In My Shoes (21 page)

“Do you need to go to the nurse’s
office?”

“No, thank you. I think I’ll be okay
now.”

“Very well. Take your seat.”

I took my seat next to Jessica quickly and
tried to get my bearings on where the class was with the lesson.
Fortunately, my class was ahead of Nicole’s, so I had already
covered this material.

Class went by pretty quickly, which probably
had something to do with me only being there for thirty minutes.
The bell rang, and Jessica caught my attention.

“Are you okay? I was worried about you.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. My stomach was hurting, but
I think it’s passed.” It hadn’t really, but I didn’t think Jessica
needed to know that.

“Okay. I’ve got to go to my locker. I’ll see
you at lunch?”

“Yeah, see you then,” I said, as I headed to
the cafeteria.

I walked into the lunchroom and headed toward
the lunch line. Mike and Nicole were walking toward the line from
the opposite end of the cafeteria. Mike had a big smile on his
face. Uh-oh, what now?

“My little girl’s growin’ up so fast. Your
first period,” he said, trying to hug me.

“Mike!” Nicole and I yelled in unison, while
I pushed him off and Nicole smacked him.

“Sorry!” he said defensively. “Da heck. No
sense of humor.”

“Don’t smack him like that. You look like a
girl,” I said politely, half laughing.

She looked at me like ‘what do you
expect?’

“I’m just saying.” I turned to Mike. “Dude,
think about what you are doing and saying. We told you about this
because we needed your help and we thought we could trust you.”

“I know. I’ll be good.”

“So, what did I miss?” I asked, trying to
change the subject.

“Not a whole lot,” Nicole said. “I’ve got
what you need for homework. It should be easy. I told Mr.
Korelinski you had a migraine and needed to be in the dark for a
bit. I said you would try and get to class before it ended, but…I
don’t think he even marked you…well, me…absent.

“You’ll have to get your calculus homework,”
she continued.

“I made it to calculus for half of the class,
so I got my homework.”

Nicole gave me a look of discretion and
seriousness. “So, are you better…prepared for the day?”

“I…think so. Is there anything else I need to
know?”

“Like what?”

“You’re asking me? How does this work?”

“You’ve taken health class. Don’t you
know?”

“I think so, but I never thought I would need
good notes on the subject.”

“Well, it usually lasts five to seven days.
It should be pretty mild today, but it will be heavier for the next
few days before it tapers back off. Change your supplies every four
hours at the most, but you’ll know if you need to do it more
often.”

“Anything else?”

“Not that I can think of. Oh…don’t flush
them. Roll them up in tissue and throw them away. You’ll overflow
the toilet if you flush them.”

“Ladies, you’re killing me here,” Mike chimed
in. “Could we get over the girl fest please? I’m about to have
lunch. I don’t need the mental images.”

“Really?” Nicole retorted. “I didn’t think
you had enough horsepower upstairs to gather a mental image, Mike.”
She was being playful but direct.

“Nice,” I said, and Nicole smiled.

“Ha, ha, ha. Could we please just change the
subject?”

“Yes, Mike. We can change the subject.”

We didn’t seem to find a new subject after
that. We walked through the lunch line without any further
conversation until we sat down. Jessica, Caryn and Meredith joined
us a few minutes later.

“Hey guys,” Jessica said cheerfully. “How are
you doing?”

“Helloooo ladies!” Mike said in his smoothest
voice. Nicole rolled her…well, my eyes. Jessica and Caryn smiled
wide. Meredith even seemed to attempt a smile.

“So,” Mike said, looking at Nicole and me,
“do you want to hang out tonight?”

“I can’t,” I said. “I’ve got plans
tonight.”

“Really?” Nicole asked. “What kind of
plans?”

“We’re going to hang out at the mall
tonight,” Jessica offered. “Do you guys want to come?”

Nicole, Meredith and I turned to look at her.
Caryn didn’t seem too fazed.

“What?” Jessica asked defensively.

“Thanks, but I don’t think…” started
Nicole.

“Oh, come on. It’ll be fun,” Jessica
interrupted.

Nicole looked at me. I wasn’t really sure
what she was expecting me to say…‘Please don’t come to hang out
with your girlfriends to help me survive while they guy shop?’

“Well, I guess I could. If you guys don’t
mind.”

Jessica smiled. “I don’t mind.”

Caryn and Meredith didn’t seem to care either
way. Nicole and I looked at Mike.

“How about you, Mike? Are you going to
come?”

“Na. Malls aren’t my thing.”

“I’ll pick you up tonight after I get
Jessica,” I said to Nicole.

“Okay. I’ll be ready.”

For the next fifteen minutes, we all talked
about different things. Different conversations going on between
different people. At one point, I sat back and watched as everyone
interacted. Even Meredith seemed to be nicer today. She was talking
to Mike and Nicole, who she thought was me. There may just be some
new friendships in the making here.

“Well, I’m going to head to class. I’ll see
you guys tonight,” I said. “Mike, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See ya,” he said.

Nicole got up and said goodbye to everyone.
She caught up with me as I headed toward Spanish class.

“I’m not sure really why Jessica invited us
tonight. When we go to the mall we usually…”

“Guy shop,” I interjected.

She smiled. “That’s what she likes to call
it. But usually we go looking for clothes and we’ll check out
earrings and necklaces…a lot of things guys aren’t going to want to
do.”

“So where does the guy shopping come into
play?”

“It’s just a term she likes to use. It’s more
us just going out together, but we keep on the lookout for cute
guys. If we see one, they’ll make a point to say hi. We’re not
actively guy hunting though.”

“Well, that’s a bit of a relief. I’ve already
had one guy ask me out today, and that was awkward. I wasn’t
looking to have to say no to a bunch of other guys.”

“Who asked us out?” she asked, smiling.

“Funny. I think his name is Kevin, and I
think he’s in your Spanish class.”

“Oh, he’s cute,” she said.

“And arrogant,” I said.

“Yeah, I got that impression, too. What did
he say?”

“He called to me as I was leaving the school,
and started by telling me I was going to be late to class.”

“So, he stopped you to tell you that you were
going to be late? That’s dumb.”

“Yeah, and then he just flat out asked me
out.”

“What did you say?”

“I said ‘no thank you’ and he asked me why
not.”

“And?” she asked.

“I couldn’t believe he was asking me for a
reason.”

“What did you say?”

“I think I actually asked him if he needed a
reason, and he said he’d like one. I told him he wasn’t my type and
then I walked away.”

She smiled.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing really. I think you handled that
well.”

“Thanks.”

“We’ll talk more later. I’ve got to get to
class,” Nicole said as she walked away.

I walked into Spanish and saw Kevin on the
other side of the room. He saw me walk in and quickly turned away.
I took my seat and waited for class to begin.

It’s never fun being rejected. Maybe I could
have been nicer to Kevin, but at the time he was being annoying and
preventing me from getting to Nicole’s house. I looked over at him
hoping to catch his eye and smile, to let him know there were no
hard feelings. His posture and body language were telling me he had
no interest in looking my way. Oh well. I guess that’s his
problem.

Fifth and sixth periods went by without any
issues. I ran into Nicole after school.

“Hey, how did the rest of your day go?”

“I think it went okay. I’m trying to get used
to the feeling of wearing these things. They feel like
diapers.”

“I wasn’t aware you knew what diapers felt
like.”

“You know what I mean.”

“They don’t really feel like diapers, but I
do know what you are trying to say. It’ll be over in a week.”

“Yay me.”

Nicole smiled.

“So, are you really going to pick me up
later, or are we going to study together?”

“Oh, we can study together. Text Mike that
I’ll take you home.”

She did so, and we headed back to Nicole’s
car. We were getting in as my…well, Nicole’s phone rang. Jessica’s
name came up on caller id.

“Hey Jess. What’s up?”

“Okay, so you are going to pick me up, and
then we are going to get Jake, right?”

“Actually, I will probably pick Jake up
first.”

“And…there’s nothing going on between you
two?”

“Yeah, why?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” she said and then gave out a
heavy sigh. “Okay…so if you’re not okay with this I totally
understand, but he’s…kind of cute, and he seems real nice, the
little I’ve gotten to know him. I mean, he must be nice if you’re
friends with him. But you’re not interested in him, so I was
wondering if it was okay if…I…was…maybe?”

I was silent for…I don’t really know how
long. Apparently I was silent for too long because Jessica chimed
back in.

“You know what, it’s a bad idea. I shouldn’t
have asked. I’m sorry.”

“No, no! It’s okay. I just didn’t really know
what to say. I mean, I didn’t really think he would be your type,
and I don’t really know if you’re his type.” I’ll need to think
about that. And lots more. “But, you’re welcome to try.” What was I
saying? Nicole was going to kill me.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“Yeah, I mean, it doesn’t hurt to try.”

Jessica gave out a little squeal. “Thanks
Nikki. I was a little nervous you might like him and not be
admitting it yet. I don’t know why, but I’ve found myself thinking
about him all day. Do you have any advice?”

Wow! How to answer that? So many things come
to mind. “Just be yourself. Let him like you or not like you for
who you are. Whatever the case, just make sure to be yourself.”

“Thanks, Nikki! You’re the best! See you
tonight!”

I said goodbye, hung up and looked over at
Nicole.

“That sounded like an interesting
conversation. What was that about?”

“Jessica wanted to know if it was okay if she
was interested in…me.”

Nicole gasped. Not a ‘life is over as we know
it’ gasp, but a gasp nonetheless.

“She what?”

“Was that rhetorical or did you need me to
repeat it?”

“Rhetorical, I guess. And you told her
okay?”

“Well, yeah. I didn’t know what else to
say.”

“How about no? Or not yet? Or, let me think
about it?”

“I was thinking that it might send the wrong
message, like if I said no it would mean you were interested in
me.”

“Well, that’s a good point I guess,
but…ugh!”

“What do we do? She said she’s been thinking
about me all day.”

“That would explain why she invited you to go
with us tonight.”

“Well, actually she asked
you
,” I
said, trying to lighten the mood.

“Not the time, Jake.” Apparently she’s not
ready to lighten the mood.

“Okay,” she finally continued, “she doesn’t
know that you, or I, or…ugh…Jake knows about this. I’ll just be
friendly, but not ask her out.”

“What if she asks you out?” I asked.

“I’ll say no.”

“Don’t I get a say in this?”

“I…guess so. What, do you want to date her?”
she asked, surprised.

“I don’t know. I’m not sure she’s my type,
but if she asked me out, I would say yes. How do you know if you
like someone if you don’t try, right?”

“Jake, she’s my best friend. How am I
supposed to take her out on a date? And worse…kiss her
goodnight?”

“I understand that, but because she’s one of
your best friends, I would think you would want her to be happy.
What if we were meant to be?”

“It’s not likely that you two are meant to
be,” she said. After a brief pause, she continued, “I do want her
to be happy, but that’s asking a lot.”

“
She
doesn’t know it’s asking a
lot.”

Nicole winced like she was in pain. I
recognized that look on my face. “Look, if she asks me out, I’ll
try
to say yes, but I’m not asking her out.”

“That’s fine. That’s probably what I would
do.”

“Why me?” she said, mostly to herself. “This
whole situation gets crazier every day. Every day, I want to switch
back more and more.”

We arrived at my house, gathered our things
and headed inside.

We started studying almost right away. If we
were going to go out tonight, we were going to need to hurry to get
everything done. As we studied, we would share information we
thought each other would need to know. The last thing either of us
wanted was to switch back and not be able to pick up our own
lives.

After about three hours of studying, Nicole’s
phone rang. It was Nicole’s mother.

“Uh-oh,” I said.

“What?”

“It’s your mother.”

“So answer it.”

“I probably shouldn’t.”

“Why? What did you do?”

“I didn’t
do
anything. It sort of
slipped my mind though that your mother and father told me last
night that they would prefer if I spent less time over here and we
spent more time at your house.”

“What? Why would they say that?” she asked.
She seemed a little irritated.

“Your parents, mainly your father, seem
concerned that ‘you’ are spending so much time with ‘me.’ They
asked me some questions about ‘me’ and they didn’t like that my
father left home when I was a little kid and that my mother works
full-time during the week. They are afraid that ‘I’ might take
advantage of ‘you’ or something like that. They were vague, but I
could tell that was their concern. They said they weren’t telling
me not to come over here…yet, but that they would like to have us
over at your house more so they can get to know me.”