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“Hold on, Russell,” I said into the phone. “I’ve got another call coming in.”
“Okay,” he said in his cheery way.
We’d talked on the phone every day since the dance. I found it amazing that we had so much to say to each other even after four days. I wondered whether I could ever run out of things to talk about with someone as neat as him.
I clicked the button. “Hello?”
“It’s Kirk,” came the familiar voice.
“You don’t have to apologize, if that’s why you’re calling. I won’t believe you anyway,” I grumbled.
“Just hear me out, okay?” he pressed.
“I have another call waiting,” I said, trying to convince him to hang up. After my major failure at school that day, the last thing I wanted was more grief.
“I’ll just be a second.”
“Okay,” I gave in. “What?”
“You were right today in class,” he said. “Everyone, mostly me, has been so mean to you and your brother, and it’s not cool that we just apologize to you. I mean, Donald should get apologies too, you know. He’s probably a good guy once you get to know him.”
“He is a good guy,” I interrupted.
“Yeah, that’s what I meant.”
“It’s not what you said.”
Kirk paused and said slowly, “But it’s what I meant. Give me a break here.” I sighed as he inhaled for his next speech. “I was just wondering whether we could have a second chance. Now that I know what everything’s about and all, maybe we could go on that date again.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Why not? I promise not to be such an idiot.”
“It’s not that,” I said. “Well, it is that, but also, see, I have a boyfriend now.”
“Who?”
“You don’t know him. He’s in junior high.”
“Oh.” Kirk was silent.
“I gotta go,” I said. “I have a call . . .”
“Oh yeah,” Kirk said, pepping up. “Well, if he dumps you, let me know, okay?”
“Sure.” There was more awkward silence. Then I broke it when I thought of something. “Hey, Kirk, you know what you can do for me?”
“Anything.”
“You have a brother on the varsity basketball team at Creek High School, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I happen to have a brother who’ll be his towel boy for life if your brother will watch out for him and keep a couple of bullies off his case.”
I told Kirk all about Matt Tonkovich and Daryl Peck, and Kirk agreed to inform his brother when he got home from practice. Kirk finally hung up.
I clicked back to Russell.
“Well, that took long enough,” he teased.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I just told someone you’re my boyfriend to get him off my back.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Cool.”