Read Online Just Friends by Dyan Sheldon - Free Book Online Page B

grins. “You see what I mean?”
    No. He might as well be blindfolded with a bag over his head. “I’m not sure. Not a hundred per cent.”
    “Well…” There is a thin moustache of foam over her upper lip. If it were on him he’d look like a clown; on her she just looks cuter. “I guess what I mean is because I know you’re not going to hit on me, I can just chill. You know, be myself.”
    This is good. It has to be good. He doesn’t make her feel like a hunted animal. He doesn’t even have to ask himself how she knows this about him. It must be obvious. Which means that, on the other side of the coin, this isn’t good. He doesn’t stand the chance of an ice cube in a pizza oven with a girl like her. If he ever does get a girlfriend it will have to be someone who can’t get anyone else either.
    “Me too.” He winks. “I know you won’t believe this, seeing as I’m so handsome, charming and sophisticated, but talking to girls isn’t really my area of expertise.”
    “Oh, I don’t know. You seem to be doing okay to me.” She takes another sip of her coffee. “What about Ramona? I see you talking to her.”
    “Minamoto?” As if the school is crammed to the roof with girls named Ramona. “Ramona and I are just friends.”
    Her smile is a wink. “You mean, she’s like your guy buddies?”
    “Except that she’s taller, wears dresses and is more discreet about farting, yeah.”
    “She sure doesn’t look like a guy,” says Jena.

Girls Are Full of Surprises
    She calls him the next morning. His mother is at the kitchen table, rewiring an old lamp she bought in the summer, so Josh and Charley Patton are sitting side by side at the breakfast bar, sharing a slice of toast. When the landline rings he is wiping blueberry jam from Charley Patton’s nose and doesn’t even look up since it can’t be for him. His friends only call him on his mobile.
    His mother answers, thinking it’s for her. “Hello.” Her eyes dart to Josh. “Just a minute. He’s right here. I’ll get him.” She puts her hand over the mouthpiece. “It’s for you.” She already has that mother’s what’s-going-on? look on her face. “It’s a girl.” Said with the same restrained surprise as if she’d announced
It’s the President
.
    So it isn’t Mo. Not counting girls who ask him questions about the math homework (who would never think of calling him) and Aya and Hazel from the chess club (who would also call him on his mobile), Josh only knows one other girl who might possibly want to speak to him. But of course it can’t be her. There’s no way on this planet it could be her. It must be someone who wants to join the chess club and was given this number by the advisor. Nevertheless, he gets up so fast he nearly knocks Charley Patton off his stool.
    “Hi!” says Jena. “It’s me. I hope you don’t mind. I got your number from Ramona.”
    Of course she did. Why look it up when you can just walk across the street and ask Ramona?
    “Oh, hi. No, that’s okay.” He turns his back on his mother. “What’s up?”
    “Nothing really. I was just wondering if you’re doing anything tonight.”
    As unlikely as it seems, she has to be talking to him. “Me?”
    “It’s just that I have this DVD of some really old Hitchcocks. And you know, I was thinking maybe you’d want to watch them with me.”
    Do birds sing?
    “You said you like old movies, right?”
    “I did say that. I do.”
    “If you aren’t busy. But probably you already have plans. It’s pretty last-minute. Saturday night.”
    Should he play it cool?
    “Well … I don’t know… I’ll have to consult my calendar… Hmmm… Looks like you’re in luck, I think I can squeeze you in.”
    “That’s great,” says Jena. “I’ll see you around seven? You remember where I live, right?”
    “Sure,” says Josh. “The house with the tree.”
    As soon as he hangs up, his mother says, “So who was that?”
    There are many advantages to being an only