Cookie Dough.

The Question

The next day, I arrived at school slightly earlier than I normally did just so I could talk to Mark.

This fact makes me feel slightly depressed about my existence.

"Hi, Mark," I said conversationally as I fumbled in my bag for my pencil case.

"...what do you want?" he asked bluntly. Of course, he was using his phone again.

"Trying to see if I can hold a normal conversation with someone as irritating as you for more than a few minutes," I said, smiling brightly at him.

With an offended expression on his face, Mark looked at me and said, "I can do that,"

"Sure you can."

"I can! Try!"

"Okay," I said. "Well, I can't exactly think of anything to say..."

"Are you going for prom?" he asked suddenly.

"Well, yes," I said. Oh, I wish I could go with him. That thought makes me too excited to think...

"Who're you going with?" he asked, looking strangely curious.

"We're taking our PSLE in, like, three days, Mark," I said, rolling my eyes. "No one's asked me yet."

"Oh."

"Who're you planning on asking?" I asked.

"Well, I'm not very sure, but I suppose I could ask Gayatri..." he mused, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Despairingly, I said, "But she's not going for the prom anyway!"

"Really?" Mark asked, looking surprised.

I nodded.

"Oh, I guess she would've turned me down anyway."

Jealously flared within me. I turned back around and took out my phone, pretending to text my mom.

"What are you doing?" 

"Texting my mom."

"Why?"

"You have to know everything?"

"...yes?"

I sighed. Outwardly, I looked exasperated, but in reality I was thrilled to have talked to him for so long.

"I'm telling her to book a space UFO for my eighteenth birthday party," I said noncholantly.

"What?"

I ignored him. After all, I didn't want him getting any ideas.

"I'm thinking asking someone else to prom," he said.

My interest sparked, I turned again. "Who?"

He looked at me. "You," he said seriously.

I was shocked. Not to mention, thrilled.

I was about to say something, when-

"Oh my god, I don't believe you fell for that!" Mark was rolling around, laughing.

Of course. It had to be one big joke in the end.

Feeling hurt, I turned around, ignoring his laughter completely.

He'll want to ask me soon enough.

This time, for real.