Boy Charming

Chapter Two: Happy Valentine's Day?

My mom and sister are trying to set me up again. I hate these kind of situations, the guy always goes home disappointed. Why? Because he agrees to go out with me thinking that I will be like one of my beautiful outgoing sisters. Then, after meeting me he realizes I'm nothing like them at all. But it's not the guy's fault, my sisters just never pick the right kind of guy for me. I'm sure they think I'll come out of my "shell" if I fall in love with a handsome, young, extroverted boy who's charm will convert me to the other side and I'll suddenly become social. What they don't realize is that introversion is not a choice, it's just the way I am. Don't they think I'm smart enough to understand that I'd be much better off in this world choosing to be extroverted?

So there is a Valentine's Dance at the Eagle Hall tonight. I'm sure it's going to be a blast (that's sarcasm if you missed it). If I didn't have DC I would probably go crazy. I told him on messenger last night that my sisters are setting me up on a date for the Valentine's dance tonight. Here is our conversation: 

DC  -So just don't go to this dance then
Me  -It's not that easy
DC  -why?
Me  -Because they're trying to set me up with some perfect, outgoing, prince charming type of guy
DC  -Sounds horrible
Me  -What would I want with a guy like that?
DC  -I don't know, what every girl wants?
Me  -I'm not every girl, in fact I can't think of any girl that's like me.
DC  -I can't either. You don't even like shopping or shoes :P
Me  -Well do you?
DC  -No, but I'm a guy
Me  -Shopping is exhausting.
DC  -Does that mean you haven't bought a dress for the ball yet?
Me  -Oh I wonder if I could use that as an excuse not to go.
DC  -I can't see your sisters forgetting a small detail like that.
Me  -Probably not.
DC  -Don't you already know all the guys in your school?
Me  -It's not at my school, it's at some Eagle Hall or something
DC  -Ha ha ha!!! Old people :D
Me  -It's not for old people! It's supposed to be cool - for the grandkids... of old people lol
DC  -That does sound cool ;)
Me  -Shut up :P
DC  -Well your sisters can set me up on a blind date anytime ;)

(I decided to ignore that comment)

Me  -I just don't want to go.
DC  -What if you went with someone else to the dance?
Me  -What do you mean?
DC  -Your sisters aren't actually going to be there are they?
Me  -No.
DC  -Then go with another boy and tell the blind date guy it's off
Me  -But that's what I'm trying to avoid
DC  -What, going to a dance with a boy?
Me  -Yeah, that.
DC  -So there's no guy in the world that you'd want to go with?
Then we both write and send at the same time:
Me  -maybe you
DC  -how about me?

The thought of meeting DC makes me all tingly inside. But I've never even seen a picture of him (my mom is too scared of technology to let me join a social networking site like facebook, she says I'm not important enough for everyone to know what I'm doing every five minutes), and I just know meeting DC would ruin everything. Because I already have an imaginary version of him in my mind.

Me  -I'm not sure if you're serious, since you live so far away.
DC  -well... there's something I haven't told you.
Me  -Let me guess, you're like 45 and you can get a plane ticket and be here by morning
(I cross my fingers as I wait for the reply – please don't be 45, please don't be 45!)

DC  -No :P I'm not old that's for sure. It's just that I'm not that far away either, just a two hours' drive.
(So then I'm confused. He told me he lived in Florida).
Me  -You mean like u moved recently?
DC  -No, I've always lived only 2 hours away.
(I don't reply for a moment)
DC  -You're wondering why I wouldn't just tell you
Me  -Yeah

But then it dawns on me. He's probably super self-conscious about us ever meeting. I won't stay mad, he is my best friend after all.

Me  -It's okay. I understand.
DC  -You do?
Me  -I'm guessing you're self-conscious? I'm the same way.
DC  -You're not self-conscious!
Me  -But meeting someone in person ruins the mystery
DC  -Well I'm not too concerned about being mysterious.
Me  -Then what is it?

Now I'm convinced that he's self-conscious because he feels he's too unattractive or something. It doesn't really matter. But if we meet in real life then maybe it will matter. I decide to make light of it and joke:

Me  -You're not really a guy but a girl, is that it?
DC  -No! I'm really a guy and I'm not old at all, still in school and I'm not ugly or overweight if you're wondering. Are you relieved now?
Me  -No of course not! You could be overweight or ugly, that wouldn't matter.
DC  -Sure princess, like the buck toothed guy you told me about?
Me  -I told you about that?
(I love it when DC calls me princess)
DC  -That's why I don't want you to see my buck teeth 
-Just joking.
Me  -Well you've got some kind of secret.
DC  -Maybe I do
Me  -you still want to take me to the ball? :P
DC  -Yes, but I'm going with my mom out of town tomorrow, so I can't.
Me  -But I have to tell you about the dance afterwards! Can't you stay home instead and not go with your mom?
DC  -No, my mom won't let me stay home alone.
Me  -Why not?

There is a pause. Now I'm thinking he's in a wheelchair or can't take care of himself. What mom would worry about leaving her 17 year old son at home?

DC  -My mom doesn't like to drive alone, at night. You know how extroverts are about spending any time all by themselves.
Me  -Yeah I do. I live with 3 of them. So you must REALLY be looking forward to the drive then, lots of talking ;)
DC  -Yeah. Two hours of chatting with my mom...
Me  -Fun
DC  -I can tune her out when I'm thinking of you.
Me  -...
DC  -anyway...

(DC says 'anyway' when he is nervous or uncomfortable).

Me  -Where's your mom driving to? You said it's a two hour drive?
DC  -Sorry sir.

(sir stands for Someone In Room, like a parent, that could be looking over your shoulder)

Me  -Alright then.
We sent a bunch of gibberish to move the conversation up the screen into hiding.
DC  -Have fun at the ball China
(I'll tell you why he calls me China later)
Me  -Have fun on the drive :P
DC  -I'll say hello in the morning.
Me  -:)

That was yesterday, and today I got my nails done at the mall. I'm having such a hard time text messaging with the fake nails that the Vietnamese girl put on me! She didn't like me very much and kept bossing me around.
"Go wash your hands!" she yelled.
And then when it was all done she said, "No soaking!"
Like I ever just randomly do a hand soaking session while in the bathroom.

Then my sister dragged me off to another store. She actually took me out of my last two classes of school to go on this shopping trip, because the mall closes at five today, and we needed more time. She was so excited, like she imagines this is my fairy-god-mother dreams come true. So I didn't remind her that I don't like to shop, don't care about nails, and hate having other people at salons do my hair.

My hair was next on the list.  It was bugging me like mad that I couldn't get a hold of DC. I mean I slept in this morning and rushed off to school. DC had already written a few things 'good morning', 'you up?', 'you there?' and I typed out 'late!' before rushing off. 

So I'm kind of feeling unsettled now, not having talked to DC all day and Vanessa thinks it's jitters about the dance. She's saying stuff like 'it'll be fun' and 'you'll like Derek.'

So Finally it's like 5:30 now and I'm all "princessed" up with spirally hair strands on my cheek and everything. But I can't eat because Vanessa says I'll wreck my make-up, so I'm in my room, carefully placing bite-sized chocolate bar pieces into my mouth without touching my lipstick. I don't need to worry about my teeth because I doubt I'll be smiling at all this evening. I'm also waiting for DC to answer me, because I wrote out a long list of apologies for not being in contact all day, but he's not replying.

"I'm sure you can leave Virus for a few short hours!" my mom yells down the hall. She's usually not this impatient, maybe she's coming down with something. Our place is very drafty and cold.

"It's Viros mom, not virus." I yell back,  but I have no intention of getting up off my seat until 6:50pm. The dance starts at 7. She's telling me to quit trying to message 'Derek', but his name is DC, which only goes to show you how well my mom listens to anything I say. She's about to drag me right out of my seat any second, so I'm going to go to this Valentine's Dance and report back all the wonderful experiences of my blind date... yay  0.o