She had told him that she'd like it.
"You know," she said, as he approached, "you've been really nice to me."
"I'm sorry," he said, grinning shyly. "I guess...you just seem to be the last person in Tulsa my age."
"That's okay," she said. "Everyone just seems to run from here when they get to be old enough to leave. What's holding you back here?"
"Family," Isaac said. She nodded understandingly.
"I'm only here until I get through college," she said.
"College?" he asked.
"Yeah, man," she said, reading his mind. "Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I'm stupid."
Isaac blushed, realizing she had clued right in on what he'd been thinking. "So...um...are you...uh...working through?"
She snorted and gave a dry laugh. "As soon as my folks found out I'd had sex, I was on my own as far as college was concerned," she said. "When they found out I was pregnant, they dissowned me."
"I'm sorry," he said, again.
"Don't be," she assured him. "They're assholes."
"I'm glad I'm not a girl," Isaac said. "I don't have to worry about getting pregnant."
She laughed, and smiled. "Well, I certainly hope you never have to worry about that."
They were quiet for a moment. Jerry glanced at her watch for a moment. "Ugh," she said, rolling her eyes. "My roommate is expecting me home. I've got to go."
"All right," Isaac said.
"Can I have your number?" she asked. He looked at her, surprised.
"I...I guess," he mumbled. He checked himself for a pen and paper, only coming up empty.
"Can you unzip that top pouch?" she asked, turning around with her back to him. He unzipped it. "There should be a notepad and a pen in there. Grab them."
He took them. "Can I use this?"
"That was the point," she said in a "duh" voice. She watched intently as he scribbled on an empty pad of her notepad.
Then, he handed it back to her. "My mom's probably worried about me."
"Yeah," she said, with a smile. "Conna's probably worried about me, too."
"Later?" he asked.
She smiled, feeling happy. "Sure."
She watched as he got in his car, revved the engine, then slowly pulled out of the parking space. He waved to her, just before roaring out of the parking lot. She looked at the slip of paper with a bit of intriguement.
She stretched to put the notebook back in its rightful pouch, and zip it up. She hurried through the darkness to her old, beaten car at the far edge of the parking lot. For the first time in months, she'd actually found someone (beside of her whore cousin Conna) to talk to.
