New Found Powers: Tale Of Heroes

Episode 8

It arrived on my last day of High School and all that was left was prom. Which, I still didn't have anyone to go with. Did I need a date though or would it be lame to just go with my friends? If the latter was the case I didn't care I didn't need a date to have fun. Besides, no written law said I had to go with a date.

As I pondered on that thought, I headed towards the canteen where my friends waited, when a boy halted me in my tracks. He had come running up behind me as we left the exam room. "Hannabel," he called. I stopped to turn around.

It was the lad who sat behind me in maths and if I recall correctly his name was Jake. "Yeah?" I wondered.

"Do you have a date for prom?" He asked, taking me by surprise.

"No, " I muttered.

"Would you like to go with me?"

Unsure if my ears had correctly heard his words I asked, "Really?

" Yeah, " he replied and paused for a moment before adding, " I've kinda had a crush on you for a while, but never got up the courage to tell you." I doubted if he was serious because no boy had ever had a crush on me, well not that I knew of. Well except for Liam.

"So will you go with me? " He asked me.

"Sure, why not?" I answered.

"Great. I'll pick you up at around 5. Here's my number, " he said taking out a piece of paper from his pocket and a pen. Once he had jotted it down, he handed it back to me saying, "Text me where you want to meet or your address and I'll be there." He then walked off.

I glimpsed at the number he wrote and then put it into my bag before starting to walk again.

When I got to the canteen I found my friends already sitting around a table, so I sat down with them. They all greeted me as I did so.

"How was the exam?" Sophie asked me.

"Hard, " I replied.

After eating we headed home early since we were officially finished at high school. We had no more lessons, no more exams.

Stepping inside my house, I kicked off my shoes, ready to sit down in front of the TV and relax. I was about to turn on the TV when there came a knock on the door. I jumped out of my seat and walked over. "Who is it?" I called out wary to open it, but when no one answered I opened it anyway.

No one was there, just a small basket filled with my favourite snack food and a folded note placed on top. I bent down to grab it and unfolded the paper, as I stood back up straight. Words in Liam's handwriting covered the page. Wondering what he was up to I began to read it.

Meet me at the central pier, in about an hour.

Confused, I put the paperback in the basket picked it up, and took it inside. I took it up to my room and proceeded to get ready to go meet him.

Once changed out of my school clothes and into something more casual I headed out the door. Just a little over an hour later I arrived at the central pier and glanced around for him.

It was rather quiet at this time of year, but it soon got busy as the school holidays were approaching, so it was rather easy to spot him. He was standing near the Ferris Wheel, so I sprinted toward him. "Hi, Liam, " I called out as I neared.

He turned around, smiling. "Hey, Hanna, " he said back and held out his arms for a hug, so I did the same.

"What's all this about? Why did you ask to meet me? And that basket, " I questioned him when we finished hugging.

He looked down to the ground hesitating as if he was searching for the right words or was too nervous to answer. Whichever it was he looked back up at me and said, "Can't someone do something nice for a friend? And I just wanna hang out."

"Mmm...Ok," I said. "So what do you wanna do?"

"I was thinking we could go on some rides and maybe go in the arcades, " he suggested.

"Ok, " I agreed and then we headed towards the amusement complex.

It was beginning to get dark before we decided to head back home and we were walking off the pier when Liam turned to me. "Do you wanna ride the Ferris Wheel before we go?" He inquired.

"Sure, " I responded and we headed towards it.

There wasn't a cue so we just paid and hopped into one of the carriages, that had stopped at the bottom. As it began to move we sat down and I looked out the window, watching things gradually get smaller as the carriage got higher and higher.

"Hanna?" Liam's voice broke the silence.

I turned to him and replied, "Yeah?"

"Do you know when you asked me what all this was about?" He asked, his eyes fixed on me.

"I remember. Why?" I wondered.

"Because I wasn't entirely honest before," he answered. "I was...I was nervous about what you would say but I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go to prom with me?" He added, mumbling his words.

"Oh, I..." I started but trailed off. Everything he had done today was so sweet and romantic but I had to turn him down. He was my friend, but that wasn't just it how could I tell Jake I had other plans when I already told him I would go with him? Liam had gone to so much effort to ask me, it was difficult to let him down, but what else could I do?

"You don't want to," He sighed and looked down. His words pulled me out of my conflicted thoughts. He then lifted his head to continue. "That's fine I understand. I know you only see me as a friend, but I was thinking if you didn't want to go as my date we could still go as friends, " he murmured.

"It's not just that. It's just that someone already asked me and I agreed to go with him, " I told him.

"Oh, I guess I was too slow to ask, but I was waiting for the right moment. I guess I should have just asked sooner. I hope he knows how lucky he is to be going with you, " he said. The disappointed expression lifted from his face but I could still hear it in his voice.

"At least we got to hang out. I mean today was fun, " he added, after a slight pause as he forced a smile onto his face.

"Yeah, " I agreed, feeling terrible for having to let him down.

The Ferris Wheel had come to a stop once again, so we climbed off. "Do you wanna catch the tram back up together?" I asked him as we headed off the pier.

"Sure, " he replied.

We walked to the tram stop and stood and waited for it. The tram extended all along the promenade, past Blackpool Tower, and even the Pleasure Beach. After we got off it at the last stop we headed towards the bus stop to go home.