How You Get the Girl

I am a Jerk

I was a little nervous even before I pulled up to Ben's house. I wanted to make sure Ben didn't think he had made a mistake agreeing to be my partner, which was going to be a challenge given how bad I was at all things computer. Then I saw his house.

I double-checked the address when I pulled up. I had expected the usual nice suburban house. Maybe even a big house since Westbrook was a wealthy town, but not this. This was closer to an estate than a house, made of brick with ivy climbing the sides. It had a circular driveway and was set well back from the street. It was definitely a different world from where I lived and I lived in a nice house. My dad was a lawyer and my family was very comfortable. Okay, I thought. No reason to feel at all intimidated just because Ben was clearly rich. So, your partner is a rich genius who is taking pity on you because you begged him to help you pass the class. That shouldn't make you feel insecure. Alright, it did make me feel insecure. I was so pathetic.

I rang the doorbell. A pretty dark-haired woman answered it with a big smile. "Hello, Harper. I'm Ben's mom, Mrs. Ryan. Come in, it's so cold out," she said. "Let me take your coat," she told me and hung up my black North Face coat in the front hall closet. The front hall was two stories with a large staircase leading to the second floor. She called up the stairs, "Ben, your friend is here." Then she turned back to me. "Why don't you come into the kitchen? I have some cookies."

I perked up at the word cookies. Life couldn't be all bad if there were cookies.

I had expected Ben to show up right away when she called for him but when he didn't. I followed her back to a huge kitchen with granite counters and stainless-steel appliances. She put a plate of cookies out on a long oak table and sat down. I sat with her. Still no Ben.

I took a cookie and ate it in three bites. I wondered if I could have another one. Or maybe two? It was an excellent cookie.

"These cookies are wonderful," I told her.

"Please have another one," she offered.

I did. Then I asked, "Is Kenzie around?"

"She is out with friends," she answered. "She said you are an artist and a senior like Ben."

I nodded. At least Ben's mom seemed nice and thankfully did not share her son's reluctance to talk.

"Where are you going to college?" she asked me.

"RISD, the Rhode Island School of Design," I told her.

"Do you draw and paint?" she asked.

"Yes, but I'm probably going to study graphic design. It's more practical for getting a job after graduation," I told her.

Ben walked into the kitchen then. He looked first at his mom and then at me. He had clearly just gotten out of the shower, which explained why it had taken him a minute to come downstairs. His hair was still wet. He had a black t-shirt on that said Star Fleet Academy Fencing Team on it and jeans.

"I like your t-shirt," I said.

Ben looked at me, "You like Star Trek?" he asked.

"Yeah, who doesn't?" He gave me a strange look but did not say anything more.

"Want to get to work?" I asked.

"Sure," he said.

"You can work up in your room Ben," his mom said. "I'm going to be cooking down here so it will be loud. You can take the cookies up with you."

I look over at her, surprised. While my mother cared about popularity, she also was the mother of three daughters and pretty old fashioned about some things. She had never let any of us have boys in our bedrooms. But Ben just grabbed the cookies and walked toward the stairs. I followed him. Ben's room was at the top of the stairs. It was much cleaner and more organized than mine, not that that was a high bar. I am the queen of clutter. I love to collect stuff.