In This Moment

Chapter 10: Friendzoned

Things between Elliot and I had only been going up since our ‘date’ at the hospital cafeteria.

            Prom was in two weeks and posters were already being hung up and people were being asked out. Just like every other stereotypical high school girl, I wanted my super hot crush to ask me to the prom in a cute and dorky way.

            In the middle of the week, I was sitting next to Neil in C.W. class, and he was twiddling his pencil again and staring at Harper.

            “Hey, Quinn!” I heard him hiss.

            “Yeah?” I questioned.

            “If I asked Harper out to prom, do you think she would say yes?”

            “Neil, I have no idea how she would react.”

            “I know I’m sort of a dork, but I really like her, and I want to try to get her to like me. Can you sort of be my mentor?”

            “Sure, are you free after school? We can go discuss in the gym?”

            “Yes!” Neil yelled loudly earning the attention of the entire class, even Elliot who had curiosity sketched across his face. “Yes, that sounds great. Thanks, Quinn!”

            “No problem, and hey, you’re not a dork!”

            “Aw shucks,” he said and pushed up his glasses.

            “Don’t make me take it back,” I warned and we both laughed.

            At the end of class, Neil and I split off from our other classmates and headed toward the empty gym. We sat on the bleachers and began to discuss his dilemma.

            “First off, why in the world would you even like someone like Harper. Neil, I am saying this as your friend, she is going to inevitably break your heart,” I said as we settled in.

            “She’s extraordinary, from her crazy orange hair to her sarcastic remarks. She’s like a book that comes with a lock and I want more than anything to read her, but I can’t find the key.”

            “That right there, is why you are a writer, my friend.”

            “What do you mean?”

            “Neil, I don’t know if you noticed, but you literally just explained your crush as a locked book… that has to say something.”

            “You’ve got a point.”

            “I always have a point, Neil.”

            We laughed for a couple minutes, then realized we had gotten off topic.

            “How should I ask her to prom?” he asked sounding all innocent like he actually had to no clue how to ask her to prom.

            “Be creative! You can be cheesy but don’t be too cheesy like a giant sign that says prom with a question mark. Think of the first time you saw Harper. What drew you to her.”

            “It was the very beginning of the year, I saw her in C.W. class and it was her hair that intrigued me at first. I was determined to sit by her, but you had already taken the seat that I had planned to take, and I envied you for it. But we became friends after that so I was okay with it after a while. Then, I noticed the way she wrote and the way she was able to read people like she was reading a book. It was fascinating. She was fascinating,” he replied looking off in a daze.