Curvy Girls Can’t Date Soldiers by Kelsie Stelting

Seventeen

Nadira

“What kindof coffee do you like?” Josh asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets as we crossed the quad toward the coffee shop.

I tucked my hands into my own pockets, not used to talking to boys who weren’t my family members or teachers. “Usually iced coffee with extra cream and sugar.”

“Same,” he said. “But I like mine black.”

“How very artsy of you,” I teased.

“No, no, artists are supposed to drink herbal teas steeped with tufts of lavender.”

I laughed. “That’s a good point.” I could even picture it in my mind.

We were quiet for a moment, and I asked, “How long have you been rooming with Apollo?”

“Just this year,” Josh said. “I was a little bummed when I got paired with a soldier, because I’m just about as opposite from a military guy as it gets, but he’s been really nice. Not what I expected.”

“Yeah?” I asked, thankful for every drop of insight he gave me to Apollo’s life outside of emails with me.

“He’s actually gotten me out of my shell a bit.”

I thought of what Apollo told me about Josh watching Sex and the City, and my cheeks heated slightly. It must have worked, because Josh was easy to talk to, even if I wasn’t attracted to him in the same way I was to Apollo.

“Are you going to live in a dorm next year?” he asked.

“That’s the plan, although I haven’t been assigned a roommate yet.”

“Nice. I’m hoping I can talk some friends into getting an apartment or something next year. The dorms are getting a little old.”

“Why is that?”

He shrugged, fumbling with his zipper. “It would just be nice to have my own place.”

I nodded, and we continued up the library steps in awkward silence. It struck me that this was kind of like a date. He had asked me to coffee at the party, and now we were going. The thought made me slightly nervous. What were people supposed to do on a date? Kiss?

I wanted my first kiss. But with Josh? I didn’t feel that kind of chemistry there. If that was something people really felt.

And besides, I probably shouldn’t kiss someone when all I could think about was his roommate. As we checked out at the coffee shop, I wondered what Apollo had thought of me when he saw me across the gym. Had he been interested? Thought his friend could do better? My fingers itched to get out my phone and email Apollo to see if he’d tell me about it.

“Nadira?” Josh asked. It was clear this wasn’t the first time he’d said my name.

“Sorry,” I said. “What’s up?”

“It’s okay. I was just asking if you wanted to sit in here or outside?”

“We can sit in here,” I answered. That seemed to be the safer answer in case Apollo decided to go back to the dorms early. If he caught up with us and we started talking, it would only be a matter of time before he discovered my true identity.

Josh went to a small table in the corner near a window that overlooked the quad. “How is this?”

“Good.” I sat in one of the seats and wrapped my hands around the cold cup.

For the next hour or so, Josh and I just talked. We had some things in common, and he told me about different art principles he was learning in class. I wondered again if this was what dating was supposed to feel like? Like hanging out with a friend?

All the ice in my cup had melted by the time Josh looked up and said, “Hey, man, how was the game?”

I looked behind me and gazed straight into the eyes of Apollo. No photo of him had done his eyes justice. They weren’t just green. They were moss with flecks of gold star bursting around the irises. And his lips seemed to be in a perpetual soft smile.

Apollo shrugged. “We won by ten.”

That statement, spoken in his voice, snapped me out of my shock. “I’m sorry, Josh, I have to go.” I scrambled to stand, grabbing my purse, and left the coffee shop.

Behind me, Josh called, “Wait, I’ll walk you.”

“It’s okay,” I said, backing out the door. “I’ll see you later.” I hurried to the gym, hoping I could make it back before Dad noticed I’d been gone. Luckily, people were still leaving the stadium as I walked in, and I hurried to the court to find Dad standing with my brothers. Thankfully, Tatiana was nowhere to be found. But there was what looked like a small bruise on Terrell’s neck...

Dad raised his eyebrows at me. “Where have you been?”

I bit my lip, not sure how to answer.

Carver blurted, “I saw her leave with a boy!”

Dad’s face went ashen. “What?”

I raised my eyebrows. “Is it really that big of a shock that a boy would want to talk to me?”

Dad stuttered. “Who—what—why—where did you go?”

“I went and got coffee with a boy. It was very PG, I promise,” I said. “And what about Terrell, huh? He went off with Maleficent and she gave him the mark of the beast.”

Terrell glared at me.

Dad shifted, grumbling slightly, as if not sure what to make of it or who to chastise first.

“Congrats on the win,” I said, hoping for a change in subject.

“Thank you,” he said, “But we’ll talk about this tonight.”

I let out a sigh and waved at my brothers to follow me. “Let’s go home.”