Flirting With Him

“I wouldn’t be who I am if it weren’t for Kassie.”1

I turned to face the odd girl randomly sitting beside me. Over the bounce of basketballs and the squeak of shoes on a freshly waxed gym floor, I could barely hear her. I didn’t really care; I was trying to catch the eye of the hot guy who made basket after basket …2

“I wouldn’t be who I am if it weren’t for Kassie.”3

I guess she figured that I hadn’t heard her or something. And, not wanting to appear rude, though I was preoccupied, I said, “Who are you?”4

“I’m Carrie.”5

“Oh.”6

The guy, Cliff, caught my eye and grinned sheepishly. I tried to smile softly, but I’ve never been that great at being impressive; or flirting, for that matter. I didn’t have a chance with this cute guy and I knew it, but on a rainy day some sort of flirt takes over with boredom.7

Apparently taking my “oh” as an invitation to continue, Carrie babbled away.8

“See, my cousin Beth first met Kassie. She was way into shit at that time, and sorta messed up. But Kassie has always been sorta messed up, I think.”9

“Okay …”10

“Kassie’s really mean. She’s gothic too, but she turned us around.”11

I was really starting to doubt this girl’s sanity. Okay, she hangs around with some pothead Goth who’s a bitch. And she sounds like she worships her: ‘I wouldn’t be who I am without Kassie.’ Come on!12

“So Beth was into deep shit, right?”13

“Uh, right.”14

“Once they’re tight, she introduces me to Kassie. I didn’t like her at first, but she sorta grows on you, you know?”15

I didn’t know. For me, it’s love at first sight. It’s the immediate kinda thing. It doesn’t really matter if the person likes me or not, I’m head over heels. Being a romantic sucks because hearts can be taped together only so many times. I mean, scotch doesn’t hold.16

“At that point, Beth and I weren’t very close. I probably wouldn’t have anything to do with Beth if Kassie hadn’t brought us together.”17

“Okay.”18

I was really getting tired of playing psychologist for this weirdo. I didn’t know her, Beth, or Cassia or whatever. But I did know one Cliff Powell eyeing me from the court.19

“I think that was about the nicest thing Kassie ever did for anyone. Wanna know how mean she is?”20

“Sure.”21

“Kassie likes to make little kids cry. But she’s really nice anyway.”22

Nice? Yeah right. I’m no member of the Babysitters Club or anything, but I’m not that mean. At least I hope not for my next boyfriend’s sake.23

“I would be popular if I wasn’t friends with Kassie; Beth would be of the lower social class of complete re-re freak.”24

“Really?”25

I tried to sound surprised. It wasn’t hard. How could this scraggly brown haired dork, fresh to this school, have been popular once?26

“Yeah. Beth was hanging out with her cousin Parker, who’s got the attention span of a hyperactive gerbil.”27

“Who was Kassie hanging with?”28

“Well …”29

She looked really perplexed.30

“I don’t really know who she was with or what label she needs.”31

Carrie sighed.32

“That seems like a long time ago.”33

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the one and only cute Cliff striding toward me. Forgetting that she had been talking to me, I scooted down the next, almost empty row of bleachers, making myself available to sit next to. As my heart finished flipping, he strode right past me to sit next to Carrie.34

“So tell me about yourself …”35

She would have a lot to tell. 36