GORDO

"Hey, Gordo!" Lizzie said cheerfully as I was walking out of the school. I turned and saw her and Miranda rushing to catch up to me.

"Hey, guys," I said. "Did you find out who Kelsey is?"

They stopped in front of me and exchanged glances. "Yeah," Lizzie said hesitantly. "Kelsey Raymond. I already know her."

I knew something was wrong from her tone and the look on both of their faces. "What? Is she strange?"

"No!" Lizzie said. "Not at all! But, um…"

"OK! Tell me already!"

"She wants you to meet her at the Digital Bean at 5:30," Miranda said.

I looked at them, disappointed. I told both of them strictly not to talk to her. I told them to observe. I told them I didn't want her to know I knew who she was. "You talked to her?" I demanded.

"Well," Lizzie said. "See, Gordo, it wasn't like that. We just… we passed her and said hi, and then she asked about you almost right away."

"You shouldn't have said hi in the first place," I replied. "Now she knows!"

"But she's really nice," Miranda said quickly. "And normal, and even a little pretty. You'll like her."

"I will?"

"Oh, yeah. Definitely."

I sighed. Maybe I should just go out with her. If it didn't work, we could always break up. It wasn't like I had to tattoo her name on my arm or anything. "OK. But from now on you guys are going to stay out of my love life. Deal?"

"We promise, Gordo," Lizzie said. "Never again. Sorry."

I smiled. "That's OK. I guess it's the push I needed. Otherwise I would probably put off asking her out until the end of the school year."

~*~

I walked into the Digital Bean at 5:15. I wondered if I should ask her to a movie or something after we ate. In case I decided to, I brought along $25. I didn't know if I was supposed to pay for her or not, so I made sure to bring extra cash. Normally I would have to pay, but did this really classify as a "date?" After all, she asked me, not even directly, mind you. And we had never met before, so this was more of a hanging out thing than a date, right? Or was this what a blind date felt like?

I sat down at a small table and wiped my sweaty hands on my pants. Why was I nervous? This was no big deal. All I had to do was smile, have a smoothie, and talk to her. This wasn't serious. It's not like we were getting married or anything.

"You want something to eat?" a waitress asked me walking up to my table.

"Uh… I'll have a strawberry-banana smoothie, thanks."

She nodded and left.

I looked around the place, searching for a girl sitting alone. That might be her. But I didn't see anyone sitting alone. Everyone was with someone else. And this particular day, it seemed like they were all dates. At each table there seemed to be a guy and a girl. Sometimes two and two, with people who were double-dating. But everyone had their own person, everyone was a couple.

"Hi, Gordo."

I didn't recognize the voice, so I was sure this was Kelsey. I turned my head and saw a pretty brunette with highlighted hair.

"Are you Kelsey?" I asked.

She nodded. "You're early."

"So are you."

She smiled and sat down. "I'm glad you came. I wasn't sure if you would, though. I was starting to wonder if I scared you away."

You almost did with that poem, I thought. But instead, I said "Nah. I'm really hard to scare away. You've met my friends."

Kelsey laughed. "You're funny, too. Did you order anything?"

"Only a smoothie."

"Oh."

"So…" I tried to think of something to say that might bring up a conversation. "Are you into sports?"

"Not really. I'm in volleyball, but I'm not very good. I'm mostly just in it to keep in shape."

"I think you look fine."

"Thanks."

There was a bit more silence and I was already sure that this relationship wouldn't work out. We couldn't even keep a conversation going for more than 15 seconds!

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" I asked.

"I have an older brother. He's in college. What about you?"

"No, I'm an only child."

"I wish I were. I hate older siblings."

I shook my head. "It's not that great. Sometimes I really wish I had a brother to talk to."

"If you want, you can borrow mine."

I smiled. "Thanks, I'll remember that."

Then our waitress came back with my drink. "Do you want anything?" she asked Kelsey.

"I'll have a Coke."

"And get us a large fry," I added. She wrote them down and left.

"What kind of music do you like?" she asked.

I shrugged. "I like a little bit of everything. I guess if I had to choose I'd say jazz, but-"

"I love swing."

"Really?"

She smiled and nodded. "Benny Goodman is my idol."

"I didn't think many people liked him anymore. Teens don't like dead people, they like Destiny's Child."

Kelsey made a face. "I hate them."

"Really? I'm impressed."

She laughed. "I really like Out of Eden, Stacie Orrico, Jaci Velasquez, you know."

OK, I know I don't know everything that's in Teen People, but I was almost positive that those weren't real singers. Were they? "No I don't. I've never heard of any of them."

"Oh, I guess I should have expected that. Most of the people I like aren't very famous. They're Christian artists."

"Oh."

"You're Jewish, aren't you?"

"Yep."

"That's nice. I don't want to go out with someone that doesn't have a religion. I know that this isn't true for everyone, but it seems to me like anyone that doesn't have a religion doesn't have many morals, either."

Her saying the words "go out" scared me. Was she implying that we were now going out? Or was she just stating a fact?

I nodded. "I guess. But my two closest friends don't have religions, and they're good people."

"I'll bet they are, but I mean people in general. For me, it's hard to find a decent guy."

I shrugged. "Yeah, most guys can get pretty sick."

"You have no idea."

"Yes I do. I'm one of them, remember."

"I don't know how you managed to turn out like such a gentleman with all these creeps prowling around the world."

"I have good parents, and I surround myself with good people."

"You make it sound so easy."

"You make it sound hard," I replied.

"It is, though. I went to a private school, a Christian private school, and trust me, if you've seen all those sick notes I've seen, and if you've heard all the sick things I've heard, you wouldn't be able to think straight. It's like the world's biggest polluting center for the mind. And it was a Christian school."

I was starting to really like Kelsey now. She seemed like a good person, she was pretty enough, and she laughed at stuff I said that I didn't think was funny. And I was beginning to respect her for staying firm despite this horrible school she went to. "That's too bad," I said. "When was that?"

"I just got out of that jail last year. This year is my first year here."

"How do you like it?"

"It's nice, I guess," she replied. "A little different, though."

"How?"

"Well, I've never had passing period before. Or had to walk to different classrooms and such. It's easier to stay awake here since you walk around every so often."

I laughed. "I still fall asleep, though."

She laughed with me as our waitress came back with her Coke and our fries.

"Anything else?" the waitress asked.

"Not now," I said. She walked away.

I turned the fries so that they weren't facing only me so that Kelsey would know I meant for us to share them.

"Oh, thanks," she said, grabbing one and eating it. "These are good."

"This place usually has good food," I replied. "Better than McDonald's, anyway."

"Hey! I like McDonald's!"

I smiled. "That's too bad. I was just starting to think you were OK."

She playfully slapped my arm. "You're so mean!"

"Oh, who's the one resorting to abuse?" I shot back.

Kelsey laughed. "You're a lot more fun than I thought you were going to be."

"Yeah? How'd you think I was going to be?"

"I don't know exactly. I wasn't sure. The Gordo I'm used to is a cute straight A student, but not much more."

"Gee, thanks."

She seemed to glow with happiness as she looked at me. "I'm glad I was wrong."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"So, do you want to meet up here again sometime?"

"You're asking me out again? I'm definitely impressed, now. Not many girls have the guts to do that." That was true. I was the guy, I was supposed to ask her out. But I was glad she was doing the honors, because I wasn't sure if I had enough guts to do it myself.

"I don't see guys as superior."

"I do," I replied through a teasing smile.

"You would."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what I said. So do you want to or not? I think I have to get going soon."

"You can't leave until the fries are gone."

She laughed. "Then I'll take them with me if I have to."

"Well, maybe you want to see a movie on Friday?"

Kelsey smiled. "I'd love to."

"OK. I'll see you at school tomorrow?"

"Count on it."