121 comments/ 441961 views/ 328 favorites Is That Really You? By: Is That Really You? They redirected themselves and headed to the student cafeteria, chatting about anything and everything that crossed their minds. They bought their coffees and sat down on an unoccupied sofa. "So, you never did tell me why you didn't date," Michelle said after taking a sip. "Nothing much to tell," he replied honestly. "I wasn't popular, wasn't good looking, still not, and the ladies didn't exactly flock in my direction every morning when I came to school." "Oh, come on, you are too good looking and surely there was someone who you were friends with who you wanted to date." "Sure," he agreed, "there were some I wanted to date, but it didn't happen." "Did you ask anyone out?" "A few times, but it never worked out." "What do you mean?" "Well," he exhaled, " most of the time, the rejection wasn't too bad. You know, it was the 'You're a really nice guy, but...' rejection, or 'You're a really good friend, but...' rejection. Only a few times did I get the 'Are you out of your freaking mind?' look on their face." He smiled sardonically. It still pained him to talk about his shortcomings in the relationship department. "You should have asked me out," she smiled sweetly. "I wouldn't reject you." "Oh, now you tell me!" he laughed. "You're a bit too late with that information. I could have used that a few years ago." He eased back in the sofa and stretched out with his hands clasped behind his head. Michelle looked at him as he stared into space. He really had not changed too much, and yes, that meant he was not someone who would turn a woman's head if she saw him, but he was the same friendly, self-deprecating, unassuming person he was in grade school and that appealed to her. Gary looked at Michelle and caught her staring at him. She did not look down or break her eye contact, but merely continued to look at him with a quizzical smile on her face. "What's so amusing?" he asked. "I"m just waiting." She took a sip of her coffee. "Waiting for what?" "Waiting for you to ask me out." "Right!" He looked away. When he turned back, Michelle still had that amused look on her face. Gary looked at her intently. "You're serious about this?" "Name the time and place and I'll be there," she answered before leaning back into the sofa next to him. Gary thought for a minute before remembering something. One of his frat brothers sold him his football tickets for the next day's game versus Illinois. If she was true to her word, then they could go together. "Okay," he said, " how about going with me to the game tomorrow?" He looked at her hopefully. Without thinking, Michelle blurted out, "I can't..." "I knew it," Gary replied sadly and looked off into space. "Hey, wait a minute, let me explain," Michelle said quickly, a bit surprised by his response. She touched his elbow. "You said, 'Name the time and place', and then you back out." His chest heaved as he looked away. "If you would just listen and let me explain, I'll tell you why I can't go." He still was looking in the opposite direction and trying to maintain control over his emotions. "Alright then, look away if you want, but you need to listen. I've got a match against Bowling Green tomorrow at one. That's why I can't go with you to the game." Gary's shoulders sank as he sighed. Why was he such an idiot? Why did he automatically think she was blowing him off? Because she's so pretty, that's why. No girl with her looks would ever think of going out with him. How could she be different? Because they were friends for a long time before she changed in her looks, that's why. He was just so stupid. With his hands touching his pockets, Gary slowly turned her way and she could see the despair in his eyes. "I'm sorry for being such a jerk," he said. Michelle smiled. "You're forgiven. How about we do something tomorrow night?" Gary smiled broadly in return. "That sounds great." He searched his mind for an idea and then it hit him. "How about a movie at the union? They usually have something good playing on Saturday." The union was a student campus hangout. It had a small bowling alley, arcade room, pool tables, and a theater. For students who were stuck on campus, it was a great place to go. "Sounds great," Michelle replied. "When do you want to go?" "We could meet around six or seven if you want." "Six is good. That'll give me time to get cleaned up and rest a bit after the match." "Okay." He looked at her again through his wire rimmed spectacles and sighed. "I really am sorry for that." "Don't worry about it," she said. Michelle could see he was still a bit downcast and it saddened her. She tapped his arm and said, "Hey, those snacks didn't do a thing for me. Want to grab a bite at The Sandwich Shoppe?" Gary's face brightened again. "Sure. I'm pretty hungry." "Come on, then. My treat." She stood up and Gary followed. "You don't have to," he protested. "I want to, so don't argue with me," she replied. "Okay," Gary said sheepishly. Given the time of the evening, the small submarine sandwich restaurant was not crowded when they arrived. Finding a table out of the way near the back, Gary and Michelle settled in their chairs and chatted in between bites. "I just can't believe how much you changed," Gary remarked after he took a sip of his drink. "And I didn't know you played volleyball. When did that start?" "I played at St. Augustine's. I guess you didn't know that." "Nope." "Well, I didn't know you that good of a baseball player, either." "Yeah, well, I guess there's a lot of things we don't know about each other," he replied. Michelle laughed. " I don't have to be in early, so we can catch up." She looked at him thoughtfully. "You know, you haven't changed a bit." Her statement puzzled him. "How so?" he asked, thinking he had changed quite a lot in four years. "Outwardly, maybe, but you're pretty much the same guy you were in grade school. I always liked you then." "I know. I liked you, too. You were always a good friend." A memory came to him and his face brightened. "Remember when Sally Robertson told everyone we were kissing on the playground at lunch?" Michelle's eyes widened and she slapped the table with her palm as she laughed. "Oh my God, yes!" she exclaimed. "I thought we were going to get in so much trouble." "Me too." "I mean, it would have been different if we had actually been kissing, but she made it up out of thin air." "Do you know why she did it?" "I don't know," Michelle said while shrugging her shoulders, "maybe she didn't like me or you for some reason." "Could be. I know she never said a word to me, but that didn't stop anyone from not liking me back then." "Don't be so hard on yourself," Michelle said. She patted his hand affectionately. "It's the truth. At least in high school, girls would talk me sometimes." "I talked to you," she corrected him. "You were the only one," he replied seriously. "You were my best friend." "I was?" He knew they were good friends, but he never realized she considered him her best friend. "Of course, silly," she laughed. "Everyone else at that damned school made fun of me just because I was taller than everyone and had boobs before everyone else." Gary's eyes involuntarily shifted to her breasts and then back to her face and he hoped she did not notice. She did have a very nice set of breasts pushing against her shirt, he saw. "But you," she continued, "were always so nice to me and I liked you so much because of it. It hurt me that we didn't go to the same high school. I thought you were going to Sheen, but you went to Waddell instead." "My folks found out they couldn't afford Sheen," he explained. "I wanted to go to Waddell after my freshman year, but my parents wouldn't hear of it. I just had to go to a Catholic high school," she mimicked her mother. "Oh well," she sighed. "Well, that doesn't matter anymore. We're back in school together and that's what counts. Right?" "Right," he agreed. "But why didn't they want you to go to Notre Dame, St. John's, or some other Catholic college?" Michelle laughed out loud. "They about had a fit when they saw how much it cost. They were very happy when I started to receive scholarship offers." "But none from any Catholic colleges? "No," she shook her head. It was only around ten-thirty when they left the eatery. They had talked long after finishing their sandwiches and now their tongues were tired and sides were aching from sharing funny stories from their experiences in grade school. Walking slowly and quietly along the lighted sidewalk to Michelle's dorm, they glanced at each other occasionally and smiled to themselves. It still amazed them both that they found each other again. Michelle was thankful her dorm was a long walk from the restaurant and was also very happy to learn that Gary's dorm was only a few minutes away from hers. The wind was still and quiet and the sounds of the university could be heard easily throughout the campus. All kinds of music emanated from the tall brick structures. Students were milling around the grounds looking for a party to go to or any other particular destination. Michelle and Gary reached her dorm quicker than she would have liked, but she was expected to attend a team breakfast early the next morning and she would need to be rested for the match. Michelle never was able to function well on less than 7-8 hours of sleep. Yet, she still wanted to be around Gary and talk some more or just hang around him for a while longer. Gary peered inside the dormitory and saw the time. "I guess you need to go in," he said absently. He too, did not want their time together to end. "Are you trying to get rid of me?" she joked. "You know I'm not," he answered. He looked again towards the doors. "Are you getting along with your roommate so far?" "Gina's okay," Michelle replied. "She's a bit loud with her stereo sometimes when I want to study, but she turns it down if I ask her. She's not around too much anyway. She's usually out with her boyfriend or training." "Training?" "She's on the track team, a sprinter." "Oh." "We get along pretty good," she said. "I can introduce you sometime if you like." "Whenever," he shrugged. Looking back at the dormitory, he sighed lightly. Michelle looked in the same direction as Gary and then to him. "You know what?" she asked. "What?" "I really don't feel like going in right now. I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway with all the racket that's going on. Why don't we walk around a while longer, if that's okay with you." Gary smiled. "That sounds fine to me." They walked around the campus for another hour as she showed him different buildings where she had classes. Likewise, Gary showed her some of the buildings where his classes were. They doubted they would ever have the same classes together because of their differing majors; his English and hers, sports management. It could only happen if they conspired to take some electives together, but that would not happen until the fall quarter of their sophomore year. They did not really talk too much during this time together, but they enjoyed each other's company just the same. Gary felt very much at ease with Michelle, but still felt it to be weird to be walking with a girl as pretty as Michelle. He kept reminding himself that Michelle was the same person he knew before and that she really did enjoy being with him. As they turned to begin their walk back to the dorms, Gary reached over and took her hand, an innocent gesture that caught Michelle by surprise, yet delighted her at the same time. She remembered in grade school when they walked together during recess how she wanted to hold his hand, yet was unable because of the trouble they would receive. Instinct told her Gary was still a bit hesitant being around her, if only because he had not dated before. It had nothing to do with her personally, yet she expected him to be more at ease around her. His small act seemed to be his way of telling her he was ready to be her best friend again. Leaning over, she said sweetly, "We won't get in trouble, will we?" "Not unless someone tells on us." "What if someone does?" "I guess we'll get detention," he shrugged. Michelle laughed and squeezed his hand as they continued to casually stroll through the leaf-covered walks that connected the buildings. The walk back seemed to be much quicker and Michelle was disappointed when her dorm came into view. She knew she would not be able to put off going to bed now, not at this hour, and their time together was about to end. They reached the steps leading to the front door and stopped. "I best be getting inside," she said as she looked at the door and then back to Gary. "I'll meet you at the Union at six." Her hand still held his. "Six," he replied while looking at her face. She really was a pretty girl. Yet, he remembered her always having a pretty face no matter what her size was. To see her blossom into the knockout she had become through hard work and determination was a neat gift and he was very happy for her. He broke his gaze for a moment to collect his thoughts. "I hope you have a great game tomorrow," he said suddenly. "Thanks," Michelle replied. "I probably won't play much, but we'll see. We shouldn't have too much trouble beating them." "I guess I better let you go," Gary said reluctantly. "You'll need your rest." "Yeah," Michelle said. She really did not want to go, but she knew she must. She squeezed his hand once more before pulling him close and hugging him. "I'm so glad we met up again," she said softly in his ear. "Me too," he replied as he hugged her back. Without thinking, he kissed her cheek. Michelle pulled back slowly and touched her cheek where he kissed her. At first, Gary thought he offended her, but then, he saw her smile. "That was really sweet, thank you," she said before turning and leaving him at the steps. II. The next morning, Gary wondered if Michelle had as much trouble sleeping as he did. It was not the noise of the dorm throughout the wee hours of the morning that kept him awake, but the swirling thoughts of Michelle going through his head. Sleep finally did come to him a few hours after he tumbled under the covers, but it was a restless, dream-filled sleep which left him tired after he awoke to the annoying buzzing sound of his alarm. He normally did not set his alarm during the weekend, but he had made up his mind before going to bed to give up his tickets to the football game and watch Michelle's volleyball match. He knew very little about volleyball, but seeing her was on his mind. After showering, Gary dressed quickly and went down to the lobby of his dormitory where he looked on the bulletin board where students posted their name and number if they wanted tickets. With his cell phone in hand, within fifteen minutes he sold the tickets at face value to two grateful students. He returned to his room and debated as to go back to sleep or stay up. He would have called Michelle, but he did not have her number. Plus, she had said the team was having a breakfast together that morning. Instead, he called the box office and reserved a ticket for himself. At twelve-thirty, he left the dorm and made his way to St. John's Arena where the team would play Bowling Green. He did not expect a big crowd because of the football game and he was correct in his assumption. There were maybe one thousand to fifteen hundred fans in attendance. As he settled in his seat, approximately twenty rows behind OSU's bench, warm-ups concluded and the starting lineups were introduced. Gary saw Michelle standing with her teammates in their gray uniforms and red trim. Her blond hair was tied in a pony tail with a red band and she stood and listened to her coach give final instructions. As she expected, Michelle did not play a whole lot, but she contributed three kills and a couple of blocks as a substitute. OSU won easily, but that mattered little to Gary. He watched Michelle's every move while she was on the court. If he thought she looked good in her jeans the night before, he was amazed at how good she looked in her uniform shorts. He was unabashedly mesmerized by her toned legs and imagined she would cut a stunning figure in a swimsuit. After the match, he made his way down to the locker room area and waited with parents, boyfriends, and others for the players to emerge. When she came out, she saw him immediately and gave him a light hug. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "I thought you were going to the football game." "I changed my mind. I wanted to see you play." "You certainly didn't see much." "I thought you played really well, although I don't know much about volleyball." "I'm really glad you came...." Someone caught her attention as she looked away from Gary. "Hi mom! Hi dad!" She waved to a couple who were making their way through the crowd. She looked back to Gary. "It's my folks. They usually drive down for home games." "Oh." Michelle moved away from Gary and hugged a smartly dressed couple. Although they were diehard University of Michigan fans, they both wore nondescript red sweaters. Michelle pulled them towards Gary and said, "Mom and dad, this is Gary Buchanan. We went to St. Augustine's together and we met each other again at a party last night." She gestured to Gary. "Gary, this is my mom, Olivia, and my dad, Frank." Gary stuck out his hand and shook Frank's hand. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Mayfair." "Call me Frank," he instructed as he returned the handshake. Olivia said, "Pleased to meet you, Gary," but made no motion of extending her hand. Instead, she eyed him warily. "Pleased to meet you, ma'am," Gary replied. "Did you attend Archbishop Sheen with Michelle?" Olivia asked. "No ma'am," he replied. "I went to Waddell." "Oh," she said with just a hint of snootiness as she duly noted his torn jeans and well worn sneakers. Gary noticed the tone, but ignored it. "How did you like the match?" he asked Frank. "We were hoping to see Michelle play more, but they won and that's the main thing," he answered. Several thoughts were running through Gary's mind. He knew he did not want to be there with her parents, yet he wanted to stay and talk to Michelle for a while longer. "We were hoping to have some lunch with you before we headed home," Olivia said pointedly to Michelle. "Sure, that would be great," Michelle replied. She looked to Gary, then to her mom. "Can Gary come, too?" The look that flashed across Olivia's face for but a brief second told Gary all he needed to know. Although it disappeared quickly, the sour look told him he was not welcome. "Well, I..." Olivia began. "That's okay, Michelle," Gary interrupted. "I have a paper to write before we go out tonight. I need to get started on it." He looked at her and hoped she understood. Gary checked his watch and saw it was almost three-thirty. "Do you want to back up our date to seven so you can have some time together?" "No," Michelle answered as she seethed inside. She, too, had seen the look on her mom's face. "We have plenty of time. Six is fine." "Okay," Gary said. He looked to her parents. "It was nice meeting both of you." "Same to you," Frank replied. Olivia remained silent as she thought of Michelle dating the boy in front of her. Michelle took Gary's hand and squeezed it lightly. "Thanks for coming. It was a very nice surprise. I'll see you at six." "See you later." Gary looked into her brown eyes and managed a small smile. He took one final glance at her parents before letting go of Michelle's hand and disappearing into the crowd. Michelle turned back to her parents and asked, "So, where do you want to go for lunch?" 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 with him." "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, I wanted 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 an academic scholarship," 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 be that bad 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 from you." "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's our first 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 want that. 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. Is That Really You? "I didn't think you would," Michelle laughed. With that, all three turned and left Gary at the table. When they got to the restroom, Stephanie turned to Michelle and exclaimed, "He is so sweet! Whenever you get tired of him, I want him." "You can't have him!" Katie pouted. "He's closer to my age anyway. I get him next." "No one gets him," Michelle said emphatically. "He's mine and I'm not going to get tired of him." "He is a sweetie," Stephanie reiterated. "If you weren't dating him, I'd grab him," Katie said. "You two are impossible," Michelle said shaking her head while making her way to the door once again. "If you'll excuse me, I want some time with him before we leave." "That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Stephanie said as she grabbed Michelle's arm. "What do think if we drove him home? I mean, he doesn't live far from us, it would save his family a trip, and you guys could have some time together." Michelle's eyes widened at the idea. "That's a great idea, Steph! I'll see if he wants to do it." She hurried back to the table to Gary, who was finishing his drink. "Back so soon?" he said. "Stephanie had a great idea," she said excitedly as she sat down. "How would you like to drive back with us? We have plenty of room and you wouldn't have to wait for your dad and they wouldn't have to make a trip to get you. What do you say?" Gary did not need a second for his response. "It sounds fantastic, but I'll have to call my mom and see if they don't mind me traveling with three women." "You don't have to say you're driving with three women," Michelle said. "Just tell her you're driving with some friends." "I could do that." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. By this time, the other two were approaching the table. Gary had nothing to fear when he called his mom. She knew his dad would be thrilled at not having to travel to Columbus to pick him up. She told him to have a good time and be careful before they ended their conversation. As he closed the phone, he said, "It's all done. It's fine with her." "Let's get going then," Michelle said. It only took Gary a few minutes to finish packing his last minute items and he met Michelle and her sisters at her dorm about a half hour later with two suitcases, his laptop and accessories, and a partially full clothes bag. "I'm already packed," Michelle said when she opened the door to let him in. Looking at his luggage, she said, "We should have met you downstairs so you wouldn't have had to bring that stuff up here." "Too late now," he said, shaking his head. He was only slightly out of breath. After she locked the door, they made their way down to her parents' station wagon and packed Gary's gear. Katie and Stephanie occupied the front seat while Michelle and Gary sat together in the back seat. "Keep your hands where I can see them," warned Stephanie as they began their trek home. Michelle only smiled and took Gary's hand in hers. The time seemed to fly because there was rarely a quiet moment as all four bantered back and forth. Usually a quiet person who enjoyed listening to conversation rather than actively participating, Gary joined in quite often and enjoyed the trip immensely. He liked Michelle's sisters very much and thought to himself he would not mind dating either one of them if he and Michelle were not such good friends already. Before they knew it, they were within Detroit's limits and Gary directed Stephanie to his house, which was but a few miles from their own. After they pulled into his driveway, he thanked them for a great time before he emptied his gear from the back of the car. Michelle stood with him and shut the tailgate after glancing at the front door of his house. It was open and his mom was eyeing them curiously. "Call me and we'll get together during the week," she said earnestly. "You can call me, too, you know," he replied. "Maybe we can hit a movie or something. Steph and Katie can come, too, if they want. I don't mind." "I know you don't mind," Michelle said accusingly while poking him in the chest. She laughed. "They like you a lot," she said softly. "They're really nice," Gary said, "but I like you a lot better." "You better say that," Michelle giggled. "I just want a day or night to ourselves, okay?" "I'd like that." Michelle reached down for his laptop bag and said, "Come on, I'll help you with this stuff." "You don't have to. I can get it." She ignored him and picked up the narrow, black bag. He picked up the other two suitcases and his clothes bag and he led the way to the front door. His mom opened the door for them and let them pass into the foyer. As soon as he put down his luggage, he moved to his mom and hugged her. "Missed you, mom," he said after he planted a kiss on her cheek. Eyeing Michelle, she said, "I can see why you didn't want dad to pick you up." Laughing nervously, Gary said, "Mom, this Michelle Mayfair. We went to St. Augustine's together and we met up last month at a party." He looked at Michelle and gestured. "Michelle, this is my mom, Cheryl." "Pleased to meet you, ma'am," Michelle said. "Same to you, Michelle. Thanks for bringing Gary with you, although I don't know why he didn't want to wait for his dad," she added, tongue firmly planted in her cheek. Gary turned a bit red at that remark "I didn't mind at all. You guys live only a few minutes away," Michelle explained. To Gary, Cheryl said, "You better get those dirty clothes downstairs so I can wash them tomorrow and take your other stuff upstairs before someone trips on them." "I better get going," Michelle said. "Mom and dad will be wondering why I'm not home." "You don't have to run off, hon," Cheryl said. "I just want Gary to get his things put away, that's all." "No, I really must get going. My sisters are waiting for me." It slipped out before she could stop it. "Your sisters?" Cheryl asked, her eyebrows raised. She looked at Gary again. "Now, I really know why you didn't want to wait for dad!" Gary shrugged and grinned sheepishly. "Come on, I'll walk you out," he said to Michelle as he touched her elbow. "It was nice meeting you," Michelle said over her shoulder as Gary tried to lead her quickly out the door. "Same to you, Michelle," Cheryl called back before the door closed. Michelle burst out laughing as they walked back to the station wagon. "You should have seen your face. It turned so red!" "It's not that funny. Why did you have to say anything about your sisters? Now, I'll have to answer a thousand questions when I get inside. Thanks a heap!" He shook his head from side to side. They reached the car door and Gary opened it for her. Michelle lingered at the frame momentarily and studied Gary for an instant. For the strangest reason, she had the distinct urge to kiss him. Not a friendly peck on the cheek as she had only done previously, but a sweet, slow, lingering lip lock..... She was liking him more and more and really wanted to show him how she felt, but she had to let the moment pass. Instead, she gave him a kiss on the cheek and smiled sweetly before settling in the seat. It was a moment lost, but she hoped the next opportunity would not slip by. "Call me," she said again. "I will," he replied before closing the door. He could still feel the moistness on his cheek as the three sisters drove out of sight. He always loved her soft, feathery kisses against his skin and he enjoyed kissing her back in kind. Her skin was so soft and she always smelled great. 'Someday,' he thought, 'someday I hope we kiss for real.' With that thought in mind, he turned and headed for the house to face his mom's interrogation. IV. In actuality, his mother's questions were brief, to the point, and relatively painless. She was pleasantly surprised to find they were dating, if but casually. She had often worried about him in high school because of his infrequent dating habits and hoped his social life would improve once he went to OSU. Cheryl knew that having a girlfriend was not the be all and end all of going to school, but she wanted him to be happy, remembering his dark moods when he was turned down for dates in the past. In the days that followed, Gary called Michelle frequently but they were unable to get together because of one reason or another until the day after Thanksgiving. Michelle's parents were starting to ease up on her about Gary after Stephanie came to her defense during a discussion. "Can't you see she's happy with him?" she had said. "He's a great guy besides. What's wrong with that?" she demanded. "We think she could do better," her mom tried to explain. "Do better?" Stephanie squealed. "He's smart, he's athletic, and he's not stuck up. What else does he need to be?" Whatever happened, it seemed to ease the tension and Michelle was grateful for that. She briefly thought of asking him over for dinner, but thought better of it. She did not want to push her luck. Instead, he picked her up and they had a very nice dinner at a local Italian restaurant. It was a small, neighborhood eatery which Michelle had been to, but it had been a very long time ago. They did not talk too much since their phone conversations had been quite lengthy, but they told each other about their holiday with their families and enjoyed each other's company thoroughly. They had not made any permanent plans for after their dinner, so Michelle suggested they go to a mall and look around. Gary was not too thrilled about the idea since he did not like crowds, especially the day after Thanksgiving Christmas sales throng, but he agreed nonetheless. Hand in hand, they strolled aimlessly, stopping in a few stores here and there but not buying anything. "So," Michelle said after they left a bookstore, "what do you want for Christmas?" "I don't know," he replied. "I hadn't given it much thought." "Really?" "Yeah. I mean with school and all, I haven't had time to think about that stuff. I don't even have any idea what to get my parents nor Chrissy, either." Chrissy was his younger sister. "You know what I want?" she asked as they came to a stop on the outskirts of the food court. "I don't have the foggiest..." "You under mistletoe," she smiled. Take aback slightly in surprise, Gary scuffed his shoe against the tiled floor nervously for a second or two. "That can be arranged," Gary replied softly with a sly grin. "I'd like that a lot." "Hey!" she protested. "That's supposed to be my gift." "But why can't you being under a mistletoe be my gift?" he asked. Michelle laughed lightly. "I guess it can be our gift to each other, then. Okay?" "Sounds great to me," he agreed. They continued to walk around the large mall for a short time before Michelle stopped once more and faced him. "Speaking of kissing," she began, "have you ever kissed a girl before?" She was looking at him seriously. "I didn't know we were talking about kissing." "Well, what do you think people do under the mistletoe? What do you think we'll do under the mistletoe?" she asked sweetly batting her eyes. Gary turned a bit red from embarrassment and did not say anything for a few seconds. He said in a low voice, "Do my aunts or cousins count?" "No." He shook his head slowly. "No, I guess I haven't. Have you kissed any guys?" He looked at her for her reply. "Nope," she said, "the same as you." "Oh." "You know what, though?" she asked. "What?" "Real soon, I'd like to kiss you. I mean that," she added seriously. Gary smiled. "I'd like that. I'd like that a lot." He looked around at the crowded mall nervously. "Oh God!" she exclaimed with a look of horror on her face. "Not here," she giggled. "I don't want to kiss you here. I want it to be private." Gary exhaled with relief. He certainly did not want to share their first kiss with a couple hundred people gawking at them. He squeezed her hand and began to walk again. "Good," he said in a low voice, "I'm glad." He then pulled her close and hugged her to his side without missing a step. He tried to hide his nervousness as they walked, but he was afraid she would figure him out. A few minutes later, they stopped in the middle of the mall and sat down on a bench that was unoccupied. Gary put his arm around Michelle's shoulder and smiled. "This was a good idea," he conceded. "I like walking around with you." "I like it, too," she agreed. Michelle hesitated for a brief instant. "I'm really glad we met each other again," she added. "So am I." He stared out into space for a few seconds as Michelle eyed him curiously. He shook his head and looked back at her. "Sometimes, I wonder if we ever would have come across each other again if we hadn't been at the same party." "I don't want to think about that," she shuddered. "We met again and that's all that counts." She squeezed his hand tight before resting her head against his shoulder. "Besides," she said, "somehow, I think we were meant to be together." "How so?" Michelle raised her head, straightened slowly and stared at Gary. Without a word, she stood and took his hand. Puzzled, Gary followed her as they left the mall through the main entrance even though his car was in the back on the other side. The November wind was light, but it still chilled them as they walked away from the warmth of the mall. They walked down the lighted concourse silently hand in hand for several minutes as Gary wondered what was on Michelle's mind. It was in front of the entrance to an eye care store where Michelle slowed to a stop and sighed as a small puff of steam escaped her mouth. Her eyes studied his face and it seemed as if she were trying to decide if she should continue or not. "I didn't want to be around a lot of people back there," she began, her words slow and carefully chosen. "Back at St. Augustine's, you were one of only a few people who never made fun of me. You were a real, true friend and I could always count on you to be nice to me and like me for who I was." Gary sensed she was about to say something that was really important to her, but he had no idea what was truly on her mind. Michelle shrugged. "When we went on to high school, I guess I expected you to call me sometime, but you didn't." She raised her hand and quickly added, "I'm not blaming you or anything. I just guess I really wanted you to call. I was really disappointed when you didn't. I should have called you, but I was scared." "Scared of what?" he asked. "Scared of you rejecting me." "I never would have." "I know. I figured you had a girlfriend and wouldn't have time to talk to me or be around me." "But, I didn't...." "I know you didn't, but that was what I thought." She crossed her arms and walked a few steps away. "What I'm trying to say is, I never forgot you, Gary. You were that special to me." She laughed softly. "Just when I hadn't thought about you in a long time, I saw your name on the list for the party. I couldn't believe it. All those years and now we're dating!" "I liked you a lot back then," she continued, "and as silly as it sounds, I think I maybe even loved you." Gary stood dumbfounded and could not speak. After a couple of seconds, Michelle stepped back to him and smiled. "The funny thing is," she said softly, "I know I love you now. I love you, Gary." Without waiting for a reply, Michelle moved forward and hugged him fiercely, her cheek against his face. Instinctively, Gary held her close as a million and one thoughts raced through his mind. He had no idea she felt this way. He knew they liked each other a lot, but he did not love her. He was not in love with her. The thought of loving her and being loved by her exhilarated him, but he did not want to hurt her by not being on the same level as she was. Their embrace seemed to last forever, but Gary did not mind one bit. It felt good and wonderful to hold her like this. It also gave him some time to think and decide what he was going to say to her. When Michelle did lift her face away from his, he could see her eyes were shiny with tears. "I don't know what to say," he said quietly. "You don't have to say anything. I probably scared the crap out of you by saying that." She looked away sorrowfully, thinking she said the wrong thing by admitting her feelings to him. "I'm not scared at all," he replied. Her eyes met his. "You're not?" He shook his head. "If you were anyone else, I'd be scared to death. You're too good a friend...." He stopped. "Too good a friend for what?" she asked. "I don't know," he sighed. He debated as to tell her his real feelings. "Tell me," she said, her eyes pleading. Gary hesitated still and was not sure how to begin or to say anything at all, for that matter. Her eyes were melting his resolve, however, so he exhaled and looked at her. "I'm not really sure what to say or how to say it," he said. "Just say what you think. I want to know what's on your mind." "It's just that...damn," he stammered as he looked away. It was too difficult for him to say. Michelle moved forward and took his hand once more and squeezed it reassuringly. "Say whatever's on your mind," she implored him. "Don't be afraid." Gary looked at her helplessly and shrugged. "I think you expect too much from me. This past month has been great and I love being around you, but I can't say that I'm in love with you, too." Inside, he recoiled for the emotional hit he was giving her. She gave his hand a slight squeeze and smiled. "You're silly," she laughed. Gary looked at her stupidly. "I never said I was in love with you, Gary. I love you as a best friend, the best friend I've ever had besides my sisters." Gary sighed with relief and knew exactly how she felt, for it was exactly how he felt about her. She absolutely was his best friend and he could honestly say he loved her for it. Michelle put her hands to his chest and straightened his coat collar. "But," she said softly, "I hope I do fall in love with you because I can't think of anything better than to be in love with your best friend." Within seconds, Gary did not know who began to kiss whom, but there they were embraced in front of Lenscrafters kissing each other. Their kisses were soft and sweet, showing nothing but affection for the other. Eyes closed, Michelle parted her lips slightly and accepted more from him as his kisses became just a bit more urgent. For ones who had never kissed the opposite sex before, Gary felt they were doing a pretty good job because Michelle's kisses were having a profound affect upon him in more ways than one. Michelle's breathing quickened and she felt her knees go weak as Gary's hands went to her face. His kiss felt so good and she could not believe how soft his lips were! Her arms were pressing against his back holding him to her. Several minutes went by before they finally broke their kiss. Michelle opened her eyes slowly and looked at the young man standing before her. Could he be the same scrawny youngster who was the only one allowed to call her 'Shelley'? Smiling, she only saw her best friend in front of her. Little boy or grown man, he was one and the same to her. They stood before each other quietly and let the moment sink in. Gary tried to sort his thoughts, but too many things were swirling through his mind. Perhaps it was her kiss or the way she held him to her, or maybe it was the way she was looking at him now, but he knew they were more than best friends. And by the way he felt right then, he also knew Michelle was right. They were meant to be together. How long they stood there, they did not know. It could have been seconds or minutes for all they knew. The sound of a car horn blowing startled them out of their stupor and together, they laughed nervously. Michelle reached forward and lightly touched Gary's face. Is That Really You? "That was sweet," she murmured, wishing to kiss him again. Gary nodded. He felt like such a klutz for not being able to say anything, but he truly did not know what to say. Everything that had happened that evening was what dreams were made of and he was almost afraid to speak, that perhaps he would break the spell and it would all end without discovering the outcome. "You've got such a way with words," she teased as she stroked his cheek with the back of her hand. Gary shrugged and tried to smile. "I'm sorry." Michelle put her index finger to his lips and shook her head. "Don't ever be sorry for being quiet," she admonished. "Don't be someone you're not." A sheepish smile escaped Gary's lips as he looked at her. "Thanks Shelley," he said. Michelle smiled at him. He glanced at the moon and saw a hazy ring of clouds surrounding it. For the first time, he noticed he was cold and even Michelle's warm touch was not helping. He pushed aside a shiver and took her hand before deftly steering her back to the main entrance. It was well after midnight when they pulled into her parents' driveway and the house was dark except for a nightlight in the living room. Gary shut off the engine and sighed. His mind was still in a jumble and he could scarcely keep a straight thought. "You want to come in for a few minutes?" Michelle asked. "What will your folks say?" "They're asleep and they won't care. Like I told you, I think they're accepting you a lot better now," she explained. "I don't know." "Come on," she said decisively, "I'll fix us a snack." She was finding out she could gently nudge him and sometimes get her way when he became indecisive. "Okay," he replied. He deposited his keys in his pocket and followed Michelle into the house. Once inside, Michelle turned on a light in the kitchen and told Gary to have a seat while she began to prepare popcorn in the microwave. Without asking, she gave him a cold 7-up from the refrigerator and sat down next to him while the popcorn popped. "Thanks," he said as he popped the top. "How did you know?" "It's all you ever drink; that or Sprite." "I didn't know I was that obvious." "It's not that obvious. I just notice things about you, that's all." She stood up once again and checked the microwave. Gary eyed her from his vantage point and smiled. The soft curls of her blond hair partially hid her face as she stared intently at the growing bag on the rotating tray. He really liked her profile. Of course, he liked looking at her, period. Once he looked at her closely, the change in her was not as drastic as he had originally thought. Sure, her face was thinner, sleeker if you will, but the general features were clearly the same. Michelle sensed he was looking at her, but she pretended not to notice. She had caught him staring at her a couple of times before, but he would always look away quickly. She did not mind being stared at by him. If it had been anyone else, she probably would have been angered by it and would have told them to stop it, but Gary's stare somehow comforted her. It pleased her that he found her attractive. She pulled the popcorn from the microwave when it was finished and placed it on the table in front of Gary. She got a bowl from the cupboard and poured the popcorn into it. "Dig in," she said as she grabbed a handful. Gary followed suit. As they snacked, they chatted aimlessly from one subject to the next. They talked about school things mostly, but they also discussed Christmas break and their plans once their tests were completed. Out of the blue, Michelle said, "I really don't want you to get me anything for Christmas, Gary." "Why not?" he asked. "You asked me what I wanted for Christmas." "I don't know," she shrugged. "I know you're kind of tight on money and I don't want you spending more on me." "Shouldn't I be the judge of how much I spend?" he countered. Gary worked summers and it usually lasted him the school year. "I don't know," she repeated. "How about we set a limit as to how much we can spend, say twenty or thirty dollars," he suggested. Michelle mulled it over for a few seconds. "If that's okay with you, I can deal with it." "Good," Gary said. "What do you think? Thirty dollars?" "Thirty sounds fine to me," she agreed. "Of course, you'll have to give me your sizes in case I buy you clothes." "You don't have to get me clothes." "Maybe some lingerie from Victoria's Secret," he continued. "I don't think so," Michelle said. "We'll start with bra size." "I'm not telling you my bra size." Amused, Michelle shook her head. "Okay, I'll just guess and if it doesn't fit, you'll have to return it." "Gary," Michelle giggled, "my parents would have a coronary if they saw lingerie coming out of a box from you." "It would be a great joke, wouldn't it?" he smiled devilishly. "Oh yeah, it would be just great," Michelle replied sarcastically. "I'd be kicked out for the rest of my life!" Gary laughed. "Okay, okay, why don't you give me a list of things you might like and I'll go from there." "That'll work. You do the same for me." "Sure." Almost an hour later, Gary decided it was time for him to go. Michelle put the bowl in the sink and the pop cans in the trash before leading him to the front door. "I had a great time," Michelle said. "Me too." "I loved kissing you." "It was my highlight, too," he grinned. "You're silly." "You wouldn't want me any other way, would you?" Michelle shook her head. "No, I like it when you're silly." Gary leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I want to be serious now." "Do you?" she asked, eyebrows raised slightly. She moved forward and kissed him back. "Would you believe me if I said I loved you, Shelley?" Michelle looked at him closely and saw he was all business. "Yes," she replied, "I would believe you." Gary took her face in his hands and kissed her sweetly once more. "I love you, Shelley." "I love you, too, Gary," Michelle replied. Gary smiled broadly and reached for the door before opening it. Turning back, he said, "See you later, best friend." "See you, best friend," she replied. He left her at the door and walked to his car. A soft snowfall had just started to descend from the skies and Gary looked up into the night before looking at Michelle once more. He waved to her and got into his car quickly before starting it up and driving off. "You're up kind of late," her mother said from behind. Michelle jumped from the voice and turned quickly. "You scared me, mom," she said before closing the door behind her. "What time is it?" she asked without bothering to check her own watch. "It's after one." "It doesn't seem that late." "Did you have a good time?" "I had a great time!" Michelle replied, their kiss still fresh in her mind. "I'm glad." "Are you?" Michelle asked, her arms crossed in front of her. "Yes, I am," her mother said earnestly. She truly meant it. "I know we were hard on you about Gary before, but both of us only want what's best for you. If Gary makes you happy, then we are happy for you." "Why the sudden change?" Michelle inquired. "I mean, I'm glad you approve, but before, you were so against him." Olivia sighed. "I think we realized you are old enough to make you own choices about whom you date. We certainly weren't going to get you to change your mind, were we?" "No," Michelle admitted. "Besides," Olivia explained, "your sisters have spoken so glowingly about him, we'd be foolish not to give him a chance." "Yeah, they like him a lot." "So....?" "What?" Michelle asked. "When are you going to invite him over for supper?" Michelle smiled. "Anytime you want." V. The next month went by quickly as classes and studying took over their lives. As final exams neared, they allowed each other only one date per weekend, but they did study together from time to time. They studied in the medical library because it was quieter than the regular one. It also made them concentrate on their studies instead of each other. Once their exams were thankfully completed, they headed home separately and began to prepare for the holidays. Gary's family usually spent a quiet Christmas Eve at home and went to his maternal grandparents' house on Christmas day. His other grandparents had died many years before. On the other hand, Michelle's family always has guests over on Christmas day and spent the day before preparing for it. They decided Michelle would come over to Gary's house on Christmas Eve and have supper there, then return with Gary to her house and spend the rest of the evening there, if but for a few hours. Gary had a hard time picking out a gift for Michelle even though her list had been quite thorough and extensive. Everything he saw just did not seem right. Just when he was about to give up, he found exactly what he wanted. His mom showed him a discount jewelry catalog and thought perhaps he could find something in there and he did. It was a matching earring and necklace set, gold with synthetic rubies. Fortunately for him, he ordered them on line a few weeks before Christmas and they arrived in time. Michelle had no such trouble finding something for Gary. Almost everything on his list had something to do with the Detroit Tigers or Lions, his favorite teams. She bought him a new Tigers ball cap and tee shirt. Together, they cost a few dollars more than what they agreed upon, but she was not going to quibble with him over the price. The tags would be gone before he opened them anyway. Michelle woke Christmas eve morning with a headache, not unlike the one she had the day she and Gary met again. She was prone to headaches and even had a migraine once in a great while. A few years before, she had a CAT scan done and there were no abnormalities found. The specialist told her the headaches would be something she would have to live with. As she got older, the headaches were infrequent and taking extra strength migraine aspirin usually did the trick to relieve the pain. That morning, the headache was not too bad and she decided to deal with it without taking any medication. Delicious smells from the kitchen wafted through the second floor and her bedroom; aromas of baking pies, bacon, eggs and coffee. After dressing in jeans and a sweatshirt, Michelle made her way down the stairs to the kitchen and was greeted by an overly perky Stephanie. "It's about time you got up!" she exclaimed. Michelle raised her hand and winced at the noise. Looking concerned, Stephanie asked, "Bad headache?" "Not too bad. You were just a little loud." Michelle eased herself into a chair. Katie got up from her seat and went to the cupboard where she grabbed Michelle's aspirin bottle. Opening it quickly, she dispensed two tablets into the palm of her hand and replaced the cap. "I'm okay," Michelle protested. "I don't need any." Katie ignored her and handed the tablets to her. "That's what you said the last time and you were laid up all day." She grabbed a small juice glass and handed it to her younger sister. "Drink up." Meekly, Michelle nodded and popped the medicine into her mouth before washing it down with the juice. "You want some breakfast?" Stephanie asked in a quieter tone. "That sounds good." She moved to get up, but Stephanie held out her hand. "It's right here. I'll get it for you." "I can get it. I'm not helpless," Michelle protested. "Just sit there and be quiet," her sister said before turning away to the stove. Stephanie and Katie always looked after Michelle when she was not feeling well, especially when her headaches hit. "Where's mom and dad?" Michelle asked. "Doing some last minute grocery shopping," Katie answered. "They should be back soon." Stephanie returned with a plate of bacon and scrambled eggs and set it in front of Michelle. "Thanks," Michelle said before digging in. "You're welcome." Michelle ate quickly and silently as her sisters busied themselves around the kitchen. There was a lot to do and all three were expected to chip in and help. When she finished her plate, Michelle placed the dish, glass and utensils in the dishwasher. It was almost full and ready for a cycle. Michelle glanced at the clock over the stove and it was but a few minutes after eight. They had plenty of time to get everything done, she thought to herself, before Gary would come over to pick her up. The rest of the morning flew by fast as cooking, cleaning, and other errands were accomplished. By two o'clock, everything was done that needed to be done, so Michelle retreated to the bathroom for a much needed shower. The water felt glorious as the droplets pummeled her breasts and abdomen. Her headache had all but faded by this time and the hot, sometimes stinging, water relaxed her tight muscles. She wished she could have languished under the water longer, but she cleansed herself quickly and washed her hair before she heard complaints from other members of her family. There were two other showers in the house, but with four women and a man, time was something they could not afford to waste. Gary was going to pick her up at four o'clock, so she could not dawdle anyway. Once back in her room, she dried her wavy hair even more with her towel before letting it air dry the rest of the way. She was one of the lucky women who did not have to do much with their hair once it was dry. Combing and brushing was usually all it needed before she was satisfied. Sitting in front of her mirror in only her bra and panties, she set about applying her makeup. By three-thirty, she was done and the only thing she had to do was get dressed. She chose black velour slacks and a red satin blouse. Her family would be attending a midnight Mass and she did not want to have to change clothes later that evening. Black shoes, small diamond earrings and a simple silver necklace finished her ensemble. She brushed her hair into place and looked at herself in the mirror. "Not bad," she nodded approvingly. She hoped Gary would notice since he hardly ever saw her in anything but jeans and tee shirts. Rummaging through her drawers, she found a perfume she liked and sprayed it on and about her neck. She even dabbed a little behind her ears in case they had the opportunity for Gary to bury his nose in her neck. Michelle felt that chance to be remote, but she smiled at the thought of it. Gary arrived precisely at four o'clock and was greeted at the door by Katie before Michelle had a chance to answer it. "Hey, my date's here!" she said when she opened the door. "Hi, Katie," Gary said as he stepped in, smiling. "We don't have to tell Michelle you're here. We can make a run for it." Katie closed the door behind them. "I don't think Michelle would like that very much," Gary laughed. "What wouldn't I like?" Michelle asked from the stairs as she made her way down. Gary and Katie looked her way. "Don't say a thing," Katie said to him, giggling. "She can't prove anything." "If I've told you once, I've told you a hundred times, he's mine and you can't have him," Michelle said to her sister. "Aw, can't I play with him for just a little while?" Katie pouted. Gary stood by highly amused. "No." "You're no fun." To Gary, she said, "If you get tired of her, you know where I live." Katie walked away to kitchen, laughing. Gary laughed, too. "I'll remember that." "Gary!" Michelle shrieked. "You better not." Gary took a second look at Michelle and let out a low whistle. "You look great. What's the occasion?" "It's Christmas," she reminded him. "Didn't you get my email?" Inside, her heart sang. He had noticed. "I must have deleted it." He paused for a scant second. "You look really pretty." "Thanks," she replied. Michelle jumped down the two remaining stairs and skipped over to him happily. "You look pretty handsome yourself." He was dressed in dark blue khaki's and a light blue dress shirt. "If you say so," he replied absently. There was one thing that irritated Michelle about her boyfriend and that was his inability to accept compliments from her. No, he was not the best looking guy in the world, but he was not ugly, either. "You drive me nuts when you do that." "What?" "I pay you a compliment and you play it off as nothing. I wish you wouldn't do that." "I'm not handsome," he said seriously. "Who says?" Gary shrugged. Michelle put her hands on his shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "Listen here, I find you attractive and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. Do you understand?" "You're blind," he grinned. "Doesn't matter," she replied. "When I pay you a compliment, I expect you to take it at face value and appreciate it. Okay?" "Okay," he agreed sheepishly. Michelle kissed him softly. "Good, because I like the way you look and I don't want you to change." "You're still blind," he said quietly. "Ooohhh!!!" she growled. "You're impossible." "That's why I'm your best friend." They stayed for a few minutes before departing for Gary's house. Supper would not be ready until five o'clock, so they had a few minutes to themselves. His sister was in the kitchen helping her mother and Gary's dad was in the basement watching a bowl game on the TV. Chrissy was seventeen and a senior at Waddell High. Tall, with dark brown eyes, Chrissy was a head turner, but she never thought anything of it. She had the occasional boyfriend, but none would be classified as overly popular or anything out of the ordinary. She still had no idea where she wanted to go for college or how she was going to afford it, for that matter. She had good grades, but they weren't good enough for an academic scholarship and since she wasn't athletically gifted, that road was closed also. Every few minutes, Chrissy would emerge from the kitchen and engage in chit chat with Michelle. To Michelle, she seemed to be very down to earth and friendly. The supper was fairly simple; baked ham, Boston baked beans, and cheesy potato casserole. Michelle liked everything and had seconds on the casserole, her favorite. For dessert, there was ice cream and cake. Conversation was minimal as Michelle found out quickly the Buchanan family was not a talkative group, save Chrissy at times. She now knew where Gary received his precious gift of quietness. Although it took some getting used to, it was a nice contrast to her family who when in mass seemed to fight each other to be heard. After supper, Gary's father had built a fire in the fireplace and everyone gathered around as Chrissy passed out gifts from under the decorated tree. Soon, each had a small stack of gifts in front of them, each except for Michelle, but she did not mind. She was a bit sad to see the small amount of gifts before them. Michelle knew they did not have much money, but this surprised her. It did not bother Gary, for this was all he knew. Within minutes, the gifts were opened and the thank you's exchanged. His parents also knew Gary's love for the Tigers and Lions because four of his gifts pertained to such. Luckily for Michelle, none of the gifts were the same as what she was to give him. Chrissy shrieked with glee as she opened her gift from Gary, 2 CD's of her favorite group, Evanescence. She rushed her brother and hugged him. "Thanks, Gary. I really wanted these." "You're welcome," he replied, beaming. He was pleased she liked them so much. He looked at his family as they admired their gifts. Then, he looked to Michelle and smiled. "It seems as if someone doesn't have a gift to open. We need to remedy that." He got up and went to the tree where he reached to the back and picked out a small, red papered box with a gold ribbon. He went back to Michelle and extended it to her. "Merry Christmas, Shelley."