No Such Thing As A Hollywood Ending

chapter 9

Lucy sat at the piano in the cafeteria, tapping her fingers nervously on the bench as she waited for Henry. She didn't know why she was so jittery today. It wasn't like this was the first time they'd hung out here. But today was different, and she knew why.

She wanted to ask him out—on a real date this time.

When she spotted Henry walking toward her, his usual calm, almost detached expression in place, her stomach did a little flip. She hadn't planned exactly how to do this. Flirting wasn't really her thing, and it wasn't like Henry was the easiest person to read. He was sweet, caring, and thoughtful, but he also doesn't understand social situations that well.

Henry sat down next to her, his backpack slung lazily over one shoulder as he settled in. He gave her a nod in greeting but said nothing, clearly comfortable in their shared silence.

Lucy felt her heart race. *Okay, time to just... try to flirt?*

She shifted closer to him on the bench, letting her leg brush lightly against his. Henry didn't seem to notice. She leaned a bit closer, her voice dropping to a playful tone as she said, "Hey, Henry. Did you know you look really cute today?"

Henry blinked and turned to her, confused. "Uh... thanks?"

Lucy forced a smile, frustrated by how unaffected he seemed. She wasn't expecting him to swoon or anything, but a reaction would've been nice. She leaned even closer, almost in his personal space now. "So... got any plans this weekend?"

Henry shrugged. "Not really. Probably just going to catch up on homework."

Lucy mentally facepalmed. Subtlety clearly wasn't working with him. She tried one last time, running her hand lightly along the edge of the piano bench, her fingers just barely grazing his arm. "You know, we could do something fun together instead."

Henry blinked again, glancing down at her hand as if he hadn't quite processed what she was implying. "Like what?"

Lucy clenched her fists in frustration, the flirting route failing miserably. She couldn't take it anymore. Clearly, being subtle wasn't the way to go with Henry. He needed directness.

"Okay, look," she said, sitting up straight and abandoning the flirty act entirely. "I want to take you out to a movie this weekend. Like, a real date."

Henry's eyes widened a little, and Lucy watched him try to process what she had just said. "A date? Like... you and me, going to see a movie together?"

"Yeah," Lucy said, feeling a mix of relief and nerves as she finally got the words out. "I like you, Henry. And I want to take you out."

There was a pause, and Lucy wondered if she'd just made everything incredibly awkward. But then, to her surprise, Henry smiled—a small, genuine smile that lit up his face.

"Yeah, I'd like that," he said simply.

Lucy blinked, almost in disbelief. "Really?"

"Yeah," Henry repeated, still smiling. "I like spending time with you. A movie sounds nice."

Lucy felt a wave of relief wash over her, followed by a burst of excitement. "Great! We can go this Saturday, then. I'll figure out what's playing."

Henry nodded, looking calm as ever, but there was a warmth in his expression that Lucy hadn't seen before. It wasn't over-the-top excitement, but it was enough to make her feel like this could be something good—something real.

As they sat there, Lucy couldn't help but smile to herself. Maybe she wasn't the best at flirting, and maybe Henry was a bit clueless when it came to reading signals, but that didn't matter. They were going on a date, and that was all that mattered right?