Counterintuitive II
"He's cute."
That was the first thing Mary had thought when she saw him.
Her second thought was, "I'll never be able to talk to him."
This stupid party Andie dragged her to: exactly what was she doing here? She longed again to turn and run away. The first time she mentioned this to Andie, her friend had threatened to nail her shoes to the floor. Now every time she caught Mary glancing at the door, Andie mimed using a nail gun on her feet.
It was funny the first couple times. Now it was just getting annoying.
So Mary just stood there at the edge of the room, swirling the Coke in her cup, taking a nervous sip every so often. She tried not to look at anything or anyone in particular, which was easy enough to do. There were a lot of people at this party: frat boys talking loudly, kids in tie-dyed t-shirts and long, dreadlocked hair, girls with thick, black mascara and chains on their pants. And him: black jeans and sneakers, lean but sort of muscular, wearing glasses that somehow didn't make him look the least bit dorky. His hands looked strong but gentle, and she began to think of them taking her hair and...
With an effort, she wrenched her eyes away. Out of some perverse loyalty, Andie insisted on staying near her, even when it was clear she wanted to mingle. If she kept looking at him, Andie would notice.
So she looked in the opposite direction, trying to focus on people dancing. This worked for all of thirty seconds until someone blocked her view by moving in front of her.
"Excuse me..."
A voice in her head sounded an alarm.
Oh. My. God.
It was him.
He was standing in front of her, talking to her.
She looked up at him, terrified, wondering what to do. He had a puzzled look on his face. Why was it puzzled? Had she done something wrong? Was he disgusted with what she was wearing?
"...what kind of drinks do they have? Is that Coke or Pepsi?"
A question. He was asking a question. That meant she should answer. What to answer? She replayed his question in her head...
"Umm....it's a Coke."
He shook his head with a smile. "Figures. They never have Mr. Pibb or anything. Mind if I...?"
He pointed at the table of drinks, and it dawned on her she was blocking his way. She edged out of the way, muttering an apology so quiet he could never have heard it. Filling a cup from a two-liter bottle, he held it towards her. "Need a refill?"
She stared at him like a deer caught in headlights, and finally shook her head no. With a shrug and a nod, he wandered off.
Mary stared after him, wondering if she would throw up right there. She'd actually talked to him. The butterflies in her stomach were from terror, but also exhilaration: she'd actually had a conversation with a cute guy.
It was several seconds before she realized Andie was watching her.
"Ohmigod. You like Shaun Foley. You think he's hot!"
"No!" Mary lowered her eyes to her drink, hoping her cheeks did not look as red as they felt.
"Yeah, you do. I saw you watching him for the last hour."
"I was not, Andie!"
"Well y'know, I'm pretty sure he's single. You should go talk to him."
"No, that's...Andie, I don't want to--"
"Yeah, you do. C'mon, you'll hate yourself if you don't do this..." And without further warning, Mary spilled her Coke as Andie seized her left wrist and dragged her towards Shaun, Mary struggling like a terrified animal at the end of a leash.
That was the first thing Mary had thought when she saw him.
Her second thought was, "I'll never be able to talk to him."
This stupid party Andie dragged her to: exactly what was she doing here? She longed again to turn and run away. The first time she mentioned this to Andie, her friend had threatened to nail her shoes to the floor. Now every time she caught Mary glancing at the door, Andie mimed using a nail gun on her feet.
It was funny the first couple times. Now it was just getting annoying.
So Mary just stood there at the edge of the room, swirling the Coke in her cup, taking a nervous sip every so often. She tried not to look at anything or anyone in particular, which was easy enough to do. There were a lot of people at this party: frat boys talking loudly, kids in tie-dyed t-shirts and long, dreadlocked hair, girls with thick, black mascara and chains on their pants. And him: black jeans and sneakers, lean but sort of muscular, wearing glasses that somehow didn't make him look the least bit dorky. His hands looked strong but gentle, and she began to think of them taking her hair and...
With an effort, she wrenched her eyes away. Out of some perverse loyalty, Andie insisted on staying near her, even when it was clear she wanted to mingle. If she kept looking at him, Andie would notice.
So she looked in the opposite direction, trying to focus on people dancing. This worked for all of thirty seconds until someone blocked her view by moving in front of her.
"Excuse me..."
A voice in her head sounded an alarm.
Oh. My. God.
It was him.
He was standing in front of her, talking to her.
She looked up at him, terrified, wondering what to do. He had a puzzled look on his face. Why was it puzzled? Had she done something wrong? Was he disgusted with what she was wearing?
"...what kind of drinks do they have? Is that Coke or Pepsi?"
A question. He was asking a question. That meant she should answer. What to answer? She replayed his question in her head...
"Umm....it's a Coke."
He shook his head with a smile. "Figures. They never have Mr. Pibb or anything. Mind if I...?"
He pointed at the table of drinks, and it dawned on her she was blocking his way. She edged out of the way, muttering an apology so quiet he could never have heard it. Filling a cup from a two-liter bottle, he held it towards her. "Need a refill?"
She stared at him like a deer caught in headlights, and finally shook her head no. With a shrug and a nod, he wandered off.
Mary stared after him, wondering if she would throw up right there. She'd actually talked to him. The butterflies in her stomach were from terror, but also exhilaration: she'd actually had a conversation with a cute guy.
It was several seconds before she realized Andie was watching her.
"Ohmigod. You like Shaun Foley. You think he's hot!"
"No!" Mary lowered her eyes to her drink, hoping her cheeks did not look as red as they felt.
"Yeah, you do. I saw you watching him for the last hour."
"I was not, Andie!"
"Well y'know, I'm pretty sure he's single. You should go talk to him."
"No, that's...Andie, I don't want to--"
"Yeah, you do. C'mon, you'll hate yourself if you don't do this..." And without further warning, Mary spilled her Coke as Andie seized her left wrist and dragged her towards Shaun, Mary struggling like a terrified animal at the end of a leash.