Author's Note: OK, I'm back from children's camp and I had lots of fun. But I'm also excited to be getting back to my writing.

Chapter Sixteen

Gus & Mikey's Dates

"Hey Mandy," Gus greeted as he walked up to Mandy in Art class that Thursday. Mandy looked at him, a look of surprise and a look of pleasure on her face.

"Most of the normal people don't associate with people like me," Mandy informed Gus. Gus just smiled at her.

"Well, I'm not that normal," Gus informed her, "Besides, I'm here with one of my friends who's blind, I kinda want to associate with 'people like you'."

"Wait, are you friends with that new blind girl?" Mandy asked.

Gus nodded his head, "Since the fourth grade."

"She seems really nice," Mandy informed him.

"Do you want to go out with me?" Gus blurted out. Mandy looked at him, with a look of shock on her face.

"What?" she asked.

"Me and my friend have this deal were we are both supposed to ask out the girl we like," Gus explained, quickly, in one breath, "And I decided to ask first because I know he won't."

"Are you sure you want to go out with a deaf person?" the girl asked, bitterly.

"I could care less if you were deaf," Gus informed her, "So, please say yes."

"Sure, I'll go out with you," Mandy said, a smile playing at her lips.

"Hey Ash," Mikey greeted as he sat down by her at lunch that day, before anybody else arrived.

"Hey Mikey," Ashley T greeted him, smiling.

"I've got a question to ask you," Mikey said, nervously. He couldn't believe Gus had actually asked Mandy out. He was always under the impression that Gus was as big of a wimp as he was. If he had known Gus was actually going to go through with asking, then he wouldn't have made the deal with him. But, now he had to ask. He had never been more afraid of anything in his life.

"Yes?" Ashley T asked. She caught her breath for a moment. Maybe this was going to be the moment Mikey asked her out. She couldn't believe she really felt this way about Mikey Blumberg. She had been so disgusted by him, not even a year ago. But, ever since the night at the restaurant she had seen Mikey in a new light.

"I was wondering, if well, maybe, well, just maybe if you'd like to go out with me tomorrow night?" Mikey finally spit out, but then suddenly Vince, Gretchen, and TJ walked back to their table with what sounded like a heated debate between Vince and Gretchen going down.

"You guys, stop," TJ said quietly to them as they approached Mikey and Ashley T's table, "Look at them."

"Yeah? So?" Vince asked, irritated, "They are talking. People do that occasionally Teej."

"No, come on," TJ said, steering the two of them away, "I think he's asking her out."

"Why didn't they come here?" Ashley T asked, confused. Mikey smiled lightly at her.

"Because Teej knew I was asking you out," Mikey said, glad for the distraction for a short time, it had allowed him to gather his nerves, "So, what do you say?"

"Of course I'll go out with you," Ashley said, smiling at him.

"So, how do you deal with being deaf?" Gus asked Mandy the next night as they sat in the restaurant. He was supposed to go on a double date with Mikey and Ashley T, but both him and Mikey had decided maybe it would be better if they both went out on separate dates, to get to know the person better.

"Well, its really quite simple, but mainly because I can read lips," Mandy answered him, "But I also use sign language when I can't understand what somebody's saying. Yet, not to many people like to learn sign language, so I usually just have to use the lip reading."

"Is sign language hard to learn?" Gus asked her.

"It's really not that bad," Mandy admitted, "I don't see why more people don't take the time to learn it."

"I don't know it," Gus admitted, "But I always wanted to learn, could you teach me?"

"Are you just saying that to be nice to me?" Mandy asked, "Because if you are, its working pretty well, and if you aren't, its still working."

"Maybe I'm just saying it to be nice," Gus admitted, "But, this does sound really important to you, and I know this sounds corny, but what's important to you is really important to me. I really like you Mandy."

"So, you're willing to learn sign language?" Mandy asked, a smile spreading across her face.

"Yup," Gus said, smiling at her.

"Good, because your lips are really hard to read, especially when you're nervous," Mandy informed him, then she took his hand, "Come on, let's start now."

"Okay," Gus said, agreeably.

"I'm sorry," Mikey said, out of nowhere in the middle of his and Ashley T's date.

"For what?" Ashley T asked, confused, "This has been the best date I've been on in my entire life."

"For thinking you were a slut before," Mikey answered, "I don't normally judge people like that, I don't know why the Ashley's made me so mad."

"I do," Ashley T answered, "Because they're stupid, I was stupid. And we thought we owned the school. Besides, one of us was the reason Vince finally turned over to the dark side, or the popular side as people mistakenly call it."

Mikey just nodded, "Still, I'm sorry for calling you a slut. I mean, you might have been a slut as an Ashley. You might have done things. But, I still shouldn't have called you it."

Ashley T sighed, "You want the truth Mikey?"

"I'm not sure if I do," Mikey answered her honestly.

"I'm still a virgin," Ashley told him, "I know, all those stupid rumors going around school. All those boyfriends I had. But it all started with one, you know that guy Todd that graduated last year? That I went out with for awhile. Well, he went out with me because he was trying to get all the cheerleaders on the squad to sleep with him, and I wouldn't. So, he told all his pals that we did sleep together, then he dumped me. So, all these guys started going out with me, thinking they could get me, but when I wouldn't give them what they wanted they quickly just told everybody that I had slept with them, so they wouldn't be considered the oddball. That's how I became a slut. None of the Ashley's knew that I wasn't ready to do that stuff yet, and I didn't want to tell them, I thought I'd get kicked out."

"So, you're a virgin?" Mikey asked, astounded.

"Yah," Ashley T said, with a slight smile, "Not quite the image you had of me, am I?"

"No," Mikey admitted, "But if we're being honest with each other ..,"

"Yes?" Ashley T asked. Knowing that Mikey was going to say he was a virgin. Of course he was a virgin. There was no way he wasn't.

"I'm not a virgin," Mikey said.

"What?" Ashley T asked, shocked.

"I know it sounds weird," Mikey acknowledged, "But you know Kurst the Worst? Well, at the beginning of this year, I was feeling really down about people calling me gay. And I saw her again, and one thing led to another. But that was the only time, and I regret it now. A lot."

"I, whoa, that's just," Ashley T started, then said, "This is pretty heavy stuff to be talking about on a first date Mikey."

"I know," Mikey admitted, "But I haven't been on too many first dates, so, I just didn't know."

"No, actually," Ashley T said, "I think its great that you actually talk about the heavy stuff. Most guys avoid it through the whole relationship."

"So, you think we can have a relationship?" Mikey asked, hopefully.

"If I didn't think that," Ashley T stated, "I wouldn't have gone out with you in the first place. And I definitely wouldn't have told you about being a virgin."

"Good," Mikey said, relieved, taking Ashley T's hand, "But, let's take it slow. I'm sure you haven't heard those words too many times before."

"No, no I haven't," Ashley T admitted, "But, they're perfect."