Twisted Oliver

This is my most embarrassing and terrifying moment.

“No, sorry. Can’t go to the movies with you.”
Caroline, a high school junior with long raven hair, and the face of a goddess, stands in front of me with a Mona Lisa smile smelling like a garden of delicate flowers.

My face blushes, head drops glancing at the pathetic reflection on the tiled floor, then back up to meet the glint in her deep violet eyes.

“Uh… Ok, no problem. I understand.”

The busy bee students rush along the hallway, greeting each other with, “Hey dude”, on their trek to the next class. Girls glance at the jocks' hot spots as they parade by with their lettered jackets. The boys ogle the blond-haired cheerleaders, and drool over the sexy school sluts sashaying along like street corner prostitutes. Everybody, slim and fat, beautiful and ugly, trudging through each day a voyeuristic daydreamer.

“You understand Slade?”
She furrows her brow, eyes narrow. “That’s weird. You a mind reader?”

Shoulders shrugged I clear my throat, face turning a brighter red.
“Truth is, beautiful girls like you don’t want to date egghead nerds like me. Guess I can’t blame you.” Hands fidget against the sides of my Dockers.
“Look at me. Don’t even wear levis. No girl like you is gonna want to go out with a guy like that.”

Oh, my God. Can’t believe I’m saying all this stupid shit to Caroline Weatherby, the most beautiful girl I will ever know. What a dickhead.

Caroline shakes her head giggling.

Oh crap, now she’s laughing at me. I knew asking her out was a stupid, stupid idea. Stop talking and run. My face is probably redder than a fire truck. Stop thinking. Run…

“Silly boy,” she says with a sexy tone. Or at least it sounds sexy to me. Duh, you think everything she says is sexy. Run…

“I’m going out to dinner with my family Saturday night. It’s my younger brother’s birthday. Truth is, I’ve been waiting for you to ask me out. I see how you look at me.”

Caroline smiles, her lips glisten. “But, I know how shy you are. I like that in you. Jocks and Levis are not really my thing. I’m a Dockers girl, a nerd just like you. How about next Saturday? I’d love to go out with you.”

My jaw drops, eyes stretch wide open, as a book slides from my shaky fingers, crashing to the floor.

“You would…?”

“Yes, I would Slade.”

Caroline spots the novel lying front facing up on the floor. Lucky for me, the cover remained intact on the masquerading book. I switched covers, Lady Chatterley's Lover hiding as Oliver Twist.

“Awesome! I see you like the classics, too."
She crouches down to pick it up.
“I’ve never read it. Maybe I could borrow it sometime.”

“Sure, no problem, anytime. I’m finished with it.”

“Good, how about now?”