Realization dawns on Elsie, as her mouth slowly opens with a silent gasp.
“I get it now,” Elsie says quietly. “I’m so stupid!” she exclaims, hitting herself on the side of her head.
Joe doesn’t say anything, what else is there to say?
Pushing her chair slowly away from the table, Elsie gets up and goes to the corner of the room where she’d thrown her backpack and purse when she entered the room an hour ago. Gathering her belongings, she turns and walks to the door, her shoulders hunched in defeat.
“Where are you going, Elsie?” Joe asks, the shame and hurt he’s feeling are clear in his voice.
“I’m done, Joe. This was a fucking joke to begin with. I’m sure you’ll give them exactly what they want,” she says facing him from the doorway, her hand on the doorknob. Turning, she walks out, slamming the door behind her.
There are still some students in the building who participate in afterschool groups and activities, but this section of the school is quiet. Elsie’s footsteps, in her converse sneakers, fall softly on the tiled floor, the empty hallways are darkened and the building is almost eerily peaceful. The door to the boy’s locker room, down the hallway, opens up as a couple of football players come out and Elsie mutters disgustedly to herself, “Isn’t this just perfect.” Johnny Simonella and his little sidekick, Charlie Myers, are heading straight towards Elsie. They haven’t noticed her yet so she looks around hoping to find an unlocked room so that she can duck in and hide until they pass.
“Hey, Elsie,” Johnny calls loudly, jerking her attention back, although she really has no desire to talk to him right now.
Elsie pretends not to hear him and fumbles around in her bag as if she’s looking for something, then mumbles, “Damn,” before she starts to turn on her heel to head back the way she came. Joe’s better than these two Muscle Heads.
“Wait up, Elsie!” Charlie calls out, and Elsie hears their footsteps moving faster…as if they’re jogging towards her.
What the hell could these two dickheads want with me? Elsie thinks to herself as she stops short, her body stiffens at the thought of having to talk to them right now.
In all honesty, Johnny’s not so bad. He’s always polite to everyone, and never talks down to the nerdy, unpopular kids. Charlie has a bit of a geek streak in him, but he keeps it pretty well hidden. Every once in a while it will peek out, when he’s working with other kids in class or if the teacher calls on him to answer a question. He’s actually pretty smart.
“Hey, Elsie, we thought you were ignoring us,” Johnny says a little out of breath.
“No, I just didn’t hear you, what’s up?” Elsie lies, beginning to fidget and getting nervous.
She’s not the most social butterfly in the garden. Her mouth tends to work on its own frequency, blurting out whatever it wants to, even if it is completely inappropriate, but usually perfectly honest.
“Nothin’, just wanted to know how the yearbook was coming along. We always see you around taking pictures, and the ones you put in the school newspaper are the best,” Charlie says smiling stupidly, at least to Elsie, it looks like a stupid grin.
Elsie’s fist clench at her sides as her anger begins to skyrocket. Jutting her face into Charlie’s she says with all the control she can muster, “Why don’t you ask Joe. He seems to think some people,” she says, with sarcasm dripping from her words, as she blatantly looks both Charlie and Johnny up and down, pausing for effect, before she continues, “Should have a bigger presence in the yearbook than others. I think that is total bullshit.” She leans back a fraction, having made her point. “So I’m done.”
Both of them stare at her wide-eyed. This is the normal response to most of Elsie’s outburst, however this one is a bit more subdued than her usual outbursts.
“You can’t quit the yearbook, you’re the most talented photographer. If you leave, it will totally suck,” Charlie blurts out.
Elsie is shocked at what he’s just said. Now it’s her turn to look at him with surprise on her face and her mouth agape.
Does he really think that? she wonders.
“And Elsie,” Charlie steps a little closer, looking a little shy, “I was wondering if you’d like to go to the movies with me this weekend? I could pick you up, maybe Saturday night? We could go to the 7:00 show, I’ll come by your house about 6:30, ok?”
Holy shit, did he just ask me to go to the movies? With him?! She’s completely stunned by his invitation.
“Are you serious?” Elsie asks Charlie and the question comes out sounding as if she thinks he’s crazy. Because she does.
Charlie’s head jerks up, “Yeah, I’m serious! Why?”
“Because it’s kind of crazy, the idea of me going to the movies, or anywhere, with you.” Elsie can’t stop the words before they pop out.
“Why?!” The surprise is now evident in both of the boys’ faces.
“Because you’re a them and I’m just me,” she answers, looking at both of them like, Are you stupid?
“That’s crazy, Elsie. Come on, what’s your address? I’m serious, I’ll be at your house at 6:30 Saturday night,” he says smiling a little more confidently.
Blinking in disbelief she wonders, Is he for real? Could he really want to go to the movies with me? Warmth starts to spread through her and a smile tugs on her lips.
“Ok,” she finally responds and gives him her address and cell phone number.
*
“Did you like the movie, Els?” Charlie asks Elsie, as they leave the theater Saturday night, and he slips his arm around her shoulder.
She can’t help but smile at the nickname, he called her, Els.
It sounds so cute coming from him, she thinks to herself.
“Yeah, it was good, did you?” she asks Charlie shyly.
“Yeah,” he answers as they get into his silver
