GreenEyedGal

  "Okay.”

  That’s what the girl answered when I asked her out at the Jollibee parking lot.

  "What?" I asked because I wasn't sure I heard her right.

  She fshed a smile, "I said, okay. Sure. Yes. Let's go on a date."

  Okay, I did hear her right. "But why?" I managed to stammer out.

  She scowled again, back to how she was when our conversation began. A shame, to be honest. She was cuter when she smiled. Especially with the really pretty face she had. Honestly, even her scowl was cute, part of why I approached her in the first pce. Well, that and…

  "Dude, you're the one who asked me out. And now you're the one wigging out on me?" Her sudden response took my attention again.

  "Sorry..." Wait, why am I the one apologizing? "I just didn't expect you to say yes. This never happened before."

  She chuckled at that. What did she find so funny?

  "Wait, do you mean I’m the first person you asked out, a dismal attempt at that, ever. Or do you mean I'm the first one you asked out, which again a still dismal attempt, who said yes?" She said, chuckling. "Either way, that sounds kind of pathetic. Sorry, dude."

  I could feel my face getting flush. This is so embarrassing. And I don’t know what was worse, the absolute put-down she gave me. Or that she called me ‘dude’. I don’t know why but I always hated being called that. It felt like people were mocking me whenever they called me that. In this case, she probably was.

  My roommate, Karl, 'thankfully', stepped up between us. He was taller than me too, so it was pretty easy for him to cut between me and the girl. "Uh, no? Neither of those was what he meant."

  I tried putting my hand over his mouth. A bit harsh, sure, but knowing him (and I think I know him pretty well by now), whatever he’s going to say next is just going to make things worse.

  I was a bit too te because he managed to squeak out, "He meant that you're the first lesbian he asked out who said yes."

  "First what?" The girl turned her face towards me. I tried my best to hide behind Karl now.

  Karl continued, "Yeah, he does this a lot. Whenever he sees a lesbian, he goes up to them and asks them out on dates. And they always say no. You're the first one who ever said otherwise. Ever."

  Why did he sound so proud about that st bit? Hell! Karl’s a great guy usually, but he really doesn’t know when to shut up. I want to just disappear completely. With how the girl was gring at me now, maybe I’ll get lucky and she has heat vision and she could someone vaporize me right now or something?

  "That is so wrong, dude," She practically hissed. "What are you, some kind of… lesbian chaser or something? Why don't you ask straight girls out instead of bothering us?"

  "Well, maybe he is a chaser, whatever that is? What's it to you, huh?” Karl continued, coming to my ‘defense’. At this point, every word he says feels like a stronger and stronger gut punch. “Besides, it's not his fault he doesn't ask out straight girls. He says lesbians are more interesting. Isn't that right, bro?"

  I flinched at that. At this point, Karl turned around to me, looking straight at me. She followed suit. She was gring daggers now. Honestly, I probably didn’t care about that as much as I did about what Karl just called me. I had to shut Karl up now.

  "Okay Karl, that is enough out of you." I pulled him away and pointed to our car. "Why don't you just bring our food to the car, and we can just eat at home. That sound good?"

  He furrowed his brows at me at first, but then he smiled again. "Okay, sure," he replied cheerily.

  Before he left, carrying our food in the bags they came in, I pulled him aside, away from the girl. I didn’t want her to hear me, but I needed to remind Karl. "Karl, before we forget again. Remember the favor I asked you? You know, what I said about calling me 'bro'?"

  He smiled sheepishly, "Oh shit, I forgot. I'm sorry about that, br— Sorry, I mean... Uh..."

  I patted his back reassuringly, "Karl, it's okay. Just get the food in the car while it's still warm."

  "Will do."

  And with that, he stood straight up, pyfully saluted me, and walked away. Leaving me with her.

  "You two are an interesting pair, you know?" She spoke up, getting my full attention again.

  I looked at our car. I could see Karl was sitting in the passenger seat, watching us. I could also see he was sneakily eating some fries. I need to remember to get some of his ter to make us even.

  "Yeah, he sure is something. Karl's a nice guy. Maybe not the best with words, especially when he's trying to ‘defend’ someone.” I said that st bit with heavy air quotes. She giggled at that. “But he's always been good to me. Always been.”

  She was smiling again. I'd take her smile over the piercing gre and the scowl she was giving me earlier.

  "So, what was that about you asking out lesbians all the time?"

  My face immediately flushed again. Why did Karl have to dig me into this hole? He's great, really, but he’s like an excitable puppy or something, pulling people along, causing damage along the way, but you can’t really bme him, you know he didn’t mean it. I mean, he isn’t actually a puppy, I can bme him ter when we’re alone. But, it’s still hard. He’s always so apologetic whenever he accidentally does something, and I know he means it. Can I really bme a guy for being a bit dim? This isn’t the first time he did something like this though so maybe I can just—

  "Hey, guy, you still with me?” She snapped at me, taking me out of my trance. “You said we were more interesting? Why'd you say that?"

  She was staring again, but she wasn’t gring this time. And she was still smiling. And I was definitely getting confused by her expression.

  “That’s not what I meant,” I managed to finally squeak out. “Karl misquoted me, I never said—"

  She snapped at me. “Really? I think your buddy Karl over there was telling the truth more than you are right now. I mean, look, you come on to me while I'm just trying to buy some food, food that I’ve been really looking forward to eat, by the way, and then you ask me if I’m a lesbian, pointing at my lesbian fg patch, and I don’t even know how you know that's a lesbian fg because usually guys like you don’t even now an inch about queer shit, and you had the balls to tell me, to my face, that I'm probably just a lesbian because, and I quote, 'you just haven't found the right one', and then, after all that, you still thought it was a good idea to ask me on a date?!" She was getting really heated up. She was practically shouting now. "And now, your friend there tells me that I'm not even the first lesbian you did this to?!"

  "... Yes?" I squeaked out.

  "Okay." Her voice was back to being calm. Scarily calm.

  What?

  "What?"

  "I said, okay. Dude, are your ears broken or something? Why do you always make me repeat myself?"

  She started looking me up and down. I felt self-conscious at that. The reason why I came up to her in the first pce was because she was pretty. She was wearing overalls on top of a green long-sleeved shirt. And she had all sorts of patches on her overalls, including the lesbian fg patch that caught my attention in the first pce. She looked like a cute painter girl or someone else equally artsy.

  Compared to her I looked like a mess. Usually, I don’t even do anything in particur to get dressed up. Felt like a waste of time, especially with my looks. It would be like spraying perfume on trash, not really enough to cover the stink… And right now, I look even more like a mess. I didn’t even want to go out, but Karl thought it was best for both of us to get some fresh air and convinced me to go out. So I just threw on an old band shirt, a hoodie that was way too big for me (which mom bought, convinced I’d grow into it), and some ratty jeans.

  “Gosh, sorry do you really have hearing issues?” I was taken out of my daze again when she started waving at me, “I wasn’t trying to offend or anything.”

  I... I don't get her one bit. This girl is so confusing. One second, she was mad at me, the next she was concerned.

  "No, I could hear you. Sorry about that. I get lost in my head sometimes, bad habit. Also, weren’t you mad at me."

  "Oh, I am," she said smiling. Why was she smiling? Is she really mad or…? "Look, don't worry your pretty, little head over it too much. Your forehead might get wrinkles, you know?"

  I instinctively put my hand on my forehead.

  "Ha. Cute," she snorted. "So, are we still on for our date?"

  "That's still happening?"

  She looked at me like I asked a dumb question.

  "Duh? Why wouldn't it still happen?"

  "Weren't you... Offended or something?"

  She suddenly looked serious. "Hey, I admit, I only said yes the first time because I thought it wanted to get you off my back. But now I think it'd be good for you to have a date with me."

  There she goes again, confusing me. "What do you mean?"

  "I just think it would be good for you to actually hang out with a lesbian. Learn a thing or two maybe. Besides, better I nip it in the bud now before you go harass some other hapless sapphic.”

  "What?"

  "Geez dude, is that like your catchphrase or something? ‘What this, what that’. If you don't get it, don't worry about it. I was serious about the forehead wrinkles though. Those can sneak up on you," she pointed at her own forehead while fshing a smile again. How could she smile at me so many times after all this? "So, when do you want to have the date? Don’t tell me you’re thinking of doing it today. I’m good with a st-minute date and all, but I was kinda itching to go home and rex with my food tonight.”

  I scratched the back of my neck while trying my best to ignore the heavy feeling I got when I heard what she called me, "I, uh… I don’t know? Honestly, I didn't really think I'd get this far. Never had anyone say yes so..."

  She reached into her pocket and took out her phone. "Okay here. Gimme your number and I'll text you and we can figure things out from there? That fine?"

  "Good with me."

  "What name should I put you down as?"

  "It's…" I flinched. It sounds weird but I didn’t know what name to give her. Most people knew me as just J. Didn’t want people to pick on me because of the rather very Filipino name I had, Jose Maria. Like two first names, really? Especially that second bit, it didn’t take long before I got teased about it, a boy having a girl’s name and all. I wouldn’t have even minded it that much if it weren’t for the other kids giving me hell about it once they learned it. Though I don’t know what’s worse, that name or the nickname my family gave me, Jomar. Never liked any of those. But... She doesn't know me. I can just say whatever name and it'll be alright, right? "It's Jamie."

  She smiled again at that, "Jamie, huh? Cute name.” I felt the telltale signs of my cheeks getting warmer. I instinctively covered my face a bit with my hands. Why was I blushing? And what is up with her and her mysterious smiles? It’s like everything I say is so funny to her. Like she’s privy to a joke that only she knows.

  "So... I guess, see you ter then?" I said, trying to get away as soon as I can. I didn't think I could handle this conversation any longer.

  "Yeah. See you ter, dude."

  I flinched at that st word. "Oh yeah, I wanted to say since earlier. Can you not call me that? 'Dude', I mean," I muttered.

  She smiled at that again, and as always, I don't know why. "Okay. Whatever you say, cutie."

  The blush continued to settle on my face as we went our separate ways. I was starting to make my way back to the car before I remembered to ask, "Wait, what's your name?"

  She turned her head to me and replied with a wink, "Sophia."

  And with that, she left.

  PrincessCharming: he really said that?

  P: in the parking lot and everything?

  SophAmore: Yeah, couldn't believe it either.

  P: and you said yes?!

  SophAmore: well, he seemed interesting.

  P: in what way?

  SophAmore: you'll see when you meet him. Might bring him around to our pce if y'all are okay with it.

  P: I mean, why not. Mostly just going to be me there with Cee out of town and all.

  PrincessCharming: Hey! It's not my fault I have friends other than you two.

  SophAmore: now now children, don't fight. You'll all get to meet him eventually. Just trust me, he's really interesting. Can't say anything for sure now. But something's pinging in me.

  P: you mean?

  SophAmore: maybe. Who knows really. Either way, I think I can at least get him to learn a thing or two. Better for our community in general.

  PrincessCharming: praise be to you our lesbian savior

  SophAmore: yes I am. Praise me more

  P: so when's the first date?

  SophAmore: I'll keep you posted.