Chapter Four

She was perfect. Tatsuya felt a bit like a stalker noticing this, but he just didn’t know how it was possible for her. Well, anything was possible for Madison Anabel Fisher. From how well Tatsuya knew her, she could do almost anything, including being the new girl at school and already having a huge group of friends.
At lunch, instead of finding the loneliest person and sitting with them (like Darren did) she simply walked in, and was welcomed with open arms by the popular group who sat in the middle of the cafeteria.
“Yo, Tat,” Darren said, noticing he was staring off into the distance. “Hey, come back to Earth, dude! What’s up?”
“Nothing, you annoying prat,” Tatsuya said. “Why are you still following me around?”
“You’re staring at girls again? Is this what you do in your free time?”
“Shut up.”
“Dude, that girl is really hot.”
“What are you talking about?”
“That blond girl you keep staring at. What’s her name? Maddy… she’s so freaking hot! Dude, I think I’m in love with her.”
“Keep your mouth shut.”
“Why? Do we have our eyes on the same prize?”
“No.”
“Cool. Then I’m totally going for it.”
Darren stood up, and began walking to the huge group of popular girls. They were all quite beautiful, but Darren was right—Madison Anabel Fisher stood out amongst them.
I guess anything is possible for him, too, Tatsuya thought as Darren approached the group of girls.
“Hey, you’re new here, right?” Darren asked.
“Yeah, I’m new,” Madison said, smiling at him. “And you’re kind of cute. My name’s Maddy.”
“I’m Darren,” Darren introduced himself. He turned around to face me, and gave me a thumbs up as some sort of positive signal. He turned back to Maddy and put his “cool face” back on. “So, Maddy, I was wondering if we could hang out sometime?”
She tried to stifle a giggle. “What, you mean like a date?”
“That’s exactly what I mean,” Darren said. “How about it?”
“Well, I am new in town, and I don’t really know what we’d do.”
“That’s all right, I’ll just ask my main man, Tatsuya. Yo, Tat!” Darren shouted at me.
“What?” He shouted back angrily.
“We need date ideas!”
“I don’t know!”
Darren turned back to Maddy. “I think we should just bring him along with us. If that’s okay with you, of course.”
“Oh, that’s fine. I know how you guys like to go on groups. I hope you’re not intimidated by me or anything.”
Darren scoffed. “Why would I be intimidated by you? I got the balls to come here and ask you out, didn’t I?”
“That’s true. I guess I’ll see you around, then.”
“Yeah,” Darren said, winking at her. “I”ll se you around.”
Darren came back to my table, and sat down across from me.
“So how’d that go for you?” Tatsuya asked him.
“I’ve totally got a date with her,” he said. “And you’re coming with us.”
“What? What do you mean I’m coming with you? I never agreed to this.”
“Well, you’re coming with us. Because we’re both new, and we don’t know anything about this place. You can take us to someplace romantic, and I can totally score with her and then we don’t need anything else from you.”
Tatsuya shot him a dirty look.
“Oh, c’mon, dude. Hey, maybe I’ll get Kaida to come with us—it’ll be like a double date type thing.”
“Absolutely not,” Tatsuya said firmly.
“Then come without the second girl,” Darren said. “Please?”
“Fine,” Tatsuya unwillingly said. “But this isn’t for you, okay? It’s because I have nothing better to do tonight.”
“Sweet. Text me the info once you think of something, okay? And text it before 6, and we can leave at 7 and the date can start then, because I want to get with that beauty soon.”
“Sure, whatever.”
“Awesome. You know what, Tatsuya? You’re pretty cool.”
Tatsuya felt like this was the first time he wasn’t incredibly angry or annoyed with Darren. “Thanks,” Tatsuya said, mainly because he didn’t know what else to say. He didn’t want to compliment back, since he didn’t think Darren was all that cool.
The bell rang, and Darren was the first to be standing, not because he wanted to go to class, but because he had too much damn energy for his own good. Tatsuya ignored him, and proceeded on to his own boring classes.
Throughout class, Tatsuya didn’t seem to pay much attention to anything his teachers were saying, but instead, tried to brainstorm what his plans were for this evening. But when he couldn’t think of anything, he decided it would be best if he went home and asked Gina for an idea.
Before leaving campus, Darren gave him his cell phone number so that Tatsuya could inform him when he thought of the perfect place to go to for a date, and though Tatsuya was still not looking forward to these later events, he accepted it and went home.
Tatsuya’s mother was sitting on the couch, watching the TV programs that Tatsuya remembered his father watched once. Kimi was locked in her room as usual, and Tatsuya went into his room and dropped his bag by his desk.
“Hey, Gina, do you have any ideas on where to go for a date?”
“Who’s the girl?” she asked.
“It’s not me, it’s Darren. And he’s going on a date with Maddy. But since they’re both new— well, Darren’s new, and Maddy doesn’t remember anything—they’ve asked me to come along and choose someplace romantic for them. So since I couldn’t think of anything, I decided to ask you.”
“Oh. Okay, I’m fine with that.”
“Just give me ideas.”
“How about that restaurant on 1st street? Chez Lui?”
“Oh, yeah, that place. A lot of kids from my school go on dates there. Good idea, thanks, Gina.” Tatsuya pulled his barely used cell phone out of his pocket and slowly began to type words into a text message. Tatsuya wasn’t very good at typing on his phone, mainly because he barely used it, but just kept it around for an emergency.
“Chez lui on 1st street?” Darren had texted back in less than a second. “Cool Ill see u there @ 7.”
Tatsuya found it amazing how people completely forgot there was even a thing called grammar while texting.
Since Tatsuya didn’t want to do any work (he never felt like doing work on Friday evenings, despite having absolutely no social life), he decided to spend his remaining time with his mother. He ran downstairs and sat down to the couch adjacent to the one she was sitting on. She turned off the TV and smiled at her son.
“Tatsuya, I have to work late tomorrow, so do you mind making dinner for yourself and Kimi?”
“Of course, mom,” he said. “But is it okay if I go out tonight?”
She looked slightly surprised. “Go out? Where are you going out?”
“I’m going to that restaurant on 1st street. Chez Lui. Just with a couple of friends.”
“Oh,” she said. “Which friends?”
“Just a couple of people who are new to the school. I thought I’d show them around the area. Is it okay if I go?”
She opened her mouth to say something, and then closed it so she could think about her answer more. “Yes, it’s fine. You’ve been such a help, I think you deserve it.”
“Thanks, mom,” he said. “If you need anything, you can just call me, and I’ll be here in no time.”
“Yes, of course. Thank you, Tatsuya.” She turned on the TV again, which gave Tatsuya the sign that maybe the conversation had ended.
He went back up to his room, and decided that he had no idea what he was supposed to wear. “Gina, what do you wear when you’re on a date, but it’s not your date?”
“Something nice, but not too nice,” she said. “A button-up shirt? Maybe jeans?”
“Thanks, Gina, you’re the best.”
“I know.”
Tatsuya found a wrinkly button-up shirt, but it was the best he could get. He slipped it on without worrying about the buttons, and then made a poor attempt to make his hair look good.
“All right, Gina, I think I’m going to leave now.”
“Why so early?”
“Because I’m walking there.”
“Why can’t you ask your mother to drive you?”
“No, I don’t want to give her any trouble. I’ll see you later, ‘kay? Be a good computer while I’m gone.”
“Okay, Tatsuya.”
She didn’t say anything else, and as Tatsuya said goodbye to his mother and walked towards 1st street, he began to regret not asking Gina for some more advice on dates. She did kind of know everything, after all. But it wasn’t even his date, why was he so nervous?
After pondering his inner thoughts, he finally arrived at the restaurant. He was a bit early, though, and patiently waited for any sign of Darren or Maddy.
The first one to show up was Maddy, at exactly 7:00. She was wearing a turquoise, semi-formal dress that was just a tiny bit too short for her, and she had let her hair down. Her high heels were even higher than usual, and Tatsuya had to wonder how anyone could possible walk like that. She had a bit of make-up on, but not too much that made her look like a whore or anything. The little purse she carried was covered with sparkly sequences, and she flashed me a smile of perfect white teeth.
“Hi, Tatsuya,” she said. “Is Darren not here yet?”
“No, he’s not here yet,” Tatsuya said, trying not to stare at her. “You’re looking good.”
“Are you sure? It’s not too much, is it?”
“Of course not, it’s perfect.”
She smiled again. “Thanks. So I guess Darren should be here soon?”
And just as she asked, the boy arrived. He was looking neater than usual, too. His hair was slightly combed, and his pants weren’t half way down his butt.
“Hey, kids, how’s it hanging? No need to fear because your main man Darren is here! Shall we?” he asked, holding the restaurant door open for us.
I decided to be chivalrous and let Maddy go through first, and as she did and out of ear shot, Darren thought this would be the perfect time to tell me how drop dead gorgeous he thought Maddy was.
The three of them were seated at a table, and that’s when it began to get awkward for Tatsuya. The table was meant for four people, and it was a corner table, too, so he had to sit against a window, and he could practically feel the people walking on the sidewalk behind him. Not only that, but he got a perfect view of Maddy and Darren gazing into each other’s eyes.
Tatsuya didn’t know what to do for the night. He truly didn’t want to be here with these two. Mainly because they actually seemed to like each other a lot.
What was it with Madison Anabel Fisher? How come she could come for absolutely nowhere, shake up his life, make tons of new friends, get a guy to fall completely in love with her, and do it all in six-inch high heels?
The waiter came to our table and wrote down what we wanted to drink.
“A diet coke, please,” Maddy said.
“Could I get some apple cider?” Darren asked.
“Of course, young sir,” the waiter said. “And what will you have?”
I looked up and noticed he was asking me. “Oh, um, just some water is fine.”
He closed his notepad. “Okay. Drinks should be here momentarily.”
Before too long the waiter had come back with the drinks and was ready to take our order for food. Maddy started with a salad, Darren decided to go straight for the fried fish (since he couldn’t afford the actual lobster). Tatsuya didn’t have anything, though, since he felt like he didn’t even belong there.
It was so weird seeing a grown up version of Tatsuya’s adorable former best friend flirting with one of the most annoying people Tatsuya had ever met. But that’s what they did practically the whole night. As Tatsuya slowly sipped his ice water, he had to put up with listening in on their giggles and, “Oh, you’re so cute,” or “that’s so interesting!” or any other crap that people say to keep the other person in blind entertainment.
Tatsuya was so fed up with it, and by the end of the night he had finished through seven cups of ice water, and about a billion giggle fits from either Maddy or Darren.
Darren stood up and helped Maddy out of her seat. Tatsuya noticed how much taller she was than him when wearing her six-inch heels, and found this incredibly amusing.
They left the restaurant, and Tatsuya stood up and ran after them. He didn’t want to be right next to them the whole time, though. He didn’t know much about dates, but he thought it would be good to give them a bit of time alone.
“I had a really good time tonight, Darren,” Maddy said before lightly kissing him on the cheek.
Darren’s face went even more pink, if possible. “I did, too.”
She waved and began to walk away. “Thank you for a wonderful night! I’ll see you later!”
“See you!” he said, waving back. Once she was gone, he turned to me and screamed. “WOW, that was AMAZING!”
“Yeah, pretty cool,” Tatsuya said without any enthusiasm.
“I know! I probably have to leave now, my mom is waiting around the corner. I’ll see you later, okay? Let’s hang out over the weekend, we can play some video games or something.”
“Okay. Bye,” Tatsuya said, even though he would rather shove a dull chainsaw down his pants.
And as Darren left, Tatsuya sighed and enjoyed the sound of silence on his way back home.