“What's with the perma-grin, man?” Kyle asked.
I hadn't realized I was grinning from ear to ear when I walked into the apartment. I probably looked like an idiot. Not that I cared. I was popular, and it didn't really matter what anyone else thought of me. But I wiped the grin off my face anyway; there was no need to let on that I was gaga over a girl.
“Ah, nothing.”
“Did you just get laid, man? Cause that definitely looks like sex grin,” he joked, and winked at me as I made a beeline for the couch.
I laughed, “Well I hope I don't ever go to the supermarket with that grin, ‘cause I'm pretty sure it's my usual grin.”
“Well, where were you, then?”
“I was at that art walk on campus.”
“Oh man, why would you go there? We could have grabbed a ballgame or something. Do you want a beer?”
“No, I have a fight coming up, man. What are you thinking? Anyway, I went because there was a girl there who I wanted to see. I also bought us something for the apartment that is much nicer than all the hockey posters you have hanging up here.”
“Oh yeah, sorry. I have a while before my next fight, so I'm cool.” I shook my head; sometimes Kyle didn’t think with both sides of his brain. “So yeah, cool, man. So you did see a girl, and you really didn't have sex with her?”
I laughed. Wow, maybe I did have quite the reputation. I wasn't sure whether to be proud or ashamed at that moment. Ah, well, it'll pass; I'll go with proud for now.
“No, no sex. Like where would we have done it? In an art tent amongst her canvases?”
Kyle laughed, “You can have sex anywhere, it doesn't matter. Canvas sex might be cool, don't knock it till you've tried it.”
“Yeah, no doubt. A little weird though, man. But seriously, I went to see this girl, Natalie. She’s in the art department at our school.”
“Oh yaaaaaa, I know her! She's kind of weird, isn't she? She's that girl who sits at the bar and just drinks all the time. Like seriously, she will just sit there and not talk to anyone but her friend, and get shitfaced.”
I laughed nervously, as I hadn't realized everyone saw her in that light. No wonder no one had approached her at the bar to pick her up. They thought her behavior was a little weird for a bar atmosphere. Don't get me wrong, it certainly was, but I had always figured there was a reason behind why she acted that way. I guess I didn't need to worry about anyone stealing my thunder, after all.
“Yup, that's the girl.”
“Why are you interested in her? She's a little different for you, isn't she?”
“Meaning what? I only go after bimbos?”
“Well partly, but mainly ‘cause the girl is antisocial. She doesn't dance, she doesn't socialize, she probably won't sleep with you either,” he said and started laughing, clearly enjoying himself.
“No she's not. Well ... I mean, the antisocial part, not the sex part. There is a lot more to her than that. I think she has been through something bad recently, that's why she drinks at the bar, and doesn't want people to bother her. But she's not doing it alone, she always has her friend with her, so she isn't exactly antisocial.”
“Right, but isn't the point of going out to a bar to meet new people, have some drinks, and go dancing? Those two girls don't do anything. It must be boring as fuck.”
“Well, like I said, I'm sure there is more to that story than we realize. I've talked to her a few times, and despite a certain amount of feistiness, she's no different socially than anyone else I know.”
“Well, what makes her so different, then?”
“How about this? For someone who isn't interested in meeting new people, or is antisocial, I have a date with her tonight?”
His mouth dropped open, and he actually started focusing on me, rathe
r than the TV. “Are you shitting me?”
“No, for real. I asked her out at the art show, and she said yes. Pretty easy, actually.”
“Are you gonna bang her?”
“I hope so. It would be ideal.”