The One Where It's The Other Way Around
Chapter Seven: Likes and Dislikes
Chastity held up two black and white glossy photos in front of Cameron. In one she was wearing white blouse and posing suggestively. In the other she was wearing a black blouse and in the same suggestive pose.
Cameron looked at them, then said, "I think I like the white blouse better - it really makes your lovely dark skin look...lovely." He smiled sheepishly.
"Yes, yes," Chastity said. "It looks more..."
"Expensive?"
"Exactly!" Chastity put the pictures in her notebook and then asked, "So, are you going to Bogey Lowenstein's party this weekend?"
"Hopefully!"
"Well, I hope you do, because I won't bother if you won't be there." Chastity let loose with her brightest and most flirtatious smile. Then she reached up and ran a finger down one side of Cameron's face, brushing past his lips ever so softly.
Cameron's breath stalled in his chest as he felt himself turn beet red at Chastity's attention. He wanted to go to that party.
* * *
After school Cameron walked into the library and sat down opposite from Bianca. "Have you heard about Bogey Lowenstein's party?"
Bianca nodded, saying, "Yeah, I think I have a flyer in my bag."
"Well, I really really want to go, but I can't unless my brother Patrick goes."
"I'm working on that, Cameron. Truly I am. But he doesn't seem to be going for my friend. Say - he's not..." she didn't finish her sentence.
Cameron looked blankly at her before rushing to say, "No, no! No, I found a picture of Cindy Crawford in one of his desk drawers, so I'm pretty sure he's not harboring same-sex tendencies."
"So that's the kind of girl he likes? Drop dead gorgeous?"
"Nah, I don't think looks matter too much. I did hear him say once he would never date a girl that smokes."
Bianca wrote that down in her notebook, then asked, "What else?"
"Geez, Bianca, I don't know." He thought for a moment. "Well, actually, I did see a pair of tickets to some concert on Friday night. I think the band was playing at Club Skunk."
"Great! I think this is good for now, but go ahead and tell me a couple other things."
* * *
That night Bianca and Mandella drove downtown to a pool hall where Kat had told them to meet her. Opening the front door they were assailed with angry rock music and the stench of beer. Bianca was scared to death, and Mandella feigned a carefree attitude as she looked around for Kat. Spotting her playing pool in the back, Mandella grabbed Bianca's arm and all but dragged her along.
Kat took a shot on the pool table but missed and deferred to her opponent. She took a sip from her glass as she watched Bianca and Mandella approach. It was obvious they were more than a little nervous to be in the bar. "What have you got for me, ladies?"
Mandella grinned. "We've found out some information that will be very helpful in your pursuit of Patrick Stratford."
Kat grunted indelicately as she lit a cigarette. She then picked up her drink and took another sip.
Mandella looked pointedly at the glass. "First of all, should you be drinking that when you don't have a liver?"
"What?!"
"Nothing, never mind." Mandella looked to Bianca.
Bianca took out a piece of paper from her purse and gave it to Kat. "Number One," she said, "Patrick hates smokers."
Kat released the smoke she had just inhaled in her lungs. With distaste she said, "You mean I'm a non-smoker?"
Mandella shrugged regretfully. "Sorry, Kat. It's just for now."
Bianca continued with the list, saying "Patrick also likes really beautiful women."
Kat straightened up menacingly, her combat boots making her several inches taller than Bianca and Mandella. "Are you saying I'm not beautiful?"
Bianca and Mandella each looked more closely at Kat, her long blond hair cascading down her back, her porcelain skin free of makeup, her blue eyes sparkling. She's actually quite attractive, Bianca thought suddenly.
Mandella was sputtering at her side. "Of course you're beautiful, Kat. What's not to love here!"
Kat watched Mandella for a moment to see if she was joking before turning back to Bianca. "Anything else?"
"You know - typical things. Thai food, Kurt Vonnegut novels, and angry thrash skater punk music."
"So what, I buy him noodles, talk about 'Cat's Cradle' and listen to Henry Rollins?"
Bianca brought out a small ticket that she had bought earlier in the evening at Club Skunk. "One more thing."
Kat took the ticket, looking at the listing. "Oh no," she groaned.
"You have to go to that concert on Friday night. He'll be there."
"I can't go to Club Skunk, girls."
"You have to."
"All right fine, I'll go. But this is so not what I signed up for!"
Chapter Seven: Likes and Dislikes
Chastity held up two black and white glossy photos in front of Cameron. In one she was wearing white blouse and posing suggestively. In the other she was wearing a black blouse and in the same suggestive pose.
Cameron looked at them, then said, "I think I like the white blouse better - it really makes your lovely dark skin look...lovely." He smiled sheepishly.
"Yes, yes," Chastity said. "It looks more..."
"Expensive?"
"Exactly!" Chastity put the pictures in her notebook and then asked, "So, are you going to Bogey Lowenstein's party this weekend?"
"Hopefully!"
"Well, I hope you do, because I won't bother if you won't be there." Chastity let loose with her brightest and most flirtatious smile. Then she reached up and ran a finger down one side of Cameron's face, brushing past his lips ever so softly.
Cameron's breath stalled in his chest as he felt himself turn beet red at Chastity's attention. He wanted to go to that party.
* * *
After school Cameron walked into the library and sat down opposite from Bianca. "Have you heard about Bogey Lowenstein's party?"
Bianca nodded, saying, "Yeah, I think I have a flyer in my bag."
"Well, I really really want to go, but I can't unless my brother Patrick goes."
"I'm working on that, Cameron. Truly I am. But he doesn't seem to be going for my friend. Say - he's not..." she didn't finish her sentence.
Cameron looked blankly at her before rushing to say, "No, no! No, I found a picture of Cindy Crawford in one of his desk drawers, so I'm pretty sure he's not harboring same-sex tendencies."
"So that's the kind of girl he likes? Drop dead gorgeous?"
"Nah, I don't think looks matter too much. I did hear him say once he would never date a girl that smokes."
Bianca wrote that down in her notebook, then asked, "What else?"
"Geez, Bianca, I don't know." He thought for a moment. "Well, actually, I did see a pair of tickets to some concert on Friday night. I think the band was playing at Club Skunk."
"Great! I think this is good for now, but go ahead and tell me a couple other things."
* * *
That night Bianca and Mandella drove downtown to a pool hall where Kat had told them to meet her. Opening the front door they were assailed with angry rock music and the stench of beer. Bianca was scared to death, and Mandella feigned a carefree attitude as she looked around for Kat. Spotting her playing pool in the back, Mandella grabbed Bianca's arm and all but dragged her along.
Kat took a shot on the pool table but missed and deferred to her opponent. She took a sip from her glass as she watched Bianca and Mandella approach. It was obvious they were more than a little nervous to be in the bar. "What have you got for me, ladies?"
Mandella grinned. "We've found out some information that will be very helpful in your pursuit of Patrick Stratford."
Kat grunted indelicately as she lit a cigarette. She then picked up her drink and took another sip.
Mandella looked pointedly at the glass. "First of all, should you be drinking that when you don't have a liver?"
"What?!"
"Nothing, never mind." Mandella looked to Bianca.
Bianca took out a piece of paper from her purse and gave it to Kat. "Number One," she said, "Patrick hates smokers."
Kat released the smoke she had just inhaled in her lungs. With distaste she said, "You mean I'm a non-smoker?"
Mandella shrugged regretfully. "Sorry, Kat. It's just for now."
Bianca continued with the list, saying "Patrick also likes really beautiful women."
Kat straightened up menacingly, her combat boots making her several inches taller than Bianca and Mandella. "Are you saying I'm not beautiful?"
Bianca and Mandella each looked more closely at Kat, her long blond hair cascading down her back, her porcelain skin free of makeup, her blue eyes sparkling. She's actually quite attractive, Bianca thought suddenly.
Mandella was sputtering at her side. "Of course you're beautiful, Kat. What's not to love here!"
Kat watched Mandella for a moment to see if she was joking before turning back to Bianca. "Anything else?"
"You know - typical things. Thai food, Kurt Vonnegut novels, and angry thrash skater punk music."
"So what, I buy him noodles, talk about 'Cat's Cradle' and listen to Henry Rollins?"
Bianca brought out a small ticket that she had bought earlier in the evening at Club Skunk. "One more thing."
Kat took the ticket, looking at the listing. "Oh no," she groaned.
"You have to go to that concert on Friday night. He'll be there."
"I can't go to Club Skunk, girls."
"You have to."
"All right fine, I'll go. But this is so not what I signed up for!"
