before a teacher sees him. That
would be the end of our football season.” Everyone at the table glared at her,
and she had the grace to blush slightly. “Well it must be nice to have such a
strong man around to defend your honor.” Alyssa ignored her, but privately she
thought that yes, it was nice.
Brent returned to the table. “Pete
and Lisa had to leave early.” Was all he said. Alyssa admired him so much.
Always cool and collected in any situation. He really was very nice to have
around. The rest of the evening went by pleasantly, if unremarkably. At one
point Jennifer did try and get Brent to dance with her, but he refused her
politely.
They’d been the last stop on the
way to the dance, so at the end of the evening they were the first to be let
out. “Night guys!” Alyssa called over her shoulder as Brent walked her to the
front door.
Brent’s tall large body was very
close to her as she put her key in the lock. Alyssa wondered if he noticed her
hand shaking. Really—when had he started to wear cologne?
“Invite me in.” He whispered into
her ear.
“Okay sure.” Was her voice squeaking?
She suddenly felt very sure that their relationship was about to experience a
big change.
He followed her inside and once the
door was shut Alyssa turned around slowly to face him. He wasn’t there!
Brent was in the kitchen pouring
himself a glass of milk. “You guys need to keep more junk food around. All
that dancing makes a guy crave carbs.” He said lightly when she walked in.
“What are you doing?”
“Oh.” He looked a little confused
and then he reached into the cabinet again. “Did you want a glass?”
“No. I meant, well… you wanted me
to invite you in so you could insult our pantry?”
“Not the actual pantry—just its
contents.” He grinned. “Your friends were watching. They would have at least
expected a kiss goodnight at the door.” He clarified for her.
Right. Pretend boyfriend. Pretend
date. What was wrong with her anyway? It wasn’t like she’d wanted that kiss
goodnight. Man, they had to end this fake boyfriend thing soon. Her emotions
couldn’t take it anymore.
“Oh.” That was it. That was all
she could think to say. So she walked around him, opened a cabinet, and pulled
out a box of lucky charms.
“Sweet.” Brent grabbed the box
from her. “Go change. I’ll put a DVD in.” And he walked carelessly into her
family room. Just as he’d done a thousand times before. She really had to get
a hold of herself.
When she was changed, she came back
downstairs to find Brent spread out on her couch; his feet propped up, one hand
reaching into the cereal box, and watching the opening scenes of the first
Harry Potter movie. He knew she preferred Richard Harris to Michael Gambon’s
Dumbledore. The sight was so familiar. Just Brent hanging out, watching a movie.
Alyssa happily joined him on the couch.
“I had a good time tonight Lyssa.
Mostly.”
“Mostly?”
“Yeah, well you pretty much go to
school in a John Hughes movie. But I like Tommy and Beth. And you were
there—I like you.”
“Thanks.” She snorted a little.
“I like you too.”
“Hillfield’s homecoming is next
week. If you want we could go.”
Did he sound nervous? No. Brent
never sounded nervous. “Like a date?”
“I don’t know, Lyssa. I just
thought you might want to go. And I can hardly take someone else. Do we have
to make a big deal out of it?”
“No. I mean yes—we should go.”
Alyssa recovered quickly. Of course it wasn’t a real date. “I’ll get Beth to
go dress shopping with me.”
“What’s wrong with the brown
dress? I liked it.”
“Coffee. It’s not brown .
And you don’t wear dresses like that twice.”
“Girls are dumb.”
“Yeah well—at least we don’t have
cooties.” Alyssa stole the Lucky Charms box from
would be the end of our football season.” Everyone at the table glared at her,
and she had the grace to blush slightly. “Well it must be nice to have such a
strong man around to defend your honor.” Alyssa ignored her, but privately she
thought that yes, it was nice.
Brent returned to the table. “Pete
and Lisa had to leave early.” Was all he said. Alyssa admired him so much.
Always cool and collected in any situation. He really was very nice to have
around. The rest of the evening went by pleasantly, if unremarkably. At one
point Jennifer did try and get Brent to dance with her, but he refused her
politely.
They’d been the last stop on the
way to the dance, so at the end of the evening they were the first to be let
out. “Night guys!” Alyssa called over her shoulder as Brent walked her to the
front door.
Brent’s tall large body was very
close to her as she put her key in the lock. Alyssa wondered if he noticed her
hand shaking. Really—when had he started to wear cologne?
“Invite me in.” He whispered into
her ear.
“Okay sure.” Was her voice squeaking?
She suddenly felt very sure that their relationship was about to experience a
big change.
He followed her inside and once the
door was shut Alyssa turned around slowly to face him. He wasn’t there!
Brent was in the kitchen pouring
himself a glass of milk. “You guys need to keep more junk food around. All
that dancing makes a guy crave carbs.” He said lightly when she walked in.
“What are you doing?”
“Oh.” He looked a little confused
and then he reached into the cabinet again. “Did you want a glass?”
“No. I meant, well… you wanted me
to invite you in so you could insult our pantry?”
“Not the actual pantry—just its
contents.” He grinned. “Your friends were watching. They would have at least
expected a kiss goodnight at the door.” He clarified for her.
Right. Pretend boyfriend. Pretend
date. What was wrong with her anyway? It wasn’t like she’d wanted that kiss
goodnight. Man, they had to end this fake boyfriend thing soon. Her emotions
couldn’t take it anymore.
“Oh.” That was it. That was all
she could think to say. So she walked around him, opened a cabinet, and pulled
out a box of lucky charms.
“Sweet.” Brent grabbed the box
from her. “Go change. I’ll put a DVD in.” And he walked carelessly into her
family room. Just as he’d done a thousand times before. She really had to get
a hold of herself.
When she was changed, she came back
downstairs to find Brent spread out on her couch; his feet propped up, one hand
reaching into the cereal box, and watching the opening scenes of the first
Harry Potter movie. He knew she preferred Richard Harris to Michael Gambon’s
Dumbledore. The sight was so familiar. Just Brent hanging out, watching a movie.
Alyssa happily joined him on the couch.
“I had a good time tonight Lyssa.
Mostly.”
“Mostly?”
“Yeah, well you pretty much go to
school in a John Hughes movie. But I like Tommy and Beth. And you were
there—I like you.”
“Thanks.” She snorted a little.
“I like you too.”
“Hillfield’s homecoming is next
week. If you want we could go.”
Did he sound nervous? No. Brent
never sounded nervous. “Like a date?”
“I don’t know, Lyssa. I just
thought you might want to go. And I can hardly take someone else. Do we have
to make a big deal out of it?”
“No. I mean yes—we should go.”
Alyssa recovered quickly. Of course it wasn’t a real date. “I’ll get Beth to
go dress shopping with me.”
“What’s wrong with the brown
dress? I liked it.”
“Coffee. It’s not brown .
And you don’t wear dresses like that twice.”
“Girls are dumb.”
“Yeah well—at least we don’t have
cooties.” Alyssa stole the Lucky Charms box from
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