Is That Really You?

Her mom was not going to have any of that, though, when she said, "I can't believe you're going on a date withhim."

"What?" she asked, astonished at her mother's tone. "Yes, I'm going on a date with him. What's wrong with that?"

"Look at how he was dressed. Thrift stores have better clothes than what he was wearing."

"Mom," Michelle rolled her eyes, "all college guys dress like that. I'm sure if he knew he was meeting you, he would have worn a tux," she added sarcastically.

"You said he went to St. Augustine's?" her father asked.

"Yes."

"Why didn't he go to Sheen? Couldn't his parents afford it?"

"I don't know," she lied. "I think he just wanted to go to Waddell. Heck,Iwanted to go to Waddell after freshman year, but you wouldn't let me." Michelle was really starting to get agitated with their questions, or rather, the nature of them.

"Sheen is a much better school, academically, than Waddell," her father explained.

"That's funny, because Gary is here on anacademicscholarship," Michelle retorted.

* * * * *

Michelle arrived at the Union promptly at six and searched for Gary. It was not too crowded and Michelle did not expect it to be. There were a lot of parties being held for their football team's win that afternoon, although no one really needed any type of excuse to throw a party. After scanning the room for a few seconds, she spotted him in the lounge watching a football game. As she ambled her six foot one inch frame over to Gary, he was so engrossed in the game he didn't notice her presence. When she tapped him on his shoulder, he nearly jumped out of his skin. He looked up quickly and saw her looking at him.

"Holy crap, Michelle! You scared me," he exclaimed.

"Why?" she asked. "I can't bethatbad looking," she teased.

"No, no, no," he said, shaking his head back and forth. "I just wasn't expecting you, yet."

"What?" she exclaimed. "You mean you weren't watching every second for my appearance. I expect that out of my dates, you know."

"You said you didn't go out on dates in high school."

"I did say that, didn't I?"

"You did."

"Well, let's just say it's what I expect fromyou."

"Thank you for clarifying that."

"My pleasure." Michelle sat down on the sofa next to him. "So, what are you watching?"

"A football game."

"No shit? I thought it was a badminton match in pads and helmets. Who's playing, you twit?"

"UCLA and Oregon State," he replied, smiling. He liked being teased by her. He looked at her and noticed she had changed into slacks and a blouse from the jeans and t-shirt she was wearing after the match. She looked very pretty and appeared to have fixed her hair a bit. It was away from her face in soft curls. To his credit, he was wearing newer jeans and a dress shirt.

"Any score?" she asked.

"17-13."

"Who's winning?"

"17."

"Smart ass!" she said while punching his arm lightly. She was happy to see that he seemed to be a lot looser and carefree with her than the previous evening.

He smiled at her. "So, how was lunch?"

Michelle thought carefully for a few seconds before answering. It had not gone well as her parents constantly picked at her about Gary. If it was not the social status of his parents, it was the way he dressed. If it was not the way he dressed, it was his looks. If it was not the way he looked, it was his major. The list went on and on.

"It was okay," she shrugged.

"Not too great, eh?" he asked intuitively.

"No," she agreed, "not too great."

"I hope I wasn't the cause of it."

"Don't you worry about it," she replied. She patted his hand. "So, what's playing tonight?"

"A movie," he teased.

"Alright, enough of that. That stuff drives me crazy. What movie is playing?"

"50 First Dates."

"You're kidding!"

"Nope."

"How appropriate, since it'sourfirst date, you know." Michelle said sweetly, batting her eyes.

"And I guess I'm supposed to have that ingrained in my memory from now on," Gary replied

Michelle nodded.

He rolled his eyes. "I'll note it in my diary," he said sarcastically.

"Of course you will."

"I guess you're not hungry after just having lunch," he said, changing the subject. Gary was starving, but did not want to eat in front of her if she was not hungry.

"No," she admitted, "but I'll have a salad or something light if that's okay."

"Yeah, that's fine with me. Are you ready?"

"Sure."

Gary stood up first and extended his hand to her, which she took and he helped her to her feet. They left the Union and began the mile walk to the off campus eateries. It was much colder than the previous evening and Michelle shivered slightly from it. Gary had already taken her hand by then and they walked close together in the chilly night.

After about fifteen minutes, they came to a main thoroughfare with many restaurants lining the streets. "Do you like Chinese?" he asked as they waited at a crosswalk.

"Love it," she replied.

"I know just the place."

He led her a few blocks further until they reached a small, out of the way restaurant named, "The Wah Fu Palace". A palace, it was not, for it seated only fifty or so people. Gary had eaten there before and really liked it. It was only moderately crowded when they entered and they had no trouble finding a place to sit.

The restaurant was small and quaint with Chinese lanterns overhead and red tablecloths on each table. It was owned and operated by a family of six and had done very well in its thirteen years of existence. The university patrons liked their food and their price.

"You're pretty quiet tonight," Michelle remarked as they waited for their food to arrive. He had been relatively quiet during their walk to the restaurant and while they were seated.

Gary shrugged. "Sorry, I don't mean to be."

"I don't mind. Really. I thought maybe something was up."

"No, not really. I guess I should be a chatterbox being on a date with you."

"Oh, God. No!" Michelle laughed. "That would be so unlike you. You've always been the quiet type. I can't see you talking a lot, unless of course you were high on something."

"I don't do that," he replied seriously.

"I wasn't implying you did." Michelle sighed and looked down for a moment. He seemed to have something on his mind, but she really did not know him well enough to pry.

"I know you weren't," he said quickly. "It's just that, sometimes, I don't have anything to say. I'm not any good at small talk and I don't say things just to have some noise coming out of my mouth." He smiled sheepishly. "Like I said, I should be talking my head off being with you and having a date."

Michelle giggled. "I don't want you to say stuff just to be talking. I want you to be yourself, Gary. That's what I've always liked about you."

"I guess I can do that," he smiled. "So," he announced, "what do you want to talk about?"

Michelle could only shake her head and smile at her date. "You're crazy."

"Oh yeah? What was your first clue?"

After a very nice dinner, they made their way back to campus. True to his word, Gary spoke only when he had something to say or when he answered Michelle. She did not seem to mind at all and had no problem with their lack of conversation at times. Gary was quite grateful for that and simply enjoyed being with her. He did think about how they lost track of each other during their high school years and internally chastised himself for it, but it seemed as if they had not lost a beat in their friendship. In fact, he thought they were perhaps a lot closer than they ever had been in grade school, a no small feat considering they had only seen each other for about 24 hours. It did bother him that her parents did not seem to like him very much and he sensed they thought him to be beneath their daughter socially. Obviously, it did not matter to Michelle and he was happy for that. Of course, he thought he could have made a better impression if he was dressed a little better, but he had no idea it would mean that much to them, plus he did not know he would be meeting them in the first place.

They arrived at the Union about a half hour before the movie was to start, but they bought their tickets and sat down inside the theater anyway. As the movie started, Michelle took Gary's hand and held it throughout the feature. It was not anything overt or obvious, but Gary enjoyed her touch as much as he enjoyed the movie. At one point, she laid her head against his shoulder for a few minutes, something that surprised him quite a bit. She did not rest it there very long, but it was long enough for him to take in her faint perfume and the scent of her freshly shampooed hair.

By the time the movie ended, it was near midnight and Michelle was tired. Gary was quite awake still, but he could tell from the look of her eyes how fatigued she was.

"Time for you to get to bed," he remarked as they stepped into the chilly night once more.

"Yeah," she yawned, partly from sleepiness and partly from the cold. "I really liked the movie. Thanks for asking me."

"You're welcome," he replied.

They walked silently for a few minutes until their dorms came into view. As they neared the steps of Michelle's dorm, they slowed to a stop.

"So," Gary said as he turned to her, "how did I do for a first date?"

"You did just fine," she answered softly. "Of course, I'm no expert on dating."

"Me neither."

"We'll have to do this again," she said as she squeezed his hand.

"I'd like that. Can I have your number? I promise not to make a pest of myself."

"You couldn't be a pest to me," she laughed. She rummaged through her purse until she found a pen and scrap piece of paper. She wrote down her number and handed it to him. "My cell number's there, too."

"Thanks," he said as he folded the paper and shoved it into his jeans pocket. He looked at her again. "I know week nights are pretty much out as far as seeing each other, but would you like to maybe meet at the library and study together sometime?"

"I'd like that very much. I hate studying by myself." She looked to the door briefly as she was dreadfully tired. She did not want the evening to end, but she really wanted to sleep.

"You better get in," he said quickly. "I don't want to have to carry you up to your room."

Michelle giggled tiredly. "No, we wouldn't wantthat. Give me a call around noon tomorrow and maybe we can have lunch or do something if you're not too busy."

"I have a little studying to do, but I can break away for lunch."

"Great." She shifted uneasily. "Well, I better get to bed. I really enjoyed tonight."

"Me too."

Michelle pulled him close and hugged him tight before kissing him on the cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay," he replied before releasing her. "Noon?" he asked.

She nodded her head as she released his hand, her hand instantly cooling from the chilly air. Puffs of steam came from her lips that had just a second before touched his face. Michelle blushed as she silently wished to have placed her lips upon his own instead of only his cheek. She prayed he would not notice.

"Goodnight Shelley," he said quietly.

Michelle's head snapped to attention from the nickname he had called her. It had always been his special greeting to her in grade school and he was the only one ever allowed to call her that. The sound of it brought a smile to her face.

"You remembered," she said.

"It kind of slipped out," he replied sheepishly. It really had come out by accident. He did not know what made him say it.

"I always liked it when you called me that."

"Maybe I'll continue."

"I hope so. Goodnight Gary." Michelle turned slowly and began to ascend the stairs to the door. She turned back once more, but by then, Gary was already making his way to his own dormitory.

III.

As October turned into November and Thanksgiving approached, Gary and Michelle continued to see each other as often as possible, which was not very much during the week. With their differing schedules, plus Michelle's volleyball matches, the weekends seemed to be the only time they could get together. Gary's parents had been pestering him to come home for a weekend, but he did not want to waste a weekend not seeing Michelle. She had become an important part of his life at that point and he knew he would be spending time with his family over the holidays. He mentioned nothing about her during their phone conversations and he merely told them he was busy or had a lot of studying to, which really was not too far from the truth.

On the other hand, Michelle's parents continued to bug her about dating Gary. Of course, this infuriated Michelle and only made her more resolved to date Gary. She grew up knowing her parents could be snobbish at times, but even still, this was a puzzle to her. She thought they would be happy she was dating someone who really cared about her and treated her with respect, but that was not the case.

"I'm sure there are many handsome men on campus who would love to date you," they had said on more than one occasion.

"I'm already dating someone and I have no interest in dating someone else, no matter how handsome they are," she replied cooly.

"I just don't understand it, Michelle," her mother replied, trying another tactic.

"You probably never will," was Michelle's answer.

Michelle would cut short any conversation which had anything to do with Gary or dating because it would always end up with an argument. She had allies in her two older sisters, both unmarried, who thought their parents' views about Gary ridiculous. Stephanie, 22, was a senior at Western Michigan and Katie, 20, was a sophomore at the University of Detroit. Michelle found herself confiding in them more and more as her frustration with her parents grew. She was almost dreading the holidays because she sensed there would be no pleasing them whenever the conversation turned to Gary, and she knew his name would come up. At least her sisters would be there. She could count on them.

It was Stephanie and Katie who picked up Michelle that final Friday before Thanksgiving, a few hours after her last class. Both had been home from school a few days beforehand and volunteered to drive to Columbus. Neither had been to Ohio State, but the main reason was to meet Gary. His father would not be able to pick him up until the next day because of a scheduling conflict, so Michelle figured they could all have a late lunch together before heading home.

By the time they arrived, Michelle's roommate had already departed for her home in Virginia. Michelle greeted them with hugs when they came to her door before she let them in.

"It's so good to see you guys!" she exclaimed as she shut the door behind her. She hugged them both again.

"I missed you, sis," Stephanie said. She was Michelle's height, but was in constant turmoil with her weight. No matter how hard she exercised or how careful she was with her diet, she was never able to maintain a weight that satisfied her. Though not as pretty as her youngest sister, she had an engaging smile, made friends easily, and never was at a loss for male companionship.

"So, where's this handsome hunk of manhood you've been raving about?" Katie asked. Katie looked nothing like her sisters and no one would guess they were related. Short, thin, and a bit on the plain side, Katie had always been self-conscious about her looks and was constantly looking for ways to make herself more attractive. She dated infrequently and had almost resigned herself to think she was never meant to marry.

"He's waiting for you guys to show up so we can eat. He's not going home until tomorrow. His dad has to work late and his mom's got stuff she has to do." Michelle looked at her luggage that was on her bed. "I'm packed, so we can leave after we eat."

"Great," said Stephanie. "Let's meet him and get some lunch. I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

"Me too," added Katie.

"Let's go, then," Michelle replied. After she locked the door, they made their way over to the Union where Gary was to meet them.

They greeted Gary warmly when they met him in the lounge before they went to The Sandwich Shoppe for their lunch.

"I remember you from St. Augustine's," Katie remarked once they were seated. "I never would have known you from seeing you now."

"Yeah, I guess I've changed quite a bit. Michelle said practically the same thing."

"Michelle says you're an English major. So, what do you want to be when you grow up?" Stephanie teased, her bright smile telling him she approved of him dating her sister.

"I want to use big words so you won't know what I'm talking about!" he shot back.

"Oh, we've got a live one here, Katie," Stephanie said, laughing. "He's pretty quick, Michelle."

Michelle laughed, too, while looking at Gary. He was smiling and very much enjoying the company of the three sisters. He and Michelle had made tentative plans to get together over their break, but a lot would depend upon family plans and the like.

"Seriously," Stephanie said, " what are your plans after college?" She liked Gary already and was very happy for her sister.

"I want to teach," Gary replied. "I'll get my master's degree and then I'll think about a doctorate. We'll have to see."

"Grade school? High school?"

"Probably college," he answered. "I don't know if I can have the patience for high school kids."

"I see your point," Stephanie said. "I know I couldn't stand English classes in high school."

"I liked English," Katie said.

"That's only because you were hot for Mr. Walkerton," Michelle said. He was Katie's teacher.

"Was not!" Katie replied hotly.

"Oh, come on, Katie," Stephanie said. "He's all you could talk about the first few weeks of class." She looked at Gary. "It's the only time she ever got A's in English."

Katie turned beet red from embarrassment. "I got A's before," she protested.

"Not like you did in his class," Michelle reminded her.

"Can we change the subject?" Katie said.

"What's your major?" Gary asked Katie before he sipped on his drink.

Grateful for the change, she replied, "Engineering."

"Well, you certainly don't need English for that," he laughed.

"No, but I still have to take it."

"Yeah, but it's not much different than high school. You're just writing more papers, that's all," he said.

"True," Katie replied, "but I still don't like it."

"You would if Walkerton was teaching it," Stephanie chided.

"Alright, alright," Katie rolled her eyes. "Can we please get off this subject?"

They went back to eating and drinking. Gary found out Stephanie was a music major, played the cello, and planned to join a symphony orchestra upon her graduation the following May. She had already had several auditions in and around Detroit, but no offers as of yet.

Both sisters really liked Gary. That was quite evident as they peppered him with questions and barely let Michelle say a word to him. For his part, Gary was enjoying the attention. He found it very easy to talk to them and barely noticed how fast the time was going.

"I need to hit the bathroom," Stephanie announced suddenly when everyone was finished with their meal. She looked at Michelle and tilted her head in such a way to let her know she wanted company in the restroom.

"Me too," Michelle said, receiving the hint and pushing back her chair. Saying nothing, Katie pushed her chair back as well.

"Don't worry," Stephanie said to Gary, "we won't talk about you too much."

"No, not much at all," Katie interjected.

Michelle grinned and tapped his arm. "We'll be back soon."

"I don't believe any of you," Gary said as he smiled back at Michelle. He had hoped to have some time with Michelle before they left, but it was getting late and he knew they would want to leave soon.