DAVID

"So, tonight, Solar Trek, my place." Gordy opens his chocolate milk a little too fast and sprays it all over me and Jay.

"Thanks a lot," I grab a napkin and start wiping my t-shirt. "Great, my mom's going to kill me. I thought you were grounded, Gordy." I keep my eyes down on my shirt. I haven't told the guys yet that I already watched Solar Trek at Kati's and didn't record it at home like I promised.

"I am," Gordy says. "I can't use my computer, but my dad said you guys can come over tonight to watch Solar Trek." I keep wiping at my shirt even though it isn't helping the stain at all. "Your mom called last night."

"What?" I stop wiping and look up. "When? Why?"

"Before we came over to watch the meteor shower," Gordy says, fishing around in his Batman lunch box for more food.

"What did you tell her?"

"That you were at my place. She seemed to think you came over to get your shirt back."

"Oh." I clear my throat, which turns into an awkward cough.

"So where'd you sneak off to?"

"You snuck out?" Jay spits potato chips onto the table as he talks.

"I went... to get my shirt back."

"From Kati?" Gordy and Jay ask at the same time.

"Yeah." I shrug, like it's no big deal, wiping chip pieces from my shirt that Jay spit onto .

"Wow! You're much braver than I thought." Gordy pats me hard on the back. "So what did you two do?"

"Watch Solar Trek."

"What?" Jay slams his fist onto a new, unopened bag of chips, his way of opening them. It makes a loud popping sound, drawing attention from the nearby tables. "She's a Solar Trek fan?"

"I'm not sure." I leave out the part that her parents are actually the Solar Trek fans.
"So are you two dating now?" Gordy asks. He crosses his arms and frowns.

"No." I look away, then dig into my lunch. Carrots and celery again? Why does my mom have to be such a health freak?
"Did you see her bedroom?" Gordy hands me a snack pack of cookies.

"No, I didn't." I take two cookies then give the rest back. "But I almost stepped on her mouse."

"They have mice in their house?" Jay's eyes grow wide.

"No, it's her pet."

"She keeps mice as pets?" Gordy says, giving me a disgusted look. "Mice are pretty gross, and their poop is poisonous."

"Thanks for the info, Gordy, I'll keep that in mind next time I'm thinking about eating mouse poop." I start eating a cookie.

We're all quiet for a moment as I try to get the gross idea of eating mouse pooh out of my head while chewing a cookie. The silence stretches and becomes awkward.

"But she didn't talk to me today," I say finally. "It's like last night never happen."

"What? Really?" Jay leans forward and looks intently at me. "Did you notice any loss of time? Any bright lights? Feelings of weightlessness?"

"No, Jay, I wasn't abducted and it wasn't an alternate universe. It happened. I'm just saying, Kati is acting like nothing happened."

"Are you sure that it wasn't-"

"It wasn't." I turn my attention to Gordy, the sane one. "I should say something to her today, but I don't know what."

"Just don't give her your shirt again and you should be fine."

"Forget it." I rub my face with my hands, wishing I had smarter friends.

"Step one," Gordy says, ignoring my comment, "get her to notice you."

"I think I've already done that part, yesterday in the bathroom."

Jay puts up his hand as though asking permission to speak but Gordy ignores him.

"Step two," Gordy holds up two fingers, "talk to her."

"I know, but what should I say?"

"Say hi," Jay offers.

"Thanks, Jay," I roll my eyes, "got any more insightful tips?"

"Step three, get her contact info," Gordy continues, like he's a relationship expert on a talk show.

"Where do you get this stuff anyway?" I shake my head.

"I it up." Gordy shrugs. "But one day I'm going to write books about this stuff and make lots of money."

"How many steps are there?" Jay asks.

"Six."

"What's step six?"

"Alone in the bedroom."

"Kati's dad would never let that happen," I say, my mind already imagining being alone with Kati in her bedroom. Why did Gordy have to say that?

"Then take her to your place."

"My place? Are you serious? Have you met my dad?"

"We've met your dad lots of times-" Jay chimes in.

"The point is," Gordy says, articulating his words more than necessary as he speaks to Jay, "David's dad wouldn't like Kati."

"Then he should take her to your place Gordy. Your dad is nice. He'd like her."

"This isn't about whose dad would like her most, Jay," Gordy hisses. I can feel one of their arguments coming on. "This is about David getting time alone with Kati, in a warm place that isn't the school."

"Like a swimming pool?"

"That's not a bad idea," Gordy says, nodding.

"No way," I quickly say, but it's too late. Images of Kati in a red polka-dot bikini pop into my mind before I can stop them. I rub at my eyes.

"You worried you won't be able to get out of the pool?" Gordy laughs.

"Shut up. No," I say, my face heating up. "I just don't like swimming."

"How about McDonalds?" Jay suggests.

"Don't listen to Jay," Gordy says. "That's a stupid idea. Take her to a movie."

"Sure, I'll drive her in my imaginary car."

Sudden both Gordy and Jay stop chewing their food and look over my shoulder. I turn to see what they are looking at and there, standing in front of our table, is Kati.