Pretzel Girl

"The deed is done"

I drop onto the bed, propping my head up against a few pillows, and watch Esther start to pick her way through my closet. Through all of my clothes that try not to seek attention, just like me.

With her being the outgoing, gorgeous, upcoming model that she's working hard to be, she enjoys wearing flashy and bold clothing. Not flashy, like inappropriate attire, but something that makes her stand out. Me, on the other hand, I hate standing out. I hate any attention being drawn to me, no matter what it is for.

She backs out of the closet, holding a pile of dull colored jeans and shirts, that I purposefully stuffed in the back to avoid wearing. I take this as my cue to stand up and start trying on outfits for her, while she takes a seat on the edge of the bed.

"So, a girl, huh?" Her smile is enthusiastic but also teasing. I slip a red button up on then shake my head, "Nah." But she catches my bluff when I turn around quickly to hide the color forming on my cheeks.

"What's her name?" My thoughts wander back to her red visor that barely sits on her head, and her sarcastic sense of humor. She's definitely not like the girls that shop in Poshes, and I'm not just saying that because she works in a pretzel shop.

"Addison."

Esther nods, then points at a navy long sleeved shirt from some expensive brand that I don't necessarily care to know the name of. "That one. And those darker jeans with the rips." I fold and set the outfit onto my dresser before sitting on the opposite end, facing her.

"When are you going to ask her out?" She asks, through a drawn-out yawn. The nervous laugh bubbles through my mouth before I can stop it, and I run my fingers through my hair. "Who said I was going to ask her out?" She rolls her eyes before chunking a pillow at me. I dodge it at the expense of falling off of the end of the bed.

I couldn't do it. I couldn't bring myself to ask her. I can't.

"Here's what you're going to do. You are going to ask her out to a casual date, maybe a movie or bowling or something. You're going to make sure she wants to go out again. Go out on two dates in the next two weeks, and then she can come have dinner with the family." I try to argue that I have just met her, and that she isn't going to want to meet my family after only two dates, but she takes none of it. So I guess starting Monday, I will be working toward asking Addison to a date. Yikes.

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It seemed so simple when Esther and I were talking about how I would ask her out, but now that I'm actually standing in front of her, I have no words. No, I do have words. But I have stuttered at least 6 times already. I may have been shy my entire life but I have never started stuttering. Ever.

It must be a sign.

Addison stares at me like she's trying to read my mind. Or maybe she's trying to figure out why I'm acting so weird. "Did you hit your head, Daniel?" Her voice shakes me out of my thoughts of mainly trying to put together the words needed to ask her. "W-what?" There it is again. This is obviously not my day.

"You're acting weird." She responds, quirking an eyebrow. There isn't a bandage on arc of her nose anymore, and the swelling has gone down a lot, at least from what I can tell. There's still a darker greenish tint to it, still making it noticeable, but it has gone down to the original size. I like the way it kind of flips up at the end. It's cute. I realize that she's caught me staring at her, and I rub my hand against the back of my head. "I know, I'm sorry."

"Is everything okay?"

"Uhh, yeah. Everything is great."

Just do it. Just do it!

Deciding it was about time, I slam my palms down onto the counter, making her jump.

"I actually have something to ask you."

Her cheeks redden and it feels like a sort of advantage.

Please let this work...

"Yes?"

Here we go!

"Addisonwillyougooutwithme?"

Bam. The deed is done.

"What?"

Crap, I said it too fast, didn't I?

One more time.

"Addison, will you go out with me?"