turned to Xiang uncertainly. “And . . . uh, congratulations, I guess.”
Jimmy jumped up, too. “Oooh, look at the time. Sorry, ladies, I have to finish my chem lab report for tomorrow. Later!”
He gave us ironic air kisses, and then—
whoosh
—they were gone.
I wouldn’t have guessed it, but apparently my gay boys weren’t terribly comfortable when girls started talking about hooking up.
Xiang pulled out her cell phone and started tapping away. I got up and watched through the window as Oliver walked to the red Honda idling in the driveway.
Which classroom had Xiang picked for her little
liaison
? Oh, man—Mr. Dartagnon’s room? No, too far away from the auditions. Eww, didn’t Xiang say Sister Mary Alice had
couches
in her classroom?
Outside, Oliver said something to his dad, who had gotten out of the car, and they both cracked up laughing. His dad had cropped gray hair and a goatee; actually, he was pretty handsome for an old guy. I could see where Oliver got his looks from.
Oliver opened the driver’s side door and dropped into the seat, then carefully backed the car out of the driveway. Like me, Jimmy just stood there, off to the side, watching Oliver maneuver the Honda. Then Jimmy waved up at me before switching on a flashlight and heading into the backyard, toward the woods.
“So,” I said, turning to Xiang, who was still tapping at her phone. “What’s your plan?”
“Plan?”
“I mean, what’s next? How is this whole Blarker thing going to work?” I could feel an edge in my own voice, and I hated the way I sounded: critical, aggressive.
Xiang’s glow-y aura dimmed a bit. “Um, I dunno. I guess we’ll just figure it out. We see each other every weekend at CYO. Plus, there weren’t that many people auditioning for the musical’s orchestra today, so we’ll probably both get in.”
I realized we hadn’t even discussed her audition at all, not even at dinner.
“You’re texting him right now, aren’t you? You’re obsessed.”
Xiang smirked dismissively and kept on tapping away. I got the distinct impression that she didn’t think I could understand, nonsmoker and non-hooking-up virgin that I am.
“Fine, whatever,” I said wearily. Xiang’s phone buzzed as I left to retrieve my book bag from downstairs. I glanced back to see her sprawled over my bed, a stupid grin spread over her face as she read the new message.
Later, after Xiang had gone home, I called Jimmy.
“Xiang’s not one to take things slow, huh?” I asked, staring at my ceiling from the exact same spot where Xiang had been sending pornographic text messages an hour ago. (OK, I don’t
know
that they were pornographic.)
Jimmy whistled. “Yeah, I was definitely not expecting that!”
“Yeah . . .”
“Kind of like you and what’s-his-face,” Jimmy said teasingly. He was referring to Felix, obviously—I had called Jimmy the minute I left the audition yesterday to tell him all about Felix and his . . . whatever that was. Compliment? Courtship attempt?
“Oh, please. I have no idea what’s actually going on with Felix. If anything. I mean, maybe he was just joking, or having a stroke or something.”
“Uh-huh,” Jimmy said, and I didn’t have to see him to know the skeptical expression on his face.
OK, time to put
him
on the defensive. “So how’s it going with Derek?”
Jimmy sighed loudly.
“That bad?” I asked, joking.
“What? No, that was a happy sigh! A very happy sigh! I’m smiling!”
“Aww, that’s sweet,” I said mechanically. (Look, there’s only so much enthusiasm I can be expected to show. Derek’s nice and all, but you can’t blame me for not being over the moon about him taking my Jimmy away from me.)
“All this romance in the air,” Jimmy mused. “Even Kirby’s got
something
going on, even if it is in cyberspace.”
“I guess the only odd one out in our little group is Oliver,” I said. “Poor guy. He seemed pretty heartbroken the other week, talking about his
Jimmy jumped up, too. “Oooh, look at the time. Sorry, ladies, I have to finish my chem lab report for tomorrow. Later!”
He gave us ironic air kisses, and then—
whoosh
—they were gone.
I wouldn’t have guessed it, but apparently my gay boys weren’t terribly comfortable when girls started talking about hooking up.
Xiang pulled out her cell phone and started tapping away. I got up and watched through the window as Oliver walked to the red Honda idling in the driveway.
Which classroom had Xiang picked for her little
liaison
? Oh, man—Mr. Dartagnon’s room? No, too far away from the auditions. Eww, didn’t Xiang say Sister Mary Alice had
couches
in her classroom?
Outside, Oliver said something to his dad, who had gotten out of the car, and they both cracked up laughing. His dad had cropped gray hair and a goatee; actually, he was pretty handsome for an old guy. I could see where Oliver got his looks from.
Oliver opened the driver’s side door and dropped into the seat, then carefully backed the car out of the driveway. Like me, Jimmy just stood there, off to the side, watching Oliver maneuver the Honda. Then Jimmy waved up at me before switching on a flashlight and heading into the backyard, toward the woods.
“So,” I said, turning to Xiang, who was still tapping at her phone. “What’s your plan?”
“Plan?”
“I mean, what’s next? How is this whole Blarker thing going to work?” I could feel an edge in my own voice, and I hated the way I sounded: critical, aggressive.
Xiang’s glow-y aura dimmed a bit. “Um, I dunno. I guess we’ll just figure it out. We see each other every weekend at CYO. Plus, there weren’t that many people auditioning for the musical’s orchestra today, so we’ll probably both get in.”
I realized we hadn’t even discussed her audition at all, not even at dinner.
“You’re texting him right now, aren’t you? You’re obsessed.”
Xiang smirked dismissively and kept on tapping away. I got the distinct impression that she didn’t think I could understand, nonsmoker and non-hooking-up virgin that I am.
“Fine, whatever,” I said wearily. Xiang’s phone buzzed as I left to retrieve my book bag from downstairs. I glanced back to see her sprawled over my bed, a stupid grin spread over her face as she read the new message.
Later, after Xiang had gone home, I called Jimmy.
“Xiang’s not one to take things slow, huh?” I asked, staring at my ceiling from the exact same spot where Xiang had been sending pornographic text messages an hour ago. (OK, I don’t
know
that they were pornographic.)
Jimmy whistled. “Yeah, I was definitely not expecting that!”
“Yeah . . .”
“Kind of like you and what’s-his-face,” Jimmy said teasingly. He was referring to Felix, obviously—I had called Jimmy the minute I left the audition yesterday to tell him all about Felix and his . . . whatever that was. Compliment? Courtship attempt?
“Oh, please. I have no idea what’s actually going on with Felix. If anything. I mean, maybe he was just joking, or having a stroke or something.”
“Uh-huh,” Jimmy said, and I didn’t have to see him to know the skeptical expression on his face.
OK, time to put
him
on the defensive. “So how’s it going with Derek?”
Jimmy sighed loudly.
“That bad?” I asked, joking.
“What? No, that was a happy sigh! A very happy sigh! I’m smiling!”
“Aww, that’s sweet,” I said mechanically. (Look, there’s only so much enthusiasm I can be expected to show. Derek’s nice and all, but you can’t blame me for not being over the moon about him taking my Jimmy away from me.)
“All this romance in the air,” Jimmy mused. “Even Kirby’s got
something
going on, even if it is in cyberspace.”
“I guess the only odd one out in our little group is Oliver,” I said. “Poor guy. He seemed pretty heartbroken the other week, talking about his
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