Nova Academy

Movie

She knew he would follow her because she knew that's exactly what would happen in a cheesy oversold movie. His footsteps were heavy behind her, so she slowed hers down to let him catch up.

"Connie!" He ran after her with no protection from the soaking rain.

She turned, clutching her umbrella tightly and trying to steady her heart. "Can I help you?"

He stood in front of her, already drenched. His tank top was a soaked and clinging mess onto his chest and his open button up was dark with moisture and dripping more. His hair was getting curlier and his face was completely wet.

"Let's see a movie tomorrow," He said.

"No, thank you," She declined immediately, but she stood there daring him to ask her again.

"It'll be fun!"

She turned around and started walking for the dorms, knowing he'd follow. "Doubt it."

"It won't be that sappy, I promise. Scouts honor." He crossed his fingers.

"1.) I call BS on that. 2.) You haven't ever been a boy scout so your little promise means nothing. 3.) Crossing your fingers means you're lying." She stopped. "And 4.) I have to study. You know, for school? Remember that?"

He licked his lips and shifted his weight. "Okay, I won't push you." The hybrid crouched down until he was nearly sitting on the ground and with big brown eyes he murmured, "Just think about it, okay?"

"I'll think about thinking about it," She complied cautiously.

"That's not a no!" His eyes lit up with delight, something she knew she had to extinguish quickly.

"I already said no. I said I would maybe think about thinking about saying yes, which makes it still a no."

It didn't work, but he nodded. "Think about it," He urged again.

And when she walked into her dorm, shaking the droplets off her umbrella, she thought about it.

When she added to her flash cards and shuffled through them, she thought about it.

When Anna asked her to braid her hair, she thought about it.

That evening in bed, she laid with her eyes wide open for over an hour, thinking about it.

"Fuck."

The next morning she thought about it, too.

She put on the undershirt of one of her suits and pulled a black sweater dress over it. Completing the look with a bow in her hair, she looked in the mirror.

Anna knocked and she startled. "Come in."

Immediately, Anna knew something was up and narrowed her eyes as she took in her outfit. "You need a bow tie."

"Okay." Connie yanked open a drawer and started digging around.

"Going out?" She asked as casually as she could, which admittedly wasn't much.

"I guess," She muttered as she clipped on her accessory. Anna had been right, it was definitely much cuter.

"Have fun~," She singsonged.

Connie texted Hazel to buzz her in "for a project" and stood in front of their door, trying to will herself to knock.

"It's fine. It's not a date," She told herself, raising her hand to knock.

She dropped it and then raised it again, inches from from the intimidating door.

"You need a break. You nearly burned out the other day. It's not a big deal." She moved her hand to knock but pulled it back at the last second.