Cher has recovered from food poisoning, so I'm going out with Elvis tonight. Elvis Esposito that is, son of Dad's friend Tiny. No, he's not fat like Tiny. That was Bonnie's first question. But I forgave her because she's the one who told me that Elvis's stepsister, Cheryl Moretti (daughter of Elvis's mom's husband), got food poisoning and the whole family went down to the hospital to watch her stomach get pumped. I was so mad about him not calling me, I ripped off the head of the teddy bear he won me at the street fair. But I sewed the head back on and now we're going bowling in Brooklyn.

I know, a week ago I didn't even want to go to the dumb fair. But I didn't know there'd be any cute guys there.

Dad met somebody, too. Well, re-met, since they grew up together. But she's like the one girl he didn't date before he got with Mom. Or after Mom died.

Francesca Candino was one of the few people in the old neighborhood to go to college. She worked her way through and then won a scholarship to law school. Yeah, pretty impressive. But she's not a nerd like poor Angela was and still sort of is. Frankie likes beer and baseball and apparently never went through an awkward stage. And she's beautiful in this really approachable way, the way Mom was, the way I'd like to be.

Not that Angela isn't beautiful. She is. I know Dad sees it, although it's not easy to get him to admit to anything about her. When I was younger, I used to imagine that Dad would marry her someday. I know Jonathan did, too, to the point that he even set them up on a blind date. Now, I don't know. It's been three years. How long does it take to fall in love with someone, especially someone you see every day, someone you live with? Maybe that's the problem. They just take each other for granted.

It's different with Frankie. It's not like Dad has kept in touch with her all these years. They have shared memories but from ages ago. I wonder if he might fall in love with her.

I'm not sure how I'd feel about that. Dad told me last year, when I asked if he's thought about getting married again, that he was really happy with my mom and he'd like to have that happiness with someone again. But he also said whoever he loves would have to love me, too. I thought that was his way of leading up to saying he'd like to marry Angela. But the only one who proposed to her in the next few months was, ugh, Geoffrey. Luckily she said no.

Anyway, I want Dad to be happy. I'd rather that that was with Angela, but you can't control who you love, right?

I like Elvis. He's cute and he's cool. I don't know if this will lead to anything big, especially since we live so far apart and he doesn't own a car, but I decided to give this a chance. And I haven't been bowling in awhile.

He meets me at the nearest subway station and then we head over to the bowling alley. I'm tempted to hold back, since it's a first date and I know from when I dated Todd that guys don't like it when you beat them at sports. (Dad got real competitive with Angela over mini-golf around that time.) But Angela's always telling me to be myself.

Luckily, Elvis is impressed when I beat him, although not by all that much. He says, "Well, now I guess I'd better treat you to dinner."

"Yeah, loser pays," I tease.

It's just pizza and a soda, but almost nothing beats Brooklyn pizza.

We're about halfway through when Frankie comes in! Well, maybe it's not that big a shock but I figure she spends most of her time in her penthouse or in court.

"Hey, Sam, how's it going?"

"Hi, Frankie." I introduce her to Elvis. She knows Tiny, since he grew up with her and Dad. (Yeah, and grew out more than anyone.)

"You want to join us?" I offer.

"No, I don't want to intrude."

"It's OK," Elvis says.

"Well, thank you. Just for a minute."

We end up talking, the three of us, for a few minutes, mostly about bowling. Then the friend she's meeting up with shows up. Frankie suggests she and I hang out sometime. I'd like that.

On the walk back to the subway station, Elvis suddenly asks, "You gonna be like Frankie? You gonna be a big-shot lawyer someday?"

"Well, I do like to argue. But I'm not that into school. I might do college. But law school? I don't think so."

He sighs. "Good."
"Good?"

"Well, you know, you don't wanna end up like her, do ya? An old maid at 35?"

I thought Elvis was cool, but now I realize he's an old-fashioned Brooklyn guy. And Tiny isn't exactly a feminist, is he? Yeah, Elvis was fine about me beating him at bowling, but I get the feeling he wouldn't like it if I ended up making more money than he would.

"Well, I want a career."
"Yeah? Doin' what?"

"I don't know yet."

He lets out another sigh of relief. "I guess working is OK as long as you don't ignore the kids."

I really don't want to get into this, especially on the first date. "Well, thank you for a nice evening, Elvis," I say and hold out my hand to shake.

"Uh, you're welcome." I think he would try for a kiss goodnight if we weren't in public. "Uh, I guess I'll see you around."

"Probably. Goodnight." I dash down and catch the first train I can that's heading towards the station where I can get the last commuter train back to Fairfield. This wasn't a rotten evening, but it was disappointing. Well, at least I can look forward to hanging out with Frankie sometime. I want to ask her advice about guys like Elvis. I could ask Angela, but who has she ever dated from Brooklyn? Dad doesn't count because they've never been on a real date. Besides, Angela's sort of like a mom. Frankie would be more like an aunt or maybe just a cool older friend who's not going to get all parental about things.

On the commuter train, I look for an old lady or someone else nonthreatening to sit by, as Dad advised me to. But honestly, the most harmless-looking person is this guy who's my age. He's kind of a cute in a nerdy kind of way (not Geoffrey-level nerdy but in that direction) and he's wearing a Ridgemont College T-shirt.

"You have an older brother who goes there?" I ask.

He looks up from the thick book he's reading. "Where?"

"Ridgemont?"

"Oh, no, I go there."
"Oh, sorry. I thought you were about fifteen."
"I am fifteen."

"And you go to college?" I was right, he is nerdy.

"Yes, I skipped a few years. Would you like to sit down?"

"Yes, thank you."

And we end up talking all the way to Fairfield. He's nice but not my type. I like guys with some kind of edge. This guy, Mason, is more the kind of guy Dad thinks I should date. I think the last guy I liked that Dad approved of was Bobby in sixth grade.

Towards the end of the ride, he says, "Um, would you like to go to the library sometime?"

Wow, that is the nerdiest request for a date I've ever gotten! Bobby included. "Um, gee, I'd have to ask my dad."

"Sam, you don't have to let me down gently. I know a girl as pretty and cool as you is out of my league. But Ridgemont Library has a lot of historical and architectural interest so I thought maybe—"

"Oh, the Ridgemont Library!" The campus library. I would be on campus. I would get a glimpse of the college scene. OK, it's not like it's a frat party, but it is part of college life. And I just started high school. Bonnie and Julia would be so jealous! "Yes, that does sound interesting. I'm sure my father would approve."

"Great!"

He wants my number, but I don't want him calling and having Dad answering. Or, worse, Jonathan, who would see it as an opportunity to make money and/or tell Dad. I get Mason's number and promise to call him.

Now I really want to talk to Frankie about guys.