CHRIS'S FIRST

So, lots to tell but so little time to tell it in. Let me start at the beginning.

I am not good with girls. I mean, sure I've had a girlfriend or two, but that doesn't mean I'm not clumsy around them. When I first met Dawn I was intrigued. She always seemed like an interesting person, just no one ever took the time to see it. Anyway, I saw her at lunch, walking alone and decided I was going to take the time to see. Not to mention I found out that Brendan was related to her. So I invited her to sit with us at lunch and like the stupid person I am…I tried to woo her over with my humor. Needless to say it didn’t go over too well. She even put thumbtacks on my chair and glued the back of my shirt to my desk.

After the chair incident I kinda gave her some space. I didn’t think she really wanted to talk to me and I didn’t want to have to cut up another of my favorite shirts. It wasn’t until about a week later that Brendan called me and decided that I was going to go out with Dawn, but make it look like it was sheer coincidence. I didn’t think it would work, but I went along with it. I wasn’t going to be able to ask her out otherwise. Call me chicken.

Well I showed up on time with the girl Brendan was digging on, Michelle, and waited. The worst she could to was insist Brendan watch the movie with her. Right? Brendan walked in Dawn in tow and everything seemed to freeze. I got nervous. Me, a guy who runs in front of hundreds of people for my school, got nervous because a girl walked into the lobby of the theater. Needless to say, my nerves only got worse when she went for the ploy and let Brendan and I switch tickets. Not really knowing what else to do, and fighting the inane urge to hold her hand, I let her lead the way to the theatre we were actually going to sit in.

She figured out the ploy. "I'm not stupid," she had said. I grimaced internally. She was going to pummel me and then leave. I didn’t know which would have been worse at the moment. I played it cool. It hadn’t been my idea anyway.

“I never said you were, Dawn…” She gave me a harsh look and continued on.

“It was a clever plan," she said, "I'm going to the movies with my cousin. It was too obvious. When you were here with whomever that girl was, Michelle, I guess. See, if it was flawless, you'd have had your arm around her. Then it would be clear that Brendan was trying to hook up with her. But see… I figured, he'd have told you if he liked her since you've known each other since eighth grade." I couldn’t help but be shocked. She actually thought I was trying to pull a fast one on her. She had no idea it was her cousin who planned the entire thing! I explained the situation; she didn’t believe me.

When we got to the theatre I opened the door, out of habit, it’s just something I do for chicks. She didn’t seem too pleased to be there, and least of all with me so I offered to sit somewhere not next to her, but she said something about someone to talk to when the movie got boring. We sat down at the top and as the previews started she asked me a bunch of questions. It was a major relief when she stopped asking. There are things I’d much rather not share about my past. Anyway, the movie started and I couldn’t stop myself, I held her hand. Corny and I’m acting like such a chick, but I figured what could it hurt? She could slap me and then leave. No harm other then a stinging cheek for a while. She wouldn’t hate me anymore then she already did. She startled me when she said that she thought I was skipping steps. I didn’t realize there were steps to follow. Must be in some written book every girl has to read. Steps he MUST follow during the date. Yeah, so I ‘went back’ to step one and somehow we got onto the subject of relationships…I might have brought it up, I can’t quite remember, but she got skittish and asked me, basically, not to talk about it anymore. No big…works for me. It wasn’t a ‘no’ after all.

We started to actually focus on the movie and randomly, cause I wasn’t really paying attention to the flick, she started laughing. She told me about spells and the ingredients that were used, so I tuned into the film and realized it was horrible and things weren’t right. “…that would never happen. Especially if you put those two things with that and did it that way. It would explode in your face if it did anything at all…” I slipped. I couldn’t help it.

She asked me how I knew that and I came up with some lie about chemistry and derivatives and combustible parts. "Except Blackroot and Mandrake are purely alchemical, and are not the roots of any chemical compounds used in any chemistry class… Don't try to lie to me… I don't like being lied to." I was so caught. I swallowed my pride and told her the truth; that I was a mage.

The girl is a freakin’ necromancer! Go figure! Who would have thought it? Floored me when I heard it. Another thing…her god-mother/aunt person is the infamous Thousand Faces! I’m so screwed! Yeah, so we basically talked through most of the movie…in fact I don’t really know much of what happened in the movie. When we left the movies it was a downpour outside. There was no way we were getting home without getting soaked. I decided I needed to try and earn some more points…I wasn’t sure how the entire movie thing had gone over and I really wanted her to like me, so I gave her my sweatshirt. She gave it back and took off into the rain. All I could do was stare. She was so different from other girls. Most girls are like, “Omg I can’t get wet. My hair!!” Drives me insane! But not Summer, oh no. Summer could never be like that. That was part of the reason I liked her.

I ran after her and met her in the rain. She looked so different with her make up smeared down her face. Not bad, just different. The words bubbled up in my throat and I tried to swallow them but couldn’t. “Dawn, I was wondering…would you be my girlfriend?”

She didn’t answer right away so I thought I’d blown it. Finally after a few painful seconds she said yes and I nearly passed out. We headed for Brendan’s house. I don’t know why…maybe she just didn’t want me to go to her house and have the whole family scene thing happen. She did the craziest thing…she tried to get away from. Like play a game of tag…it was surreal. I ran after her, giving her a head start. I am on track, so it wasn’t like it would be hard to catch her. I caught her by Brendan’s house and was just about to give her a kiss when he aunt popped out from the front door. Suddenly right then didn’t feel like the right time, so I watched her go inside and headed for my house. I owe Brendan a monstrous favor. (Thanks bud!) Anyway, so that was how I got the girl…surprisingly and it wasn’t even my idea.

~Out~

Chris E.