Crushes Over Papercuts- A Mid 90s Tale

Chapter 20

Antonio's Pizzeria was packed. The sign said "Seat Yourself" but every table was occupied.

Ben motioned to a small two-top table in the back. "I think they're leaving."

A lady stood up, dropped her purse to her shoulder, and took the hand of the man with her. We passed by them on their way out.

Ben pulled the black plastic chair out from under the table and offered the seat for me. The cheap chair shrieked against the tile floor when he moved it but I didn't care. It was the first time a boy had ever done that for me.

I opened the small menu tucked behind the parmesan cheese bottle even though I knew the menu hadn't changed in ten years.

"I like everything they have here," he said, "so whatever you want works for me."

I pretended to read the menu. "Their white pizza is always good."

"Good choice."

The waitress walked away with our order and I suddenly realized how secluded we were. No textbooks, no friends, and no distractions...just me and Ben together at a tiny corner table.

The restaurant was full of people. The sound of little league teams and family dinner nights echoed off the wall, but Ben mere inches away from me drowned that all away. I felt intimately close to him and the evening had happened so naturally that it hadn't set in until that moment that we were alone, together, and we both had chosen this.

"So how do -?"

"What is your-?"

We spoke at the same time.

"You first, Ben. Please," I insisted.

He folded his hands upon the table. If he moved them four inches closer our hands would touch. "How do you like the tutoring?"

"I'm really enjoying it. At first it was just a way to earn some volunteer hours but I'm getting more benefit out of it than I ever imagined."

That was an understatement. It was the reason we were here.

"And Cody can't say enough good things about you," he said.

"He's a great student."

We took turns asking each other inane questions about our classes and friends. Small talk. But the one question on my mind was the one I was too scared to ask- about Monday night.

Why he was parked outside my house?

"Were you -," I began.

"Large Bianca pizza." The waitress placed the pizza on the stand in the middle of our table.

Ben scooped a slice onto my plate. The sumptuous smell of cheese and oregano filled the space but the butterflies in my stomach wouldn't stop fluttering.

He shook some red pepper flakes onto his slice. "You were saying?"

"Were you...were you planning on playing basketball this year?"

I chickened out.

He nodded while he finished his bite. "Tryouts start two weeks after football season is over."

"You have to tryout? I figured you were guaranteed a spot after last year."

"There are still tryouts...always are. Every year the seniors graduate and new freshman start so we've all got to participate."

Why would I need to know about Monday? What if I was wrong and it was only a slip of fantasy land entering my faux reality?

"Were you parked outside my house on Monday night?" The words spilled out before I realized I had spoken them.