Gingerale 2

"Oh! My! God! You love him!" Monica shrieked, as soon as I was done recapping what happened earlier.

"Oh, Monica I do not!" I replied, already exasperated with her response. "I don't even know him."

Monica thought, frowning for only a moment, before her face lit up again as she spoke. "Well then, you are clearly infatuated with the boy!"

Frowning at the use of a word that I had not yet conquered, I looked pointedly at Monica until she, also exasperated at this point, told me what it meant.

"It means, you have a crush!"

As understanding dawned on my face, it was replaced quickly by a look of confusion. "But...I don't get crushes."

A look of sheer glee crossed Monica's face as she spoke. "Well, there's a first time for everything. He sounds super cute, wonder why I've never heard of him?"

I interrupted Monica's look of deep reflection to remind her of a huge problem. "Monica, focus! What am I going to do? Even if he was slightly interested, which I doubt, as soon as he finds out my name, it's bye-bye Kevin Shore."

"Ginny," Monica said, staring at me with determination. "Why do you always act like your name is such a huge hinderment?"

She stared at me for a brief moment. Not because she was awaiting an answer but because she was always prepared to explain any words she figured I wouldn't understand. Monica Spears--No relation. Not only does she have beauty, long, flowing chesnut colored hair and beautiful hazel eyes, with the height, body and grace of a model, but she also has brains. Monica strongly believes that without a superb, that's her word, not mine, vocabulary, you'll get nowhere in life. She never dumbs herself down, not even for me, a girl who has never looked at a dictionary for more than four minutes at a time. Although it's a slight annoyance to always feel as if I'm going through SAT prep everytime I'm with her, I think it's one of my favorite things about her.

I realized that Monica was still staring at me, leading me to believe she actually did want me to answer her this time. I opened my mouth to speak, but as I did, Monica interrupted me as if she had never stopped speaking. "It's not detrimental to every relationship you want to delve into, platonic or not. With all this pessimism, you'll never get anywhere in life."

She lost me at detrimental. I pretended to understand what she just told me as I found my chance to answer her. "It's not like I'm being negative, it's just with a name like Ginger-Elle, no one ever wants to be my friend, much less date me."

Monica groaned, probably at my stupidity. "That's what I just said didn't matter! God I swear, sometimes you are such an ignoramus!" That word I did understand.

"Well, sorry that I'm not a freak of nature!"

"Ginny, what is that supposed to mean?"

Capitalizing on the fact that I would get a chance to explain something to her, I spoke quickly. "See, some people have brains, some have beauty...rarely will you see both brains and beauty. Except in you. It pretty much defies the laws of nature."

Monica blushed, though her (all natural) tan covered up most of it, and looked down. She hated it when people commented on her appearance, even though she's totally gorgeous. Feeling triumphant, I decided to push the envelope. "Having brains and beauty doesn't make you detrimental."

Monica stopped blushing, and looked at me with an amused stare. "You're not using that word right," She said, nonchalantly. Yea, that envelope...it pretty much fell off the table. Or a cliff.

"Fine you win...I'm an ignoramus," I admitted grudgingly.

Monica giggled. "Of course you are...why do you think I hang out with you...your lack of brains balances me out."

I frowned briefly, then my lips streched out over my face in a wide grin. "Hah! I knew you were using me to make yourself seem smarter...I'm hurt."

"Oh, Come off it Gingy! You're not stupid...you just act like it."

"Oh really? Thanks, Mons-ter," I said sarcastically, making a point of rolling my eyes.

"You're welcome. Ignoramus."

"Freak."

Monica and I would have went on like this forever, using random nicknames we made for each other over the years, if not for the four things that happened next. First, Kevin walked by. Well, it wasn't exactly 'by...' more like, all the way across the cafeteria and heading slightly in our direction. Monica was waiting for my comeback, to the comeback that she delivered unbeknownst to me. Apparently she got sick of waiting and followed my gaze across the room. "What are y-- NO WAY! ARE YOU LOOKING AT VINNY?!"

"Be quiet!!! Everyone can hear you! And who's Vinny?!"

She lowered her voice slightly, but not enough for the people around us to stop casting peculiar glances at our table. "You did not tell me you like Vinny! He's, like, three degrees past hot!"

"Uhm...not quite sure I follow that...but anyways I'm not looking at that Vinny guy...whoever he is....I'm looking at Kevin."

Surprised, Monica started looking around feverently. "No way! Where is he?"

"Oh come on...He's the amazingly gorgeous guy walking around the cafeteria."

Monica looked seriously confused now. "Gin, I don't see anyone walking besides..." Realization dawned on her face, and the second thing happened; she shrieked. "NO EFFIN' WAY!" She looked at me as if I was supposed to get it.

"Mons, you're the smart one, not me..."

"OH GOD! CAN'T YOU SEE?!"

"Lower your voice," I hissed. "And see what? What am I not seeing?"

"It's not what you're not seeing...it's what we're both seeing!"

I was about to tell her to stop being so cryptic when it came to me. My face turned ashen, and every part of my body, but my face turned cold. I finally understood what Monica was shrieking about, and the only thing I could force myself to say was, "Why...did he tell me his name was Kevin?" in little more than a whisper.

"Who cares! You just got a crush on one of the hottest guys in school! I'm so proud of you!"

"Aww thanks mom," I mumbled, sarcasm dripping off every word.

Everything that ensued after this moment could have been prevented if the third thing didn't happen. Monica yelled...again. Stupid Monica and her stupid loud voice. "Ginny and Vinny! OH MY GOSH! THAT'S SO CA-UTE!"

"Shh! Do you not know the meaning of 'inside voices?'" But it was too late, he'd heard and his steps seemed a little more deliberate now. "Oh gosh! He's coming over here...he is coming over here right?

Monica gauged his distance for a moment. "Hard to tell...but it's probable....No wait...Oh my gosh...he totally is!....Okay, now don't panic Ginny."

So yea...I panicked. "Oh my gosh, what do I do...Do I say hi...Or maybe hey....Wait, how do I look?...Oh gosh..."

"Chill, Ginny...Just act normal...well, as normal as possible..."

I knew she just slightly insulted me, and normally I would have had a comeback, but I was beyond caring at this point. An extremely hot guy was heading my way. And he didn't know my real name! My head spun into fervent daydreams of us holding hands, and talking, and laughing, and maybe kissing, though that last daydream went by extra fast, since I, you know, never actually kissed a guy. Well, except for that one time.

It was ninth grade. Tammie Shaw's Shawesome Extravaganza, (So not kidding, that's what it said on the invitation.) To be clear, I so did not want to go. Monica made me, saying things like: "It'll be our first real party," and, "A high school party, can you imagine?!" Oh, and my personal favorite: "If we don't go to this party, I'll die!" Monica has quite a flair for the dramatic. But I went, for her, and for an hour or two, everything was kind of fun.

There were no adults, which I asked Tammie about when I got there. According to her, "No adults," was a sort of unspoken rule for high school parties. When she told me that, her voice got all patronizing as if anyone who didn't know that, wouldn't get anywhere in life. Oh please, I thought at the time, this coming from a girl who's been in high school exactly two months...you probably found out about this rule a week ago.

Everything was fine until, what I can only assume, the end of the party. "Tammie Shaw's Shawesome Extravaganza" was scheduled to end at 11:30 and it was eleven. Some genius decided to convince Tammie to play Spin the Bottle, which in my opinion, if there are no parent's allowed at a high school party because it's totally lame or whatever, there definitely shouldn't be any Spin the Bottle, for exactly the same reason.

Well, we started to play, even me, because I didn't want Monica to die, as she promised she would, if she didn't get to play. This version of Spin the Bottle was different. Or rather, maybe it was the same, just different from the way I saw it played on television. I was always under the impression, that you got a bottle and when you spun it, whatever person it landed on, you kissed. If, you can even call it a kiss. It's more like an awkward, forced peck.

No, but this Spin the Bottle version was much different. See, you had to spin the bottle, and whoever it landed on, you went away into a closet with for four minutes. You're probably wondering: Why four minutes? Why not ten, or even five? My theory is that since Tammie Shaw is such a poser and no one truly likes her, four minutes is all she can stand if, or rather when, she gets rejected in her own closet, in her own house, at her own party. But that's just a theory.

I was nervous, licking my lips every five seconds, and glancing at every guy. There was no one I wanted to kiss. Every single boy in our makeshift circle had made fun of me at one time or another. It was boys pick, so really, all the girls had to do was sit there and try to look interested, or actually that's all I had to do. Thankfully, there were more girls than guys, decreasing the odds that I would get picked. There were only two more guys left, and at least six times that much of girls. Jimmy Tokeno had just spun and picked Tammie. Good luck with that, I thought at the time. After the last couple went, I started to get up, relieved at my good luck.

Suddenly, it felt as if the room got stuffier, like my luck was changing for the worse. I realize now, that the stifling feeling was because one more person entered the, already packed tight, living room, but that luck thing still stands. Jason Thyme. That's who came into the room. Jason Thyme, is quite possibly the biggest jerk to ever walk the halls of Coleman High. And when I say biggest, I mean B.I.G! Jason is 6"5 easily, and width wise... Let's not even go there.

Incidently, he's Coleman High's lineback, which, linebacks aren't usually known for their compassion and sensitivity. As soon as Jason stepped into the room, I immediately tried to back my way out. I'm going to be honest, the kid scares me, but I suppose anyone who could lift me and break my spine --so not kidding, he did that to one of the opposing team's offensive men...Okay it wasn't his spine, but a leg...Horrifying, either way. -- is not a guy I want to be in a packed room with.

"Jason is in the house, and it's Thyme to get the party started!" Jason yelled, when he came in. People chuckled at his play on words. I did too, but not because it was funny, it wasn't. I chuckled because I was wondering what nerd he hired to come up with that line, since he's definitely not smart enough to come up with that on his own. Monica's term, ignoramus, really and truly applies to him. He kind of sounds like a troll or quite possibly a giant. A really dumb giant. Monica and I swear, that for Halloween he'd be perfect as a giant. All he's missing is a club and some tattered cloth and he'd be truly convincing, considering he's already got the voice and brain power down.

I tried to get out as quick as possible without attracting attention to myself. Too late. Monica had noticed and pulled me back. "Where are you going Elle?"

"Monica," I groaned, "He scares me, I wanna go." I sounded like a little boy stuck shopping with his mother all day.

"Oh, Come on Gin! Don't leave me in here alone. What's one more guy, huh?"

"Moni, I'll be in the kitchen, just find me when it's over." I'll be honest, that guacamole was really good. I turned to leave when Jason spoke in his giant/troll voice. I tried to hurry out before he saw me. People have made fun of me before, but Jason exhausts it to the fullest. I scampered around two guys I'd never seen before, but the crowd was so thick, I was still in plain view of him.

"Hey Gingerale! Where ya goin'? I'm kind of thirsty, why don't you pour me a drink of yourself?" Yea, he's soo original. Like I haven't heard that one eighty times, forty of that from him. Now normally, I would have turned around to give him a death stare, but like I said, he terrifies me. Oh yea, did I mention he was a junior at the time? So much bigger than all of the freshmen at the party, regardless of his grade. I swiveled around, my face hot because I got caught. I gave a little smile and a half-wave.

"Hey, Jason..." I looked him over. He was wearing his letterman's jacket, again. It had some sort of, red gunk all over it. Monica and I, to this day, still joke that the red stuff was from some poor freshman's brain that he pounded in with his giant club. It was probably salsa or something, but I don't recall ever seeing any there. Jason, instead of getting tan, burns. His face is permanently red, from all the football practices in the heat. Seriously, it's lobster meets troll. When he looked at me, it was with crude male appreciation, which, really? If he thought I looked good, the way to my heart is not by asking if he can drink me.

"Are you guys playing Spin the Bottle?" he asked, adressing the entire room, but still looking at me. He was breathing hard as if he were running, but contrarily, he wasn't sweating. There were a few murmered replies and nods.

Joanna McClainn strutted up to Jason and put her hand on his arm. I don't see how anyone can be that close to Thyme. He honestly smells like beef, cheese and sweat all the time. It's repulsive. "Hey Jason," Joanna began in a sickeningly sweet voice, "We were about done, but...if you want...you and I can play one more round."

Jason, instead of saying, "Yea, let's do that," or something along those lines, just grunted and glared at Joanna. His eyes ran up the length of her body, then shifted back to mine.

"I gots a better idea...How's about me and Gingerale here, go and play for a little whiles..." His gaze was making me so uncomfortable that I didn't catch his suggestion until I heard the low hiss escape Joanna's mouth, and the room fall silent. Crap. I looked over at Joanna, expecting her to try and get Jason to change his mind, but instead her eyes were trained on me, and her mouth, caught between a grimace and a scowl.

"Uh, I don't," I began, my feet ready to bolt before my head even processed what I was going to tell him.

"She'd love to!" Shockingly, the voice belonged to Monica. I felt the blood drain out of my body, half-expecting a puddle to be forming under my feet, yet I could tell my face was still red. I looked at her, my eyes practically popping out of their sockets. What was she doing? Monica shuffled through the crowd over to me and yanked on my arm as she lead me towards, what I can only assume as Jason. I was still in shock, so there was no resistance on my part. I didn't know we had stopped moving, until I realized I smelled the sickening smell of beef and cheese.

"What are you doing?" I hissed, finding my voice.

"It'll be good practice," She shot back, as if that explained it.

"I'll never forgive you for this..." I whispered, my body trembling, not with rage, as it should've been, but with fear.

"Oh yea! We gonna have a good Thyme!" Jason said, putting an inflection on Thyme again. That didn't make me feel any better.

"Well remember, you only get four minutes." Monica explained. Four minutes with The Giant of Coleman High. Every girl's dream. Not! Jason laid his beefy hands on my arm and lead me away. God, that smell was over-powering! I remembered thinking, that if I lived through this, that I would butcher Monica and live without a best friend for the rest of my life...How bad could that be right? Couldn't be any worse than what would happened next.

Jason the Giant lead me into a shadowy room, a night light as the only source of brightness, that smelled of Pine-Sol, and bleach. Lord, kill me now. Either you do it, or I will, and I heard that suicide is frowned upon way up there. Jason shoved me in and I immediately turned to face him. No way was I going to let him sneak up on me. He took three steps foward as I took three steps back. Thud. My back collided with the wall. Nowhere to run to now, his eyes seemed to say. Thyme's meaty hands reached out and took hold of my elbows. Then he lurched for me.

His face collided with mine and I couldn't breathe. Beef and cheese, cheese and beef, sweat, when will it end? I felt a peculiar sensation on my nose and quickly realized it was saliva. Apparently, in his haste to drown me in his mouth fluids, he didn't realize my mouth was inches lower than he thought. Regrettably, I automatically pulled away, or at least tried to. His hands were still clutching my arms as if I were a football instead of a, then, fourteen year old girl. I say regrettably, because when my reflexes made me pull back, so did his. Jason stared at me, with his giant troll eyes clouded over, as if he was having the time of his life. His eyes lingered over my body, taking their time to get to my face, but when they did, he immediately understood his mistake.

Spit was sliding down and around my nose. He loosened the hold of one of his hands and swiped at my face. After a sufficient amount of the vile liquid had been wiped off-- sufficient for him, my face was still dripping with the stuff-- he started again. This time his aim was spot on. I kept my mouth, and my eyes, tightly shut, wrestling with my gag reflex. Just when it looked as if my gag reflex would win, he stopped abruptly. Thank you, Jesus! I had thought. I chanced a peek at the enormous lineback through my eyelashes and saw satisfaction in his eyes. He was panting again and grinning dumbly, as only a giant troll can do.

"Wow..." he breathed.

I didn't know what to say, and even if I had, I didn't want to risk his saliva actually getting into my mouth. I was about to gamble with opening my mouth to tell him exactly what I thought about his drooling all over my face, when a sharp knock came on the door.

"Time's up!" rang Joanna McClainn's voice through the door.

I darted around the two-hundred and forty pound jerk, ripped open the door, and bolted. I didn't look back once, not when Monica called for me, and definitely not when I could've sworn I smelled beef right behind me as I ran out the front door. Monica had been my ride, but I didn't care, I just kept running until my gag reflex won out after all and I had to stop, unless I wanted to be covered in slobber and vomit. I recall it took me and hour to get home. I lived twenty minutes away, but the combined scents of Pine-Sol, beef, bleach, cheese, vomit, and sweat made me disoriented. I forgave Monica. Eventually. I figured I needed her so I could get over that traumatic experience.

Monica knocked me out of my flashback of ninth grade, with the waving of her arms. "Hello! Venus to Ginny! Anyone there?" Monica's sang in a high falsetto, perfectly, of course. I shuddered at that dredged up memory. Now the reality of the situation at hand was present once again. An extremely hot guy is coming my way...And I couldn't be more scared.

My eyes bugged out and I stood too fast. The blood rushed to my head but instead of settling in my face, swam up to my brain and made me dizzy. I knew I should've have sat back down and waited for the sensation to pass, but I panicked. I started to pull my legs out of the cafeteria table, which is really hard to do when you can hardly see straight. I mean, really, the table is too low to begin with, like it's for elves or something, and the little sliver of space for which you put your legs in, just isn't wide enough. So help me, I am going to have a talk about these tables to the school board one day. As I attempted to yank my other leg out of the elfin table, the fourth thing happened. The dizzyness, combined with the swift motions I was making caught up with me, and I fell.

I heard laughter erupt around me, and felt the blood rush away from my head, to my face. At least I wasn't disoriented anymore. Second fall of the day...way to go Ginny! I told myself. Why am I such a doofus? I heard the shuffling of Monica's sleek black boots. Gosh...I love those shoes, I thought stupidly, my brain not possessing the capacity to think of anything else. Monica had to force me up and somehow, my feet followed suit after hers. The guffaws of the cafeteria were starting to wind down, and only then did I remember Kevin, or Vinny, or whoever he is. Awkwardly, I twisted my head and glanced toward the last spot I saw Kevin/Vinny at. He wasn't there. I turned back and was so drained of energy, that keeping my head up was more than I could bear. My head slid down and my chin hit my neck. Before I completely zoned out, I had time to say one more thing to my best friend.

"Mons?" I mumbled, not even sure if she heard me.

"Yea, Gin?"

"I really like your boots..."