A Good Dude by Keith Thomas Walker Read Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Keith Thomas Walker
girl was, with child , I made the mistake of asking how far along she was.”
“And she wasn’t pregnant?” Candace asked with a grin. “No, she was just fat,” he said. “And if that’s what’s going on with you, then let me apologize ahead of time.”
She gave him a serious look. “Well, I hate to tell you this, but I’m not fat or pregnant. I’ve got a tumor. I have surgery scheduled this week.”
He stared at her belly bulge, the smile slipping from his face. “For real?”
“No, goofy. I’m pregnant. You think I’d be at school with a tumor this big?”
“That’s not funny,” he said, that cute grin working its way back to his lips. “I used to know a guy who had a tumor that big.”
“Really?”
“Well, I didn’t really know him. I saw some pictures on the Internet. I read his blog.”
Candace shook her head and continued the walk to her car. “Tino, you’re crazy.”
“You remember my name! That’s awesome.”
“You’re the only friend I’ve made at this school,” she said.
“ Friend? Oh, hell no. Don’t push me into that platonic friend category.”
Candace was shocked. “Tino, are you still trying to hit on me?”
“Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you’re still with your boyfriend,” he said. “Statistically speaking, one-third of all pregnant women in America are single.”
“Where’d you hear that?”
“I made it up,” he said. “It sounded good, though, didn’t it? I’ve found that if you rattle off a lie with a statistic in it, most people will believe you. Especially if you put numbers or percentages in there.”
Candace stopped and stared at him for a second. Today he wore a long-sleeved denim shirt with blue jeans. His white tennis shoes were a little scuffed. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail, held together with a black rubber band.
“I like you, Celestino,” she said. “You’re a good dude. You make me laugh.”
He smiled and they started walking again. “ Sooo , are you still with your boyfriend or not?” he asked.
“You’re serious?”
“Yeah, I’m serious.”
“Tino, I’m pregnant.”
“So? I like babies.”
“How old are you?” she asked.
“I’m seventeen.”
“Are you a nerd?”
“A nerd? No. I don’t wear glasses. My pants aren’t high-water. I don’t even like Star Trek.”
“You’re just a smart guy?”
“Just a smart guy,” he agreed.
They were at her car now. Candace disabled the alarm and opened the door.
“You got time to talk for a minute?” she asked. “Yeah.”
“Get in on the other side.”
Tino’s eyes grew big. “Hell, yeah! This is definitely progress.”
“Not really,” she said.
She got in and closed the door. Tino plopped down in the passenger seat and did the same.
“Tino, if you’re such a smart guy, why do you want me?” Candace asked. “There are plenty of girls here who’re smart and pretty and skinny . Have you ever dated someone with a baby?”
“No,” he said.
“Plus I’m still with my boyfriend. It’s not going good. I might end up being one of your fictitious statistics pretty soon, but I’m not staying here if we break up.”
“It’s not going good?” he asked.
“No. Not really. Sometimes I think it will be over any day now.”
“So I was right.”
“No, Tino. You’re not listening. If we do break up, I’m going back to New York.”
“Why?”
“Cause my boyfriend is the only reason I’m down here. I don’t know anyone in Texas. I don’t have any family. I’m going to finish this semester, but I don’t think I’ll be back in the fall.”
Tino looked seriously hurt by this news.
“You don’t even know me,” Candace said. “Why are you getting all depressed?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “I do this all the time. My brain just starts working things out on its own. I had all of these plans for us in my head. I saw us together this Christmas, at my grandma’s house. My aunts make tamales from scratch.
“And she wasn’t pregnant?” Candace asked with a grin. “No, she was just fat,” he said. “And if that’s what’s going on with you, then let me apologize ahead of time.”
She gave him a serious look. “Well, I hate to tell you this, but I’m not fat or pregnant. I’ve got a tumor. I have surgery scheduled this week.”
He stared at her belly bulge, the smile slipping from his face. “For real?”
“No, goofy. I’m pregnant. You think I’d be at school with a tumor this big?”
“That’s not funny,” he said, that cute grin working its way back to his lips. “I used to know a guy who had a tumor that big.”
“Really?”
“Well, I didn’t really know him. I saw some pictures on the Internet. I read his blog.”
Candace shook her head and continued the walk to her car. “Tino, you’re crazy.”
“You remember my name! That’s awesome.”
“You’re the only friend I’ve made at this school,” she said.
“ Friend? Oh, hell no. Don’t push me into that platonic friend category.”
Candace was shocked. “Tino, are you still trying to hit on me?”
“Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you’re still with your boyfriend,” he said. “Statistically speaking, one-third of all pregnant women in America are single.”
“Where’d you hear that?”
“I made it up,” he said. “It sounded good, though, didn’t it? I’ve found that if you rattle off a lie with a statistic in it, most people will believe you. Especially if you put numbers or percentages in there.”
Candace stopped and stared at him for a second. Today he wore a long-sleeved denim shirt with blue jeans. His white tennis shoes were a little scuffed. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail, held together with a black rubber band.
“I like you, Celestino,” she said. “You’re a good dude. You make me laugh.”
He smiled and they started walking again. “ Sooo , are you still with your boyfriend or not?” he asked.
“You’re serious?”
“Yeah, I’m serious.”
“Tino, I’m pregnant.”
“So? I like babies.”
“How old are you?” she asked.
“I’m seventeen.”
“Are you a nerd?”
“A nerd? No. I don’t wear glasses. My pants aren’t high-water. I don’t even like Star Trek.”
“You’re just a smart guy?”
“Just a smart guy,” he agreed.
They were at her car now. Candace disabled the alarm and opened the door.
“You got time to talk for a minute?” she asked. “Yeah.”
“Get in on the other side.”
Tino’s eyes grew big. “Hell, yeah! This is definitely progress.”
“Not really,” she said.
She got in and closed the door. Tino plopped down in the passenger seat and did the same.
“Tino, if you’re such a smart guy, why do you want me?” Candace asked. “There are plenty of girls here who’re smart and pretty and skinny . Have you ever dated someone with a baby?”
“No,” he said.
“Plus I’m still with my boyfriend. It’s not going good. I might end up being one of your fictitious statistics pretty soon, but I’m not staying here if we break up.”
“It’s not going good?” he asked.
“No. Not really. Sometimes I think it will be over any day now.”
“So I was right.”
“No, Tino. You’re not listening. If we do break up, I’m going back to New York.”
“Why?”
“Cause my boyfriend is the only reason I’m down here. I don’t know anyone in Texas. I don’t have any family. I’m going to finish this semester, but I don’t think I’ll be back in the fall.”
Tino looked seriously hurt by this news.
“You don’t even know me,” Candace said. “Why are you getting all depressed?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “I do this all the time. My brain just starts working things out on its own. I had all of these plans for us in my head. I saw us together this Christmas, at my grandma’s house. My aunts make tamales from scratch.