The Most Beautiful Girl

From the back of the dorm room a Mario Kart tube plays as two competitors finally reach the final stage, Rainbow Road, after three hours. Sitting on top of the VCR is an empty VHS case from Blockbuster Video while on the large screen television the Nicolas Cage movie, "The Rock," completes the opening credits. Meanwhile, as the early evening of a perfect Saturday evening begins, a conversation at the front door hits everyone's attention like a wrong note sung at a karaoke.

"You did WHAT?!" Tai sounds like a scolding parent.

"I helped her understand the rules of syntax involving the subject verb agreement in the present and past tense form of Japanese grammar." El's honesty resembles the purity of an innocent schoolboy, straightforward and truthful; however, for Tai, El's obliviousness to the underlying aspects of young adulthood seems too painful for him to accept.

"Let me get this straight," Tai interrupts, "The University's head cheerleader was alone in YOUR room, sitting on YOUR bed with YOU sitting next to her, and all you did was explain Japanese grammar?!"

The curiosity of Tai's friends quickly turns into disappointment with El's five words:

"There's an exam next week."

"So, nothing happened?" they ask, while dropping their attention to the movies and video games.

"Like what?" El, confused, struggles to understand what his dorm mates are implying.

"El, you're saying all you did with her was study for a test?"

"She did forget where she parked. So, I helped her find the garage."

"Okay. At least he walked her to her car," someone points out.

"No, I pointed to her the direction of the parking garage," El clarifies, emphasizing his concern for the girl.

"Look everyone," El addresses each person in the room, their mouths dropping to the floor in disbelief, as they continue to hear about their expected fantasies with the University's head cheerleader is sounding more like a nightmare.

"Why is everyone acting strange? It's Saturday and I'm having fun playing Mario Kart and watching movies with all you guys. I NEVER got to do this growing up."

The Mario Kart tune, comical and awkward with its "advanced" 32-bit technology, seems to precisely emphasize El's statement with perfect timing.

"Oh, I get it. You all think I should have done something with her like propose to her. Doesn't anyone understand that's not what love is?"

Other than the sounds coming from the television and Super Nintendo, El's anticipation of an epiphany is met with silence.

"What I'm trying to say," El continues taking a deep breath, "is that love isn't about what you see from the outside. Haven't any of you ever read 'Kraven's Last Hunt?' It's a six-part series that continues across all the Spider-Man titles from 1987. In part two, 'Crawling,' there's a meaningful moment when Peter..."

An eruption of laughter muffles El's explanation as the attention of the room shifts toward Tai, who is pretending to cut his heart out from his chest with a plastic knife. The moment extends beyond El's comprehension behind the science of dating girls.

He feels his soul hemorrhaging slowly under the knife of humiliation, a familiar feeling from his childhood.

Over the years, El learned to find refuge and inspiration from the pages of his favorite comic story, "Web of Spider-Man" issue #31.

Unnoticed under the laughter and distractions of video games and movies, El slips into the hallway. He walks pass the doors into the lobby as the laughter fades, but is replaced by the whispers of criticism aimed at El's taste in his bedtime attire: a white "Zubon," or karate pants, with a matching white t-shirt with the arms sleeves cut off. Printed on the front in bold, black print is the Japanese kanji character for "Love."

"I think everyone looks buff nowadays," a girl chuckles.

"He looks desperate," another girl claims as she points at the kanji character brandished on his chest like a superhero symbol.

If there is one thing that separates El from the guys who fetish over the University's head cheerleader, it's El's strong belief that love should resemble something close to 'Amazing Spider-Man' issue #293, pages 27 to 29.

It is this belief in which the Universe felt it was time to give El a chance to hit a home run.

Sitting in the middle phone booth, the receiver gently pressed against her shoulder length, black hair is the girl he has thought of since moving into the dorms. Her eyes, connecting with his, replaces the sound of laughter and teasing with the song, "Kissing You," by Des'Ree. This was a song his younger sister had shared with him during their last phone call. El's sister claims the song is currently the most popular song in her middle school. Though he heard it only once over the phone, El hears the lyrics clearly, word for word, as if he is familiar with the meaning of the lyrics.

El, walking across the floor, notices her eyes are following his. He sees the pause in her conversation in order to make a smile towards him. *Her smile reminds El of the first time they met in the elevator.

Like a riptide, a rush of emotion hits El. And, that frightens him. His heart begins racing as he dries the sweat from his hands against his Zubon. Yet, his hands continue unmanageably sweating.

El has entered unknown territory, an experience he has no knowledge of, or advice to guide his direction. However, he doesn't want this feeling to end.

Recalling page 29 of 'Amazing Spider-Man' issue #293, El thinks to himself as their stare locks deeper.

He thinks to himself, "I know there will be risks but I want to face them with her."

El's understanding of life from the perspective of superheroes and watching Christopher Reeves play Superman on HBO as a child, would never prepare him for the decision he will make. Vulnerable and naive, but genuine to the code of superheroes, El will unknowingly open the doors to a place where many are not able to return.

And, as the doors open to a Universe in which reality is stranger than fiction, the Universe could not have chosen a better candidate to face the demons arriving from there.

El, the naive schoolboy and unlikely champion, would be that candidate.

And, his decision will be based on love.