Strange Girl

Chapter Five

MONDAY AT SCHOOL FELT LIKE A ROLLER coaster.

Since I didn't share a class with Aja anymore, I figured I'd talk to her at lunch. But on the way to her locker I was stopped by Nicole Greer. She wanted to talk, which I found odd because she hadn't said two words to me in the last six months.

Nicole had been my first real crush, the first girl I'd asked out on a real date. My infatuation had been intense, feverish. When she'd broken up with her boyfriend-a guy named Rick Hilton-and I'd finally managed to build up enough courage to call and ask her to a movie, and she said yeah, sure, she'd love to-I swear that had been one of the happiest days of my life.

Unlike Aja, I'd had my eye on Nicole for several years and knew her pretty well, or at least I thought I did. She was very cute: dark blond hair, hazel eyes, round face, upturned nose, brain-blowing smile. Mike went so far as to say she was the prettiest girl in the school, and it wasn't like I was in a mood to argue.

She was sweet, too; she seemed kindhearted. Our first few dates, I felt on top of the world, especially when we made out, which we did often, usually at my house, in my bedroom. We even came close to going all the way. Nicole made it clear she wanted to but it was I who held back. But it wasn't because I was a prude or lacked in horniness. Hell, I was a walking hard-on when we were dating. No, the problem was Nicole. She still talked about Rick. She talked about him a lot, at least from where I was standing.

I knew Rick, I even admired him. We had a lot in common. Like me, he was a loner, more into his oil painting than school. He was smart, too, and there was no phoniness about him. Although Nicole never came out and said it, I knew it had been Rick who had ended their relationship. I suppose a girl who looked like Nicole wasn't used to that sort of thing.

They had only been broken up three months when we began to date; that should have been warning enough. Yet I didn't see the ax coming because I was happy and I didn't want to see it. I wanted to pretend Nicole was happy, too. But I was naive and inexperienced. I didn't understand that all Rick had to do was crook his little finger and say, "I miss you," and she'd come running.

I still remember the day Nicole dumped me. We were supposed to go out that night, and when I called to ask what time she wanted me to pick her up she told me she couldn't make it that evening. That she had to stay home and wash her hair.

Had to wash her hair? What a shitty breakup line. I told her as much before I slammed down the phone. At least I had some pride, I told myself. Later, I took that line and wrote what Dale said was the worst song he'd ever heard in his life. It was called, naturally, "I Have To Wash My Hair."

Anyway, now Nicole wanted to talk and I can't say I was over the moon about the prospect. At the same time I have to admit she still had some kind of hold over me.

"What's up?" I asked. We were standing right beside Aja's locker. It was beginning to look like she had come and gone.

"I just wanted to see how you're doing," Nicole said.

"I'm great. What's new with you? How's Rick?"

Nicole hesitated. "He's fine, I suppose. You know he moved away."

"I didn't know. Where did he go?"

"San Francisco."

"San Francisco? God, lucky him. I mean, did he want to go?"

She nodded. "His father lives there. And Rick's always been kind of impulsive. A few days before school started, he just packed a bag, sent me a good-bye text, and left on a bus. Amazing, huh?"

I could see she was hurting and even though she'd broken my heart I felt no desire to increase her pain. I put my arm around her.

"How you holding up?" I asked.