disorders and body-image problems. Who needs them?”
He nodded. “Okay, I get it now.”
“So I’m like…” she tried to think of a metaphor. “Like the odd girl out, I guess.”
“That must be hard.”
“Anyway, for a little while, I thought maybe I liked Taylor and maybe she had more going on than just surface stuff. Then it was like she totally turned on me. I can’t even remember why exactly. I think it was mostly related to fashion…like if I can’t speak fashioneeze, or know the stupid names of the stupid designers, I’m not good enough to be her friend.”
“That’s pretty harsh.”
“Yeah, but then I did something pretty stupid.”
“What?”
So she told him about the tennis match, and he just laughed.
“Dumb, huh?” she said.
“Or it could be fun. Are you any good at tennis?”
“I’m okay.”
He grinned. “Yeah, you probably are, DJ. I think you’re just a natural at most sports.”
She shrugged. “Maybe Taylor will forget about it.”
Now the waitress returned with their order and, once again, DJ thanked Conner. Then she felt embarrassed, like maybe it was overkill, but this whole thing was still new to her. And she didn’t want to seem unappreciative either. Conner seemed like a really nice guy; he seemed to get her. And sitting here, just having a normal conversation with a normal guy, was hugely reassuring. Maybe she wasn’t such a hopeless loser after all.
“So how about you, DJ? Are you going to play soccer too?”
“Yeah, but you probably heard they aren’t having fall soccer for girls this year. I guess there aren’t enough schools in the area to play. But I’ll play in the spring. In the meantime, I’ll go out for volleyball. I didn’t play last year, and it’ll be fun to see if I still know how.”
“I’m sure you’ll be good at it,” he said.
So as they occupied themselves by talking about sports, eating fries, and sipping on Cokes, DJ realized it was the most fun she’d had in days—maybe weeks or even months. And by the time they finished and were walking back toward their neighborhood, she felt almost hopeful. The sky was getting dusky blue and she could hear a woman’s voice calling her kids to come inside and “get ready for bed.”
“Thanks, Conner,” she told him as they stopped in front of her grandmother’s house. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but I was feeling pretty bummed when I was down at the docks.”
“I could tell.”
She looked curiously at him. “You could?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I guess the waterworks kind of gave you away.”
“Oh.”
“See ya around then?” His eyes looked hopeful.
“Sure,” she told him.
“Good luck…in the big tennis match, I mean.”
She kind of laughed. “Yeah, thanks.”
Her step felt a lot springier as she walked toward the house. The lights were on inside, and it almost looked cheerful in there. Still, she paused on the porch, unsure as to whether she was ready to go in or not.
“Big date tonight?”
DJ jumped to see the red glow of a cigarette burning in the shadows of the porch. “Taylor?”
“Who else?”
“I didn’t see you.”
“Who is he?”
“Who?”
“Your boyfriend.”
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
“Yeah, whatever. What’s his name?”
“Conner.”
“And he’s not your boyfriend.”
“He’s just a friend.”
“He’s cute.”
DJ barely nodded. “I guess.”
“And built too.”
DJ just shrugged, acting as if she hadn’t noticed, but the fact that Taylor had was somewhat irritating.
“One of your sports-jock friends?”
“Yeah, he’s into sports.”
“Like you?”
DJ put her hands on her hips now, taking a step closer to where Taylor was curled up like a cat in one of the wicker chairs, taking a slow drag on her cigarette, which made the end glow bright red. Obviously, she wasn’t too concerned about whether anyone knew or not. Or maybe she wanted to get caught. DJ just glared at her without saying
He nodded. “Okay, I get it now.”
“So I’m like…” she tried to think of a metaphor. “Like the odd girl out, I guess.”
“That must be hard.”
“Anyway, for a little while, I thought maybe I liked Taylor and maybe she had more going on than just surface stuff. Then it was like she totally turned on me. I can’t even remember why exactly. I think it was mostly related to fashion…like if I can’t speak fashioneeze, or know the stupid names of the stupid designers, I’m not good enough to be her friend.”
“That’s pretty harsh.”
“Yeah, but then I did something pretty stupid.”
“What?”
So she told him about the tennis match, and he just laughed.
“Dumb, huh?” she said.
“Or it could be fun. Are you any good at tennis?”
“I’m okay.”
He grinned. “Yeah, you probably are, DJ. I think you’re just a natural at most sports.”
She shrugged. “Maybe Taylor will forget about it.”
Now the waitress returned with their order and, once again, DJ thanked Conner. Then she felt embarrassed, like maybe it was overkill, but this whole thing was still new to her. And she didn’t want to seem unappreciative either. Conner seemed like a really nice guy; he seemed to get her. And sitting here, just having a normal conversation with a normal guy, was hugely reassuring. Maybe she wasn’t such a hopeless loser after all.
“So how about you, DJ? Are you going to play soccer too?”
“Yeah, but you probably heard they aren’t having fall soccer for girls this year. I guess there aren’t enough schools in the area to play. But I’ll play in the spring. In the meantime, I’ll go out for volleyball. I didn’t play last year, and it’ll be fun to see if I still know how.”
“I’m sure you’ll be good at it,” he said.
So as they occupied themselves by talking about sports, eating fries, and sipping on Cokes, DJ realized it was the most fun she’d had in days—maybe weeks or even months. And by the time they finished and were walking back toward their neighborhood, she felt almost hopeful. The sky was getting dusky blue and she could hear a woman’s voice calling her kids to come inside and “get ready for bed.”
“Thanks, Conner,” she told him as they stopped in front of her grandmother’s house. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but I was feeling pretty bummed when I was down at the docks.”
“I could tell.”
She looked curiously at him. “You could?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I guess the waterworks kind of gave you away.”
“Oh.”
“See ya around then?” His eyes looked hopeful.
“Sure,” she told him.
“Good luck…in the big tennis match, I mean.”
She kind of laughed. “Yeah, thanks.”
Her step felt a lot springier as she walked toward the house. The lights were on inside, and it almost looked cheerful in there. Still, she paused on the porch, unsure as to whether she was ready to go in or not.
“Big date tonight?”
DJ jumped to see the red glow of a cigarette burning in the shadows of the porch. “Taylor?”
“Who else?”
“I didn’t see you.”
“Who is he?”
“Who?”
“Your boyfriend.”
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
“Yeah, whatever. What’s his name?”
“Conner.”
“And he’s not your boyfriend.”
“He’s just a friend.”
“He’s cute.”
DJ barely nodded. “I guess.”
“And built too.”
DJ just shrugged, acting as if she hadn’t noticed, but the fact that Taylor had was somewhat irritating.
“One of your sports-jock friends?”
“Yeah, he’s into sports.”
“Like you?”
DJ put her hands on her hips now, taking a step closer to where Taylor was curled up like a cat in one of the wicker chairs, taking a slow drag on her cigarette, which made the end glow bright red. Obviously, she wasn’t too concerned about whether anyone knew or not. Or maybe she wanted to get caught. DJ just glared at her without saying
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