Gilbert and Louis Rule the Universe: First Impressions Read Free Page B

sequence. In saunter Jason and Dylan. Dylan is in our grade but Jason is in eighth. They are the kind of boys who are always in detention for some reason or another. You know, the kind of boys you want to hang out with. Behind them is another kid. This boy is blonde, and I don’t recognize him immediately. As I strain to catch a peek, this geeky kid, Jimmy, walks up right in front of me and asks me to dance. Jimmy is a total dork. He is in like all my classes and he is always bugging me to check answers on homework. I almost always ignore him. One, because usually I haven’t done the homework, or two, if I have, I usually have the answer wrong and then Jimmy takes like a million hours trying to explain it to me.
    Right now he is totally blocking my view. “Not now,” I say a little too loud about dancing together and push him out of the way. I have to get a better look at the mystery boy.
    I grab Gilbert’s hand. My heart starts pounding and I feel my face go bright red.
    “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh.” I am totally freaking out.
    All the girls pounce on me as though I am having an epileptic seizure . I am fanning my face and totally spazzing .
    “That.
    Is.
    The.
    Hottie .”
    I say between puffs of breath.
    I think I might pass out. Rowan runs to get me a drink. Gilb ert turns, looks and spots him.
    “Oh,” she says, “he is hot.”
    We need to do reconnaissance . We need a plan. We need… oh good, Rowan is back with a soda. I down it and send her for more. We all sit down on the bleachers. We need to find out who this boy is, pronto. Maddy is the ballsy one in our group so we sent her out to find information. She hangs out around the edges of the three boys. They have made their way inside and were talking with a boy in our class, Nick. Nick and The Hottie are giving each other the nod of introduction. Maddy sticks around until the boys walk away and then she pounces on Nick and drags him across the gym floor. We wait with bated breath. “Who is he?” I blurt out, totally uncool , as soon as he gets close enough to hear.
    “Who?” Nick isn’t the sharpest tool in the drawer.
    “That guy. The one Dylan and Jason just introduced you to.” I am exasperated .
    “Oh, he said his name was Ralph. Ha, ha. Funny name.”
    Gilbert and I looked at each other and our jaws drop.
    “That is a Ralph?” I say. “Well, I’ll be.”
    We run to the bathroom like a heard of wildebeests and jockey in the mirror for a spot. I replace my lip gloss and brush my hair. Whew, my bangs still look good. We walk back i nto the gym, totally nonchalant . Jason, Dylan and Ralph are standing on the far side leaning against the wall. What better way to get attention than to dance? So the group of us go out on the dance floor and shake what our mamas gave us. I keep glancing over. At one point, I catch Ralph looking over at us. We dance for the next hour, although I am sure not to show off so hard that I look like that sweaty kid, Maria, who acts like she actually is in gym class.
    Eventually, it is the last song. It is a slow song. We all walk over to the wall. Dylan breaks from the group of boys and walks over to us. We are totally silent in anticipation . What is he going to tell us? Is he going to give me a message from The Hottie ? He walks right up to Gilbert.
    “ Wanna dance?” he asks.
    Gilbert’s eyes shine a little and she looks suddenly bashful. Is there something going on here? But back to me. I breathe a sigh of disappointment and keep my eye on the other two boys hoping they will take a cue from Dylan, but Jason and Ralph stayed planted firmly against the wall. Everyone else is partnering up. Jimmy is back and asking me to dance again.
    “ Rowen will dance with you.” I hand him off to a surprised Rowan. First of all, there is no way I am dancing with Jimmy, second of all, what if Jason or Ralph decide to choose partners? But they don’t. The slow song comes and goes, and they don’t do a thing.
    The lights