The Boy Bearing Candies

      Maybe it was stupid of me to storm out of the venue like that. What was I thinking?

     All he did was ask if I was going to ComiCon last Wednesday and I instantly took that as an invitation. What part of "Are you going to the Con this weekend?" did it sound like "Sam, I want to see you this weekend."??

     Ugh! I'm so stupid! I might be fifteen years old but I am frustratingly dumb! I can still hear the softness in Jim's voice, the endearing sparkle in his eyes when he talked to me. The longest conversation we've had, ever. Or did I imagine that, too? Probably.

     And to think I worked so hard for this! Immediately after Jim "invited" me to go to the Con, Robb and I raided craft shops all over the city to look for real white feathers. I wanted to cosplay an angel from an anime I swear I saw one time and I wanted my wings to be made of authentic avian feathers.

     I envisioned Jim coming up to me, dropping the pick-up line, "Did it hurt? When you fell down from heaven?" and I'll giggle like a hyena in heat, bat my lashes, thick with mascara and purr, "Oh, you!" while playfully slapping him in the arm. I heard boys like it when girls giggle. And I promised myself to compliment whatever costume he's wearing, however horrible it might be. It was supposed to be a dream come true!

     But what happened was a total nightmare, starting from putting on uncomfortable make-up together with this equally uncomfortable costume; to the anxiety attack I had inside the Expo Hall because there were so many people! And finally ending, just roughly five minutes after I stepped in, with me running outside, bawling my eyes out. Why on earth would Jim want to date a girl like me? I am such a mess!

     I think I'm gonna cry again.

     I finally reached the train station platform and sat on an empty bench. It was a bit difficult to sit down because this dumb angel wings kept getting caught at something. The only thing keeping me from ripping them apart is the sign board in front of me, saying, in bold letters: "NO LITTERING. $500 FINE." Ugh.

     "Hello?" I said, answering my ringing phone.

     "Sam! Where the heck are you?" the voice on the line said. It was my best friend, Robb. He probably got to the Con after I rushed out.

     "I'm at the train station, I'm going home." My voice broke a bit, caught at the last words, I hope he didn't notice.

     "What? I was just late for a few minutes and already, you're bailing out!? C'mon, Sam!" Robb said. "I know your default state is anxious-anti-social-wallflower, but this year's ComiCon looks promising. Maybe even fun! Besides, Jim probably hasn't seen your angel costume yet. Don't tell me I agreed to collect all those horrid goose feathers with you for nothing," he teased, chipper as usual. He's one of the few people who knew I had a huge crush on Jim, and somehow I was able to convince him to help me snag Jim's attention today.

     "I'm not coming back there, Robb," I retorted, and without pausing to think a little, I continued, "Jim's with Sashay. I saw them together and I don't want to see them again!" I almost yelled.

     When I went inside Expo Hall earlier, I immediately saw Jim standing on one corner, a few feet away from the entrance. I decided I was gonna walk past him, ready to hear him say that horrible pick-up line like I imagined; when Sashay, that wench, suddenly appeared out of nowhere like the snake that she was. Next thing I knew, they were devouring each other's faces like hungry hippos. I thought they weren't going out anymore. Apparently, I thought wrong.

     But I didn't want to tell Robb about all this. I didn't want him to know I was alone here, weeping at the train station, all because I saw Jim Hardy making out with Sashay Andrews at ComiCon. I am deeply embarrassed to let him know I was jealous, and that I actually thought this would work this time.