Crushed (23 page)

I quickly dabbed at the tears in
my eyes with my hand and then turned to him, "You are such a
bastard for trying to trick me, you know." I smiled, trying to keep
it light. Trying not to let it show how grateful I was that he was
doing this for me.

"I'd never forget your birthday,
Elly." He took an extra moment to look at me as he smiled, and I
wondered if he was going to kiss me. Hoping, maybe. But soon he
pushed his car door open and got out. My heart fluttered in my
chest.

"C'mon before they give our seats
away!"

I got out quickly and walked with
him inside. I couldn't believe I was finally on a quasi-date with
Kent. He had never done anything even remotely close to this
before. The past birthdays had been very friendly in nature. Dinner
at Bella Noches was like, a total step up from friendly. I kept my
fingers crossed and a smile on my lips that tonight was going to be
everything I'd been dreaming of for the past four years.

"I have to figure out how I'm
going to top this," I said.

"Never gonna happen. This is going
to be the most epic birthday you'll ever have!" Kent laughed as he
opened the door for me.

I hoped it would. Maybe he was
finally going to make his move and kiss me! I thanked him for
holding the door and waited for him to lead the way.

He moved towards the hostess
podium and lightly drummed his fingers on the edge of
it.

"Two for Lyle at six."

The hostess looked at his fingers
and then at her reservation sheet.

"Of course, right this
way."

She looked at me, finally, and I
noticed a little smile on her lips. My cheeks flamed. Did she think
it was funny that he was here with me? Or that we were on a date at
all? Or that I was on a date at all?

She didn't say anything else as
she grabbed the cloth wrapped silverware and leather padded menus
and walked away towards our table. We both moved to go after her at
the same time and halted. I grinned and then went, leaving Kent in
the back in case he wanted to make his escape. Probably after he
saw the look the waitress gave me he was going to change his mind.
I'd be embarrassed to be with me too. I realized that was silly
though, because this wasn't a date...it was a friendship
dinner.

Kent took his seat across from me
as the hostess handed us our menus. I was only partially relieved
that he hadn't run.

"Your waiter will be right with
you." She turned around quickly, her long red curls would've
whipped someone in the face if they'd been standing too close. The
image caused me to giggle.

It was loud in the dining room,
and crowded. I looked around and noted that we were sorely out of
place. Despite the gesture maybe this was a mistake after all. We
fit in his car, in his room, in my room. We fit anywhere there were
a lack of other people. But this place, like most places, was not
for people like us. Nerds. Outcasts. Socially awkward
individuals.

Kent leaned in and spoke loudly,
"This place is large and there are lots of people."

I looked around and nodded,
confirming his observation as I opened my menu. "Thanks, Captain
Obvious. We don't have to stay if it's too much..." I let him have
an opportunity to call it off one last time.

He frowned at me.

"Hell no, Elly. We're doing this
cause like I said, this is your birthday. Pick whatever you want,
but the Mountain Dew later is on you," he chuckled but I knew he
thought this place was way too expensive. I could see the sweat
starting to pop out on his brow.

I mulled over the menu. The baked
ziti sounded good. The chicken parmesan was probably heaven on a
plate. I glanced up and met Kent's eyes. I felt my cheeks start to
color and I looked back at the menu. Cheap and healthy, cheap and
healthy. I didn't want him to think I was a complete fat ass. I
frowned at the words staring back at me. What the hell was wrong
with me? Kent knew I loved to eat. A lot.

I was mad at myself for being such
a girl, but at the same time I didn't want to ruin the evening. As
soon as I found the least expensive thing I set down my menu. I'd
have the soup. I sat back and watched him, wondering what he was
thinking about as he looked over the menu. He was probably having
sticker shock and wondering if he was going to have enough to pay
for dinner. Luckily my mom had given me my birthday money already
and I could pitch in if he needed some help.

I looked away when I realized that
I was staring at him like a lovesick puppy. If he wasn't going to
make a move then I didn't want him to catch on to my inner
thoughts. Having him as a friend was better than not having him at
all. I didn't want to scare him away. I definitely didn't want to
lose him.

He put his menu down as the waiter
arrived. Kent nodded to me to order. "Go ahead and tell
him."

I opened my menu as if I'd
forgotten, but mostly so I wouldn't have to look at Kent when I
said, "The minestrone soup and a water, please." I smiled sweetly
and held the menu up for the him to take, keeping eye contact with
the waiter until he turned to Kent to take his order.

Kent had disappointment on his
face but he didn't say anything. "I'll have the chicken parmesan
with a sweet tea to drink, please." He gave his menu to the waiter
and when the he departed his gaze turned back to me. "All that
stuff on the menu and what you wanted was soup?"

I looked down at my napkin,
unrolling it to place it in my lap. I shrugged my shoulders
slightly and did what every girl did on a date, I lied, "I'm not
very hungry." In truth I was starving and I hoped to God that it
was loud enough around us that Kent hadn't already heard my
traitorous stomach growl.

"Fine, but you know you're eating
some of mine. I'm not bringing you here to not try something nice!"
A little smile moved along his lips as the waiter dropped off their
drinks and then retreated again.

It was almost too loud to carry on
a decent conversation, especially with a large group of people
right next to us. Kent was about to speak just as the large group
beside us started laughing.

I smiled at the annoyance evident
on his face. I knew just the thing to cheer him up. I leaned
forward and pulled out my wallet from the back pocket of my skirt,
the silver chain attached to a belt loop helped make sure it
wouldn't be stolen and I thought it looked rather cool. I pulled
out a paper football and held it up in victory before putting my
wallet back. I put my finger on the top and my other fingers
curled, ready to flick it when he had his hands in position. Kent
laughed as he held his fingers up like a field goal. He stuck his
tongue out at me as I took aim and flicked it.

My aim was terrible and he didn't
move to block the little pointy paper triangle. It sailed past his
head and hit one of the guys in the large crowd beside us. The guy
turned his head to see what hit him and shook his head. At least he
didn't appear to be angry. Kent tried not to laugh.

I mouthed "Sorry," to the man and
waited until he turned around to cover my mouth and giggle. Then I
put my hands up in the air, speaking loudly to be heard over the
crowd. "Well, I'm all out of ideas and that was my only
football."

We didn't have to come up with
anything because the waiter brought our food out at that
moment.

"Sweet! I'm hungry." Kent
announced as he looked down at his food. The steam was still
spiraling off the crunchy bread-coated chicken that was covered
with blood-red marinara sauce. My stomach growled loudly and I
turned my attention back to my soup.

I smiled the discomfort away and
shifted in my seat slightly. I thanked the waiter for refilling my
water and then dug into my soup with the provided spoon. We ate in
silence except for the cacophony of people all around us enjoying
each other's company.

When he only had a couple of bites
left and my soup bowl was empty I looked from him to his plate.
"How is it?"

Kent had a forkful ready to go
towards his mouth but held it out to me at my question. "Amazing,"
I just barely heard his voice over the crowd.

I felt my cheeks burning as I
pictured him saying that I was amazing, not the food. I reached
out, grabbed the fork and took a bite. I chewed slowly and nodded
my agreement before returning his fork to him. "I'm glad its lived
up to its expectations for you." I smiled and suddenly jumped when
I heard the outburst of employees who had a bowl in hand and were
singing happy birthday as they marched across the restaurant. I
leaned forward and spoke loudly to be heard over the even louder
voices, "You aren't going to do that to me, are you?"

Kent took his fork back and turned
his head when the employees where singing for someone else. He
turned back to me and gave me an innocent look. "Me? Would I ever
do something like.." but those employees made a b-line for our
table as they set a bowl of vanilla ice cream smothered in
chocolate sauce right in front of me. Complete with a little candle
that was flickering rapidly from all the movement.

My cheeks burned red now, and I
tried to blend in with the seat behind me as I slunk back but I
smiled, glancing around the room and at the staff. I avoided
looking at Kent until they were gone and then I shook my head at
him. "I'm going to kill you."

Kent laughed as he pushed the bowl
towards me. "Happy birthday, now eat your ice cream so we can get
the hell out of here with all these people."

I ate it slowly and decided to
tease him as payback for my embarrassment. "So when you grow up
you're going to celebrate birthdays at your house where there are
no other people...is that right?"

"Yes!" He said as he laughed.
"It's the large crowds. I don't like dealing with people day to
day. I just want to play video games and have fun. Maybe design
them or just be a game tester."

"But a hermit, for sure." I nodded
twice, and was inadvertently being very sexual with my spoon,
sucking on it inappropriately.

I knew something was wrong when
Kent blinked and his cheeks turned pink like mine had when I
imagined kissing him. He was staring at the spoon and my
mouth.

I popped the spoon out of my
mouth, my blush matching his when I realized just what I was doing.
I was pretty sure he thought it was gross coming from me anyway.
"Sorry."

He blinked again. "...It's fine.
Are you enjoying it?" He finished off his sweet tea.

I grinned, the heat slowly leaving
my cheeks, "Yeah." The conversation was still too tame. I was going
to need to liven it up if I was going to get back at Kent. "So when
you get a girlfriend, how would you two like, get in the mood? I'm
just trying to picture you in a relationship in my mind." I waved
my spoon around in a little circle and then stared into it with
slightly narrowed eyes.

Kent frowned and shook his head.
"Elly, come on. You done with that ice cream yet?"

I shook my head as I looked at my
bowl, there was still a huge scoop left. "Nope." I looked at him
with a victorious smile. "So ...really, would she try to make out
with you while you're playing video games?"

His eyes shifted back and forth
from the people around us and back to me. "While I'm playing video
games? No. Whatever she chooses to do can't block my view. There
are other things though." His cheeks were blushing brightly as he
flagged a random waitress down to ask for more tea.

I waited for the waitress to leave
before continuing. "I just need to know what I need to tell your
future girlfriend if she asks me how to get your attention during
the late night gaming sessions. You know I like to be
prepared."

"Getting naked will always draw my
attention away from a game," he started to say something else but
he didn't get the thought out of his mouth.

I watched him and waited, holding
a piece of cake on my fork until he continued. "But? And?" I raised
my eyebrows questioningly.

"If she touches places then I'm
not going to worry about a video game. Or if she wants to have a
joint shower or something... I dunno, Elly. Can we... not talk
about this around so many people?"

I didn't know why it upset me so
much. But it did. I put my spoon down and then set my napkin on the
table. "Sure. You get the check and I'll be right back." I had to
get out of there before I started to cry.

I stood up and made sure I didn't
pass directly by him in case he tried to stop me. Once safely in
the bathroom stall I balled up some toilet paper and held it to my
mouth to stifle the sob that escaped.

It was so obvious that he wasn't
going to try anything. So obvious that when he envisioned girls
doing things to him it wasn't me he was picturing. I was so stupid
to think that he was into me that way. He wouldn't ever see me as
anything other than his fat friend, Elly. I cried for a few more
minutes and then pep-talked myself into freshening up and getting
back out there. Sitting in a stall and crying wasn't going to fix
anything or change the fact that he wasn't into me that
way.

I blew out a breath just before I
sat down and assessed him, "Ready to go?"