Chapter Six
Though large puffy white clouds blew a warm, brisk breeze through the tall coconut trees within Florida International University’s campus – most of the first-year students who arrived this week were either too involved in trying to get adjusted to being a college freshman or still trying to find out what life in Miami was all about, to even notice.
“Wow,” Mike exclaimed, brushing blond hair out of his eyes so he could take a better look at the thin, olive-skinned female heading toward the table he and his dorm mate were occupying near the Student Lounge entrance. “Can you believe it, Chad? That girl heading this way is a ‘babe’.”
Chad frowned as he faced his compadre, and began to shake his head. “Mike. Isn’t this the fiftieth female you’ve said that about? And we've only been dorm mates since Monday.”
“I suppose so,” Mike acknowledged, revealing a child-like grin. “Does it matter?”
“Sort of.”
Picking up the low-calorie soda in front of him, Chad took a refreshing gulp.
“What you are doing is unrealistic, man. There is no possible way every single girl you run across could be a babe. ... Didn’t they have any females back at Calabunga, Illinois, or wherever it was you said you came from?”
“Yeah. They did ... ah ... I meant, they do,” Mike replied, while futilely attempting to ignore his friend as he savored the girl’s waist-length, dark-brown hair. “And for your information, the town's name was Potomac.”
“Potomac? … Oh. My bad. So you were raised where GM makes Pontiacs.”
Mike instinctively gave his roommate a dirty look, and then sighed. “Unbelievable! For at least the fifth time this week, Chad - they don’t make Pontiacs in Potomac. … In fact, there’s not even a GM factory anywhere within a hundred-mile radius of the place.”
Chad chuckled. He enjoyed deliberately getting under Mike’s skin.
“So ... you really consider this one to be a babe, even though she’s nowhere near being a 36-24-36?”
“A what?” Mike questioned, raising an eyebrow.
“A 36-24-36. That’s what most men like. Isn’t it?”
“Yes. If you’re referring to her figure.”
“I am,” Chad said, pursing his lips. “What do you think I’d be referring to, her dress or shoe size?”
Mike shifted his position, so he could stare into the babe’s dark romantic eyes as she continued toward them. “For a second, I wasn’t really sure.”
The “babe” then approached their table.
“Why hello, sweetheart. You’re new here. Aren’t you?”
“Hello yourself,” Maria replied, coming to a halt. “And whom might you be?”
“I’m Mike,” he said, almost tripping on his feet as he attempted to stand. “Mike Becker. And that’s Chad. … Chad Buckingham,” he added, pointing to his friend, who remained sitting.
“Oh?” Maria reached to shake Mike’s hand. “I’m Maria. Maria Vargas. And you’re right; I am new here. Like everyone else, I just started my freshman year this week.”
Mike displayed a crooked grin. “Oh? That’s cool. You’re definitely not alone, Maria. We’re both freshmen, too.”
“Really?” Maria turned toward Mike’s roommate, and gave Chad a flirting wink. “You know, your friend here is really cute. I like that in a boy.”
“Oh?” Mike rolled his eyes in disbelief. “I never really noticed.”
“I’m sure you wouldn’t.” Maria said, suppressing a small giggle.
Mike frowned. This conversation certainly wasn’t going in the direction, he had hoped it would.
“True. But it really doesn’t matter,” he blurted, trying to recapture Maria’s attention. “If you ever went out with Chad, you’d probably get disappointed. He’s not nearly as good with girls as I am.”
“You don’t say?” Maria said with a questioning look.
“Yes, it certainly is. You see, Maria. I started dating before I even turned twelve, so I’ve learned over the years how to treat a woman.”
Placing her hand across her mouth, Maria tried hard not to laugh. Mike’s comment was absolutely the most ridiculous thing, she had heard recently.
“Would you like to sit and spend a few moments with us?” Mike continued, apparently oblivious to her response.
“Well. I don’t know,” Maria said, starting to toy with him. “I’m starting to think that you might be way too much of a real he-man for an inexperienced girl like myself. Perhaps I’d better settle for someone more ordinary - like your friend, Chad.”
Mike turned to face his roommate and immediately grimaced. “No. Believe me. Chad’s a nice guy and all. But honestly, Maria, I doubt that he’s your type. In fact, I don’t think the kid even likes women.”
Chad’s cheeks turned at least a hundred shades of crimson. “Hey! Wait a minute here. I like women,” he yelped, while bouncing his eyes between both the two of them. “I’m just not interested in getting into a relationship at the moment because I need to concentrate on my studies.”
“And who said anything about getting into a relationship?” Mike countered.
Maria glanced in Chad’s direction, and wondered how the kid was going to reply.
“You did. You wanna be a Romeo.”
As Mike stared at his friend and rival, his face quickly took on the expression of a bulldog about to growl - before suddenly turning to face his potentially new girlfriend. “Just you never mind him, Maria. We’ve got better things we could be doing,” he declared while trying to calm himself down. “Would you like to go with me to see what movie the student center will be playing this weekend?”
Maria looked at him and presented him a small smile. “I don’t believe so, Mike. I really need to get my notes together for my upcoming literature class. So, if you don’t mind, I think I'll just hang around here and visit with Chad for a while.”
Mike shook his head, and began to glare at her while his insides silently exploded. This can’t be right. … I mean. What could I’ve possibly done wrong? “Well, Okay. If that’s what you’d prefer.” He then took a step toward the outer courtyard, before swiveling back around. “How about us getting together for a game of putt-putt Saturday?”
“I’d really like to, Mike,” Maria deliberately lied in an attempt to avoid hurting the boy’s feelings again. “But I’ve already made plans. Sorry.”
Mike nodded, and proceeded to walk away. And, despite her efforts, Maria could tell by his drooping shoulders, he was feeling dejected.
“Don’t worry. He’ll get over it,” Chad interjected before she had a chance to face him.
“What?” Maria asked, turning toward him.
“I said, don’t worry about it. Mike will get over it,” Chad repeated, as Maria took a seat on the concrete bench, next to him. “After all, you’re talking about a guy who must have called at least fifty girls ‘Babe’ this week alone.”
Maria laughed, and a bright sparkle appeared deep inside her pupils. “Is the kid that desperate?”
Chad nodded as he picked up his notebook and turned to the page where he had recently drawn a cartoon in pencil.
“No,” he said as he began to sketch an inflated rubber ball into the beach scene of Mike lying on the beach, checking out the bikinis surrounding him. “I wouldn’t exactly call him desperate. Let’s just say he’s a bit hormone driven.”
Maria smiled at Chad’s reply. “You know. You’re pretty good at that.”
“At what?” he said, noticing how Maria was looking over his shoulder.
“At drawing. Do you do it often?”
Chad blushed. “No. Not really. Normally, I only scribble whenever I get bored.”
Maria instantly frowned. “Is that so? Then I must be boring you.”
“Huh? What are you talking about?” Chad’s expression clearly showed he’d been thrown off guard. “I’m not bored.”
“Then why’d you start drawing?”
“Well,” Chad began, stumbling over his words as he tried to figure out what he should say. “To be honest. I’m a bit nervous.”
“Oh?” Maria said, taking hold of his hand and giving it a small squeeze. “Why's that? Do you think I’m going to bite?”
Chad shook his head. “No. It’s just that …”
“Just what? Is Mike correct? Could it possible that you don’t really don’t care for women?”
Chad gazed at the sky, as if maybe a passing sparrow might provide him with a non-revealing answer.
“No. I wouldn’t say that,” he stuttered. “I do like women. But …”
Flying 10,000 feet above, a passing F-14 on its way to Key West made one of the loudest sonic booms Maria had ever experienced. And whatever Chad’s answer was; she never got a chance to hear it.