Date Hunt.

I managed to fall asleep on the couch and, when I woke up, it was already in the evening and Val was watching TV with a plate of red velvet cakes on her lap.

Mera and Chris were talking and as Chris caught my eye, he tapped Mera and she looked at me and smiled.

" You're awake, Finally. Come on, let's talk in the garden." she said.

" Did Chris tell you about homecoming?" I asked.

" Yeah…"

" I hate this year's homecoming" Val said.

We all went to the garden, and we took sitting positions on the ground.

" Okay, first things first. Why can't you talk to guys? Because I just can't understand it." Mera said, and I looked away.

" Well, because I haven't done it before. I'm always around girls. It's similar to how I've heard lots of love stories but, never experienced one."

"Okay, you know what? I'll tell you. The first thing to do, when talking to a guy is to look straight into his eyes, else he sees you as someone he can maneuver" Mera said.

" Yeah and you have got to be bold" Val said, nodding.

" Nice point Val. When they crack a joke, you should laugh lightly. It adds to the charm." Mera said.

" And to ask a guy out for homecoming…" Val said and Mera completed it.

" You have got to be brisk and fast and act like it's no big deal, and make sure to look good and give them the assurance of you being a great date for homecoming." Mera said.

" This isn't going to work. Here let's go practical. Try it on me." Chris said, and my heart skipped a beat.

" That's an excellent idea, Chris." Mera said, and she pushed me up to a standing position.

I walked to the center and Chris stood up.

Jeeez! He looked so tall.

" Remember, look into his eyes" Val said.

I looked up into those killer gray eyes and I couldn't do it. I blushed and looked away.

" Oh come on, Pris." Mera said.

" You should say that to Chris, he's doing it on purpose" Val said looking at her feet.

" Hey, I'm not." Chris said.

" Oh Pris just imagine it's that guy you met at school." Mera said, and then I looked at him once more, and he stared at me back.

I suddenly had the urge to swallow.

" See? It's working." Mera said

It wasn't working, I was only trying to hold the stare.

" That's good. Look at him that way." Val chipped in.

" You're Priscilla, right? So what you've got to say?" Chris asked with a hand in his pocket.

" Yeah… I wanted to ask if, maybe, probably…"

" Talk like it's no big deal, Priscilla!" Mera shrieked and I shook slightly.

" So, want to go to homecoming with me, or you got a nice friend who's got killer looks that could suit my style?" I said.

" That was…!" Val was saying

" Awesome!" She and Chris completed together.

" I loved that. Now, do it all over again and this time Chris, attack her with questions." Mera said.

" Hey." I said getting more confident.

" Hey." He replied with a smile.

" So, got a date?" I asked.

" Nope. You want to ask me out?"

" Only if you're worth it" I said with a smile and Val let out a 'woah'

" And how do I know you're worth it?" he asked rolling his eyes.

And bang! My mind went blank.

" Um…um … Uh, if you're not gonna go, just tell me, so I can get a move on." I said after finally finding my tongue.

"Now that was great!" Val squealed and jumped on me, while Chris smiled at me.

" Wait. It's probably because it's Chris, right? Would she be able to face other guys?" Mera asked.

" Come on, Mera..." Val was saying as she shook her head.

" She's right. She knows me, so she's a little relaxed." Chris said.

" So, what do we do now?" Val asked and Mera put a finger on her lips thinking.

" How about we teach her how to have a normal conversation with guys first, then, when she's all ready, she'll ask a guy for homecoming."Chris said, and when the twins seemed to be listening, he continued.

" So, I'm saying, Sam's house isn't far, We could leave them both in the living room, pretending to be doing something in the kitchen and let's see how many minutes she can keep him with her." Chris said, and the twins squealed.

" The red haired guy? No way! No freaking way!!" I said, raising my hands.

" Yes freaking way." they said and laughed because they said the same thing at the same time. And, despite all my arguing…

A few minutes later, I found myself, along with my cousins, on the path to Sam's house.

I started to think on possible conversations to keep him roped up and yes, I got lovely conversation topics.

And not more than five minutes later, Mera was already knocking on the door and then it opened.

I saw him, although he had already turned away. We all trooped in after him. Then he sat and stared at me for a while.

*Uncomfortable.*

I sat on the sofa opposite him with my hands on my knees, searching for a place to rest my eyes on.

" So, we came to bake cookies at your house." Val lied comfortably.

" My house? Why?" He asked, looking at her.

" Like we need a reason to…" Mera said, rolling her eyes.

Chris left for the kitchen after winking at me and immediately after, Mera and Val chatted away.

I was left alone with him.

" So, do you have a granny?" I asked.

"Yeah" he asked looking at me.

" So…"

All the lovely conversation I had planned to have with him, faded away!

"Aren't grannies cool to stay with? I mean… they… they give you plenty of cookies, and they pamper you, and it's like you're in paradise." I said, hoping it was a nice emergency topic to get started with.

" You love your grandma don't you?" he asked me and I nodded.

" Yeah kinda... So, so…"

It was so awkward!

"I bet you love everything about the 90s, don't you? I mean, it would be great if we could go back to those times… you know, have a ball and wear ball gowns and…"

What was I saying!? I was babbling and saying pure nonsense.

"Yeah it's kinda cool." He said, looking at me with eyes that suggested he wasn't interested.

My palms started to feel sweaty.

" So … so … so… You don't happen to watch Barbie, do you?" I asked.

Oh my God, Pris, did you just say that to a guy?

" Are you trying to force this conversation?" He asked me.

" No! I mean… it's just a question!"

" You should know that guys don't watch little dolls doing make up." he said.

" It's not all about make up, I mean It's how to get to girls… make them love you… I bet you don't know how to." I said trying to make it sound natural.

" Oh really? Who says I don't know how to?" He said with a smile and for the first time since our conversation, he seemed interested.

" Me says." I replied instantly.

" That's cute… You're kind of different though…" he said, and I felt my face growing hot.

This guy just said I'm different!

Does that mean he likes me?

Oh my, he's the first guy.

I'm totally freaking out right now.

" Different how?" I said, trying not to let my nervousness show.

" I mean, Since the first day I saw you, I haven't been able to get my mind off you."

My face was seriously hot… like really hot!

" Wh.."

" I just got you now, didn't I? I bet you'll be thinking about that tonight." he said, and when I realized his words were only an answer to my challenge, I don't know… I just don't know.

I would rather not say I ran away, so let me say, I think I ran away.

I ran out the door and after turning a corner, I paused for breath.

" That was almost real. Gosh, awkward and… Oh, Pris.." I had almost regained my breath when Chris came up to me running.

" What happened? Did he say something bad?"

" He…"

" I swore to punch his face for the crazy thing he said, but he didn't tell me, he told me to ask you."

" Um… he … he said, he said… since the day he saw me, he couldn't get his mind off me." I said, and Chris's face fell.

" What? I mean, that was what he said? I thought he said something nasty."

" I'm sorry, but I can't do this… it's awkward." I said

Just then, Mera and Val were seen laughing hysterically. They ran to us and stopped.

" Chris, Chris, he didn't say anything annoying, he only said he couldn't get his mind off her since the day he saw her." Val said amidst laughter.

" I know about that. After I swore to punch him." Chris said and Mera laughed.

" Okay, Pris, now you know how guys behave. They're witty, and you know if they see you're weak, they'll get you. So now, you've had first-hand experience.

"Tomorrow, ask a guy out for homecoming. I'll ask mine out. Maybe sam, he's crazy." Mera said, smiling, and we all went back home.

That night, truly, as Sam had said, I was thinking of his statement.

He had a kind of look in his eyes when he said that.

It was as though he were real… and jeez I tried not to think about it when I remembered him telling me that I would be thinking about his statement later at night, but it didn't work.

<<<

The next day, I picked out a black skirt and a white crop top with huge sneakers to school. I needed to look good if I were to ask any guy out for homecoming.

Later in class, The Archville News was being passed around.

I saw one next to me and grabbed it.

And soon whispers broke out.

It read…

*****

Interesting Turn Out As Girls Ask The Boys Out To Homecoming.

*****

That was the heading and I felt a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach and then, noise broke out all around.

" Hey John, want to go to homecoming with me?" A girl said

" Sure. Look cute."

Soon, every girl in the class was using the opportunity and asking the boys out.

Only a few shy ones, like me, didn't do a thing.

During break, I stepped out of the building to go to the High school.

It was big! And lovely! High schoolers everywhere, laughing and talking. Each with their phones, some girls were asking the guys out while some girls were hiding behind their friends, while the guys passed.

"Why are they doing this to us? We should be asked out." A girl said, giggling.

I brought out my phone and called Mera.

" Hey." she said in her usual bubbly voice.

" I'm out in front of the High school building. Can you please come see me?"

" Uh… Okay, hang on. I'll be there in a minute." She said and ended the call.

I waited for a while but instead of Mera, I saw Chris coming out looking around for me and when he spotted me, he beckoned me to come over.

I walked at first, then I ran because I felt so different among the fancy people.

" Hey." I said

" Mera couldn't make it, some guy is lecturing her on the type of guy she should ask out for homecoming. The dude is using that to tell her, she should ask him out."

" So, homecoming is Friday night and I need a date. If… If, I can do it, if I can, someone has to be there, should the guy, say no."

" What guy is going to say no?" he said, and with the way, he looked at me… I don't know… Stupid me started to blush.

" I mean, today is Wednesday and …"

" Shush, you're going to get a date." he said and held my hand, and we entered the long halls of Archville high school.

Stares met us as we passed. I didn't expect people to notice me, I thought everyone minded their business in high school.

The girls giggled, but I could tell they were fake and jealous giggles. Some stared intensely until I felt I couldn't breathe, and then we climbed a set of stairs and got to a corridor where people weren't crowded. One glance at it and I could tell it was where the coolest guys in the school hung out.

"Wow." I said in a very low tone as I noticed some really cool guys around.

" Alright. The guy with the black hair is Morris…"

"Wait. I'm still in middle school, you want me to ask a high schooler out?" I asked and he shrugged.

"These are the guys I know well. I don't know any middle schooler. So, Morris here, he's a gentleman. Really nice.

" He wants an innocent girl for homecoming, and you'll be perfect for it." he said and gave me a light push.

I walked up to him quickly, but when it was just a few steps left to him, I collided with a girl.

" I'm so sorry." I said, apologizing quickly.

" It's okay." She said with a smile, and I watched sadly as she turned to my date. "Morris. Would… would you go with me to homecoming?" She asked, and I walked away, but then she had already made matters worse for me.

She had alerted the guys and they began to look around for girls trying to ask guys out.

A certain girl, tried to ask out an handsome guy with brown hair, and they made jest of her, saying she wasn't pretty enough for him.

The guys were all laughing, and I looked at Chris. He urged me, pointing towards a guy who was hanging out alone sipping coffee. He wasn't really in the light. I could go unnoticed.

I walked as fast as I could, before another girl could come and steal him away.

This was my date! He was mine! No one was…

He suddenly looked at me and lowered his coffee like he knew what I was about to say and too bad, I just walked around him in a circle and hurriedly dropped my hair pin and asked.

" Did you see any hairpin around here?" I asked so as not to look weird.

" Oh! Never mind, here it is!" I said and picked up the hairpin and ran towards Chris, who was smiling.

" I bet he knew what you were about to do." he said and began to laugh.

" I… I … I mean, it was because I saw someone staring at me… but hang on. I'll do it for real." I said, and in my head I thought …

*If you can ask him out, who knows? Your love story might come from there. Slow dancing, music, staring at each other, blah blah blah and jeez, he's cute and cool…*

I walked towards him and stopped right in front of him.

I looked into his sparkling brown eyes, and he said…

" I didn't see any hairpin… if that's what you came to ask. " He said with a little smile on his face.

A smile that suggested he knew exactly what was happening.

"Oh… me? Hairpin? No, I wanted to… It's not about the hairpin …its about ho… " It was all going perfectly until people started to stare at me. And I changed the topic.

"It's about the coffee! Where did you get it! I'm a huge coffee fan… it's okay… I'll ask for it around. Bye! " I said, not giving him a chance to talk, even if his mouth was open and ready to talk.

I know right, I'm such a shy fool and a bit dumb too.

I walked back to Chris.

" Chris…" I said sadly.

"I'm really tired of seeing you do that over and over again."

"Okay, maybe I'll…" I said, looking around with a sigh, but turned back to him with a sad look.

"Oh jeez, just ask me out, Priscilla." He said, and the joy in my heart was compared to no other.

" OH REALLY, CHRIS! WILL YOU BE MY DATE TO HOMECOMING?" I said in, I think, my loudest voice because people… No, everyone! Was staring and Chris was smiling…

I need to faint. Should I fake it!

They're all staring!