“Yah know Justin, you are never going to find a date for this weekend.” joked Riley.
I glared at Riley but I did not say anything. After all, he was probably right. I had only had one girlfriend in the 22yrs. that I had been alive and I did not expect my luck to change just yet. I was not looking for a girlfriend for the weekend though, but rather just a date. The weekend was the annual Martial Arts Banquet at the Lincoln Hotel in Springfield and I had to have a date.
“Shut up Riley, we will find someone. It sucks that your date has to be affiliated with martial arts.” interjected Luke, interrupting my train of thought.
“Thank you Luke.” I whispered, staring off into space.
Riley continued to smirk at me but he did not say another word. He was tall, bone thin, and the biggest jack ass you would ever know. He had however been my best friend since kindergarten so he would just have to do. Luke, too, had his flaws though. He was short, winey, and the worst sore loser ever. He too had been around forever though, and since I did not know, and or get along with most people, I did not seem to mind that Riley and Luke were rather obnoxious.
I had never been one to really have friends. I was a nice kid, or I tried to be at least, but somehow I always seemed to end up as the object of some other kid’s ridicule. I was a bigger kid; not fat but not bone thin, and tall. I also had red hair. That does not seem like such a bid deal but apparently to the kids of my school, it was. The constant harassment left me in a constant state of bereavement that made me a new target to be bothered by a new set of people. I did not mind it as much as I did when I was in school though. I graduated high school, did one year of college, and then quit to take up a job instead. That path enabled me not to be around people I did not want to be around. However, though, that path also made me appear to be a giant loser in the eyes of any girl my age. I needed a date for this though so I would have to do something. I was getting really sick of Riley and Luke having dates and not me. It was a petty thing, I realize that, but it did not matter. I would have taken my sister if she was eligible.
“I just simply do not know any girls that do taekwondo or anything like that. My class was all boys.” said I, looking up at Luke.
“Lainey is a purple belt I think.” piped up my little brother Gerald. He had not been in the kitchen beforehand but he just strolled in and decided to interrupt.
“Lainey, huh; yah, Oh my God. I cannot believe that I did not think of her sooner. She was in my class.” yelled Luke, about to fall out of his seat.
I never thought of Lainey. She had been Gerald’s girlfriend for two years previous to today but yet she had never crossed my mind. I had not even said more than five words to her in two years so I knew almost instantly that it would be weird to take her.
“Um, I do not even know Lainey, and she does not even know me.” I said, looking down at the ground.
“What does it matter, what do you need her for? What are you guys even talking about?” asked Gerald, digging through the cabinets.
“Exactly, you have no idea. So leave.” I responded, glaring at Gerald.
He is my brother but sometimes he just annoys the hell out of me. He, after all, had the perfect life. He was mama’s little innocent baby, he got everything handed to him, he was thin, he had a girlfriend, he had everything he wanted. He had everything that I wanted. I was not even going to consider Lainey because it would simply just be too awkward. I was not going to tell Gerald anything about my current situation either. Riley, however, clearly did not care so he went ahead and told Gerald everything.
“You see Geraldo, this weekend is the annual martial arts banquet and tournament thingy and your brother needs a date. His date has to be associated with martial arts somehow though and we cannot think of anybody. You have just very generously donated your girlfriend to the cause though so we’re all good.” said Riley in that annoying, matter of fact, voice that he sometimes had.
