All I Need is a Yes (Luna East Arts Academy)

V. Chad and Megan Together

Chad would have to die if he hears another no. He would be adamant to get Megan say the big word. Christ! He’d been asking Megan on a date since his freshman year, and he couldn’t lose hope now. He never had a girlfriend because of her. He hadn’t even kissed a girl yet, except his mom, which branded him the absolute loser. Or, yeah, even rubber band guy. So there really was nothing to lose.

Wanting to prove everyone that he wasn’t a loser, he would now pursue his feelings for Megan even harder. Big time. Anyway, he never felt like a loser at all. If anything, he felt in love.

So right after the final school bell rang, he ran as fast as he could to catch Megan outside her classroom. She was in Section A while he was in B.  Megan was famous—with lots of customary friends hovering around her. Chad had to put extra effort just so he could be with her alone.

“Megan, wait!” he hollered between two classmates who were blocking his way in the hallway.

Megan stopped. She knew it was Chad even before she sees him. She gave Len a look, and then to the others she shrugged. They all scampered away from her because they knew how she felt toward him. Not what she really felt, but at least they knew they shouldn’t get in the way. Only Len knew.

She was actually hoping that she wouldn’t have to talk to Chad, maybe tomorrow, but not now. But of course she had to hope for nothing.

Chad was able to free himself from his classmates. He looked disheveled like he had to wrestle Lex Luthor using only his bare hands.

“What?” she asked, securing a good distance away from him. She wasn’t sounding bitchy, but she wasn’t sounding friendly, either.

Well, Chad was not absolutely unpleasant for a guy, but he wasn’t exactly boyfriend-material. He was a real charmer and always looked clean and polished that even the Luna East vest suited him right. But he was a mess, in many ways, and Megan could attest to that if anyone demanded a justification.

“I just need to talk to you about Valentine’s Day,” he started, his head bowed down, and his eyes trained at his feet that were bouncing up and down.

She had to fling her hair over one shoulder and look at him with big eyes.  “Oh, Chad. Aren’t we done with this already?”

He continued to bounce annoyingly. “I know, I know. But maybe you’ve changed your mind?”

“I haven’t,” she replied with displeasure, though deep inside she felt like screaming her head off that yes, I’ve changed my mind! But she couldn’t let him think that she was finally going soft on him. Not yet.

He looked up, training his two light brown eyes at her. “Please? Just this one last time. If it doesn’t work, I swear, I’m going to stop. I wouldn’t even sit right next to you at lunchtime anymore.”

She sighed, appeared to think, and then answered, “Wouldn’t sit right next to me at lunchtime? Hmm. Okay. So you’ll not buy me drinks anymore. You’ll stop inviting me to concerts and movies. You’ll stop pestering me. You will definitely stop stalking me. And you will be out of my life forever. Are we clear?”

The bouncing stopped. He looked confused. “What do you mean? Is that a yes?”

She gave another sigh. “Yes, okay. Jeez. I’ll go on a date with you. But with my conditions.”

His face lit up. “What? You’ll go on a date with me? Oh, Megan. You don’t know how much this means to me. This means—”

“Finally giving you a chance to realize that we’re never meant for each other,” she finished for him. “It’s your first and last chance, so don’t blow it off.”