Started in the Hallways

34

December 11, 2023
Sages POV

For the past week, me and Aria haven't really been awkward, but at the same time we haven't been not awkward. Like in choir, or at lunch, I keep stuttering my words around her and she's struggling to make eye contact with me.

Why do I keep forgetting, that's literally nothing new.

But you know, I don't mind. It's just gonna take time for us to get used to being at a whole new level with each other. Plus we still hold hands (underneath the desk) and still go over to each others houses nearly every day.

Also, on Saturday she took me on a date. It wasn't anything big, but I'm not picky. Her just being there with me was good enough for me.

We went to the park and found a pond. She even picked me flowers and made a headband out of them.

The main part that gets me everytime I think about it...

She kept a flower for herself. She said "I'm going to keep this one. So that when it officially dies I know when to make you a new one."

She's too sweet I can't handle it...

Obviously we shared another kiss. Whenever we're with each other, it's kind of a rare for our lips to not be touching.

Anywho, schools boring, as usual. First period kinda kills me, and it only lasts about 55 minutes. And the bell actually hasn't even rung yet. We're just watching morning announcements. It seems to be the same stuff every day.

"Freshmen, sophmores, and juniors," Principal Faye said. "Since you guys only get homecoming, while seniors get homecoming and prom, you guys will have a winter formal on the 27th of January."

Okay, that's something I'm willing to listen to.

"That's the one thing that grasped everyone's attention," Cyrus says, sitting next to me.

Fun fact, me and Cyrus aren't friends with Autumn anymore. She may have acted nice in person, but she did a lot of things that we didn't witness first hand.

We won't be getting into that...

"Yeah," I said. "It's usually the same bull crap every day, but now we've got something we can actually look forward to."

"Yeah, plus I like how she's including the fact that seniors get two dances a year, while us lower class men have to suffer with just one."

"Exactly. Plus I didn't even get to go to homecoming this year, so I'm definitely going to this."

"That's cool," he said, but very dry.

When someone says something very dry, I won't reply. So now we're just sitting next to each other in silence.

Back to this dance. I really want to go with Aria. Either she can make the move, or I can. It would most likely be her though.

"Can you go to the dance with me?" Cyrus asks, breaking the silence which I wish it stayed like that.

"What?" I ask, because I can't seem to comprehend what I just heard.

"Go to the dance with me? It would be cool having you as a date."

I don't know how to answer...

The obvious answer would be no, right? I'm not going to go to a dance with someone else. I have a partner, who I should go with.

But I can't say yes or no. Saying no would leave him confused or upset. Everyone's shipped us before so it would seem weird. By saying no, it would possibly lead me to telling him I'm going out with Aria...

But by saying yes, I'd be destroying what's going on between me and Aria. She's be heartbroken, and that's not something I want.

"Sage?" Cyrus' voice bringing me out of headspace.

"Sorry."

"Don't be, but you haven't given me an answer."

"Give me some time to think about it."

Boom. I don't say no, but I also don't say yes. I don't want to say yes anyway.

I just need to talk it out with Aria, you know? If I have to say yes to prevent our relationship being revealed, then maybe. But if I can say no and give him a brief explanation, then I'll do that.

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Now we're in choir. I don't know if it's a very great time to ask Aria about all this considering our winter concert is in 9 days.

But I really need to know what to say. I don't understand why it has to be so hard for me though. The answer is obviously no, right?

"Sage, somethings not right today," Aria says, as she walks to her seat next to me.

"What do you mean?"

"You look stressed. Is there something going on that you'd like to tell me about?"

"Just this one thing..."

"I knew it! You're a secret spy."

I just look at her. What the actual heck.

"Aria... No."

"Sorry, what were you going to say?"

"So um... I don't know how you'd react to this."

"What is it? Is it something illegal?"

"No. But it's just... I don't know."

"Tell me, Sage. Whatever it is I can probably help."

I hope you can.

"So... You know my guy best friend, Cyrus?"

"Mhm..."

"He asked me to the winter formal."

We pause. Like a major pause. She looks at me shocked, confused, and a bit angry maybe?

"And you said no," she said. "Right?"

"Honestly... I didn't give him an answer at all. I told him I'd think about it, which feels so stupid to say because obviously the answer is no, and I don't get why I didn't just say that in the first place, and I'm really-"

"Sage, you're speaking to fast, I'm gonna need you to calm down," she said.

"I don't know how to though. I felt like I couldn't say no, but at the same time I couldn't say yes."

"Why's that?"

"If I said no, I would've had to tell him about me and you. If I said yes, I'd be destroying what we have."

"Okay, I see where you're coming from. Me personally, I don't mind if he knows about us, especially if he appears to have a crush on you, I'd like him to know that you're mine. But at the same time it's up to you as well. Do you want him to know?"

"I don't know. He probably isn't homophobic but at the same time I feel like he is."

"Are you scared of judgment?"

"Yeah."

"Well, maybe you don't have to tell him. You can lie to him and say you're not going."

Pause. What does she mean by that?

"Is it actually a lie?" I ask.

"Depends. Do you want to go with me?" she asks.

"Well..."

Silence. I bought it on purpose, just to add suspense.

"I'm sorry, that was a bad time to ask-"

"Wait, no, it's fine! Yeah I'd love to go with you. I just went silent to add tension to it."

"Wow, way to scare me," she laughed.

That really just cleared every single thought running through my head.

I can just tell him that I'm not going, or that I'm going with Aria, or that I'm just going with someone in general and not say who.