A Window Away |Shailee Fanfic|

t w o

"Dude, you're obsessed."

"No I'm not." I was. Ever since I first laid eyes on Hailee Steinfeld, the girl who lives across the street from me since the 6th grade, she became my hobby.

"But you never even talked to her before."

"Yes I have." Barely. This one morning I was going outside to get the mail from our mailbox, Hailee happened to be there at the same time to get the mail from her mailbox. She waved at me. And I just froze there. Embarrassing.

"You don't even know her."

"I do know her." I knew my pal Ian meant like personally. But I do know things about her from when we used to go to the same school. She was a junior and I was a freshman when I first entered high school. Those two years I had school with her up until she graduated, I had picked up a few things from her side conversations. Like how she hated tomatoes (I do too. Tomatoes are disgusting. Don't eat them), she allergic to nuts (it makes her lips flatted), and among other facts about her.

"I hate seeing you this desperate. But it brings me joy. When are you ever gonna talk to her? And don't say soon. Because when you say soon, it means you never will."

"But I will soon." I promised. For the last seven years, I made myself a promise. That promise was to ask Hailee Steinfeld out on a date. In my bag I pulled out a flyer with the theme for prom: Paris. "I'm gonna ask her to prom."

"Prom!" Ian beamed. "But she's in college. Would she be allowed to go?"

"Already figured that out." I pulled out another sheet of paper. Last month in the announcements they mentioned that if any of the Seniors class (that's me) takes someone from another school or and underclassmen, they need to pick up the papers for the parents and the date (Hailee) to sign that will allow her to come.

"Alright, seems like you got everything figured out."

I shook my head. "Not exactly."

"What is it?"

But there was one flaw: "what if she says no?"

Ian sighs. "She won't say no."

"How do you know? What if she doesn't wanna go to prom? Last time I chickened out." Sophomore year I wanted to ask Hailee to prom. Good thing I found out that it was for Seniors only. Also Hailee already had a date. Her ex boyfriend Dave. That was the year I also had my first heart break. I remember once had found out about Dave Keith and Hailee being an item, I cried. (Not dramatically, I was just sad).

"Look at you now Shawn," Ian shook his head, "you seriously have many admires and you push them all away for this one chick that's literally ten feet away. You're in love with her. You care about her. Why would she turn that down? If she does, then forget about her. You deserve someone who would to do the same for you."

Ian was the only one who knew about my hobby. He doesn't mind that I talk about Hailee. Or even when he comes over he would do homework or watch TV while I wait for Hailee to come home from my view of the window.

"What should I do?" I ask him. "I mean, I don't want to freak her out by just coming up to her and say, 'hey Hailee, you might not know me but I had lived across the street from you since you moved here during my 6th grade year and your 8th grade year. Will you go to prom with me'?"

"Then don't say any of that. Just be cool. Maybe try getting to her know—by that I mean physically in person, not mentally—and take her out on a few dates."

I liked that plan. I nod my head at Ian. "Okay, I'll do that. By the end of the week," I declare, "I will asked Hailee Steinfeld, or if my name isn't Shawn Peter Raul Mendes." And that's the promise I am going to keep. No more soons. It's now.