Page 17 of Flirtasaurus
“Dr. Knowles?”
“Ooooooh. Sorry, I swear I’ll stop.”
“Nah, she’s not scary. She’s just…” I find that I can’t actually finish my sentence, though, because gosh, how do you describe Dr. Knowles? I mean, if I’m being completely honest? Mabel’s not exactly wrong. Yesterday, I almost crapped my pants when Dr. Knowles made direct and prolonged eye contact with me.
“Dino Lady!!!” A small human rockets in my direction. Uh-oh. What does the dino dictator want to correct me on now? I brace myself.
“Yes, Finn?”
“Look! Look! I found a femur bone! I think it’s the femur bone of a Compsognathus! Or maybe an Archaeopteryx! Ooh, ooh, ooh or maybe a Micropachychephalosaurus!”
“Awesome, pal! I’ll be right there, and we’ll study it together, okay?”
“Okay!” As he lifts his tiny arm to high-five me and thwacks the hell outta my hand, I think my heart actually swells inside my chest. I watch him run back to the other kids with pure childhood enthusiasm.
Mabel chimes in, “Awww. Finn can be tough on the outside, but he’s actually a real softie once you get to know him.”
“Seems that way. Well, it looks like I have a prehistoric femur to examine, so… nice to remeet you, Mabel. Thanks for saying hi.”
“Totally. Hey, wanna meet in the cafeteria for lunch today?”
“Uhhhhhhhh.”
Damn, how do I get out of this politely?
“Unless you already have a lunch buddy. Do you already have a lunch buddy?”
She’s giving me an out! Take it Calliope, take it!
“Um. No. I don’t have any buddies, per se. But I’m not really looking to—”
“Perfect! I’ll save you a seat then!” She scurries off, looking pleased as punch.
“Perfect.”
Well, I certainly mucked that up.
Before she’s out of sight, I call after her. “Hey, Mabel?”
“Yeah?”
“You, um, you said before that you knew I’d be successful. How did you know that?”
“Well, you were just always so focused and fierce. Even as a kid.”
“Was I?”
“Totally. You never made any time for friends or fun. You were always go, go, go! Achieve, achieve, achieve! It was impressive. And sorta sad, actually. All the other girls would be singing Hannah Montana songs and playing Pokémon on the floor of the bunk, but not you! You’d be sitting on your bed with your flashlight, memorizing the names of all things extinct. I thought it was so weird and fascinating how you were only interested in dead things and pretty much paid no attention to the living. But hey, I’m glad to see all that focus is paying off!”
“Is it, though?” I mumble under my breath.
“Hmm?” Mabel asks.
“Nothing. I’ll… I’ll see you at lunch. Buddy.”
“Awwwww. You called me buddy, buddy!”
Oh man, she looks thrilled.
