The Dating Game (18 page)

A pained look—fear, consternation, regret, Lina wasn’t sure—crossed Dan’s face suddenly, as if he’d realized he’d just made a mistake. “So, what brings you here?” he asked again.

“I wanted to give you this.” Lina handed him the envelope, carefully sealed with
Dan Shulman
written in her best handwriting on the front. He took it and stared at it.

“Oh, okay. Thanks.”

“It’s a poem,” Lina explained. “For
Inchworm
. I wanted to make sure you had a chance to read it. I don’t trust those school mailboxes, you know, anybody can go through them and read anything you put in there—”

“Yeah, you’re right, no security at that school,” Dan said. “Well, Lina, it sure is nice to see you. I’ll read this right away and let you know what I think when I see you at school on Monday. Okay?”

He seemed in a big hurry to get her out of the house. She peered over his shoulder in search of a sign that someone was there, but she didn’t sense the presence of another person.
Dub
, she thought, finally realizing what was bothering him.
He’s afraid to have a student alone with him in his house! Especially a girl student! Even more especially a girl student be likes
, she convinced herself.

“So, again, I promise I’ll read this and I won’t show it to anyone else unless you say it’s okay.” Dan moved his hands toward her shoulders as if he were going to gently move her toward the door, then suddenly stopped as if he’d thought better of it. He rubbed his head instead. A bead of sweat had popped up on his hairline.

Lina didn’t want to leave, but she knew she should let him off the hook. “Thank you, Dan.”

“Come see me on Monday,” he said. “And we’ll talk about it.”

“Okay.” She went out and picked up her bike. “Bye.”

“Bye.” He watched her all the way down the walk, watched her get on her bike and waved as she pedaled away. When she glanced back he was gone and the door was closed.

He was nervous
, she thought. That could be good or bad or have nothing to do with her. She decided to consider it good. And what would he think after he read her poem? If he wanted her to make the next move, the poem was it.

All right, Dan,
she thought.
The ball’s in your court now.

18

Sex Tips for Girls

To:     linaonme

From: Your daily horoscope

HERE IS TODAY’S HOROSCOPE: CANCER: Today doesn’t look too bad, Cancer, as long as you don’t mind a little pain, and maybe some heartbreak to go along with it.

H
ey, look,” Lina called from her desk, where she was sorting the latest Dating Game questionnaires and making matches. “Autumn wants us to match her with somebody!”

“Let’s put her with Gilbert,” Mads said. “He needs someone to take his mind off me.”

“I’m sorry, Mads, but I can’t do that,” Lina said. “It goes against the Matchmarker’s Code. ‘First, do no harm.’”

“That’s impossible,” Mads said. “Harm happens. Risk is built into the whole idea of matchmaking. That’s the fun of it.”

Lina, Holly, and Mads sat in Lina’s big bedroom, with its reading nook and white carpet and windows looking out over the bay. Lina’s room had its own bathroom and even a sliding door that led to a private little patio. Her house was elegant. That’s what Mads thought, anyway. No pesky brothers or sisters. So clean and animal-free. Surrounded by trees on three sides, overlooking the water in the back, it was a sleek modern house made of blond wood and glass, all on one level but much larger than it looked.

“If there’s a Matchmaker’s Code, there ought to be a Blogger’s Code, too,” Holly said. “No spreading lies about your classmates on your blog, Miss Nuclear Autumn. She deserves whatever creep she gets. Try Jake.”

“Come on, just one date with Gilbert ought to cure her,” Mads said.

“Gilbert won’t go out with her, and you know it,” Lina said. “He loves you and only you.”

“Lucky me. Gilbert likes me because he’s the only person in school who has less of a love life than I have.”

“Stop exaggerating, Mads,” Holly said. “You’re too obsessed with this experience thing. What’s the big deal? Some people have fooled around more than other people. So what?”

“That’s easy for you to say,” Mads said. “You’re the Boobmeister. No one ever refuses to go out with you because you’re too young. My self-esteem is taking a beating here. I put myself out there, I try to sex up my image, and I get nothing. Guys would rather have a snack than make out with me. Thank god Sean invited me to his party! If he hadn’t, I might be hurting right now.”

She opened a container of vanilla yogurt and spooned some into her mouth. “I wonder what we’ll talk about at Sean’s party,” she said.

“Oh, it will be deep,” Holly said. “Sean and his friends are probably
this close
to discovering an alternative energy source.” She paused and added, “I wonder if Rob will ask me to go to the party with him.”

After the dance Friday night they drove to Harvey’s Carry-Out for milkshakes, and then Rob dropped her off at home. They kissed good-night but didn’t fool around or anything. It was late, anyway, but Holly wondered if Jake’s teasing had turned Rob off or freaked him out somehow. Or maybe he was just waiting for a better time to pounce on her.

Holly reached for a
Cosmo
lying on the floor near Lina’s bed. The cover promised to reveal “How to Drive a Guy Wild.”

“Ooh, I read that,” Mads said when she saw the magazine in Holly’s hand. She plopped onto the bed beside Holly, and Lina sat down, too. “There’s some weird stuff in there. Look at this one—‘Grow your fingernails long and trail them down his back in sexy swirls.’ I don’t know, boys always seem to be too much in a hurry for that kind of thing.”

“Maybe when they’re older they’re not so rushed,” Lina said.

“‘Put chocolate or whipped cream all over your body and let him lick it off,’” Holly read. “That would be pretty messy in a car.”

Mads laughed. “There’s that food thing again. They should recommend putting hamburger patties all over your body and letting them use you as a plate.”

‘“Feet are sexy,’” Lina read. ‘“Lie with your feet near his head and let him lick your toes.’”

“Look at these Kissing Tips,” Mads said. ‘“Run your tongue along his teeth. Try nibbling on his lips to really make him go wild.’”

“Nibble on his lips?” Lina said. “Do you really think that works?”

Mads shrugged. “Who knows?”

“I don’t think I’d want someone nibbling on my lips,” Lina said. “There’s something rabbity about it. But I guess if it was the right guy, I wouldn’t mind.”

She couldn’t keep herself from imagining Dan nibbling on her lips, but the image was too potent for her and she quickly snuffed it out with a piece of chocolate. He must have read her poem by now. What did he think of it? More important, what would he do about it?

“So. About your poem.”

Lina sat in the
Inchworm
office on the other side of the desk from Dan. He had her poem in front of him. Her sweaty right hand clutched at her sweaty left hand, but they were both so wet they slipped and slid between her fingers like clay.

“It—it’s a good poem,” Dan said. Lina waited for more, but he just stared at the poem and didn’t look up and didn’t say anything. So she said, “Thank you.”

“I’d really love to publish your work in
Inchworm
,” Dan said. “I’m sure Carrie and Ramona and the other editors would agree.”

Ha
, Lina thought.

“But I haven’t shown them this poem, and I’m not going to. I think you understand why. Um, if we published this, it might cause a lot of, um, talk, and um, that’s not really what you want, is it?”

He was as nervous as she was, that was clear. But what did it mean? Lina felt a surge of confidence. She had the power to make him nervous!

But she realized, if she was really being honest with herself, that she hadn’t written the poem with publication in mind. She’d written it for him, and only for him. How extremely wise of him to understand that.

“No,” she said. “I don’t want to cause anyone any trouble, if that’s what you mean.”

His face cracked into an uncomfortable grin. “Right. So, I’ll give this back to you, for you to keep.” He handed her the poem. “You’re a good writer, Lina, it’s not that. But, um, I guess, you know, this should probably stay just between us.”

She took the poem back. On the bottom of the page, in his red grading pen, Dan had started to write a note to her.
Dear Lina
, it said, but then he’d scratched it out.

Dear Lina
. Was he just using the conventional letter greeting? Or was she really dear to him?

“So, you keep that, and write more poems!” Dan said. “Only, um, not about me. I mean, you can write about anything you want, freedom of speech and all that, but you, you know, probably shouldn’t use my, um, name.”

So he understood. She knew it was really kind of obvious, the device she’d used, where the first letter of every line spelled out “I love Dan.” But it could be any Dan. Dan Morgenstern, the senior class president. Danny Dortmunder, a nondescript dweeb in her class. Danny DeVito, even, although that was a long shot. But, no. He knew who she meant. Dan Shulman. The one and only true Dan.

“I understand.” She stood up to go.

“Good. Good. I’m glad.” He seemed relieved. “Okay. So, everything’s all right then?”

“Uh-huh.”

“And, um, we understand each other?”

“Yes, I think so.”

“Good. All right. See you later, Lina.”

She left, the poem rattling in her trembling hands. Now she understood. Of course. This was dangerous for him. He couldn’t admit his feelings for her openly. He liked her. She was pretty sure he liked her. But he couldn’t come out and say it. So he tiptoed around it. He used euphemisms like “I think you’re a good writer” and “This is just between us.” Just between us, like two lovers with a secret!

So that was the way it would stay, a secret, for as long as she could stand it.

19

What Color Is His Toothbrush?

To:     mad4u

From: Your daily horoscope

HERE IS TODAY’s HOROSCOPE: VIRGO: People will find you intoxicating today. Time to sober them up.

A
re you sure I don’t look too kooky?” Mads asked as she climbed out of the yellow VW. Saturday night and Sean’s big Victorian house was already hopping, lights blazing, cars lining the street, kids stumbling across the lawn. From the sheer number of kids and the loudness of the music, Mads knew Sean’s parents had to be away for the weekend.

Mads was dressed for the party in red high-heeled pumps, her lowest-riding jeans, and a stretchy red wrap top. Nothing weird about that; Holly was similarly dressed in boots, jeans, and a zip-up sweater. Lina wore a mod orange thrift-store mini dress, which drove her mother crazy. Sylvia didn’t believe in wearing other people’s used clothes.

It wasn’t her clothes Mads was worried about, but her hair. To jazz up her look Mads had tried once more—or rather, let Audrey try—to give her fine hair a little volume. It puffed around her head like a black cloud.

“You look really cute,” Lina said. Mads frowned. Cute was too easy for her. “I mean hot,” Lina said. “You look hot.”

Mads glanced at Holly for confirmation. “Hot,” Holly reiterated. And she did look hot, except for the hair. Holly got her brush out of her purse and tried to mat Mads’ hair down a little.

“Sean’s tongue will be hanging to the floor when he sees you,” Lina said.

The house sat on top of a small hill. They climbed the stairs to the front porch, where about six kids were lounging around. Holly scanned the group for Rob, but he wasn’t there. Mads had begged Holly for a ride, so Rob and Holly agreed to meet at Sean’s.

They went inside. “Nice house,” Mads said. She’d been dying to see what Sean’s house would look like, and it was fancier than she’d imagined. It looked as if it had been decorated professionally, walls painted mauve and lilac, a mix of modern, antique, and Asian pieces carefully placed throughout the airy rooms.

The girls saw seniors and juniors they recognized but didn’t know well enough to talk to. Jane, the leggy blonde Sean had brought to the dance, held court in the dining room, sitting on top of the table with a drink in her hand. There seemed to be a lot of kids from other schools around. Sean had placed bowls of chips and salsa and M&Ms around the living room, and was serving screwdrivers along with the usual beer.

“I’m surprised Sean would bother to put food out,” Lina said.

“Yeah,” Holly agreed. “It seems kind of girly.”

Mads shot them a dirty look. “Maybe he’s just a good host. Anyway, I like his feminine side.”

He emerged from the kitchen carrying a round of screwdrivers, two in each hand. He nodded at Mads as he distributed the drinks to Jane’s friends.

“Hi, Sean,” Mads said. She took the pose she’d been practicing all afternoon in the mirror, thrusting her right hip out and pouting.

“Hey, kid. Glad you could make it.” He grinned at her. Wow. He was glad she could make it! Mads tried to think of something to say that would keep the conversation going. Something like, “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” No, too stiff. “Thought I’d stop by on my way to the ten other parties I’m invited to.” Hmm, not too believable. “I know my hair looks like I stuck my finger in a socket but it will be back to normal by Monday.” No, probably not a good idea to draw attention to the hair.

Jane said, “Sean, can you get Tess a beer?” and he disappeared into the kitchen again. Too late. But Mads was sure she’d get another chance before the night was over.

“Let’s go get a drink,” Holly said, hoping to distract Mads from her early defeat.

“Good idea,” Mads said. “Maybe Alex is in the kitchen.”

Alex was in the kitchen, and so was most of the party. Holly spotted Rob by the fridge and waved. He pulled out four beers, one for each of them.

“Thanks,” Holly said. She kissed him on the cheek.

“Thanks, Roberto,” Mads said. She sashayed across the room to the kitchen table, where Alex sat with Mo and Jen.

“Hey, it’s the kid!” Alex said. “Have a seat.” He pushed his chair back so Mads could perch on his knee. She hesitated—sitting on his lap seemed so little-girlish, but on the other hand, it could be vampy. She decided it was vampy and sat down with her arm around his neck.