his face as he realized that the dark haired beauty was none other than my younger sister. I’d been told many times that Ellie and I looked alike, except for our hair color, but I couldn’t see it. I think it was because our personalities were too different.

     
“She’s your little sister,” he said, smirking.

     
“Lucky me.” I grinned falsely.

     
Ellie looked our way, and pure shock registered on her face when she saw me sitting with Brennan. She quickly recovered and made her way directly over to our table as if she were on a mission. I noticed an extra bounce in her step, and just before reaching us she tossed her shiny dark brown hair over her shoulder. It was like something right out of a movie.
 

     
I couldn’t stop from rolling my eyes. I gave Brennan a look that said, “See what I mean?” He chuckled. I held my breath, preparing for Ellie’s onslaught.

     
She put both her hands on our table, and in a voice that practically purred, she said, “Well, well, well, I don’t think I’ve met this handsome friend of yours, Josie.” She briefly glanced at me, and then immediately turned her attention to Brennan. I wanted to kick her hard in the leg, but I knew I couldn’t without him seeing me.
 

     
Knowing she wouldn’t go away without an introduction, I said, begrudgingly, “This is Brennan. Brennan, this is my little sister, Ellie.” I stared menacingly at her and said through clenched teeth, “Now scram. You’ve left your friends over there and they are waiting for you to wipe the drool off of their faces.” That got her attention. She glanced over her shoulder and saw her entourage right where she left them, looking lost without her and definitely staring like they saw a hunk of meat. She flashed them a look that said they were failing miserably at trying to act cool. Then she shot me a hateful look before resuming her position of smiling pleasantly at Brennan. MY GUY.
 

     
“I’ve seen you around school, and I’m sure you’ve seen me too, but it’s nice to finally meet you.” She held out her hand for Brennan to shake, and he shook it politely.
   

     
Her tone and her insinuations made me want to puke. I wish I could make Ellie disappear just as quickly as she had appeared. I cleared my throat and reminded her, “Ellie, your friends are waiting.”

     
Ellie wouldn’t take a hint. She continued standing there. Acknowledging me, she said, “How did you manage to trick this cutie,” she smiled widely at Brennan, then turned back to me, “into taking you out? Are you paying him?”
 

     
“Of course not,” I exclaimed, my face turning as red as my hair.
I am going to kill Ellie when I get home.
 

     
“I asked Josie out,” Brennan stated, matter-of-factly, surprising even me. He looked into my eyes, urging me to play along.