The More Boys I Meet

“What is she doing?”

“Why is her door locked?”

“Is she on her period?”

“Is she dead?”

I rolled my eyes and finishing selecting my classes for fall before closing my laptop and opening the door. In fell Pat, Viktor, Seabs, and Corey. Marcus stood behind them all, shaking his head.

“I was registering for classes. My door was locked because you all would pick my classes for me and knowing you all I’d end up in some useless class. I am not on my period until next week and definitely wishing I was dead. Did I cover all of my bases?” I asked.

They all nodded. “Pretty much,” Patrick flashed me that boyish smile he was always using. “We’re going to the beach. Are you coming?”

My eyes must have lit up because Viktor snorted. “Why did you even ask? It’s sunlight. She thrives off of sunlight. Do you get depressed during the winter?”

“I’m too busy studying to really notice,” I shrugged.

“Freak,” Pat coughed into his arm.

I swatted his head. “I’ll be ready in ten minutes. Why are you all in your suits except for Mr. Marcus Kruger over there?”

“I’m just driving you guys there,” he answered.

“Why?” I asked as the guys went to wait downstairs.

“I don’t feel the best today,” he said.

I turned to face him and looked up and down. “You look the same as always,” I commented.

He sighed. “Hurry up, please.”

“You have somewhere to be?” I asked, walking into my bathroom, changing into my black and purple polka dotted swim suit.

There was no answer.

“So I take that as a yes. Where you going sweetheart? Come on, I won’t tell the idiots downstairs.”

He sighed again. “A date.”

“What?!” I shrieked, running out in my suit. “Little Krugs has got a date! Who is she? What’s her name? Is she Swedish? Does she know that you’re going to be a superstar?”

He just stared at me. “Her name is Kayla. She’s a mutt, like the rest of you,” he glared at me. “And no, she does not know I play hockey for the Chicago Blackhawks yet. Any other questions?”

“Lose the attitude, I’m not going to ask any more questions. I just think it’s so cute that little baby Swede who doesn’t seem to have any emotions is going on a date!”

“Let’s go,” he said, turning away to walk down the stairs.

I grabbed my towel and beach bag (Always packed for a spontaneous day) and started down the stairs, when someone yanked me into the hallway closet.

“What the–” I started to say, but a finger was pushed against my lips.

“It’s me!” it was Viktor Stalberg.

“What are you doing in our hall closet. . . . ?”

“I overheard what Krugs was saying. We need to stalk them.”

“Why. . . ?” I asked.

“He’s still a youngling and I want to make sure that girl doesn’t take advantage of him.”

“He said she doesn’t know he plays hockey.”

“They all say that,” he said in a dark voice.

“You’ve had some experience with that I expect?”

“Unfortunately,” he didn’t sound too pleased.

“Okay,” I said, giving in. If he was worried about the pain in the ass little Swede, I would help him. “So. . . what do we do?”

“You’re going to be sick and I’m going to have an emergency call.”

“This is not going to work,” I said, but nonetheless, I went along with his plan.

I had to hand it to Mr. Viktor Stalberg. He made that emergency call very convincing and the guys thought I lied about my period and wanted nothing to do with me. It was perfect.

We waited twenty minutes before we started our stalking escapade. “Go put on some clothes Ellie,” he ordered.

I pouted. “I really wanted to go to the beach!”

“You have two and a half months to go to the beach, now go get dressed. He’s taking her out to lunch at this little café a few blocks away.”

I paused on the top stair, turning back to him. “And you know this. . . how. . . ?”
“I jacked his phone last night when he wasn’t looking,” he admitted, not an ounce of shame in his voice.

I rolled my eyes, coming back downstairs after getting dressed in more suitable attire for our wonderful adventure.

“You know, he already doesn’t like me too much and if he finds out what we’re doing, he’s just going to hate me completely,” I told him as we crept out to his car, just in case he was looming nearby.

“He doesn’t hate you Ells. He’s just a very reserved person. It will change once we start up the season again, or even later in the summer.”

I sighed, leaning back in his car. “Won’t he recognize your car?” I asked.

“I borrowed Bollie’s new car,” he stated as we staked out the little diner on the corner of the street.

“Here he comes!” I squealed and we both ducked down, only the tops of our head showing.

“Wear these,” he handed me a pair of sunglasses. “Your eyes are too noticeable,” he clarified.

I rolled my noticeable eyes and stuck on the stylish pair of glasses. “It’s a mutation, okay? I didn’t choose to have milky grey eyes.”

“No, they’re pretty, just extremely noticeable.”

I shot him a look. “Pretty?”

“That’s what the little Swede said the first night you two met. I just thought it proved you were from outer space or something,” he grinned at me.

I shoved him playfully. “Let’s go you dumb ass Swede.”

We crept our way into the diner and requested a table a little ways from Marcus and his mysterious blonde date.

“And what will you two have?” our waitress came up.

“Are you also waitressing for that table over there?” I asked.

“Sure am. Why?”

“Okay, I’ll have a chocolate milkshake and a salad, with a side order of fries. He’ll take the bacon cheeseburger with an orange soda. Can you not tell them we’re here but get as much as you can about what they’re talking about?”

“Sure thing sweetheart. You ain’t the first stalkers I ever had,” she said and walked away to place our order in.

“How did you know what to order me?” he looked incredulous.

“Magic power of deduction. Who doesn’t like bacon?”

He nodded. “Very true.”

Marcus got up and our eyes widened. “We’re by the bathrooms!” Viktor panicked.

“Well, I’m going to run to the little lady’s room. You hide behind a menu,” I threw him one and sprinted to the bathrooms.

This was going to be a very, very long day.