Date: Mon, 21 Nov 2005 16:57:21 -0800 (PST)
From: Lusty <lustyville@yahoo.com>
Subject: The Science of Us-Part4. Kyle's Room

  "I just want to state for the record that Nick is a love
genius. I worship the ground he walks on and bow at his
humble feet." I looked up at Nick, and he was grinning from
ear to ear. "Does that cover it?"

     "Well, Kyle, you forgot to mention that my brilliance
knows no bounds and yet I am as modest as they come. Haha.
But other than that, I think you pretty much covered it."

     I picked up a pillow off my bed and threw it at him. He
caught it and placed it between his back and the chair. This
had been one of the best school days of my life, and it was
all because of Nick. At lunch he told me how I was going to
seduce Pat, and how he was going to help. He told me the
first thing I needed to do was become friends with Pat. He
said, "People like Pat need a reason to notice you." Our
goal was to give Pat a reason. The first part of the plan
was to give us something to talk about other than hockey or
other sports. Nick, being the self-promoting multi-tasker
that he is, decided to invite Pat to his concert. I was so
nervous when he waved Pat over. I felt like such an idiot. I
just sat there and stared at my tray. I was afraid I would
look up and Pat would know that we were up to something. I
never talked to Pat at school. We gave each other `the nod'
and that was it. I didn't know how to communicate with him
outside of hockey. He actually spoke to me before he walked
away from our table and all I could do was nod.

     Nick yelled at me once Pat left the table. He said I
had to overcome my nerves and say something. I was scared.
Nick gave me my first mission: find something to talk to Pat
about besides sports and find a reason to spend extra time
with Pat. We brainstormed as we walked to gym. I told Nick
that I needed a tutor for math and he said that was perfect.
We agreed that I would ask Pat to be my tutor when I saw him
in history.

     I felt like I was constipated as I walked toward the
history classroom. I knew it was just nerves, but I was
almost tempted to go to the bathroom and sit on the toilet
just in case. When I stepped through the doorway, Pat was
sitting in his usual seat. I thought about stopping at my
regular seat, but I convinced myself that I had to do this.
I sat down next to Pat, which immediately got his attention.
I was about to ask him to tutor me, but the owner of my seat
walked in. Laurie tried to bitch me out, but I wasn't in the
mood. At first I was going to bitch her out in return, but
then I decided to try to kill her with kindness. I don't
know which of these got Pat's attention, but once he
finished laughing, he resumed the conversation with me.
There was this brief moment when he looked at me strangely.
Our eyes locked and in my mind I thought he was finally
noticing me. Unfortunately, the teacher walked in before I
could ask the question.

     History was a blur because I was too busy thinking
about Pat. When class ended, I had to grab Pat's arm in
order to keep him from leaving the room without talking to
me. He told me to walk with him. I felt weird walking next
to him down the hallway. I have never been so self-conscious
in my life. How do you walk next to someone who is so
beautiful, and not feel inadequate? As we reached his
locker, he had to remind me that I was there to ask him a
question. I was devastated when he said he couldn't be my
tutor. I tried to beg him, but he was so sweet and kind that
he basically tricked me in to saying okay to John being my
tutor. I would have agreed to just about anything. He got my
phone number at practice so John could call me and make
tutoring arrangements. It felt good to have him pursue a
conversation with me. At one point in the locker room, I
looked up and I swear he
had zoned out on me. He was just standing there focusing his
eyes on me. I was afraid to move or say anything. Some
stupid guy from the team came in and ruined the moment.

  I told Nick about everything that happened as I drove us
home. He was very pleased with himself. He didn't think his
plan would start to work so quickly. He told me that being
stuck with John could be a blessing in disguise because if I
played my cards right, John could be an inside source for
information about Pat.

     Now here I am, sitting on my bed, waiting for John to
call. Something soft hits my face. I look down and see the
pillow that I had thrown at nick, sitting in my lap.

     "Snap out of it, Loverboy!"

     "Shut up, Nick."

     "Geez, don't you get tired of using that word?" He
feigned a look of disgust. "You really need to expand your
vocabulary!"

  I picked up the pillow and chucked it at him as hard as I
could. He blocked it with his hand and it fell to the floor.
As he bent down to pick up the pillow, my cell began to
ring. I turned to my side and reached over on the dresser
for my phone.

     "Hello."

     "Hello, may I please speak to Kyle Masters?"

     "What's" something hit the back of my head, and I
dropped the phone on my bed. Nick started laughing. "That's
not funny, you asshole!" He started laughing even harder.

   I picked up the phone and heard John's voice. "Hello?"

  "Yeah, I'm here. Sorry about that, I accidentally dropped
the phone."

   "That's okay. I was calling because Pat said you needed
someone to tutor you in math."

     "I do."

     "Well, what's your schedule like?"

     "Busy."

     "Oh."



     "Hold on a sec." I turned to Nick, who was still
laughing. "Shut up, Nick! It's John." I knew his nosiness
would get the best of him. He was almost instantly quiet. I
returned my attention to the phone. "Sorry about that John.
Someone was distracting me."


     "It's okay. So, um, what's your schedule like?"


     "I have practice every evening and I don't get out of
that until about 5, then I have to go straight home because
I carpool with Nick."


    "Oh, okay. Well maybe I can tutor you at your house."


     "I don't want you to make any special trips for me.
You're doing me a favor. I can drop Nick off and meet you at
your
house."

   "No, that's okay. I'd rather tutor you at your house."

     "Okay, well let me give you the address and some
directions."

     "Oh, that won't be necessary. Pat already told me where
you lived."

     My first thought was "How the hell did Pat know where I
lived?" Then I remembered that his mother was nice enough to
give me a ride home freshman year when my parents forgot
that Nick had a doctor's appointment and his mother couldn't
bring me home that day. I wondered why Pat would remember
where I lived, then I rationalized that my house was a hard
house to forget.

     "You still stay on Chestnut don't you?"

     "Yes."

  "Then Pat gave me the right information. So how does 7pm
sound?"

     "When?"

     "Tomorrow."

     "Okay."

     "See you then."

     "Alright, bye."


  I was about to hang up the phone when I heard him
                        speak
again. "Kyle!"

     "Yes?" I wondered what he wanted.

 "You're good friend with Nick Johnson, aren't you?"

  I wasn't sure if I wanted to know where this was
                      leading,
but I responded anyway. "Yes, he's my best friend."

  "I know this is going to sound weird, but does he
                        have
something against me?"

     "Huh?"

 "I have calculus with him and today he was talking
                       to Pat
and he didn't even acknowledge that I was there.
Have I done something to offend him?"

 I hated people like John. They were always worried
                        about
what other people thought of them and always bending
over backwards to make other people happy. I bet he
would cry himself to sleep tonight if I told him
that Nick couldn't stand him. Luckily, for him, I'm
not a liar.

     "No, you haven't done anything to offend him."
That really got Nick's attention and he was staring
at me. His eyes got big and I knew he was trying to
figure out what we were talking about. "I know you
have math with him, he told me. He also said you've
always been nice to him and you saved him from being
harassed a few times. By the way, I've been meaning
to thank you for that. Anyway, he didn't mean
anything by it. He had never
talked to Pat before and he was just nervous. He has
issues with talking to new people sometimes.
Especially when they're so much bigger than him."

     Nick shouted, "Shut up!"

 I started laughing. Payback's a bitch sometimes. I
                        said,
"Well scratch that last part, it's only partly true.

Nick wants you and Pat and all of the rest of you

guys there, so just relax." I really wanted to get

off the phone with him. "So, um, I guess I'll see you

tomorrow."

     "Okay, see you tomorrow."

     "Bye."

     "Bye." I hung up the phone and turned to Nick.

     "God I hate people like that!"

     "People like what?"



     "Needy people. You should have heard him. He was
scared that you didn't like him or that he had
somehow offended you."


     "What's wrong with that?"


     "It's pathetic. That guy would be so hot if he
just acted like a normal person, but instead he
pretends to be this perfect guy. Nobody is as
perfect, or as sweet or as giving as he pretends to
be. There is something wrong with that boy."


     "You're such a pessimist. Don't you believe that
there are some genuinely good people in the world?
Why can't he just be one of them?"


     "Haven't you noticed that something about him
isn't right? I guarantee he's hiding something."


"Maybe he's secretly gay and he and Pat are having an
affair."

"Don't even joke about things like that! That's just
                         not
funny."

     "Well what do you think he's hiding?"

  "I don't know, but whatever it is, it's something
                        big."


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