Read Online My First Love and Other Disasters by Francine Pascal - Free Book Online

shoes!” Jim is on the other end of that hand.
    â€œThe Hungarian?” Barry and Gloria say it together like a vaudeville act.
    â€œOh, man you should have seen her and her friend . . .” And he practically doubles over in hysterics. He starts laughing so hard he can barely tell the story. Frankly I didn’t think it was funny at all.
    Finally he gets the whole story out, and the three of them are cracking up. I ask, kind of cold, “What’s so funny about being Hungarian?”
    â€œHey, nothing . . . we weren’t laughing because you’re Hungarian . . .” And he practically falls on the ground, he’s laughing so hard.
    Anyway, one thing and another and they finally pull themselves together and Jim grabs his stuff, which of course had fallen all over during his little story.
    â€œHey, see you around,” Jim says to me. Then to Barry, “You really picked yourself a winner, chum,” and he chuckles good-naturedly.
    I can do without the whole thing. I am not Barry’s girlfriend. “I am not Barry’s girlfriend,” I say to all three. “I practically only met Barry for the first time today. So I couldn’t possibly be Barry’sgirlfriend, and furthermore I’m not even Hungarian. My friend is.”
    And as if it didn’t matter at all, Jim and Gloria say, “Sure, that’s terrific,” or something like that. “See you later,” they say, and while my brain is seething, the love of my life takes off with the love of his life, and I’m left alone with David, DeeDee, who just dropped her cone on my left shoe, and lover boy Barry.
    â€œYou shouldn’t tell people I’m your girlfriend. That’s ridiculous, we only practically just met.” I’m not trying to sound angry, but I’m really ticked off.
    â€œI didn’t exactly say you were my girlfriend, more like . . . that . . .” I hate to make him struggle like that, but, damn, it’s not fair .
    â€œMore like what?”
    â€œThat . . . you know . . . more like I liked you.”
    Well, I can’t exactly hang him for liking me. At least someone does.
    â€œActually . . .” Now he’s really stammering. “It’s more than that. More than like . . .”
    Now I’m the one staring at him.
    â€œÂ . . . I love you.”
    No way!
    â€œYou can’t love me!”
    â€œBut I do.”
    â€œBut you can’t!” I know this is a ridiculous argument, but he can’t. “You hardly even know me.”
    â€œI know you better than you think. I’ve been watching you all year.”
    See, I told you he was always following me around and staring at me.
    â€œAnd I know I’m deeply in love with you.”
    Oh, God, he’s deeply in love with me. Is he crazy or something?
    â€œI think you’re the most beautiful girl in the entire school.”
    He’s really making me nervous now.
    â€œI can’t think of anyone but you. You’ve become the most important person in my life.”
    And when I get nervous . . .
    â€œWe have to be together.”
    Â . . . I laugh.
    And of course I crack up. I know it seems like the meanest thing in the world, but I swear I’m not laughing at him, I’m just laughing because I’m nervous and I can’t handle the situation. It’s horrible but he naturally thinks I’m laughing at him. Now he grabs me by the shoulders, and his face is two inches from mine, and he looks crushed, and I feel terrible, and I want to cry but I can’t stop laughing. I try to tell him that I’m not laughing at him, but every time I open my mouth to get the words out I become so hysterical I can’t talk. All I can manage is half of “I’m sorry,” which he probably can’t even make out.
    Now he turns away from me, and I’m afraid