Central High Blues Ch. 01

My parents both looked relieved. I figured I should just be straightforward with them about my situation and see if they knew anything.

"I may have a problem," I started. "All day long, girls kept looking at my pants. Now, I specifically wore those baggy trousers, so I know I wasn't showing them anything. Evidently, there has been a rumor circulating around that I have a really big dick. I don't know how it got started, but it isn't just at the school. One of my friends overheard two housewives talking about it at a grocery store a month ago."

I let them digest that while I took another bite of pasta and ate it.

"Now, nobody has accosted me in school or anything like that," I continued, "but over the course of the day more and more girls were looking down there. By the time I was passing out the periodic tables in Mr. Delgado's class after lunch, every girl in that chemistry class was looking. One girl did ask if I was going to show it to her, but she was joking."

I took another bite, chewed and thought. "At least, I think she was joking," I added. I took a sip of milk to wash that down before asking, "So, have you got any thoughts on how this could have happened?"

My dad thought about it for all of five seconds.

"It had to have started with the nurses who were in charge of your care before you came out of your coma. The ones who were still there were involved with you and wouldn't have told anybody. Leanne, Beth and your mom didn't tell anyone. Nobody else saw your dick since you got out of the hospital, right?"

"Maybe one girl at the 'Surf Shop' at the mall, but I was wearing shorts at the time," I said. "I thought she might have been the one to start the rumor, but your explanation makes more sense."

"Ah," he said, "You have a 'second vector' then. The rumors outside of school started with those nurses from the hospital that were there before Heather and Charlene started. The one going around with the students at your school probably started with that girl. That's why it got worse as the day went on. Is it going to be a problem?"

I realized I was staring at my dad. I mean, I knew he was smart, but that was just uncanny. I had to think about my situation at school.

"I only foresee a problem if underage girls start hitting on me because they think I have a big dick, and I may already have a solution to that. I asked my friend Trina out on a date. Do you know Trina Wilkins?"

"I know her mother," Mom spoke up. "I haven't seen Trina since she was in your eighth grade class. How is she?"

"She's lovely," I said with a smile. Turning to my father I said, "Trina got set back in the eighth grade after she got sick and missed a lot of school. So she's a year older than everyone, like me. If we let everyone know that we're dating..."

Dad nodded. "That would certainly solve your problems. Just as long as you're not using this girl, stringing her along for your convenience, I'm fine with that."

"I'll make sure I'm not doing that," I said.

"Does she know about you and Leanne?" my dad's gaze was piercing.

"No, sir," I said. "I guess I will have to tell her about that. Trina and I have been friends for years. I don't know if we'd ever be more than that, but I really want to take her out on a date. She's..." I had to think how to put it tactfully.

"She and her mother are not well off," my mother added softly. "Deirdre is a personal trainer at a gym I used to go to. I don't know how she supports them both on what they pay her there."

"I didn't know that," I said. "I gave Trina a ride home after school. I had been grilling her on what she knew about this rumor, and offered her a ride. When I saw their house, I knew it wasn't a great situation. I knew her dad had never been around, just from talking to her online."

My dad nodded. "Okay. You just need to be really straightforward with her, then. Tell her you want to date as friends and see where that goes. Just make sure you tell her that you still have feelings for Leanne, but don't let those feelings get in the way of your relationship with Trina as you guys date."

That made me think of Leanne, and it hurt. I nodded to let him know I heard what he said. I just wasn't sure I could ever have a serious relationship with anyone else as long as there was a chance I could have Leanne back. It was the first time I had thought about that in those terms. I looked at my dad.

"How exactly do I do that, Dad?" I asked. "I don't know how I could have a serious relationship with Trina when I can't wait to graduate and find an excuse to follow Leanne to the ends of the earth."

Dad spread his arms expressively and shrugged. "You're on your own figuring out that one, son. If I had that answer for you, I'd be doing something else for a living."

Mom didn't look like she had anything to add, but I asked anyway. "Any advice, Mom?"

"Joshua, if I think of anything useful, I will let you know. Try to have fun with this girl, though. If you take it too seriously, you won't give yourself any chance. Outside of that, though, how was your first day back in school?"

I thought about it for a while before answering.

"It's going to be one hell of a senior year."