Later, Leslie came by to bring Mike and Myra back. Mrs. Perkins came out to greet Leslie while she was present.
“Hello, Leslie,” Mrs. Perkins said.
“Oh, hello, Marlene,” said Leslie.
The two exchanged handshakes.
“Sorry for making you put up with her,” Mrs. Perkins said.
“Nah, if anything, she’s made life more interesting. Besides, I originally signed up for shit like this. Too late to complain now,”
“Still sworn off dating?”
“I’m still mad. Of course,” Lesie scoffed.
Mike was starting to get himself situated in the back of Leslie’s sedan. Myra walked up to the two conversing and joined in for a moment.
“I don’t get why she’s still mad. Just find someone new, Leslie. Anyway, Marlene. Are we good?” Myra asked.
“Did she learn?” Mrs. Perkins countered.
“Yeah, actually. Your daughter took to it quickly. She needs to practice… but I think she’ll be fine,” Myra said.
Myra turned to go to Leslie’s car. Before getting in, she turned back to face Mrs. Perkins.
“See you around, I guess!” she called.
Mrs. Perkins waved back, as Myra started getting into Leslie’s car. Leslie herself got into the driver seat, and got ready to drive Mike home. Turning on the car, she called to Mike and Myra sitting in the back.
“So, how was the game and everything?” Leslie asked.
“We won,” Mike said.
“Oh, really? What was the score?”
“Seventeen to sixteen, come from behind win,”
“Wow, sounds like I missed a good one,”
“It was interesting,” Myra added.
“Oh, that’s right! You’ve never been to a football game before… did you like it?” Leslie asked.
“It… was fine. Not my favorite,” Myra said.
“Isn’t mine either. I’m a hockey girl. Find football kind of stupid. I mean, they don’t use their feet, it’s stupid,”
A moment passed, as neither Mike or Myra had a rebuttal for Leslie’s comment. After a moment, Mike had a question of his own come to mind.
“Myra’s been staying with you, right?” he asked.
“Oh, she’s mentioned me? Ha,” Leslie said.
“Yeah, she said something about what you do, not super sure about it,”
“I’m glad that’s what she mentioned,”
“What do you mean ‘that’s what she mentioned?’ Something about that dude who ran?” Mike asked.
“Fuck! Myra, why’d you have to say that,”
“What? Is it not true?”
“That’s not the point! Ugh, you…”
“I’m… sorry, should I have not mentioned that?” Mike added.
“Oh, whatever.” Leslie snarled.
Mike didn’t follow up on that line of questioning, hesitant to spin up Leslie further. After about a minute, Leslie spoke up.
“Hey, Mike.”
“Yeah?” he answered.
“What do you think about Myra?” Leslie asked.
“What do I think about her?”
“Yeah. Do you think she’s hot?”
“Eh- what?! Uhhh…”
Mike looked over at Myra, whose face was temporarily being buried in her palm. Leslie, however, continued.
“I wanna know, do you think she’s hot?”
“I-- uhh… I mean, she’s… she’s pretty, I guess,” Mike stammered.
“God dammit, why are people like this,”
“Leslie, chill a bit,” Myra interjected.
“He’s a seventeen-year-old boy, surely he’s the type to have lewd thoughts!”
“I’m not seventeen yet, my birthday is in a few weeks,” Mike corrected.
“Whatever! You have a hottie with you, and you’re unfazed!”
Leslie was worked up over the matter, perhaps overly so.
“Leslie!” Myra shouted.
Leslie stopped for a moment after Myra’s uncharacteristically serious shout. Myra took that moment to continue her speech.
“Don’t give Mike too hard a time. He’s… got his own issues to sort though. Besides…”
Myra looked over at Mike, who was starting to visibly get nervous over the noise that Leslie was making.
“I think he gets it. He just chooses his own ways to express that, if that makes sense,”
Mike blushed slightly when Myra commented about that while looking at him.
“Though it is weird, admittedly, you haven’t done much of anything, Mike.”
“W… what do you mean?” Mike asked.
“...you’re avoiding trying to do things, is what I mean,” Myra added.
“I… uh…”
Mike unconfidently shrunk in the face of Myra’s point.
“But we can work on that. Hmmm…” Myra mused.
Myra looked forward to the seat in front of her, lost in thought.
“Hey, isn’t there a prom coming up?” Leslie asked.
“Yeah, and Mike asked if we could go,” Myra added.
“Why don’t you have him wear a costume to that? Try to get him out of his shell,”
“Eh?” Mike sounded.
“That sounds like a great idea. Let’s do that, Mike,” Myra said.
“Glad to be of service,” Leslie added.
Mike sat in the car seat, worried about what kind of disaster could be awaiting him. Meanwhile, Leslie had arrived at Mike’s apartment. She let him out and Myra called out before leaving:
“See you Monday!”
