Teen Dad

Eight

"You can do this Michael," I said, looking at myself in the bathroom mirror. "Just ask her, what could possibly go wrong?" Many things could go wrong. She could deny me, she could laugh at me, she could run away. She could stop being my friend. "I can't do this," I shout at myself, pulling at my hair. "Stop being a wimp Michael. Just get it over with."

After giving myself a small pep talk, arguing back and forth whether or not I should go through with this, I finally decided what I was going to do. I grabbed the rose I bought off of the counter and walked out of the restroom. As soon as I step foot in the school halls I spotted a poster, and in big bold letters said the word 'Prom!'

Prom, something I never thought I would go to. I didn't even go to my junior prom, and now I'm going to ask out my crush to the senior prom. I smiled to myself slightly and continued down the halls, walking to a certain locker. Not just any locker. Her locker.

Fortunately she was there, unfortunately another guy beat me to it. Before my eyes a guy stood, flowers in hand, before Abigail. I knew what he was doing, I knew he was asking her to prom, and I knew what her answer was. Disappointment spread across my face as I turned around and walked away.

I wasn't sure where I was going, but I somehow ended up in the gym, sitting on the bleachers while twirling the rose between my fingers. Pretty soon the same guy who asked Abigail out came into the gym and sat not to far away from me. "You get rejected too?" he asked.

"Not exactly," I said. "I saw the girl I was going to ask out get asked out by another guy. Didn't stay to long to see what happened." I wasn't going to tell him he was the guy I saw.

"I asked out that Abigail girl, not sure if you know her. She rejected me, saying she's waiting for the right guy to ask her. I asked who he was, and she described him to be sweet, brown hair, and one of her best friends." The right guy? The right guy? I'm one of her best friends and I've never heard her talk about this sweet, brown haired right guy.

Wait. I'm one of her best friends. In fact I'm her only friend who's a guy. "What if I'm the right guy?" I mumbled, saying my thought out loud.

"You say something bro?"

"Huh? Oh, um, I got to go," I said, getting up, rose in hand, and running out the door. It was the end of the day, but usually Abby stays but to help the teachers, and today was when she went to the science lab.

When I got there, I asked the teacher where Abby was, although I was somewhat out of breath and had to repeat myself. "I'm sorry Michael, you just missed her. She left a couple minutes ago." She left a couple minutes ago. The science lab is in the basement, maybe I still have time to catch up to her before she leaves.

I thanked the teacher and quickly ran up the stairs, bursting through the front doors of the school. I looked around the parking lot and finally spotted her walking to what looked like one of her parents cars. "Abigail!" I shouted. I ran down the cement stairs then across the parking lot to her. She seemed surprised to see me.

"M-Michael, what are you doing? Are you okay?"

"I-I'm f-fine. J-just out of b-b-breath," I said, hands on my knees as I tried to catch my breath. Once I finally had my breathing in control again, I took another deep breath and asked her. "Would you like to go to the prom with me?"

Her eyes widened, her mouth lightly apart as she tried to speak. "I-I...I d-"

"If you don't want to that's fine, or if you want to go as just friends that's fine too. Not saying that I don't want to as a date, but if you don't that's fine. Or maybe I should have asked a bit more elaborately. Or maybe it's just not a good time. Maybe your still healing from...you know. I just-" I was a blushing, mumbling mess. I wouldn't shut up. That is, until she finally did something.

She started laughing. Her voice echoed through my ears. Hearing her beautiful voice usually made my day better, but right now it made my heart shatter. "Your laughing, that's not good. Ugh, I'm stupid, I shouldn't have asked. Look, I'll just go-"

"No wait," she said, grabbing my arm, preventing me from walking away. "I'm sorry for laughing, it's just, it's kind of cute the way your acting." I noticed a slight blush spread across her cheeks, making my blush darker. "To answer your question, I'd love to go to prom with you."

"A-as friends?" I asked.

She shook her head, "as a date." The both of us smiled, leaning closer to each other. Right when I was about to break the space, a car horn went off and we both pulled away. "That's my dad. I got to go, I'll see you tomorrow." She quickly pecked my cheek before running off to the car. I watched as they drove off, standing there with my hand on my cheek. "One day," I whispered to myself.