1 The Proposal

"C'mon, Jess!" said Theodora anxiously. "We're gonna be late for class!"

"So what?" yawned her best friend Jessica. "I'm charming enough that the teachers won't get mad at me."

Theodora rolled her eyes, her bounty of dark brown curls bouncing off her shoulders as she did. Theodora Huntington was the golden child of Cherry Blossom High. She was smart, popular, and pretty, and at the top of all her classes. Her boyfriend, Ian Randall, had come through an academic scholarship, and together they were what Jessica deemed "the nerd power couple". Theodora was pretty much the opposite of Jessica, a rambunctious party girl who had a new boyfriend every month, but they were still the best of friends.

"Will you be coming to the party tonight?" Jessica inquired.

"Only if Ian's invited," replied Theodora.

Jessica huffed impatiently. "Why do you like him so much? He's poor and ugly and has a stick up his—"

"Jessica!" Theodora gasped. She furrowed her brows. "I don't care what you say, I love him. He's the right one for me." Jessica smirked.

"Yeah, then why are you always steals long glances at that hottie Hunter Chandler?"

Theodora ignored her and kept marching straight on to the science lab. They had chemistry next, and Theodora was anxious. It was the only class she had half a problem with.

The teacher Mr. Lee gave them both ferocious glares when they entered.

"Late, it seems, girls?"

"Sorry, sir," said Jessica coyly. He ignored them.

"So much for her 'charms'," Theodora muttered. She took out her chemistry textbook and obediently turned to the page written on the board. Making sure that Mr. Lee's back was turned, she glanced over at Ian, who was hunched over his journal, his brow dripping with sweat. He was so sexy when he was studying.

"Theodora?" said Mr. Lee sharply. "Can you answer the question?"

"Uhmm..." Theodora's back stiffened.

"What's the chemical equation for methane and oxygen?" whispered Jessica.

Giving her friend a grateful smile, Theodora turned to Mr. Lee and replied, "O2+O2, or synonymously H2O+H2O." Mr. Lee raised an eyebrow.

"Very good, Miss Huntington!"

Theodora smiled over at Ian, expecting him to smile back, but instead he just scowled. She sighed. He tended to get jealous whenever she outshone him.

After class, Theodora went to see Ian to try to make peace. "I hope he isn't still angry," she thought.

But to her delight, when she finally caught up with him at the cafeteria, he was smiling broadly at her. He kneeled before her and pulled out a small ring from his pocket. Theodora began to feel dizzy. "Theodora Huntington," said Ian, holding out the ring, "will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?"

The next thing Theodora knew, everything went black.