A Date.

Why do I have to endure such harsh treatment from other people? Isn't there anything I can do to protect myself? Or perhaps I should consider changing schools? Maybe there are kids who treat each other kindly and respectfully…

But no matter where I go, I'll never find anyone who treats me nicely. All my classmates hate me because of how weak and powerless I am. They see me as an inconvenience, an obstacle standing in their path toward success and happiness.

Is there no end to this suffering? Will I forever be surrounded by cruel, heartless people?

"Hiya!"

Startled, I turned around and saw Fae waving at me from across the hall. She approached me and sat down beside me.

"Sorry for making you wait, I took longer than planned to finish my homework assignment." She informed me apologetically.

"No worries," I shrugged casually. "What's up?"

Fae explained to me how she struggled with her physics homework, especially the part involving vectors. I offered her suggestions based on my experience with similar problems. Soon enough, she completed the problem set successfully.

"That was awesome!" Fae exclaimed happily. "Thank you so much for helping me! You saved my butt!"

"You're welcome." I smiled warmly. "Anytime, anytime at all."

For a moment, we simply enjoyed each other's company. Neither of us spoke for quite some time as we gazed quietly at the clock. Eventually, the bell rang loudly announcing the beginning of lunch break.

"So, uhm…" Fae paused awkwardly. "Are you free after school?"

"Sure, why not?" I replied nonchalantly. "Where do you wanna hang out?"

"Well," she hesitated again. "Maybe we could grab dinner together sometime?"

I frowned slightly. Dinner? Did I hear correctly? Was she inviting me to dinner?! Wait, did I mishear?

"Uh-huh," I nodded. "Great idea."

"Cool!" Fae smiled widely. "See ya then!"

Before leaving she gave me her phone number, leaving me confused in her wake. What just happened? Had I just gotten invited out on a date with Fae?

Was she trying to hit on me or was I just reading too much into things? Either way, it sounded like a wonderful opportunity to spend some quality time together. I'm not going to pass up on this chance just because I might embarrass myself in front of her.

Besides, maybe she has feelings for me. If that's true, then I owe it to her to try and make a move. Otherwise, I'll never know if I could potentially fall in love with her. Right?

And besides, I'd rather take a risk than remain stagnant forever. If I fail miserably, then I could always pretend that it never happened...

***

The following evening, I arrived home exhausted from another long day at school. By the time I finished packing my bag and changing clothes, it was already past seven o'clock PM.

Thankfully, Fae messaged me beforehand and asked if we could meet at eight instead of 7:30. Since I needed time to prepare, I agreed instantly.

At 7:40, I walked towards the park near the center of town. It was pretty late, meaning the place was mostly deserted. The only people present were a group of teenagers hanging out under the trees.

As expected, Fae showed up ten minutes early. As soon as she spotted me approaching, she waved excitedly. Then she rushed over to greet me, smiling brightly.

"Hey!" she greeted me happily. "I'm glad you came on time! Let's eat somewhere nearby. Do you have anywhere in mind?"

"Actually yes," I replied calmly. "I was thinking of eating at the diner next door."

"Perfect!" Fae giggled. "Come on, let's hurry up and order our food! I'm starving!"

We entered the restaurant together and ordered our meals. When the waitress brought them over, Fae immediately dug in without waiting for me to begin. While she ate, I tried to strike up a conversation with her. Unfortunately, she barely said a word while devouring her meal.

This made me nervous, but I couldn't bring myself to speak either. Instead, I focused on chewing silently, hoping that eventually, I wouldn't feel so tongue-tied.

Eventually, both of us finished our meals. We paid our bill and left the restaurant, heading back towards the park. Once we reached our destination, we sat down on the grass beneath the trees, watching the sunset together.

During the entire duration of our outing, neither of us talked much. In fact, we hardly exchanged even two sentences throughout the whole night. But despite this, I still found myself having fun spending time with her.

Once darkness fell completely, we headed home separately. I bid farewell to Fae outside her house, promising that we will talk again very soon. Then I proceeded home.

A little while later, I lay comfortably in bed, staring at the ceiling above me. I had just spent several hours talking to someone I met today. That's crazy! Who would have imagined that happening?

Suddenly, my eyes caught sight of my cell phone lying on my desk. With trembling hands, I picked it up and dialed her number.

She answered on the third ring.

"Hello?" Fae's voice echoed in my ears.

"Um… Hi Fae," I began nervously. "Did you enjoy your date?"

Silence filled the air for a full minute before she spoke. "Yes, thank you," she finally replied. "I had a blast."

"I'm happy to hear that." I smiled softly. "Do you wanna go out on another one tomorrow?"

Fae giggled excitedly. "Definitely!"

"Awesome! Tomorrow afternoon then? Say three o'clock?"

"Sounds perfect!" Fae replied eagerly. "See ya then!"

I ended the call and lay there in silence for a while before falling asleep.

***

Tomorrow proved to be every bit as exciting as I anticipated. After breakfast, I changed into some comfortable clothes and hurried to pick up Fae.

When I reached her doorstep, she greeted me with a bright smile. Her hair was tied neatly behind her head, giving her face a youthful appearance.

"Ready?" She asked me excitedly.

"Of course," I grinned. "Lead the way!"