The Perfect Couple

4

She frowned. "I bet you're going to drop your books at Alan's feet to get his attention." I shook my head and she tried again. "Are you going to throw yourself in the path of his brother's car? I wouldn't put anything past you when you've made up your mind to do something."

I moved my fingers across my lips in a zipping motion, indicating I didn't intend to say another word, so she finally gave up. Not for the world would I have admitted I'd considered the two courses she'd mentioned and dismissed them both the first because it was trite, the second because it was too drastic, even for me.

Packed in as we were on the late bus home, Kim couldn't even expect me to discuss anything confidential, so I used the travel time to think over my scheme. I knew that the girl I was now wouldn't attract Alan's attention if she breezed into Bayside wearing only a string bikini. That meant I had to change who I was and for that I'd need Kim's help. She knew all about makeup and clothes, how to talk to boys and act around them. If I could only convince her my plan had a chance I knew she'd do what she could to turn me into the kind of girl who'd appeal to Alan.

I considered what she'd have to work with. My hair was medium brown and hung straight as a mop to my shoulders. My eyes were blue with a hint of green and hazel flex near the pupils. There was nothing special about my features, but on the other hand none of them were grossly flawed. I'd grown a couple of inches in the last few months without gain any additional weight. Kim was bound to appreciate that when it came to picking out some new eye-catching clothes for me.

We moved to the front as the bus approached our stop, ignoring the horseplay and whistles of the boys we had to brush against in the aisle. The whistles, of course, were directed at Kim, although she always pretended they were for both of us and I went along rather than argue about it.

The town of Bayside is south of San Francisco in an area known as Silicon Valley because of the electronics industry that has grown up there computer chips and all that. Our neighborhood is in the old part of town, while most of the people connected with the electronics companies live in New housing tracts across the highway. None of us mixed with the kids from those families. They were always getting transferred, so what was the use of making friends with them? Besides, they always seemed to act as if they were a cut above the rest of us.

"Is your mother home?" Kim asked as we walked up the street to the white, two-story colonial house where I'd lived all my life.

We usually go to my house because Kim's mother is a member of the Little Theatre, a local drama group and is always rehearsing. It can be pretty unsettling to walk into the kitchen and see her staring at her ketchupy, bloodstained hands while speaking in dramatic tones. Lady Macbeth was her favourite role.

"No," I told Kim. "This is the day Mom puts her column to bed." My mother writes a home and garden column for the Weekly Courier and every Friday she takes it downtown for the next week's newspaper.

When we reached my house I left the way to the kitchen. "Cola or root beer?" I asked. Kim shrugged. "Whatever. Mostly I want to hear how you plan to get Alan Rogers to notice you."

I tossed her a can of cola and grabbed a package of corn chips. "Let's make ourselves comfortable," I said.

That meant going upstairs to my room, kicking off our shoes and pounding the two big cushions on the floor beside the windows into the right shape for sitting. When we'd done all that and popped the tabs on our sodas, I told Kim what I had in mind. "I'm going to start dating Marcus," I announced quietly. "What?" Kim gasped. "I didn't dream there was anything between you and Marcus. I thought you were just pals. But, hey, wait a minute! You said you were in love with Alan. What's this all about, Kelly?"

Kim had surprised me dozens of times in the past with news of whom she was dropping and whom she was starting up with, but it was the first time I'd ever sprung anything like this on her. I savoured the reversal of our roles for a minute while I took a leisurely sip of my drink.

"A chip?" I said, extending the bag to her. "No!" She screamed. "And I'm going to throttle you if you don't tell me what's going on. Who is it you're really in love with Alan or Marcus?"

Even Hitchcock didn't drag the suspense out too long, so I tossed the chips aside, carefully put down my cola and for the first time I stated my idea aloud. First I reminded Kim of that fateful day when I'd discovered I was in love with Alan. Then I reminded her of what good friends Marcus and I had always been and still were.

"I'm sure Alan will notice me if I start to date," I went on. " I've been watching him the last three weeks and I've noticed he doesn't pay the slightest attention to a girl unless she's with a guy. He'd never look at a girl who hung around with other girls. So tomorrow when Marcus and I are collecting cans, I'm going to ask him to pretend we're going together."