frustrating.”
“Can you major in business like you hoped?”
“I can major in whatever they think is appropriate for me, not what I want.”
“But you’re paying tuition. Doesn’t that mean you have a say?”
Bernice laughed blackly. “You’d think so, but no. They’ll take our money, but they still run the show.”
There was nothing worse in the world for Bernice than being told she couldn’t do something she’d set out to do. Her mind was probably working around the clock to find a way to overcome the obstacle.
“But there’s still hope, right? Surely there are some schools that let women study business?”
“Yeah. But the list is narrowing. Some of the more progressive schools are out of state.”
We sat on the swings, but I didn’t start swinging. My happiness had deflated like someone let the air out of a balloon.
“Gosh, I hope you don’t have to leave,” I said.
“I might have to.” She looked down.
I didn’t want to think about it right now. “Let’s go get a soda. My treat,” I offered.
“Okay.”
We raced each other to the soda shop and spent a long time chatting while sipping our drinks. Then I saw Jim pull up. When he got out, a few pretty girls came his way, oohing and ahhing over his car, trying to make conversation with him.
Bernice noticed my attention had drifted. “Is that your boyfriend?” she asked.
I didn’t take my eyes from the scene. “We just went on one date.”
Jim was talkative, but not flirtatious. His body language didn’t indicate he was interested in any of them, which surprised me since they were all much more popular than me.
He walked inside, and when he spotted me and Bernice, came our way.
“Hey, Lou,” he said, wearing a big smile.
“Hey,” I smiled back. Bernice looked uncomfortable all of a sudden, like she wanted to disappear.
“Who’s your friend?” Jim asked.
“This is my best friend, Bernice.”
“Hello,” she said, offering a little wave.
“Pleased to meet you. Anyone who can be called Lou’s best friend must be someone special.”
Bernice and I smiled in agreement.
“Do you want to join us?” I asked him.
“No thanks. I’m just picking up dinner for me and my dad.”
I pictured him and his recently divorced father sitting at the kitchen table together. The thought warmed me.
“Okay. See you around then,” I said, trying to act casual.
Jim placed his order, and stopped by again on his way out. “I’m not sure if you’d be interested, but there’s a dance coming up soon. Would you like to go with me?”
He stood holding his to-go order, looking nervous.
“Of course,” I answered. “But let me run it by my parents just to be sure.”
Jim turned to Bernice. “I’ve got a few friends who don’t have dates yet. Do you think you’d be able to help me out with that?”
Bernice looked taken aback. “I don’t know. I’ve been really busy lately,” she finally managed.
“Understood,” Jim said.
With that said he left, and when he was out the door, I turned to Bernice. “That was the lamest excuse I’ve ever heard.”
She shrugged. “I’m not good with being put on the spot.”
“I can tell,” I smirked. “But really, why don’t you come with us? It’ll be fun.”
Bernice looked unconvinced. “I don’t think so.”
“Give me one good reason not to go.”
She began fiddling with her straw. “Because I should be studying,” she said.
“That’s not good enough. You’ll have to do better.”
Bernice narrowed her eyes. “Because I don’t want to get involved with anyone. I don’t want to take a chance I might fall head over heels for someone like you obviously have and then have to leave the state for school.”
”What, so you’re not going to go on any dates until you graduate?” I asked.
“No.”
The idea seemed silly, but I knew better than to push her as she rarely changed her mind.
“What about if he sets you up with the ugliest kid he knows?”
Bernice
“Can you major in business like you hoped?”
“I can major in whatever they think is appropriate for me, not what I want.”
“But you’re paying tuition. Doesn’t that mean you have a say?”
Bernice laughed blackly. “You’d think so, but no. They’ll take our money, but they still run the show.”
There was nothing worse in the world for Bernice than being told she couldn’t do something she’d set out to do. Her mind was probably working around the clock to find a way to overcome the obstacle.
“But there’s still hope, right? Surely there are some schools that let women study business?”
“Yeah. But the list is narrowing. Some of the more progressive schools are out of state.”
We sat on the swings, but I didn’t start swinging. My happiness had deflated like someone let the air out of a balloon.
“Gosh, I hope you don’t have to leave,” I said.
“I might have to.” She looked down.
I didn’t want to think about it right now. “Let’s go get a soda. My treat,” I offered.
“Okay.”
We raced each other to the soda shop and spent a long time chatting while sipping our drinks. Then I saw Jim pull up. When he got out, a few pretty girls came his way, oohing and ahhing over his car, trying to make conversation with him.
Bernice noticed my attention had drifted. “Is that your boyfriend?” she asked.
I didn’t take my eyes from the scene. “We just went on one date.”
Jim was talkative, but not flirtatious. His body language didn’t indicate he was interested in any of them, which surprised me since they were all much more popular than me.
He walked inside, and when he spotted me and Bernice, came our way.
“Hey, Lou,” he said, wearing a big smile.
“Hey,” I smiled back. Bernice looked uncomfortable all of a sudden, like she wanted to disappear.
“Who’s your friend?” Jim asked.
“This is my best friend, Bernice.”
“Hello,” she said, offering a little wave.
“Pleased to meet you. Anyone who can be called Lou’s best friend must be someone special.”
Bernice and I smiled in agreement.
“Do you want to join us?” I asked him.
“No thanks. I’m just picking up dinner for me and my dad.”
I pictured him and his recently divorced father sitting at the kitchen table together. The thought warmed me.
“Okay. See you around then,” I said, trying to act casual.
Jim placed his order, and stopped by again on his way out. “I’m not sure if you’d be interested, but there’s a dance coming up soon. Would you like to go with me?”
He stood holding his to-go order, looking nervous.
“Of course,” I answered. “But let me run it by my parents just to be sure.”
Jim turned to Bernice. “I’ve got a few friends who don’t have dates yet. Do you think you’d be able to help me out with that?”
Bernice looked taken aback. “I don’t know. I’ve been really busy lately,” she finally managed.
“Understood,” Jim said.
With that said he left, and when he was out the door, I turned to Bernice. “That was the lamest excuse I’ve ever heard.”
She shrugged. “I’m not good with being put on the spot.”
“I can tell,” I smirked. “But really, why don’t you come with us? It’ll be fun.”
Bernice looked unconvinced. “I don’t think so.”
“Give me one good reason not to go.”
She began fiddling with her straw. “Because I should be studying,” she said.
“That’s not good enough. You’ll have to do better.”
Bernice narrowed her eyes. “Because I don’t want to get involved with anyone. I don’t want to take a chance I might fall head over heels for someone like you obviously have and then have to leave the state for school.”
”What, so you’re not going to go on any dates until you graduate?” I asked.
“No.”
The idea seemed silly, but I knew better than to push her as she rarely changed her mind.
“What about if he sets you up with the ugliest kid he knows?”
Bernice
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