Midas' Touch

A Date

Chelsea entered her dorm room. Her eyes spotted Lisa, her introverted roommate, buried beneath a mountain of blankets, her dark hair spilling out of her makeshift cocoon.

"I brought your backpack back." Chelsea laid her friend bag on the floor before she kicked off her shoes and carelessly tossed her own bag onto the bed. "It's pretty heavy, by the way."

"Thank you," Lisa replied softly.

"So, when are you gonna tell me about the guy we met in class today?" Chelsea prodded eagerly, settling herself on the bed with her elbows supporting her body.

Lisa remained unmoving under her blanket, silent as a statue.

"Don't be shy, spill the beans," Chelsea insisted, determined to get some information from Lisa. "There must have been something happen between you two that made you rush back here and forget your backpack."

A muffled groan escaped from beneath the blankets, but Lisa offered no further response.

Chelsea rolled her eyes, her curiosity unsatiated.

"Fine, whatever," she muttered.

Lisa's phone suddenly buzzed. The screen lighting up with an unknown number. Glancing at the message, her heart skipped a beat.

"Hello, this is Brandon.

It seems like you may have left your backpack behind in class.

I helped your friend Chelsea bring it back to you.

And she was kind enough to give me your number.

Is it okay if I call you?

I just want to hear your voice and make sure everything is fine.

But if you don't feel like talking, that's totally fine."

Lisa hesitated, her fingers hovering over the screen. She could feel the heat creeping into her cheeks and her pulse quickening.

"You can call." she finally typed, hitting send before she could change her mind. As the message vanished into cyberspace, she drew in a deep breath to steady her nerves.

The phone rang. The bluish glow of the phone screen illuminated Lisa's flushed face as she hesitantly answered Brandon's call.

"Hey Brandon."

"Hey, Lisa... I just wanted to check in on you." His voice, deep and soothing, washed over her like a warm wave.

"Y-yeah," she stammered, her heart pounding in her chest. "I'm fine now. Thanks for asking."

"Good, I'm glad. So, uh, I was wondering if you'd be interested in going out with me this weekend?" His voice seemed nervous, which strangely made her feel more at ease.

"Sure, that sounds nice." Lisa bit her lip, excitement dancing through her veins.

"Good, see you in front of the restaurant around 6pm Saturday?"

"That's sound good. See you then."

She quickly hung up, unable to find any more words.

"Was it... Brandon?" Chelsea asked, smirking.

"Maybe," Lisa mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

"Wow, our little introvert snagged herself a man just two months into college!" Chelsea teased, playfully nudging Lisa's shoulder. "What's your secret?"

"Shut up," Lisa muttered, feeling heat rise to her cheeks. She couldn't tell if it was embarrassment or something else entirely.

"Come on, you can't keep everything to yourself," Chelsea insisted, laughter dancing in her voice. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity.