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Author's Chapter Notes:
 Thanks for all of the feedback on 5. I got motivated and decided to get 6 out there quickly for everyone! Hope you enjoy it! 

Chapter Six

 

    Brian shifted nervously from one foot to the other as he waited for his date to arrive. He had no clue what she looked like, or even what he was looking for. All he knew was that he was supposed to meet this mystery woman that Howard and Heather were setting him up with right outside the doors of the popular River Club, a casual dining restaurant in the area. He’d been reluctant to agree to the idea. In fact, he almost hadn’t shown up at all, worried about the outcome of the evening. Here he was though, beginning to think that he’d been stood up. He leaned against the wall outside the building, thinking back to the conversation that had made this evening possible.

 

    It had taken place nearly a week after he’d met Heather. Speaking of which, he touched his eye. It was still sore to the touch, however the black and blue swell had been reduced to a minimal outline. He sighed, wondering why he’d agreed to this. Again, his mind began to wander back to four days ago, when Howard had brought up the idea over their calculus books.

 

    “What do you think of the idea of dating?”

 

     Brian looked up, startled at the thought, but even more so that it had come up. Sure, he’d thought about dating. That wasn’t the problem. The hitch lied in the fact that nobody had ever showed any interest in him, and the one girl he’d ever asked out had laughed so hard at him that he was still scarred to this day from the incident.

 

    “I don’t know…I guess. Why?”

 

    “Heather has this friend…Kristal, who she has a class with,” he began, deciding not to mention that the original girl she’d had in mind turned out to already be involved with somebody, “She wanted to know if you’d be interested in getting together with her.”

 

    “I…I don’t know,” Brian stammered at the idea, “I don’t think it’s such a good idea.”

 

    “Why not?” Howard pressed, although he’d promised himself he would drop it if Brian told him no.

 

    “Why would this Kristal want to go out with me?”

 

    “Brian, you’re a good guy. Why wouldn’t she want to go out with you?”

 

    Brian snorted, “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly popular. Hell, I’m not even unpopular. I’m non-existant.”

 

    Howard didn’t know what to say. Both of them knew him trying to deny it would be a lie, and he couldn’t do that. Not to Brian. Yet the more he thought about it, the more he realized how crucial this could be for Brian and his social life. Howard was really starting to think that this was a great idea.

 

   “Have you ever been on a date?” when Brian didn’t reply at all, looking downward with a blush creeping into cheeks, Howard knew that he had his answer, “Wow…um…wow.”

 

    “Yeah…”

 

    With a slight nibble on his lip, Howard thought for a moment, “I don’t think it will be a problem…” he started, “I can explain to Heather…”

 

    “And make me sound pathetic?” Brian shook his head, his eyes still locked on the carpeting, “I’d rather just pass before I get rejected.”

 

    “We won’t make you sound pathetic,” Howard promised, “Give it a chance. I think you’ll be surprised at how well it will go.”

 

    Finally, Brian looked upward. It was obvious from the look that shone from within his baby blue eyes that the man was toying with the idea in his mind, and that the thought of a girlfriend pleased him. That wasn’t the toughest part of the battle though. The hard part would be getting Brian to actually agree to meeting with Kristal. After that, the rest would be a piece of cake, so to speak.

 

    “Give it a shot. We’ll help you out with whatever you need.”

 

    Brian took a deep breath inward, and let it out ever so slowly. He closed his eyes, wondering what he was about to get himself into before opening them again, “Okay.” He mumbled.

 

    “What was that?” Howard asked, not quite catching the barely audible response, and also taken by surprise at what he thought he’d heard without much of a fight.

 

    “I said okay…I’ll give it a chance.” Brian repeated, this time a small grin beginning to spread on his lips.

 

    Howard couldn’t help but smile back, “Great,” he spoke up, “I’ll call Heather in the morning and tell her it’s a go.”

 

    Turning back towards his calculus book, Brian shook his head. He was excited, but the more he thought about it, the harder his heart began to pound in his chest, and sweat began to bead his forehead lightly. Already, he was starting to think that this was a mistake, but he knew that he wouldn’t be backing out now.

 

    This brought him back to that moment in time. He looked down at his watch, a white gold one that Howard had lent him for the evening, to notice that Kristal was twelve minutes late. He felt his heart sinking in disappointment, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

 

    “I’m getting stood up.” He mumbled, not knowing how he would be able to face Howard, who he’d been staying with over the past week and a half, if he returned early.

 

    Taking in a deep breath, Brian decided to walk away with any dignity that he had left, but was stopped short when a girl around his age stopped him.

 

    “Are you Brian?” she asked.

 

    Startled, Brian looked up. He was even more stunned to see how pretty she was when he really took a moment to look at her. There was no way that this was Kristal. This had to be her attractive roommate, there to make sure her hideous friend wasn’t about to go out with a lunatic. Here stood a petite, no taller than five foot four girl who was full of energy, looking frantic. Her long, light brown hair was hanging loose around her shoulders, her bright blue eyes, a gorgeous color that Brian could stare into for hours, looking desperate. Her body was curvy, and of perfect proportion. Again, Brian shook his head. There was no way that this was his date.

 

    “Yeah…” his voice trailed off.

 

    “Thank God,” she breathed, “My idiot friend, Heather, didn’t mention which location I was meeting you at. I went to the wrong one…twenty minutes away. I figured it was the wrong one when I went in for the reservation, and they didn’t have it. And since this is a blind date and all, and I didn’t have your number…” her voice trailed off as she took in a deep breath to catch it, “Anyways….I’m sorry I’m late.” She offered a bright smile that was sincere.

 

    All he could do was stare, realizing that this was in fact his date. Suddenly, he became all the more nervous, butterflies filling his stomach as this exceeded his every expectation far and beyond. Wracking his brain for something…anything to say before she realized that he was a dud, Brian offered what he hoped to be a confident smile back.

 

    Breath, Brian….relax and breath… he instructed himself

 

    “It’s alright…it happens.”  He replied nonchalantly as he slowly and quietly let out the breath he’d been holding in, “It’s nice to meet you.”

 

    “Nice to meet you.” Kristal grinned brightly.

 

    He stared only a moment longer before shaking his head from the trance he’d been thrust into, “Want to go in?”

 

    “Definitely.”

 

    Opening the door, Brian motioned Kristal inside. She thanked him, and went to the host stand where they were directed to their table. Nervously, Brian pulled out Kristal’s chair for her, letting her take her seat before taking his own directly across the small table for two. The host placed their menus in front of them before she walked away, leaving the two strangers sitting in awkward silence.

 

    Offering Kristal a shy smile, Brian observantly took in her appearance even more. She really was pretty, and the tight jeans that she was wearing, accompanied by a maroon American Eagle sweatshirt that was one size too big for comfort made him believe that he was way overdressed for the occasion. He looked down self consciously at his khaki cargo pants and navy blue button up collared shirt.

 

    “So…”

 

    Brian’s head whipped up, startled at the voice. His palms began to sweat, his throat becoming dry, unable to think of a single thing to say. He closed his eyes, telling himself that this was a horrible idea and that he never should have agreed to it, knowing that he was blowing it by being too nervous and inexperienced to know what to do or say.

 

    “Heather tells me you go to school with her boyfriend, Howard?”

 

    “Um…yeah.” Brian cleared his throat, praying that the pounding of his heart would die down just a little.

 

    “That’s cool,” she smiled at him again; a smile that was beginning to turn him to mush, “Do you plan on going to college next year?”

 

    “Yeah…” Brian replied again, and when he got a strange look from Kristal, he winced, knowing that he had to cut out the one word answers, “Not sure where I’ll end up, um…going though.”

 

    “I had the same problem. I wanted to go to all of them. In the end though, I know I made the right choice. I love it, and for my program, it is supposed to be one of the best in the state.”

 

    “What are you majoring in?”

 

    “Nursing. I have a long way to go though. I want to get my masters degree in it. I’m still in my first year.” She let out an over-dramatic sigh.

 

    Slowly, the queasy feeling in Brian’s stomach began to subside, and he started to feel more at ease, realizing that Kristal was down to earth and not judging him, something he wasn’t used to. She was there with an open mind, bubbly personality, and seemed to have a genuine interest in getting to know him.

 

    “That’s cool…” Brian said lamely, “It sounds hard.”

 

    “Oh, it is,” Kristal broke out, “I have this one professor who is totally an ass. He gives us pop-quizzes like, every week…on chapters we weren’t even supposed to read yet. I mean, I do have five other classes to worry about without him thinking he is the only professor in the entire university.”

 

    By this time, their server was setting down their drinks, which Brian hadn’t even remembered ordering. He hadn’t even remembered the server, period. He took in a deep breath, realizing he needed to calm down, and listened as Kristal ordered her meal. He followed, and they handed the menus back.

 

    “I have a teacher like that…” Brian offered, “Mr. Richardson. He’s my favorite, but he needs to give us a break every now and then.”

 

    “I know…really,” she grinned, taking a sip of her Pepsi, “But, I’m in it for the long run. If this is how the first year is like, it’s best I get a taste for it now rather than be shocked my senior year, unable to handle the pressure, ya know?” Brian nodded, “What do you like to do?”

 

    “Well…I like video games…” Kristal rolled her eyes, “What?” he asked defensively.

 

    “Typical male, is all. I mean, I like games too…but I could never sit around for hours like my younger brother can. He’s sixteen and can play for fourteen hours straight sometimes.” Brian laughed, but didn’t mention that he’d done the same thing on occasion, “Okay…anyways, what else do you like to do?”

 

    “Sports…I love football and hockey. Umm…” he thought for a moment, “I don’t know. I’m really pretty easy going. I like to do most anything…and I’ll try almost anything once.” he finished, the answer truthful, but likely not what she was looking for, “How about you?”

 

    “Same, but I do have my passions. I love to write…and read. I love concerts…roller coasters, arcades…hmmm….shopping, I do volunteer work at the hospital down by campus…” her voice trailed off slightly.

 

    ‘Wow…” Brian breathed with wide eyes, “You’re all over the place.”

 

    Kristal laughed, “I like to keep my options open.”

 

    “You mentioned you have a brother? Do you have any other siblings?”

 

    “No…just Nick. He’s a sophomore…he goes to the same school as you and Howard actually. He’s new though. When I started college, he and my parents moved closer,” she rolled her eyes at this, “We’re originally from Georgia. Nick and I are super close though. We used to do everything together. And he is the typical brother…looking out for his sister,” Kristal stopped for a moment, “Do you have any siblings?”

 

    Brian winced, dreading the topic of this coming up, but knew that he had to be truthful, “A brother…Alex…who is also a sophomore.”

 

    “Ohh…maybe he and Nick could become friends?” she piped up, “Nick is on the football team…or was. He wants to try out for this team now.”

 

    “Maybe…” Brian felt his heart sink. Here was this cool girl, having what seemed to be an interest in him, and she had a brother the same age as Alex…in the same school. Brian cursed under his breath at his rotten luck, knowing that once Kristal met Alex and realized what a loser he was, she would go running back to campus without even a second glance back.

 

    “You don’t seem too thrilled with that idea?” she pointed out, a question mark in her tone.

 

    “Alex and I don’t get along.”

 

   “Oh…I’m sorry.”

 

    Brian shrugged. At this point, their meals were being placed in front of them, the plates steaming hot. Both dug in right away, conversing throughout the rest of dinner about everything that they could think of in between bites. By this point, Brian was back to his negative thoughts and low confidence on the situation, all because he felt by the time she asked her brother about Alex, nothing would ever emerge from this anyways.

 

    When they were done eating, and after a dessert of chocolate fudge cake that they shared, Brian paid for the meal and the two got up, making their way out of the restaurant.

 

    “You seem somber all of a sudden?” Kristal pointed out, “Is everything okay?”

 

    “Huh?” Brian snapped out of his trance, “Yeah…everything is fine,” he offered a force smile, “Let me walk you to your car. Where are you parked?”

 

    Kristal pointed in the complete opposite direction of where his car was, and they continued on their way over. Once reaching a white Toyota Celica, Kristal dug her keys out of her purse, and then looked back up and smiled, “Thank you…for everything. I had fun.”

 

    “Me too…” Brian replied, offering a smile back, wishing that the night didn’t have to be over.

 

    “I’d like to go do something more…” she brought up, as if reading his thoughts, “But I have to get back if I want to stay awake in my morning class.”

 

    Brian’s shoulders slumped slightly, sure that this was a bad sign and an easy way out, ‘I understand.”

 

    “I’d like to do this again sometime soon though, when there is more time.”

 

    Sure that she was only being polite, Brian just nodded, “Have a safe drive back.”

 

    “Thanks…and before I forget…can I get your number?” The request startled Brian, watching her get her cell ready to program the number into it.  He gave it to her, wondering why she needed it when this was only going to be a one time deal, “Great,” she beamed, digging out a pen and paper from her purse and jotting something down before handing it to him, “Here’s mine. I’ll talk to you soon, okay?”

 

    “Yeah…I’d like that.”

 

    The two stood in an awkward moment before they came together in a quick hug, unsure of the appropriate thing to do. And without warning, Kristal planted a soft, warm kiss right on the corner of Brian’s mouth, causing his eyes to fly wide open in astonishment.

 

    “Goodnight, Brian,” Kristal laughed, and she opened her car door.

 

    “Goodnight, Kristal…” Brian replied, trying to keep calm.

 

    He stood and watched as she pulled out of the parking spot, giving her a little wave as she drove off. It was when she was out of sight that he let a goofy grin spread its way onto his lips as he made his way to his own car. Although he was still unsure of what would come of this evening in the future between them, the night overall had gone better than he could have imagined, and better yet, after eighteen years, he’d finally received his first kiss.