Lila Anderson has returned for her sophomore year at McKinley High. After losing regionals, the Glee Club is officially at the bottom of the food chain, but when Lila comes back for the school year with a new look, she gets more than overlooked in t...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
✧.*
VALENTINE'S day. I used to love it when I was a kid—heart-shaped candies, cute little cards exchanged between friends. It was simple back then. But now? Now it felt complicated, messy even.
I tried not to get caught up in it all, but it was impossible to ignore the sea of red and pink decorations lining the halls of McKinley. Couples were everywhere, exchanging roses and chocolates, while I wandered through the day pretending not to notice.
Blake approached me after Glee rehearsal yesterday, someone I barely knew but had seen around school enough to recognize. He seemed nice, the kind of guy that didn't make you nervous or uncomfortable. He'd been smiling at me recently—those kinds of smiles that lingered for just a second too long—and it made me think something was coming. And I was right.
Today, he found me at my locker, that same easygoing smile still in place, but there was something different in his eyes. I could sense his nerves.
"Hey, Lila," Blake said, his voice calm but a little uncertain. "I know we don't know each other well, but I've seen you around and... I was wondering if maybe you'd want to go out with me sometime. With Valentine's Day coming up, it could be fun."
I've been so focused on everything else—Glee, school, my friends, and all the confusing feelings I've been sorting through lately. Getting asked out was the last thing on my mind. Blake seems nice, really nice, but... am I ready? For anything like this?
I look at him, seeing the hope in his eyes, and I feel a pang of guilt. This should be easy. I should just say yes, give him a chance, but something holds me back. A nagging feeling in my gut I can't ignore.
"I don't know, Blake," I finally say, my voice soft, almost unsure. "I don't know if I'm ready for something like that. You seem great, but it's all just... a lot."
To my surprise, he doesn't seem hurt or offended. His face softens, and I see understanding flicker there.
"I get it," he says with a small nod. "No pressure at all. I just wanted to let you know how I feel."
I smile, grateful for his kindness and his patience, but it only makes the decision harder. I don't know what I want. And saying yes to Blake feels like stepping into something I'm not sure I can handle right now.
"I'll think about it," I say, my words honest, even if they don't solve the confusion in my heart.
Blake gives me a gentle smile, and I watch him walk away.
~~~
Love songs. Of course. As soon as Mr. Shue wrote "LOVE" on the board, I knew this week was going to be... interesting. Love songs were beautiful, but they also had a way of making you confront things you didn't always want to deal with.
