Just Bad Luck

Chapter 4: Cowboys and Cowgirls

So, the week has finally come. 

When I step inside the school premises, I get greeted by a random boy, 'Howdy'. I stare at the decorations; in the lockers, doors, ceilings. The hallway is filled with western accents, words like 'Howdy', 'Partn'r', 'Yee-Haw!'. I even hear a famous line from Toy Story, "There's a snake in my boot!".

This week is the Annual Soiree. A dance where we all wear Cowboy and Cowgirl outfits, drink and eat western style and also ride horses.

It's fun if you tell me. But, the worst part is,

WHO WILL ASK YOU OUT?

Don't ask me, I always thought I was one of those girls who get asked out last. Like there's no other option. They walk right to me, ask me the question without looking me in the eye. I mean, what is wrong with you? Do you really have to make it obvious that you just got late in asking the 'pretty' girls and just have to end up with me? Eugh.

Isabelle and I pretty much just daydream, about whether our crushes would ask us out. But yeah, Daydreams. Not real, dude. Just another addition to our disappointment. We have tons of crushes, but we just check the Stare at your Crush part in the Ways to get your Crush checklist. Which is not a real thing.

I'm good at being invisible. Almost like a ninja. People don't notice me, I hide myself in the Library and sulk and indulge myself in books. Smiling, sobbing, laughing while reading. I usually do that silently. So, people won't shush me. I mean, it's a Library after all. And besides, I was labelled by the School's popularity chart as a Nerd.

After getting successfully to my locker without getting greeted with Howdy, Partn'r at least twice, I hear Isabelle's child-like voice. Yes, her voice is squeaky like a child. But, in a cute way, I guess.

"Grace!" She shouts, I shot my head up to look for her. But, just so you know, Isabelle is also small like me. She's about 5'4 and I am an inch taller. So, it was hard to spot her in the tall crowd people.

"Hey." I tell her when she had finally reached near me.

"Oh, thank God you didn't say Howdy, like all those students did." She says with relief and pretending to wipe sweat off her forehead. But she was obviously panting.

I shut my locker and laugh at her comment. She's annoyed with the Cowboy thingy too. We go to our classroom. We have some few minutes, before Homeroom starts.

We seat beside each other by the third row and spot Louis entering the door. He spots us, and we wave at him with mischievous grins--ready to attack him with teasing comments. And also, ready for his killer tickling abilities. I swear, his tickles don't even feel ticklish. It hurts, like he's made a hole in your stomach or something. But what can I say? We're friends and that's what friends do, right?

When Mr. Lourdes enters the room, we all kept quiet. And greet him simultaneously, then someone from the back shouts: "Howdy, Sir!" We all laugh but Mr. Lourdes shushes us and replies, "Howdy too, Patrick." in a monotonous tone.

While Mr. Lourdes begins saying some stuff my head doesn't process, Louis talks to us.

"Hey, have you guys heard?" He says.

"Heard what?" Isabelle asks.

"Yeah, get to the point." I say and he makes his signature annoyed face and Isabelle and I giggle quietly.

"They say that David--The David Charles Jameson--is going to ask a girl out from the lower level. It's the talk of the town. I'm surprised you guys don't even know it yet." He managed to say without getting caught by Mr. Lourdes after looking back three times.

"Oooh. I wonder who it is?" Isabelle says, intrigued and curious of this mystery girl.

"Maybe someone popular. Like, Tasha Miller, or Ivy Smith. . ." I trail off, because there's a lot of the popular girls.

"Well, I am going to wait for his proposal to this mystery girl." Isabelle says with her evil smirk.

Then there was a moment of silence for our gossiping, because Mr. Lourdes says shhhh. After the awkward silence, Louis pops in again.

"Oh, and I almost forgot, Chuck hasn't asked a girl out yet." He says, feigning surprise.

"Well, that's odd. He has a lot of girls fighting over her. Begging them to ask them out." I say, bitterness evident in my voice. My inner self facepalms and shakes her head, I roll my eyes at her.

"Is someone jealous?" Louis teases. I widen my eyes at him and push my tongue out at him and he laughs. Isabelle doesn't give an F about what were talking about. She's busied herself listening to Mr. Lourdes's lecture. So, I decided to do what she's doing too. Hopefully, I caught up with her flow.

Break time came and I sighed. Isabelle and Luis got to their class periods after Homeroom. I get up and take my backpack and went out the room. Then I hear my surname,

"Hey, Follard!" a voice shouted and I search for the voice and where it's coming from, then I saw him. Annoying Chuck. I didn't know he was in my Geometry Class? Well, bad luck for me.

"You forgot your pencil case." He says with a smirk. I get my ragged blue case from him quickly, before the germs spread into it. And nod at him then dash my way out. I look back, and he's gone.

I got to my locker and enter my combination into the lock when I feel a hand touch my shoulder, I thought it was Isabelle, so I turned around

"Hey, Isabe-" I tense. It wasn't Isabelle. It's- it's David. My eyes widened and I was embarrassed. I quickly regain myself and clear my throat to respond,

"Uh, Hey." I whisper and stuff my things into my locker, uncomfortable with his presence. 

"Hey." He replies in a deep, low sexy voice that makes the blood rush all to my face.

I turn to face him and he hovers over me in his tall figure compared to my dwarf-ish height. I feel the people's stares and I feel it's heat and weight on my skin. I failed in staying invisible!

"So, uh, I was thinking if you already had a partner for the Soiree?" He asks, while rubbing the back of his neck. I hear gasps and whispers from the people around us and I instantly spot Isabelle. She's totally surprised and is covering her mouth. Then she uncovers her mouth and grins at me while wiggling her eyebrows at me up and down.

I feel as stiff as a rock. Unable to move and talk. I think I'm flushing tomatoes already because David asks me if I'm okay. 

"Hey, a-are you okay?" worry in his eyes. Umm, you just asked me out for the Soiree, so I am not sure as of the moment! I just managed to nod. He exhales with relief.

"So, did someone already ask you out?" He asks again, realizing that I haven't answered his question yet.

"Uh, uh- Not yet." I stutter. Ugh! Why must I stutter? You made him realize his effect on you. My inner self says and looks at me disappointingly. I narrow my eyes at her. Then happiness takes over David's face and he smiles. His smile is contagious so I smiled back too, but an unsure smile.

"Good. So may I ask you o-" He was about to ask me out when Isabelle and Louis butts in. Phew, lifesavers! They must've noticed I needed help. About time, guys. About freaking time.

"Hey, Grace! We've been looking all over for you. You weren't at the lunch table." Louis says. Him and Isabelle fake panting.

I look at David and nod once and smile an apologetic smile. Then he backs away, confused of what's happening and I go with my friends and escape the intensity of the situation I was in. As we walk out, people's stares dig through my skin and I hear whispers. Then the crowd's back to normal. 

What just happened?!

David Charles Jameson, your crush since sixth grade, asked you out. My inner self smirks at me.

This must be a dream.

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(Edited: 04/01/2015)