“You really said that to him?” Jerome laughed as a mound of triple chocolate ice cream slid down his warm throat. He and Zoë were sitting in a booth at the ice cream parlor enjoying their cold dessert. Zoë was sharing a recent experience she had with a guy from their school.
“Yeah,” she said taking another lick of her ice cream cone.
“Wow, that’s cold,” he commented. “But the good thing is that you stood up for yourself.” He jabbed the plastic spoon into the Styrofoam bowl.
She had been talking about Duke Sanders who was pretty much an outcast at their school. He had once tried fitting in with the popular kids but they rejected him because they didn’t find him very “cool.” Zoë had tried to befriend him when she noticed his failed attempts at trying to make a friend. She had e-mailed him a couple of times and he had recently sent her a message telling her to leave him alone.
She’d found it rude that he had sent the message and was very upset about it. She decided to tell him off the next day at school in front of the preps. “Hey thanks for writing me that message,” she started. “You really did me a favor.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he had said after he’d turned around.
“Well now that I know what a jerk you are I don’t have to waste my time trying to be your friend.”
“Well I never said I wanted to be your friend,” he remarked. “You’re the one who e-mailed me, not the other way around.”
“Well at least when somebody doesn’t want to be by friend I take the hint and leave them alone. It’s too bad that you can’t do the same,” she said gesturing at the popular kids. With that, she simply took off and walked away before he could say anything else. Behind her, she could hear a few of the preps snickering at Duke.
Jerome was proud of Zoë for the way she had handled the situation. But talking about the popular kids wasn’t really what Jerome had wanted to discuss when he was with her. But he was relieved and surprised that she hadn’t said one word about Corey since they’d arrived at the ice cream parlor.
“So anyways,” he said getting ready to change the subject. “I have something really important I have to ask your advice on.” He thought this would be the perfect opportunity to tell her something about himself.
She took another bite of ice cream and glanced up at him. “What is it?” she asked anxiously.
He nervously moved his spoon around in his bowl. “Well Brian, Ricky and I are in sort of a situation. We just voted Kevin out of the band and we need a new lead singer. The problem is we don’t know anyone who would be interested in the band.”
Her eyes lit up. “Is it okay if I auditioned?” She said through a small mouthful of strawberry ice cream.
He shoved the last bite of ice cream into his mouth and wiped his fingers on the front of his faded blue jeans. “What?” he asked in surprise. He had expected her to suggest somebody but he had never expected her to suggest herself.
“I said would it be okay if I auditioned?” she repeated.
He stared blankly at her for a minute. It was such an unexpected response that he didn’t know what to say. “Um sure,” he stammered. “Of course you can. But let me talk to Brian first. He’s the one who makes the final decision.”
“Okay,” she said making herself more comfortable in her seat.
“The audition will probably be at noon tomorrow in Brian’s garage,” he said. “Give me your number so I can call you tomorrow to be sure.”
She pulled a pen out of the back pocket of her jeans. He held out his hand and let her neatly doodle her phone number onto it. The gentle touch of her soft fingers sent small sparks of pleasure up his arm. It was a wonder that Zoë couldn’t see how he felt about her.
Zoë eagerly finished eating the rest of her dessert in excited hope of joining a band. She didn’t care that the ice cream was giving her a brain freeze. The idea alone of joining a band excited her in a way she never knew before. She had always known she had something to offer when it came to music but didn’t honestly think she could be in a band, until now.
Jerome walked her to her house after they left the ice cream parlor. “I had a great time tonight, thanks.” She smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
“Anytime,” he blushed. “Don’t forget about the audition. I’ll call you tomorrow.” He started off as Zoë waved good-bye to him. He waved back and then turned away smiling to himself. “Yes,” he whispered into the cool April evening.
“Yeah,” she said taking another lick of her ice cream cone.
“Wow, that’s cold,” he commented. “But the good thing is that you stood up for yourself.” He jabbed the plastic spoon into the Styrofoam bowl.
She had been talking about Duke Sanders who was pretty much an outcast at their school. He had once tried fitting in with the popular kids but they rejected him because they didn’t find him very “cool.” Zoë had tried to befriend him when she noticed his failed attempts at trying to make a friend. She had e-mailed him a couple of times and he had recently sent her a message telling her to leave him alone.
She’d found it rude that he had sent the message and was very upset about it. She decided to tell him off the next day at school in front of the preps. “Hey thanks for writing me that message,” she started. “You really did me a favor.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he had said after he’d turned around.
“Well now that I know what a jerk you are I don’t have to waste my time trying to be your friend.”
“Well I never said I wanted to be your friend,” he remarked. “You’re the one who e-mailed me, not the other way around.”
“Well at least when somebody doesn’t want to be by friend I take the hint and leave them alone. It’s too bad that you can’t do the same,” she said gesturing at the popular kids. With that, she simply took off and walked away before he could say anything else. Behind her, she could hear a few of the preps snickering at Duke.
Jerome was proud of Zoë for the way she had handled the situation. But talking about the popular kids wasn’t really what Jerome had wanted to discuss when he was with her. But he was relieved and surprised that she hadn’t said one word about Corey since they’d arrived at the ice cream parlor.
“So anyways,” he said getting ready to change the subject. “I have something really important I have to ask your advice on.” He thought this would be the perfect opportunity to tell her something about himself.
She took another bite of ice cream and glanced up at him. “What is it?” she asked anxiously.
He nervously moved his spoon around in his bowl. “Well Brian, Ricky and I are in sort of a situation. We just voted Kevin out of the band and we need a new lead singer. The problem is we don’t know anyone who would be interested in the band.”
Her eyes lit up. “Is it okay if I auditioned?” She said through a small mouthful of strawberry ice cream.
He shoved the last bite of ice cream into his mouth and wiped his fingers on the front of his faded blue jeans. “What?” he asked in surprise. He had expected her to suggest somebody but he had never expected her to suggest herself.
“I said would it be okay if I auditioned?” she repeated.
He stared blankly at her for a minute. It was such an unexpected response that he didn’t know what to say. “Um sure,” he stammered. “Of course you can. But let me talk to Brian first. He’s the one who makes the final decision.”
“Okay,” she said making herself more comfortable in her seat.
“The audition will probably be at noon tomorrow in Brian’s garage,” he said. “Give me your number so I can call you tomorrow to be sure.”
She pulled a pen out of the back pocket of her jeans. He held out his hand and let her neatly doodle her phone number onto it. The gentle touch of her soft fingers sent small sparks of pleasure up his arm. It was a wonder that Zoë couldn’t see how he felt about her.
Zoë eagerly finished eating the rest of her dessert in excited hope of joining a band. She didn’t care that the ice cream was giving her a brain freeze. The idea alone of joining a band excited her in a way she never knew before. She had always known she had something to offer when it came to music but didn’t honestly think she could be in a band, until now.
Jerome walked her to her house after they left the ice cream parlor. “I had a great time tonight, thanks.” She smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
“Anytime,” he blushed. “Don’t forget about the audition. I’ll call you tomorrow.” He started off as Zoë waved good-bye to him. He waved back and then turned away smiling to himself. “Yes,” he whispered into the cool April evening.