heard Morrigan’s boyfriend was like totally devoted to her, talked about her the way Max just talked about Beckett. It’s bad news if you think she’s your soul mate, whether she is or not. I didn’t want to see Max go through something like that. I mean, he’s my bro.
I tried to think of something to cheer him back up. He was still looking all bummed out.
“How do you even know she’ll be there?” I asked, trying to sound all reasonable ’n’ shit.
“She will,” Max said. “I know she will. If that pizza guy is going, then why not her?”
“Man, we’ve been to parties,” I reminded him. “Never seen her. Never seen her at anything that had to do with school. She walks in on the last bell, leaves school right after last bell. She’s like mental or something. You know? How do you know she hasn’t joined the Peace Corps or something?”
“I dunno,” Max said. “I just got a feelin’ is all.”
“Because of a free coffee.”
“Because … I dunno, because it’s my last chance.”
“Ya’ll go get that girl, son,” the old black guy said.
Max and me both turned. The guy was kinda grinning, not looking at us, playing his violin.
“Was he talkin’ to me?” Max whispered.
I shrugged. Couldn’t care less. “Let’s go,” I said, and we kept walking down State. I think the old black guy was laughing again.
We walked and didn’t talk. I wanted to skate so bad. This walking crap was getting old.
“You think I’m like a total freak?” Max asked suddenly.
“Totally.”
“Serious, dude.”
“No, not totally. If you’d been all stalking her or something, then, yeah. But you did keep your distance. That’s good.”
“I
dated
,” Max said.
“Yeah, but you were thinkin’ about her the whole time. That one chick, what’s her name. Ashley … something.”
“Dixon.”
“Yeah, man, her. Dude, she was totally sweet for you and she was really hot and you totally blew her off. ’Member that?”
“Yeah …”
“You blew her off because you told me you were gonna ask Beckett to prom. And did you? No. So that Ashley chick went out with that douche surfer Todd before he bailed for Baja. You blew all
kinds
of opportunities because of this chick, man.” Like screwing Ashley, which I heard Todd did, but I didn’t bother bringing it up to Max.
“I know …,” he said.
“But,” I added, “like I said, at least you weren’t a stalker. So if you did talk to her, tonight,
finally
, at least she wouldn’t like pepper-spray you or anything.”
“Yeah?”
“Sure. But since we’re on the subject—again—why the hell didn’t you talk to her all these years? I mean, for real?”
“’Cause she’s awesome. And I’m …”
I gestured for him to go on.
“I dunno,” he said.
“How do you know she’s so awesome, since you never talked to her?”
“I guess I don’t,” Max said. “But I gotta find out. Look, I know you’re right. I wasted all of high school starin’ at Beckett and thinkin’ about her and whatever. I know that. That’s why I have to do it tonight. I have to know, one way or another, if there’s even a chance.”
“Okay, yeah, I get it, but look, man,” I said, “you gotta understand something. I’m going to this party because I want to celebrate getting the hell outta high school. And that’s what I’m going to do. I’m not hanging out all night listeningto you go off about this chick again. You know what I’m saying?”
“Yeah, yeah, that’s cool, man.”
“You sure? ’Cause I’ll bail on you, I swear to god.”
He actually laughed. “Naw, man. It’s cool. You’re right, I gotta grow a pair and just do this.”
“Cool. Now, since we’re on such a unique topic, can I ask you something?”
“Yeah, man.”
“What do you really think is going to happen? I mean—like, what’s your best-and worst-case scenario right now? Assuming she’s there?”
Max didn’t say anything for a minute. The crowded sidewalk had cleared a
I tried to think of something to cheer him back up. He was still looking all bummed out.
“How do you even know she’ll be there?” I asked, trying to sound all reasonable ’n’ shit.
“She will,” Max said. “I know she will. If that pizza guy is going, then why not her?”
“Man, we’ve been to parties,” I reminded him. “Never seen her. Never seen her at anything that had to do with school. She walks in on the last bell, leaves school right after last bell. She’s like mental or something. You know? How do you know she hasn’t joined the Peace Corps or something?”
“I dunno,” Max said. “I just got a feelin’ is all.”
“Because of a free coffee.”
“Because … I dunno, because it’s my last chance.”
“Ya’ll go get that girl, son,” the old black guy said.
Max and me both turned. The guy was kinda grinning, not looking at us, playing his violin.
“Was he talkin’ to me?” Max whispered.
I shrugged. Couldn’t care less. “Let’s go,” I said, and we kept walking down State. I think the old black guy was laughing again.
We walked and didn’t talk. I wanted to skate so bad. This walking crap was getting old.
“You think I’m like a total freak?” Max asked suddenly.
“Totally.”
“Serious, dude.”
“No, not totally. If you’d been all stalking her or something, then, yeah. But you did keep your distance. That’s good.”
“I
dated
,” Max said.
“Yeah, but you were thinkin’ about her the whole time. That one chick, what’s her name. Ashley … something.”
“Dixon.”
“Yeah, man, her. Dude, she was totally sweet for you and she was really hot and you totally blew her off. ’Member that?”
“Yeah …”
“You blew her off because you told me you were gonna ask Beckett to prom. And did you? No. So that Ashley chick went out with that douche surfer Todd before he bailed for Baja. You blew all
kinds
of opportunities because of this chick, man.” Like screwing Ashley, which I heard Todd did, but I didn’t bother bringing it up to Max.
“I know …,” he said.
“But,” I added, “like I said, at least you weren’t a stalker. So if you did talk to her, tonight,
finally
, at least she wouldn’t like pepper-spray you or anything.”
“Yeah?”
“Sure. But since we’re on the subject—again—why the hell didn’t you talk to her all these years? I mean, for real?”
“’Cause she’s awesome. And I’m …”
I gestured for him to go on.
“I dunno,” he said.
“How do you know she’s so awesome, since you never talked to her?”
“I guess I don’t,” Max said. “But I gotta find out. Look, I know you’re right. I wasted all of high school starin’ at Beckett and thinkin’ about her and whatever. I know that. That’s why I have to do it tonight. I have to know, one way or another, if there’s even a chance.”
“Okay, yeah, I get it, but look, man,” I said, “you gotta understand something. I’m going to this party because I want to celebrate getting the hell outta high school. And that’s what I’m going to do. I’m not hanging out all night listeningto you go off about this chick again. You know what I’m saying?”
“Yeah, yeah, that’s cool, man.”
“You sure? ’Cause I’ll bail on you, I swear to god.”
He actually laughed. “Naw, man. It’s cool. You’re right, I gotta grow a pair and just do this.”
“Cool. Now, since we’re on such a unique topic, can I ask you something?”
“Yeah, man.”
“What do you really think is going to happen? I mean—like, what’s your best-and worst-case scenario right now? Assuming she’s there?”
Max didn’t say anything for a minute. The crowded sidewalk had cleared a
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