Roddy woke up from his deep sleep to squealing, fast footsteps, yelling, and Rita shaking him awake.
"Roddy! Wake up!" Rita yelled in his ear over all the noise, "It's time for school!"
Roddy groaned and pulled the covers over his head.
"Five more minutes!" Roddy whined.
"Don't be a baby! Get on up, Roddy!" Rita laughed.
Roddy reluctantly sat up and rubbed his eyes. His hair was a total mess and he could barely open his eyes. And yet Rita was already perky, dressed, and her eyes were wide open and alert.
"What's the rush?" Roddy asked groggily, getting out of bed.
"We have to catch the bus today! Hal takes the bus in the mornings!" Rita explained, "And I want to take the bus today!"
"So he can bully me again?" Roddy snapped, cranky.
"Just sit away from us," Rita suggested, "You can make new friends!"
Roddy shot Rita a look. Rita sitting with Hal was bad news for his hopes of winning the bet. That...and he just didn't like the thought of Rita sitting with another guy besides him. Then, Roddy got an idea.
Time for another show, Roddy, old boy! Roddy grinned to himself.
He put on his most charming smile, and made sure to walk over to her smoothly.
"But you're the only one I want to sit with.." Roddy said slickly.
"That's sweet..but I can't really take you seriously in your boxers, Rodd," Rita chuckled.
Roddy looked down and realized he was in his boxers! Roddy yelped and grabbed his robe from behind his door quickly. He tied it and smiled nervously at Rita. Rita laughed and rolled her eyes as she walked out of the room. Roddy grunted in frustration and slapped himself on the forehead for his stupidity.
"Smooth.." Roddy scolded himself quietly, "Just smooth.."
He got dressed in a white oxford with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a pair of light blue jeans. On his feet were the same white sneakers as yesterday. He combed his chesnut brown hair and grinned in the mirror. As he walked out of the room, he ran into Shockey.
"Good morning, Shockey!" Roddy greeted.
"Good morning, Roddy!" Shockey replied over his shoulder as he scurried away.
Roddy smiled. He loved seeing the little kids run around. He saw them as little elves or something like that. It made him laugh. He found himself wondering what it would feel like if those little pattering footsteps belonged to his own children. He started day-dreaming on the way down the stairs. He visualized himself coming home, opening the door and yelling into the house.
Roddy's Daydream
"Good evening family!" Roddy called.
"Daddy!" a crowd of little kids immediately attacked him with hugs and kisses.
"Where's your mother, kids," Roddy asked.
"In the kitchen!" a familiar voice called from the kitchen.
Roddy knew that voice anywhere. Out of the kitchen walked Rita Malone. Roddy's jaw dropped. Rita gave him a strange look.
"Roddy?" Rita called, "Rooddyyy??"
End Roddy's Daydream
Roddy gasped as he snapped out of the trance to find Rita looking at him funny.
"Roddy?" Rita repeated, "Are you ok?"
Roddy shook his head clear of those thoughts and answered her.
"Yeah I'm fine.." Roddy lied, "Let's go."
"You think you could get off my foot, first.." Rita suggested, wincing in a little pain.
Roddy then realized he had stepped off the last step of the stairs onto Rita's boot.
"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Roddy gasped, "Are you alright?!"
"I'm fine," Rita said, "Let's grab a crumb of bread and we'll catch the bus, ok?"
Roddy nodded. He glanced over Rita quickly. She was wearing a pair of tight camouflage cargo pants and a red and blue striped polo. Her hair was French-braided and it lay gently over her shoulder. She had a tinch of mascara on, like she did the day before. Just as Rita was walking away, Roddy jumped at an oppurtunity to ask Rita out to dinner.
"Rita?" Roddy called.
Rita turned around and raised her eyebrows in response.
"Do you think..maybe..you'd..want to..have..dinner..with me..tonight?" Roddy asked.
He was mroe nervous than he thought he'd be. Wasn't this just a friend asking a friend to dinner?
No, Roddy finally admitted to himself, This had GOT to be more than that.
"Sure, why not?" Rita answered, "Someplace fancy or just here at home?"
"Fancy.." Roddy replied.
"It's a date!" Rita smiled.
She walked into the kitchen, leaving Roddy standing at the foot of the stairs, smiling as if he had done something he'd wanted to do all his life on Earth. She was totally oblivious to the fact that Roddy had just admitted to himself..that Roddy St. James was indeed falling in love with Rita Malone.