stories of gift shops and department stores. The movie theater was all the way in the back. As they passed clothes racks, jewelry stands, and obnoxious salesman trying to sell them hand lotions and cell phones covers, they went over a few questions from the test.
“I’m pretty sure I passed,” Josh told her. “But I did get a little confused on the moles.”
“You better pass!” Rosa declared. “You’ll make me look bad if you don’t.”
Josh took a moment to steal a glance at her. She looked amazing. Her hair hung loose in gentle waves all the way down her back. She had traded in her sweater for a tighter, slightly lower cut blouse, and coupled it with a pair of skinny jeans. The outfit cast her figure in a new and improved light. She had even put on a little makeup, not that it was necessary. One of the things Josh loved about her was that she was beautiful without any artificial help. Just looking at her was enough to take Josh’s mind off the disturbing note he had received. It was probably nothing anyway. Just some stupid joke. It was just a coincidence that he happened to get sick around the same time. To think it was more than that would be bordering on paranoia.
“Do you want to grab something to eat before the movie?” Josh asked.
Rosa rubbed her hands together expectantly. “That sounds great. I’m starving.”
There was a small pizza parlor named Rick’s next to the movie theater. Inside were a few booths, each covered in red and white gingham table clothes. Josh bought a few slices of pizza and a couple of sodas, and they settled into the booth in the back of the restaurant. The other booths were unoccupied, so Josh and Rosa had the entire place to themselves. Had he been out with any other girl, Josh would have taken advantage of the privacy. With Rosa, he was too nervous to even hold her hand. It was a strange and new feeling for him, to be nervous and giddy around a girl. Even the fact that his stomach was churning from the smell of the greasy pizza didn’t dampen his excitement, at least not at first.
The longer they sat there, surrounded by the scent of cooking sausage and simmering spaghetti sauce, the worse he felt. His pizza sat untouched while Rosa dug into hers hungrily. Josh picked up his cup and took a sip of his cola, hoping it would settle his stomach. He didn’t realize how shaky he was until he heard the ice rattling in his cup and realized it was because his hands were trembling so badly. Rosa noticed it too. She cocked her head to the side and studied him with concern.
“Josh, are you all right?” she asked. “You’re a little pale, and you’re not eating anything. You haven’t said a word since we sat down. That’s not like you. You normally talk my ear off.”
“I’m sorry,” Josh said. He wiped the beads of perspiration from his forehead with the back of his sleeve. “I’m a pretty lousy date, huh. It’s just that I’m not feeling so hot.”
“Is it a migraine again?” she asked.
“That’s part of it,” Josh admitted, a little reluctantly. She was going to think he was a hypochondriac, always whining about his ailments. “But I think I’m catching the flu or something.”
“If you aren’t feeling well, we can reschedule,” she offered. “I wouldn’t mind.”
“No way,” Josh replied, a little too quickly to avoid sounding utterly pathetic. “I mean, I’m okay. Really. I don’t want to leave. You’re not going to get out of this date that easily.”
“I don’t want to get out of it,” Rosa admitted, and lowered her eyes.
Rosa finished off her pizza and stood from the booth. Josh followed her lead, tossing his uneaten dinner into the wastebasket. They went over their minimal movie options with a frown. The only choices were a bloody slasher film, a war flick, a four hour epic fantasy, and an animated cartoon complete with musical interludes. After some debate, they opted for the horror movie. At least it had cuddling
“I’m pretty sure I passed,” Josh told her. “But I did get a little confused on the moles.”
“You better pass!” Rosa declared. “You’ll make me look bad if you don’t.”
Josh took a moment to steal a glance at her. She looked amazing. Her hair hung loose in gentle waves all the way down her back. She had traded in her sweater for a tighter, slightly lower cut blouse, and coupled it with a pair of skinny jeans. The outfit cast her figure in a new and improved light. She had even put on a little makeup, not that it was necessary. One of the things Josh loved about her was that she was beautiful without any artificial help. Just looking at her was enough to take Josh’s mind off the disturbing note he had received. It was probably nothing anyway. Just some stupid joke. It was just a coincidence that he happened to get sick around the same time. To think it was more than that would be bordering on paranoia.
“Do you want to grab something to eat before the movie?” Josh asked.
Rosa rubbed her hands together expectantly. “That sounds great. I’m starving.”
There was a small pizza parlor named Rick’s next to the movie theater. Inside were a few booths, each covered in red and white gingham table clothes. Josh bought a few slices of pizza and a couple of sodas, and they settled into the booth in the back of the restaurant. The other booths were unoccupied, so Josh and Rosa had the entire place to themselves. Had he been out with any other girl, Josh would have taken advantage of the privacy. With Rosa, he was too nervous to even hold her hand. It was a strange and new feeling for him, to be nervous and giddy around a girl. Even the fact that his stomach was churning from the smell of the greasy pizza didn’t dampen his excitement, at least not at first.
The longer they sat there, surrounded by the scent of cooking sausage and simmering spaghetti sauce, the worse he felt. His pizza sat untouched while Rosa dug into hers hungrily. Josh picked up his cup and took a sip of his cola, hoping it would settle his stomach. He didn’t realize how shaky he was until he heard the ice rattling in his cup and realized it was because his hands were trembling so badly. Rosa noticed it too. She cocked her head to the side and studied him with concern.
“Josh, are you all right?” she asked. “You’re a little pale, and you’re not eating anything. You haven’t said a word since we sat down. That’s not like you. You normally talk my ear off.”
“I’m sorry,” Josh said. He wiped the beads of perspiration from his forehead with the back of his sleeve. “I’m a pretty lousy date, huh. It’s just that I’m not feeling so hot.”
“Is it a migraine again?” she asked.
“That’s part of it,” Josh admitted, a little reluctantly. She was going to think he was a hypochondriac, always whining about his ailments. “But I think I’m catching the flu or something.”
“If you aren’t feeling well, we can reschedule,” she offered. “I wouldn’t mind.”
“No way,” Josh replied, a little too quickly to avoid sounding utterly pathetic. “I mean, I’m okay. Really. I don’t want to leave. You’re not going to get out of this date that easily.”
“I don’t want to get out of it,” Rosa admitted, and lowered her eyes.
Rosa finished off her pizza and stood from the booth. Josh followed her lead, tossing his uneaten dinner into the wastebasket. They went over their minimal movie options with a frown. The only choices were a bloody slasher film, a war flick, a four hour epic fantasy, and an animated cartoon complete with musical interludes. After some debate, they opted for the horror movie. At least it had cuddling
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