Curvy Girls Can’t Date Soldiers by Kelsie Stelting

Eighteen

Nadira

I could hearMom and Dad start talking through the crack in my door the second she got home.

“Do you know what your children were doing today?” Dad asked her.

Mom chuckled a little, and I heard her thick purse fall on the counter. “It must have been something bad if they’re my children and not our children.”

“Terrell spent the game making out with some girl. And Nadira was with a boy, not even in the building,” Dad said, as if he were telling her I’d been doing drugs or rooting for the other team. Both would have been equally as bad in his mind.

“I know about Nadira,” Mom replied lightly.

“What?” he asked, just as stunned as I was.

“One of my TA’s went to the coffee shop and told me that she saw Nadira there with a boy. Said they were sitting across from each other and talking. Not even close enough to touch. It sounded kind of sweet.”

Dad was silent for a moment. “She was with a college boy.”

“She’s going to be in college in just a few months. Honestly, I’m glad she’s dating now while she’s at home so we can talk to her about it.”

“But she was sneaking around,” Dad said. “She wasn’t even going to tell me about it until the boys ratted her out.”

I sighed, looking toward the ceiling. Terrell had a love bite on his neck! Why was I the topic of conversation?

With a smile in her voice, Mom said, “You’re worried about your baby girl.”

There was silence for a moment, and Dad said, “She’s growing up, hon. I can’t believe she’s going to be gone so soon.”

I smiled lightly and sat back on my bed, getting out my phone. They cared. And even if it had been out of panic, I’d been on a date today. I’d spent time with a boy.

I’d seen Apollo.

How had it been only this morning I’d been messaging with him? It felt like a lifetime had passed, and I just wanted to email him again.

* * *

I forced myself to wait until the next morning to message him. After we had brunch—with plenty of hints from my parents about me dating—I went up to my room and checked my computer. Luckily, Apollo was logged on.

Nadira: Happy Sunday.

Apollo: Do you mean happy almost-Monday?

Nadira: You’re a pessimist, aren’t you?

Apollo: Maybe... Who’s asking?

Nadira: No need to put your guard up. You’re talking with one of your own kind.

Apollo: Is that so?

Nadira: Mhmm.

Apollo: How did you discover you’re a member of the dark side?

Nadira: Some people think I was born with it.

Apollo: Some people think it’s Maybelline?

Nadira: Exactly.

Apollo: How was your day yesterday?

Nadira: It was okay, you?

Apollo: Not bad. Went to the basketball game and hung out with my roommate the rest of the day.

My stomach bottomed out. He’d brought up the subject of the game. How could I ask the right questions to get him to tell me what he thought of me?

Nadira: What did you think of the game?

Apollo: It was pretty good until my roommate bailed on me to hang out with a girl.

Pay dirt.

Nadira: Oh?

Apollo: He’s been talking about her nonstop since Friday night and apparently, she was at the game.

Nadira: What do you think of her?

Apollo: She’s stunning. Totally his type.

My mouth fell open. Stunning? He thought I was stunning? But then my happiness fell at the second sentence. If I was Josh’s type, did that mean I wasn’t Apollo’s?

Nadira: What does that mean? Stunning and his type?

Apollo: She seems a little shy. Really unique.

I pushed back from my computer and got up, pacing the room. Unique? I let out a shaky breath. Why couldn’t I get away from that freaking word? Why did the one guy I liked have to use it on me?

My computer chimed with a new message, and I went back to look at the screen.

Apollo: I’m bad at describing people.

Nadira: Okay.

I couldn’t quite bring myself to sit down yet. To fully engage with the person who called me the least desirable word on the planet.

Apollo: Okay... did I say something wrong?

Nadira: I don’t know.

Apollo: You’re being cryptic.

I bit my lip, slowly sitting in the chair. It wasn’t Apollo’s fault. He probably thought I was ugly and didn’t want to say that outright. He was a nice guy, after all. He wouldn’t insult his roommate’s girl like that. And I couldn’t blame him for saying what everyone already knew. I wasn’t easy on the eyes. I wasn’t the kind of girl guys liked for her looks. I was the kind they got to know, slowly discovered they liked my personality, and then decided they could live with my looks. It wasn’t Apollo’s fault.

Nadira: Not on purpose. Was she nice at least?

Apollo: I don’t really know. I feel like I scared her away. I seem to have that effect on women.

Nadira: What do you mean?

Apollo: I haven’t dated anyone since I’ve been at BU.

Nadira: Really? Why not?

Apollo: Just hasn’t felt right yet. I don’t want to date a girl just for fun and get our hearts involved. I want it to be something real.

Nadira: Isn’t that the point of dating? To see if it could be something real?

Apollo: I don’t think so. That’s what friendship is for. When I ask a girl out, it’s because I like her. A lot.

Nadira: That’s an interesting way to look at it.

Apollo: So I take that to mean you’re a heartbreaker, dating around and whatnot?

Nadira: “Whatnot?”

Apollo: You’re dodging the question.

Nadira: No, I’ve only been on one date before.

Yesterday, in fact. With your roommate.

Apollo: And? Was it awful?

Nadira: No. Not really. It was just... not what I expected.

Apollo: In what way?

Nadira: I don’t want to sound lame.

Apollo: Lamer than a college freshman who hasn’t been on a single date in eight months?

Nadira: Fair. That is pretty lame.

Apollo: Hey!

Nadira: Just kidding.

Apollo: ... I’m waiting.

Nadira: I don’t know how to describe it. I always thought when I went on a date, I would get butterflies and be giddy and want him to kiss me.

Apollo: But you didn’t feel those things?

Nadira: No. And I can’t tell if I’m hoping for too much or if that’s what dating is. Just like hanging out with a friend.

Apollo: That’s not what it is... when you do it right.

Nadira: And you’ve done it right?

Apollo: Once. Kind of.

Nadira: Kind of?

Apollo: She was my high school sweetheart. We started dating the beginning of my junior year and dated all the way through senior year.

Nadira: What happened?

Apollo: She went to college in Houston. I went to college in California. I told her I would do long distance, but she said no, she didn’t want to go to college with a boyfriend. Even if that boyfriend was me.

Nadira: That sounds awful. I’m so sorry.

Apollo: It was. In the beginning. But eventually, I realized all the ways we were wrong for each other. Moving here turned out to be a blessing.

Nadira: How?

Apollo: Well, first of all, I’m going into the military. Any girl I date is going to have to be okay with long distance from time to time. And whenever I started talking about the military, my ex would just kind of... zone out. Or change the subject. She didn’t seem to be interested in it at all. And she didn’t ever spend time with my mom when I wasn’t around. Whoever dates me has to like my mom.

Nadira: You didn’t notice any of that when you were dating? Two years is a long time.

Apollo: I did. But I just wrote it off. Now I know better. I know what I want.

Nadira: And what is that?

Apollo: A beautiful girl who’s smart, with goals and dreams and a stubborn attitude who’ll survive distance and deployments and whatever else life throws our way.

Apollo: What about you?

Nadira: What do you mean?

Apollo: What kind of guy are you looking for?

Nadira: I’ll let you know when I find out.

The problem was, I thought I already knew.