He asks her out on her sixteenth birthday, at her locker before third period. He looks really nervous and wears a football t-shirt and a cute smile.
She's so surprised that she stares at him for a good ten seconds in complete silence, her face reddening as she struggles for words. She doesn't even know him, really. Why would he ask her out? They're from completely different social spheres and they've only had one English class together. The only time they'd spent alone was when the principal asked them to deliver roses to the teachers on Teacher Appreciation Day last year. They'd walked around the empty hallways in a bit of an awkward silence, cracking jokes about some of the teachers and talking about how great it was to miss class for this. It took them an hour to get all the roses out and they'd waved goodbye in the front foyer, both of them heading back to their own different worlds.
“Like, I don't know, we could grab a burger or see a movie or something. Up to you.” His smile has faded and now he looks just plain terrified.
Something has bubbled up in her chest, a happy, giddy, excited sort of feeling. “Um, I think so... maybe. I'd have to... You could call me later, maybe? Like, tomorrow night?”
He looks relieved and happy. “Yeah. Awesome. Okay, talk to you later, Pam.” He turns to go, then whirls back. “Um, could I have your number?”
“Oh, yeah. Here.” She writes it out on a scrap piece of paper, feeling like one of those pretty, popular girls in tv shows that scribble their number out to cute guys and go on dates all the time.
She slides into health class a few minutes later, her cheeks pink and smile wide. Her friend Janet is waiting and she tells her all about it breathlessly. Janet squeals with excitement and they spend the next hour planning and giggling and chatting.
They look at diagrams the teacher handed out about the male genitals. They both supress their laughter and then Janet says “Well, you'll be able to tell me all about Roy, right? Kidding! I'm kidding, Pam.”
But Pam had blushed and averted her eyes. Thinking about a date was one thing, that was something entirely different.
***
Her mom had made her a cake with pink icing and they had napkins that said “Happy Sweet Sixteenth!” She felt special and grown-up. So much so that after dinner and cake and presents, she gathered all her courage and asked her parents if she could maybe go see a movie with a boy sometime. Her mother looked shocked and her father seemed mutinous, but they said they would think about it.
The next day, her parents approached her. “Pam,” her mother said slowly, “We'd like to know the name of the boy you're thinking about going out with.”
Keeping her eyes on her math homework, she replied quietly, “Roy. Roy Anderson.”
“Oh.” Her mother's face softened a bit, and she turned to her husband. “I know Mrs Anderson, she used to be in the summer play group when Pam was little. She's a nice woman...”
Pam frowned. “So?” she said, sounding a bit more agressive than she meant to. “So, can I go?”
“Well.” Her dad sighed. “Your mother and I were talking, and since you're sixteen years old, we really can't delay this if you want to...”
Her heartbeat sped up rapidly, and she sat up in her bed, staring at them with wide eyes.
“Yes, you can go, Pam,” her mother said. “But with some pretty strict rules in place. Now, I don't know if Roy can drive, but you...”
Her mom's words were drowned out, because all Pam could think about was the date, about having a Boyfriend-- someone to take to school dances, someone to spend long summer nights at the beach with, someone to hold hands with in the school hallways and see all the new movies with. She felt like she was walking on a cloud.
But Roy didn't call that night. Or the next day. Or the next two weeks. Her and Janet stopped talking about it obsessively, and Janet even got asked to the Spring Fling by a cute, nice boy from math class. Pam was miserable and humiliated. Her mother, luckily, never brought it up, and Pam didn't want to mention it ever again.
It had been nearly three weeks before Roy approached her, at her locker, again.
“Uh, hey.”
“Hi.” She shut the small metal door, a bit harder than necessary, and clicked the lock shut.
“So. Can I pick you up tonight, then?”
“What?” She gaped up at him. “Tonight-- for what?”
“Um, our date.” Roy flashed her a smile. “My brother's playing his championship hockey game tonight... lots of people will be there... it'll be really fun. You should come.”
“You never called me,” Pam interrupted, frowning now as she pulled her bag over her shoulder. “I'm kind of busy tonight.”
Roy jogged to catch up to her as she started down the hallway. “I know, I just... I've been really busy, you know... midterms and Mr. Dixon failed me on my last one, I had to do all this extra work. He's such a hard-ass. Pam. Wait.”
She stopped and looked up at him, her heart giving this strange little beat in spite of herself.
“Pam. I really like you, and... I just think you're such a cool girl, y'know... Really smart and I totally thought you should've won that art award last fall, your painting was so good.” He was staring at her with a completely earnest expression on his face.
“Yeah, well...” The loss of the award to Shelby Hill's vase sculpture still stung a bit. But Roy's words were really sweet and he had really cute dimples. “Alright. I'll come to the game.”
“Awesome. I can come get you at 7. Just... awesome, Pam. See you then.” He gave her a little wave and jogged off to the end of the hall, where she saw him give a high five to one of his friends.
She walked herself to class, wondering how she'd convince her mom to let Roy drive her.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Pam is asked on a date.
