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“I thought this would be the year,” Mindy continued while eyeing the other students. They always sat on a bench near the garden where they had a view of the activity around them. “There’s this sweet guy in my history class, and I thought we had potential, but when I finally got up the nerve to talk to him, I could barely hear anything he said. He just kept whispering.”

Silvia snorted while chewing.

“It’s true!” Mindy said, finally looking at her again. “Oh, and he writesreallysmall. Little tiny letters. It’s like he wants to turn invisible. I thought maybe he’d have some hidden wild side that I’d discover when we started dating, but I’m not sure anymore. Wherever it is that I’m destined to meet my prince, I don’t think it’s here.”

She was always saying things like that. Silvia blamed the novels that Mindy read. She alternated between fantasy and romance, two genres divorced from reality that seemed to fuel her strange expectations… But that was one of the many reasons that Silvia liked being friends. Her own mind was filled with anxiety about the future, and the present, which didn’t leave much room for things like boys. Mindy, on the other hand, made such worries her top priority and agonized over them in a way that Silvia found endearing.

“I’m happy for you though,” Mindy added. “I can’t wait to hear all the details. Speaking of which, you haven’t even told me his name! Or what he looks like. Spill the beans!”

Silvia had only mentioned that a guy from their school kept coming into work before describing what had happened yesterday, when he had apparently asked her out. “His name is Omar. He has dark hair and—”

“Omar Jafari?” Mindy interrupted while looking aghast.

Silvia shrugged. “I’m not sure. Which makes it even more ridiculous that we’re apparently going on a date. Do you know him?”

Mindy pretended to gag. “Yes, I know him! He’s a total creep.”

“Really?” Silvia took another bite. She felt a lecture coming on and would likely be able to finish her entire sandwich before it was through.

“Back in sixth grade, when most of the other girls started wearing bras, I was completely flat.” Mindy tucked her chin to frown at her own chest, which still wasn’t very voluptuous. “The boys were going around snapping everyone’s bra straps. I bet that happened to you a lot.”

Silvia nodded while chewing and didn’t mention that she’d started wearing a bra in the fifth grade.

“Omar was one of those boys,” Mindy continued. “He snuck up behind me and tried to grab my bra strap, but I didn’t need to wear one yet, so all he got was a handful of shirt. That’s when him and his friends started calling me No Milk Mindy. I hated that so much! One of them even bought me a carton of milk during lunch and said, ‘This should help.’”

Silvia forced herself to swallow so she could respond. “Wait, do boys really think we’re walking around with milk jugs on our chests? Do they not understand what breasts are?”

“They’re idiots,” Mindy said. “Omar especially.” She nibbled on a carrot stick sullenly, seeming lost in thought. Then she perked up again. “But you’re still going on a date with him, right?”

Silvia didn’t hide her confusion. “You made it sound like I shouldn’t!”

“Not really,” Mindy replied. “I just want you to know that he’s a jerk. So be on your guard. But it’s still exciting, isn’t it? Your first real date! What are you going to wear?”

“The same thing I do every day.”

Mindy peered at her, as if assessing the seriousness of thisstatement. But they knew each other well enough that she didn’t have to ask. “It wouldn’t hurt to get alittledressed up.”

“So I have even more reason to be on guard?”

“But it’s a date!”

“I’ll wash my hair the night before.”

“And use the lipstick I bought you?” Mindy asked, looking hopeful. “Do it for me. I’ll be sitting at home all alone. Let me live through you vicariously. Oh! Can I help you choose an outfit?”

“Yes,” Silvia said, only agreeing to please her friend.

And it worked. Mindy was thrilled and began chattering about different options. Silvia only half-listened while nodding, happy to let her take the lead. Hell, if it was possible, she’d gladly give the entire date to Mindy. Omar seemed like a nice guy, despite his history, and going out for dinner and a movie sounded beyond indulgent. But this wasn’t the life-changing event that her friend seemed to perceive it as. Silvia had better things to worry about.

Or maybe she simply didn’t understand boys. Including what they wanted. Mindy was eager to go out with one. So why hadn’t that happened yet? They had met in junior high when taking an animal husbandry elective. They’d both had visions of being paired with a horse as its caretaker, their grade depending on how well groomed its coat was, which would require lots of after school brushing, sugar cubes as treats, and some mane snuggling. The actual class had involved learning about the breeding and slaughtering of livestock. Horror and disappointment were the basis for their initial bond. Back then Mindy had been a gangly ginger girl with a thick ponytail that she would nibble on the end of when feeling nervous. Which was often. Now she had filled out a little, despite staying thin, and the ponytail had been snipped down to shoulder-length hair. She was always experimenting with makeup, which seemed unnecessary, because she was naturally pretty. Mindy could have been Molly Ringwald’s little sister. That no boy had taken an interest in her underscored how little Silvia understood them.

“Are you going to kiss him?” Mindy asked suddenly. “I totally would.”

And sometimes she didn’t understand her best friend either. “I thought you hated him?”

Mindy shrugged. “Sure, but at this point, I’d be happy to kissalmost anyone. I want to know what it feels like. Don’t you?”

Silvia hadn’t given it much thought. “Do you think he’ll want to?”