My Perfectly Normal and Completely Natural High School romance

Let Your Guard Down

Vince

So as it turned out, my life was actually a teenage Netflix drama. Or something like it.

"It's not so bad as that," Yuhui said sympathetically when I voiced this thought, "a Netflix drama would involve a lot more pain. And also maybe a love triangle. Or pentagon. Or icosahedron or whatever. And a whole bunch of misunderstandings. And like three hundred different secrets to keep. The only problem you have is that she thinks you wouldn't actually want to date her."

Needless to say, her words did not reassure me. I spent an unnecessarily long time taking a bit out of my apple.

"At least you finally have a girlfriend," Michael snickered, taking an experimental bite out of whatever mystery sandwich there was for lunch this time, "that took long enough by itself."

The initial taste of the sandwich had proven to be satisfactory enough that he took another bite from it.

I wrinkled my nose, then thought again of my dilemma and let out a long sigh.

"Now if I tell her that I really like her she'll think it's all part of the act!" I lamented, hoping that Yuhui might have some idea of how to fix this mess. I looked at her pleadingly.

She just rolled her eyes.

"Maybe you should just call the bet off," she shrugged.

"I can't do that! I've never done that before! She'll think I don't want to date her!"

Silence.

"Just find another girl to crush on!" someone yelled from two tables over.

I decided it might just be better to climb into a pit and never come out again. For now I made do with the table.

"You're being ridiculous," Michael sighed from above me, "you just have to almost-date her for six months, win the bet, and then ask her out for real."

"Michael's right," Yuhui added unhelpfully, "it might even be better this way."

"You don't understand! If it works out for six months then she will also win the bet, so she has to say she can't do it!" I wailed.

"Can't you just let this one end in a draw?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"You're going to have to choose between the bet and the girl, dude, you can't have both."

I came out from under the table. I didn't like the idea of a draw, but it was probably better than never being able to ask Mia out.

"You're right," I said to Michael reluctantly, "maybe I should let the bet go this time."

"You think?" he smirked.

"Oh yeah rub it in some more, would you?" I grumbled, nibbling half-heartedly at a potato chip from my lunchbox.

"It's okay" Yuhui consoled, "maybe you can just forget about the bet and focus on winning her over?"

I considered this. Would it really hurt to just attempt to romance Mia and skip the bet altogether?

"That... might just work," I said slowly, "I mean I'm not going to get a chance like this again."

"Damn right you aren't," Michael smirked, but I was already caught up in all the ways this bet might turn into something, good, I couldn't be bothered to snap back at him.

Maybe Yuhui was onto something.

Maybe I could let my guard down for this one bet.

I mean, actually, sincerely going about this whole thing couldn't hurt.