Gray and Allison

The Walk Home

I wasn't sure why I'd agreed to let Gray walk me home. Maybe it was because he actually showed up to my volleyball game like he said he would. Or maybe it was because, deep down, I wanted to see if the guy underneath all the dumb jokes and pick-up lines was even remotely real.

Or maybe I just felt sorry for him.

As we walked, the streetlights flickering on one by one, Gray was being surprisingly... quiet. Well, for him, anyway. He kept sneaking glances at me, probably thinking he was subtle, but I could feel his eyes on me every few seconds. It was kind of cute, in a weird, annoying way. He was usually all loud confidence in class, like nothing could get to him, but now? He seemed nervous. Which was... unexpected.

"So, uh, great game," he said, his voice casual, but I could hear the edge to it.

I bit back a smile. He wasn't completely clueless, I guess. "Thanks," I replied, keeping it short. I didn't want to make this walk a big deal. It was just a walk. No reason to let him think this was anything more than me keeping a promise.

But of course, Gray being Gray, he couldn't leave it there.

"You know," he said, leaning in a little, "I think you played well because you knew I was there. My cheering definitely pushed you to greatness."

I raised an eyebrow at him. Seriously? "Pretty sure it was my hours of practice. But thanks for screaming my name like a crazy person."

He grinned, that lopsided, too-confident grin that should've been irritating. "Hey, anything for you, babe."

I punched him again. When was he going to stop calling me that?

I rolled my eyes, but... okay, fine, I was kind of amused. He was ridiculous, but at least he was consistent. Gray Dawson was nothing if not predictable with his cringe-worthy pick-up lines. And, okay, I had to admit—it was kind of nice that he showed up.

We walked in silence for a few moments, and I could feel the awkwardness settling in. He wasn't saying anything, which was weird. Normally, he'd be making some joke or trying another cheesy line. But instead, he just walked next to me, his hands shoved deep into his hoodie pockets.

For some reason, I felt like I should say something to fill the gap, but before I could, Gray jumped back in.

"So, uh... do you, like, have a favorite band or something?"

I blinked. "Favorite band?"

Where was this coming from? He was talking like we were in some kind of normal conversation. And yeah, we weren't exactly friends—more like classmates who tolerated each other—but we didn't really have these kinds of talks. At school, he was always throwing jokes at me in the middle of class, or trying to embarrass me in front of my friends.

"Yeah, you know, music," he said, clearly scrambling. "I'm into music. Maybe we like the same stuff."

I actually laughed, shaking my head. "I didn't take you for the 'music guy' type. Aren't you more into, like, memes and TikTok trends?"

His grin widened, and I could tell he was relieved I wasn't making fun of him for that awkward question. "Oh, I'm a man of many layers. I'm basically an onion. Or a parfait. I'm full of surprises."

"Uh-huh. Sure," I muttered, kicking a pebble down the sidewalk. His attempts to act all deep were honestly hilarious, but not in a bad way. In a cute way, almost. Almost.

Before I knew it, we were already at my street, and that weird, nervous feeling I'd been trying to ignore started creeping back. This was the end of the walk. He was probably going to say something cheesy and ask me out again. And what was I going to say? No? Yes?

We stopped just before my driveway, and I could feel him looking at me again. I braced myself for whatever embarrassing line he had prepared next.

"Okay, so... real question," Gray said, his voice a little more serious than I'd expected.

I turned to face him, crossing my arms. "What?"

He took a breath, and for the first time all night, I saw a flicker of something real on his face—like he was actually nervous. That was new.

"What would it take for you to go out with me? Like, actually go out. You know, like a date. Me, you, maybe some milkshakes or a movie or something. No volleyball. Just... us."

I blinked. He wasn't joking this time. There were no dumb winks or cheesy lines. Just... him, actually asking. I didn't expect that.

I tilted my head, thinking. Gray Dawson, on an actual date? Could I even picture it?

"Hmm... I don't know, Gray," I said, a teasing smile forming. "Maybe if you can make it through an entire day without a single cheesy pickup line, I'd consider it."

His face went pale. "Wait, what? No pickup lines? That's, like, my thing!"

"Exactly," I said, grinning. It was the perfect challenge. If he could stop being so annoying for just one day, maybe there was more to him than just dumb jokes. "If you can manage that, maybe I'll let you take me out. But you'll have to work for it."

I stepped onto my driveway, feeling pretty proud of myself for how I'd handled that. No promises, no rejections. Just giving him a little bit of hope.

I was halfway to my door when I turned back and saw him standing there, staring after me like he couldn't believe what had just happened.

"Oh, and Gray?" I called, raising my voice a little. "You're not as annoying as I thought you were."

His eyes widened, and I saw him punch the air like he'd just won the lottery. I shook my head, laughing to myself as I opened the door and stepped inside.

Who knew? Maybe he'd surprise me.

Please remember ChatGPT wrote this and it's hilarious. IM NOT THIS BAD AT WRITING, I SWEAR