An Unrequited Love {Jonathan Crane x Male Reader}

I

The week before any holiday has a chokehold on everyone in this country, especially the youth. Halloween seems to be the favorite amongst my peers with dressing up, partying and doing whatever one wants with the freedom of ambiguity.

I've never been one to care for the parties, never being invited nor enjoying the drinking culture teens seem to love. I don't like dressing up but my siblings insist on my doing so, and my old fashioned mother likes making our costumes.

Right now I'm having lunch with Jonathan in our secret spot. He's fidgeting with his hands and picking at his lunch, every now and then a noise escapes his throat. I already know why and it irks me, I make sure not to let it show on my face.

Yesterday it went around that Sherry broke up with Bo, nobody knows why. Suspiciously, Bo hasn't targeted Jonathan since then. I'm glad but it's odd, one would think that Bo would confront him about trying to get with Sherry but he never did.

"D-do you think she'd say yes if I a-asked her out to Jason's party?" His trembling voice pulls me out of my thoughts. A grim smile makes its way onto my face but I push it down before he can see.

'She hates you as much Bo, she would never say yes to you.'

"Maybe, you're a stand up guy, smart, nice, well mannered. She'd be a fool not to say yes."

"What if she finds my clothes off-putting, what if I sweat so much I stink, what if someone asks her before me and she turns me down?" Another anxious noise escapes him as he brings his hands up to his chin in a prayer-like manner.

The sun catches onto his glasses, hiding his baby blue eyes. A soft sigh leaves my lips as I reach over and pat his shoulder.

"Your clothes may be a smidge too big on you but you still look nice and if you're that worried about your body odor I can get you my dad's cologne to use." I flip open the book I started reading a short while ago, running my finger across the page until I find the spot I left on. "We can only hope that every other guy in this school is just as, or perhaps even more, nervous than you and won't ask her out."

"That'd be nice... thanks." He continues to pick at his food, a little less anxious than before.

We sit in silence for a bit until the bell rings, signaling the end of lunch. We head our separate ways, shooting a short farewell to each other.

~~°•○●○•°~~

A week passes without further incident. Jonathan still hasn't asked Sherry out to the party and, as far as I know, no one else has either. Yesterday however, he asked me to bring my dad's cologne to school and said he was finally gonna work up the nerve.

I gave him the bottle before our first period, then being the only time I saw him before our shared 4th class. He looked jittery and before I could talk to him he ran off. I didn't see him for the rest of school and I fear what may have happened.

Now I walk home, the Autumn chill seeping through my thin jacket and spreading across my skin. Arms crossed over my chest, I try my hardest to retain my body heat. I hear a shout behind me, causing me to turn around to see Jonathan running up to me with the biggest smile I have ever seen.

He catches up to me, sweat trickling down his head as he bends over to catch his breath. Before he's even regained himself he starts rambling.

"I was so nervous all day but I did it! And she said yes!"

'What!?'

"What!?"

"I'm gonna go to a party with Sherry Squires!"

"What happened? H-how did you do it?" My heart constricts, like someone is squeezing it in their palm, my eyes are blown so wide open it feels like they're going to fall out. He seems to ignore my look of horror as he ushers me to keep walking.

My feet follow but my brain is having trouble catching up.

"So I went for her during lunch, she was by herself at her locker, no one else was around. So I think, ' this is the perfect chance to ask'. I go up to her, a total stuttering mess, and ask her out to Jason's party." He clasps his hands together against his chest, that huge smile he had earlier making its return as he sighs dreamily. "And, can you believe it, she says yes! She says 'I'd love to go with you, Jonathan'."

'That's just... there's no way. She has to be pulling something. In all my years, living in the same town as that girl, there's simply no way she'd say yes to you.'

"That's... amazing, Jonathan. I'm so happy for you." I turn away from him to hide the pain and sorrow on my face.

"Do you uh- Do you know what you're gonna wear to the party?"

"I'm going to go as Ichabod Crane," he sees the confusion on my face, "because I like the character. I've read the book and I find a lot of similarities between him and I. Plus, my grandmother is not too fond of the holiday, so I can't go out and buy a new costume. Will you be going to the party?"

I can see the tiniest bit of hopefulness in his eyes. I know he didn't want to be in a party, surrounded by peers who generally disliked him, alone. But I unfortunately had to snuff out that hope. Shaking my head, I look down at my feet, we're getting closer to our homes.

"I won't, I've gotta take my siblings trick-or-treating. If we pass by Jason's place I'll be sure to stop by, though." I give him a solemn smile as he nods his head in slight disappointment.

"That's fine, I'll see you tomorrow." I reciprocate his farewell, stopping by my house as he continues on to his.

'I just hope nothing bad happens tomorrow with Sherry. I'll say a prayer for him tonight.'