As always, thanks to Carol!
My apologies again for not responding to feedback. I think I'll finally have time during the day tomorrow.
From Chapter 7
“That works for me,” I said, although I didn't really foresee myself locking him out of the room ever. “And maybe there's a time after which we're allowed in.”
Steve nodded. “Say 3 on weeknights and 4 on weekends?”
I smiled – this was easier than I had thought. “Do Thursday nights count as weeknights or weekends?” I asked. Given that Thursdays were typical party nights on campus, like last night, I thought Steve might have considered it a weekend night. Then again, he didn't have classes until noon on Friday, whereas I had poli sci at nine-thirty.
Steve shrugged, but then turned to me. “Oh, wait. You have a class on Friday mornings, don't you?”
I nodded.
“Oh, man, I'm so sorry. Thursdays definitely count as weeknights from now on.”
“Thanks,” I said, smiling. I knew Maddie was right and Steve was not the nicest guy ever and clearly he was not someone I'd want one of my female friends dating, but he really wasn't all bad.
Chapter 8
Lois gave me a dirty look as I took my seat in journalism. I sighed. I might want to stay completely silent in class today as she was clearly ready for a fight. I didn't get it. We had never walked to class together before two days ago. How was I supposed to know that was something we did now? And even if it was, I couldn't have something else to do?
I sighed again. If we were walking to class together regularly, and I had something else to do, I would have told her what that thing was. With a third sigh as I could sense already that this was not going to go well, I got up and walked over to where she was sitting.
I was still several feet away, and hadn't even contemplated opening my mouth yet when Lois looked me straight in the eye and said, “So you're one of those guys, huh?”
“What guys?” I replied, knowing as I did that I was letting her draw me into an argument rather than explain why I couldn't walk with her to class.
“The ones who get into a relationship and blow off all their friends,” she said matter-of-factly.
“What?” I asked, confused. “I'm not in a relationship, Lois. Nor did I blow off my friends. I had lunch with everyone the same as I always do.”
Lois gave me a knowing look. “But you were too busy chatting up your new girlfriend to leave for class in time.”
“I don't have a new girlfriend,” I replied, feeling frustrated. “And,” I took a look around the room, “I seem to have still made it to class in time.”
“Whatever,” Lois said and it was clear she was dismissing me.
I started to turn around and leave, but then decided I wasn't going to let her dictate all of our conversations. “Look, I'm sorry I didn't walk with you to class. I didn't even realize that was something we were doing now. But it had nothing to do with Maddie – who I'm not dating.”
“Oh, that's better,” Lois said and for a moment I could see something besides anger flashing in her eyes. Was she… was she jealous? Could Star be right? But that wasn't quite it. No, she was hurt. Hurt because she thought I was dating someone else? I shook my head. Not only was that ridiculous, but she hadn't looked hurt at all until I said that Maddie wasn't the reason I couldn't walk with her to class.
She was hurt because… did she think I just meant I didn't want to walk with her to class?
I had to admit, all those jokes about men not understanding women really applied to my feelings towards Lois. I didn't understand her at all. She was barely cordial to me most of the time. We walked to class together once, couldn't even be cordial enough to leave the same class speaking to each other, and now she was potentially hurt as she thought I didn't want to walk with her today?
I sighed again. “Lois, I didn't walk with you to class as I needed to talk to Steve. The girl he met last night? He brought her back to our room and locked me out the whole night.”
Lois looked at me cautiously. “The whole night?” she asked as if she was trying to decide if Steve's infringement really warranted my blowing her off.
“Yeah,” I said. “I left and slept someplace else, but when I came back this morning before my poli sci class, the sock was still on the door.”
Lois giggled. “A sock? You guys use a sock? How classy!”
I laughed as well. “Yeah, it wasn't my idea. We hadn't even discussed it before. Ask Steve.”
“You didn't discuss it before? I thought that was first item on the agenda for guys when they had a new roommate.”
I shrugged. “No idea. I've never had a roommate before.”
“But didn't you wonder? I mean what to do if you wanted to bring a girl back to the room?” Lois asked.
“Did you and Star discuss it?” I asked her.
She shrugged. “No, but we're girls. It didn't occur to us.”
“Well,” I said, “it didn't occur to me either.”
“Really?” I could see her looking me up and down carefully and felt myself start to flush. Why was she watching me so closely? “And you don't have a girlfriend?” A light came on in her eyes. “Oh, sorry. I didn't mean… I mean, it's perfectly okay.”
“What's perfectly okay?” I asked, realizing only now that we had the attention of about half a dozen students around us.
Lois shrugged as if she, too, had just realized this wasn't a private conversation and didn't want to say.
Just then someone cleared their throat loudly and I turned around to realize Professor Matthews had come in. Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I went to take my seat.
It wasn't until midway through class that I realized what Lois was saying. Just because I didn't have a girlfriend and hadn't considered what to do if I wanted to bring a girl home that meant I was gay? Really? I nearly laughed out loud. Lois Lane had one very screwed up view of guys.
************************
“So,” I asked, feeling a little nervous. “Did you want to go off campus?”
Maddie turned to look at me. “We're going to brave the real Metropolis?”
I laughed lightly. “Well, maybe only the pseudo Metropolis. There are lots of places right outside the gates.”
“Oh, my roommate mentioned this place called Anjelina's. It's right across the street on Columbus. I can't recall what kind of food they have, though. Maybe Italian. She just mentioned she went there for lunch and they had the best brownies.”
I laughed again, “You want a brownie for dinner?”
Maddie giggled. “No, but it sounded like her lunch wasn't bad either.”
“And it is right outside the gates, so no scary Metropolis,” I teased her.
“Well, even if it is a little scary, I have you to protect me, right?” Maddie asked. I looked at her in surprise. Was she flirting with me? Was this a date? I honestly had no idea. Even if I was the one to ask her for dinner on a Friday night and suggest we leave the comfort of the dining hall.
“Well, yeah,” I smiled at her, hoping I managed to convey the same flirtatious tone she had. “That is what I'm here for.” I slung my arms around her shoulders in a way that I hope seemed casual and like I was trying to pretend to be a big, strong man protecting his little woman.
“Right,” Maddie said as we stepped outside the gates. “But you know, the big, buffoon guy types are not usually allowed to talk.”
“So I'm supposed to stay silent during dinner?” I asked her.
She looked up at me thoughtfully. “Yeah, I think so. If you're quiet enough, I might let you sit at the same table as me.”
“Well,” I said as we walked across the street, “that is generous of you.”
“I'm just that kind of girl,” Maddie said as she pointed to the restaurant. “Is this okay?” she asked me.
I glanced inside. It seemed perfect. Definitely classier than the dining hall, but not some fancy place that was full of couples. “Looks good,” I said as I reached out to open the door for her.
There were only four or five tables inside, but apparently it wasn't a popular dinner option as we got seated pretty quickly. The busboy came over to fill our water glasses and I glanced at the menu. Clearly the clientele here was largely students as the prices were very reasonable for a restaurant in Metropolis, I thought. More than Maisie's, but then I expected that.
“Do you want to share some mozzarella sticks?” I asked Maddie. I wasn't sure if that was appropriate, but I wanted this to feel at least a little date like. Somehow, sharing something made it seem that way to me.
“That sounds great,” she said as she continued to peruse the menu.
A few moments later we had ordered and we lapsed into an uneasy silence. Maybe this was a bad idea? I suddenly had no idea what to say to her. I felt like we had known each other too long almost – I couldn't really fall back into small talk with her. I knew what classes she was taking and all that sort of stuff.
“Have you talked to any of your high school friends?” Maddie interrupted my thoughts.
“A little,” I said. “I talked to my closest friend, Pete. He's at UCLA.”
“Does he like it?” she asked.
I laughed. “Yeah, I think Pete had visions of spending all his study time on the beach and it's not turning out like that, but I think he's enjoying it. How about you?”
Maddie nodded. “My closest friend, Nicole, is at Hamilton. It's a small liberal arts college and it's exactly what she thought it would be. But one of my other friends, Olivia, is at Northwestern and I think she was hoping for something a little more laid-back than it turned out to be.”
“How about you?” I asked. “How has Met U compared to your expectations?”
Maddie shrugged. “I don't know. I guess pretty well, sort of. I mean, it feels bigger than I expected. I feel like it's so easy to walk around here and not bump into anyone you know. On the other hand, I sort of expected that. It's just more than I expected.”
I nodded. “I guess it's different coming from Smallville. Smallville's so small, I knew to expect something like this. I have to say, I think the campus is nicer than I expected.”
“Really?” Maddie asked, her nose scrunched up curiously. I hadn't noticed that she did that before, but it was cute.
I nodded. “I think I almost pictured this cold, city-like school. No flowers or trees or anything. I know, it was silly, but that was what I was thinking.”
“And the students? Did you expect everyone to be like Alicia and Lois – all city people through and through?”
“Sort of,” I admitted.
Maddie laughed. “Me, too. I was so glad to meet you that first day. I think I thought I was going to be the small town person. Not that San Diego is a small town, but compared to Metropolis…”
I laughed, “But then you met someone from Kansas…”
“From a town called Smallville, none the less,” Maddie added. “Yup, I immediately knew I didn't need to worry about being the small town person anymore.”
“Well, glad I could help you out,” I said as the waiter cleared our mozzarella sticks away and placed our entrees in front of us.
“I guess you are good to have around for more than protection,” Maddie smiled at me.
“And you've even let me talk during dinner. I must be really outdoing myself,” I laughed at her.
“I don't know. I'm still deciding that,” Maddie said.
We lapsed into silence again, but this time it didn't feel so awkward. “Where else did you apply?” I asked her.
Maddie shrugged. “No place else I really wanted to go,” she said.
“Me, too,” I said, “but I did apply to a few places closer to home.”
“Not me,” Maddie said. “I couldn't wait to get away.”
“Do you not like San Diego?” I asked.
“No, I love San Diego. It's beautiful. But… I don't know. I was eager to get away from home. My parents are great and all, but… I can't really explain it.” I didn't say anything, sensing that she was building up to tell me something of some importance. “I have a twin sister. I love her to death - she's great. But… well, I guess I've always been the "good kid' and my parents really spoil Grace rotten. It's like they think that if they give her everything she wants, she'll stop being a bit of a troublemaker.
“Anyway, I guess sometimes it would get to me – watching them give her all this stuff for ridiculous things. I felt like it wouldn't bother me so much if I wasn't there to see it.”
“Like what?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Like Grace wanted a car when we turned sixteen. And my parents said they'd buy one for her if she didn't fail any of her classes. Then they bought her one anyway when she failed English because it was fewer failed classes than she normal failed.”
“And you didn't get a car?” I guessed.
“No. You don't cars for getting straight As if you always get straight As. I guess the car was for doing better than normal and since I didn't…” She gave a small laugh. “Anyway, given her grades, Grace was definitely going to community college, although actually she didn't manage to graduate high school yet, so she's still there. I just thought it was time to get away from that.”
“Did it help?” I asked her, wondering what that would be like. I couldn't imagine Mom and Dad doing anything like that.
“Yeah,” Maddie nodded. “I like my parents better from here. I can't explain it. I mean, I still know they are doing the same type of things, but now my life is different or something.” She picked at her chicken for a moment before asking, “What about your parents?”
I smiled, “Sorry to say, they are perfect. I mean, well, maybe not perfect, but you know… I have the best parents of anyone I know. They are really supportive of me.”
“Like what?” Maddie asked.
I sighed. “I think Dad would have liked it if I wanted to be a farmer and I could take over the family farm. I'm an only child, so if I don't, this will be the first time the farm won't pass down in something like ten generations.”
“No pressure there,” Maddie smiled.
“That's just it, though. There isn't. I know he'd like that, but he's never pressured me. And he's the one who encouraged me to apply here, said I'd make better contacts for a career in journalism than if I stayed near home.”
“Wow,” Maddie said quietly. “He does sound perfect.”
I laughed. “Although, you know, as a teenager, you really don't fit in if you can't complain about your parents.”
Maddie nodded. “I see your point. I do feel badly for you.” We both laughed.
“Do you want a brownie?” I asked her as the waiter took our plates away.
“Nah,” Maddie said. “I'll probably get snacks at the movie.”
I raised my eyebrows at her. “Didn't you have any of the popcorn last time? I highly suggest bringing something with you.”
Maddie nodded. “I forgot. You're right. It was pretty stale.”
I looked over at the bakery case which was a few feet away. “Maybe we should get a couple of things?”
Maddie nodded. “A brownie and a lemon bar?”
I nodded. “Sounds good.” I gave the waiter our order when he came back and asked him to pack up the desserts to go.
“So, does your dad's support mean you always knew you wanted to be a journalist?” Maddie asked as we waited for our desserts and the check.
I shrugged. “Pretty much. Since I was in junior high anyway. What about you? Did you always know you… Actually what is it you want to do?”
Maddie laughed. “Yeah, that was pretty much my parents' reaction when I told them I wanted to be an art history major. I want to be a curator. That's why I wanted to go to school here. There are no good museums in San Diego.”
“We should get going,” I said after I paid the bill. “We're supposed to meet in front of the theater in ten minutes.”
“Thanks for dinner, Clark,” Maddie said as we walked across the street. “I had fun.”
“Me, too,” I said, realizing just how true that was. I was glad I had decided to ask her that morning.
“Do you think… do you think when we show up together everyone is going to think we're together?” Maddie asked me.
I wondered for a second – I had thought they might, but I no longer knew that I cared. I wasn't even sure that they'd be wrong. If it was going to bother Maddie, though, I guess they would be.
“We can just tell them we're not,” I said. I glanced over at Maddie and something flicked across her face. “Or we can tell them that we are,” I said, letting my voice trail off.
Maddie stopped walking and looked at me intently. “Are we?”
I felt myself flush, but it was dark enough out that I doubted she could tell. “Do you want to be?”
Maddie didn't say anything at first, then gave a small nod of her head as she said, “If you do.”
I leaned down, kissing her lightly. “Well then, that takes care of that,” I said. Maddie smiled widely at me as I pulled away.
“I guess so,” she said.
I took her hand as we started walking again and we went to meet everyone else.
