You can Bet on Me

Part 2 ~ Asking Her Out

Michael
"Hey Maddison," I grinned as she turned around slowly. When she saw my face, she groaned like I was the last person she wanted to see. Her friend, the black-haired girl, turned around, and I got a good look at her dark brown eyes for the first time.
Not as pretty or gorgeous as Maddison's beautiful green eyes, I found myself thinking.
"What do you want?" she began by accusing me.
"Uh, Maddy?" the black-haired girl looked from Maddison to me quickly five times and I gave her an easy grin. She didn't have any reaction except her eyes widening and quickly flitting back to look at Maddison. That just made me grin wider.

"Go on without me," Maddison replied. The black-haired girl stared at me for a moment longer, studying my expression and unreadable easy grin that I always had, narrowing her eyes before walking off and was completely absorbed by the massive school body trying to get out of the hallway after school. Maddison turned back to me, a disdainful, bitter expression on her face.
"So, now that your little friend over there is gone, I need to ask you something." I paused to study her face. She didn't seem particularly interested in what I was going to say nor did she seem pleased to see me.
"Well?" she raised a brow. "Get on with it. I don't have all day, unlike you."
"Not here," I found myself dragging her off towards the cafeteria where the few students there's eyes widened when they saw me – specifically me – and scurried out.
"Look," I stared deeply into her emerald-green eyes and could only think one thing: they're beautiful. I could get lost in these kinds of eyes. "I need you to be my girlfriend."
"Need?" she stared at me expectantly. "Seriously? Uh, no the heck you don't, I'm a nerd, a nobody, and you – you're mister big-time showstopper. Sorry, no can do."
She didn't even hesitate to turn me down. If I was going to convince her, I would need a little better story than a 'no background reason' story. What I needed was a sob story.
"I-I'm trying not to be a player anymore," I lied, staring deeper into her eyes. Her breath hitched and I sucked my breath in. When she didn't say anything, I continued, "I'm tired of moving on from one girl to another with no official girlfriend, and I need—no, want you to be my girlfriend. Please. You're not a nobody, and you're not a nerd – you're just smart."
All the words that just came out of my mouth were a complete lie. Every single part. But it didn't matter – what she didn't know is that dating her for only a month would win me a hundred bucks and make me a couple hundred richer.
She didn't reply. Silence hung in the air like a cloud as I waited for her answer. Better than her turning me down in a heartbeat? I pondered as I stared at her thoughtful face. She seemed to really be considering it – ever since I mentioned that I wasn't trying to be a player anymore.
"Okay," she said finally, my heart soaring, and maybe not just from being able to win hundreds. "I'll help you."
"What?" my heart dropped to my feet as an image of hundred dollar bills disappeared into thin air in a 'poof'. "What do you mean?"
"I'll help you to stop being a player," she explained slowly like I was a dumb ten-year-old trying to learn maths.
"What about being my girlfriend?" I blurted out.
"That?" she asked as if she had forgotten for a second. "It's... it's a maybe." Turning slightly pink in the cheeks, she added, "I've... I've never been asked out before."
Yeah, duh. You're not exactly very nice to people. I thought, trying to not roll my eyes exasperatingly as that might decrease my already-low chance that she'll say yes.
"Well now you have," I replied simply. "And since you've never been asked out... I assume you've never had a boyfriend?" She nodded and swallowed. "...then allow me to be your first. I promise to be the best boyfriend you will ever have, just please give me a chance." I sounded almost desperate, but at this point, I was desperate for money. To prove James wrong and win some cash – two birds with one stone.
She paused before replying slowly, "okay."
I was quiet, expecting her to say more, but she didn't.
"Well then, uh, girlfriend, let me walk you to your car?" I offered hesitantly, unsure of how much I would regret this later.
"I-I'm taking the bus today," she replied stiffly. "It's alright. I'll wait."
In my mind I imagined nodding my head and saying bye before leaving, but then I thought, is that really what a good boyfriend would do? I don't know why that was my first thought, but I was certainly not going to listen to it... right?
I exhaled and sighed before saying, "no, you won't. I'll drive you."
"No, it's okay—" I was almost relieved to hear her refuse, but before I could accept her refusal of my offer, my mind took over.
"It's not an offer," my traitorous mind was taking over again. I was relieved to hear her refuse, right? Quickly, I added, "sorry. But, uh—" come on, think, traitorous mind. You got me in this situation, so you're going to help me play it through smoothly. Now what would a good, loving boyfriend actually say in this situation? Urgh, I don't know! I'm not a good, loving boyfriend. "—I'm not going to leave you standing here alone."
"I'm perfectly fine with that alternative," Maddison snapped.
I grinned and said, "did I say you had a choice? Anyways, it's not an offer – you're coming to my car and I'm going to drive you home."
I sucked in my breath, suddenly aware of how much of a controlling, abusive boyfriend I sounded like and waited quietly for her rejection.
To my surprise, her eyes softened and she replied, "okay. Thank you." We stood there for a moment, not meeting each other's gazes, just quiet. In silence.
Suddenly aware of my surroundings, where I was, and who I was, I cleared my throat again and said softly, "well then, princess, let's go."
I don't know why I called her princess again, but it just felt right. This time, she didn't say anything about it and simply followed me as I left the cafeteria to my new bright red Ferrari that I had gotten for my birthday last month. She stopped and I stopped next to her. She gawked at the car with surprised eyes.
"So... you going to get in the car?" I asked exasperatingly, rolling my eyes, but she didn't even notice.
Clearing her throat, she blinked several times before saying, "oh, uh, sorry. I just haven't seen a Ferrari before... I knew you and your family were kind of rich, but I never knew this rich." Quickly, she added, "no offense, of course."
"None taken," I grinned. "If anything, thanks." I walked around the car to the driver's side and got in.
"Get here," she snapped.
"The heck? Why?" I asked, confusion written all over my face.
"To open the door for me," she replied pointedly like it was the most obvious thing on earth. "To be a gentleman and open the door for me."
"Who the hell said I wanted to be a gentleman?" I snapped challengingly. "Just because I'm quitting being a player doesn't mean I'll become a gentleman of a slave."
She glared me down haughtily before throwing her bag in the car and getting in after it. I snorted before getting in the driver's seat, resting my hands lightly on the steering wheel. That was obviously the wrong answer, and I knew it, but she was pushing it a little too hard. Okay, way too hard. She clearly hadn't lost her sharp edge.
"Whatever. So what's your address?" I asked, tightening my grip on the steering wheel in the quickly emptying parking lot of LA.
"Twenty-seven Rosebury Avenue," she replied, her eyes flickering to look out the window and refusing to meet my gaze.
Damn. Did I already make her mad? Then I paused for a moment to wonder, why do I care? Do I care? I don't know anymore. James was right – maybe I am losing my mind over this good-two-shoes, arguably average-looking, straight-A of a nerd. Yet again, I'm Michael Peterson and I keep calm about everything, so not a possibility.
"Okay."
I typed the address into the new, auto-smart GPS, quickly pressing the enter button.
"Continue down Adelson Way for two-hundred metres and turn left onto Brackston Street," the automated voice instructed. "Then, drive for another seven-hundred and fifty metres until you reach Princess Highway." I didn't start the car.
"Well?" Maddison glared at me after a moment, and I held her gaze persistently.
"I'm not moving," I replied stubbornly. "Not until I get an apology from a certain rude person."
She groaned loudly and glared me down, probably searching for any signs that I was joking. I stared back at her, silently telling her that I was most certainly not joking.
She groaned again and glared at me as she said, "urgh, fine. Sorry."
I was enjoying this, so I grinned and asked, "for what?" like she was an apologizing five-year-old.
"For your ugly face," she snapped. "Screw it, I'm taking the bus." She sighed and grabbed her bag, opening my car door and getting out.
"No, never mind. Just- urgh, just get in." I finally caved in, but she gave me another glare – something I seemed to be getting a lot from her – before getting in again and closing the door. I grumbled as I started the car and backed out of the now empty parking lot of LA, feeling particularly sour for some reason.
She is certainly not making this any easier for me, I sighed as I turned onto Adelson Way and the automatic voice of the GPS began blabbering directions again. I sighed again and followed the directions.
The entire ride, she didn't speak a single word to me and I didn't say a single thing to her, and I was okay with that. Normally, awkward silences frustrated me or at least made me annoyed, but for some reason, I was okay with this awkward silence.
For what reason? My thoughts taunted me. Why? Do you like her? Do I? No, I don't. She's not my type – maybe even the complete opposite. Blonde hair and blue eyes and a curvy body is the best kind of girl. Not... not a good girl with straight A's and practically having college applications fall into her lap.
Maybe James was right – I was a psycho, and I was losing my mind over a car ride with an arguably average-looking, straight-A good girl of a nerd. It wasn't long before she bit her lip and pointed to a single-story house that looked like it had seen better days beside much better-looking houses on Rosebury Avenue. "There, that's my house."
I nodded without a word and parked on the curb. Unlocking the car, I said awkwardly, "well, uh, bye. See you around?"
She didn't say anything, but nodded and got out. From the window of her house, I saw a little girl peeping out with curious eyes at my car. I had tinted windows, so she wouldn't have been able to see me in there, but she was eying Maddison as if she was a stranger. Maddison reached under the carpet on the front porch and pulled out a key with a dangling duck keychain and unlocked the door.
I felt like such a creep watching her enter her house, slip the key back under the carpet, and close the door, but my arms and legs felt like they weren't mine as they rested on the pedal and steering wheel, refusing to move. Eventually, I shook myself out of it and took a deep breath before turning back onto the main street and driving away.
What the hell is going on with me? I wondered as the traffic light in front of me turned red. Why am I so absentminded? Why... why do I give a damn about what Maddison thinks of me?
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