Dustin

I almost kissed Blade, and she rejected me.

I totally misread everything. All the signs I thought I saw? There were none. I'm apparently illiterate.

I need to pee?

That's the most embarrassing way to be turned down maybe ever. I thought we had a moment, but clearly I was wrong.

I hope I didn't make her uncomfortable.

Well… clearly she is since she basically sprinted to the bathroom.

I sigh, running my hands over my face.

I don't want to make her feel awkward by still sitting here when she comes out, so I head upstairs to my room. I pace for a bit, replaying the moments before and wishing it turned out differently.

I've liked her for a while now, but recently my feelings have been turned to a hundred and I don't know how to turn them off. I thought she might feel the same way, but I thought wrong.

I hope I didn't scare her off. I would hate myself if I lost her as a friend.

God, I'm such an idiot.

*****

Things are awkward the next day. Blade can barely look me in the eye, and tries her best not to touch me.

I ruined everything.

Miriam doesn't seem to pick up on the tension between us, too busy chatting away about prom. We're supposed to go shopping this Saturday and she's more than excited.

Miriam is a junior, but a senior from our school asked her to prom. Mom and dad agreed she can go if I promise to keep a close eye on her. Miriam didn't appreciate it; saying our parents are babying her, but she didn't protest much. I think she feared they take back their yes and make her not go.

The drive to school after dropping Miriam off is silent. Blade still has a hard time talking, and sometimes she sits with me in silence but today the quiet seems different. More tense.

I walk her to class like I've done every morning. "I'll see you at lunch?" I offer like I've done everyday for the past two weeks.

She gives me a smile. "I'll see you at lunch."

****

Brina asking me out to prom later that day was unexpected. We have a couple classes together, but I've only talked to her in passing. Not much conversation past the usual "Hi, how are you?'.

She's nice. Pretty, a bit shy, but there's no reason for me to say no.

Yes, I have been crushing on Blade for some time now, but now I know that she likes me as a friend and nothing more. I don't want to keep pining after her when all she wants is friendship. That's not fair to her. Or me.

Brina looks as surprised as I feel when I say her yes to going to prom with her. Well… I tell her "sure. I guess." to which she breaks out into a huge smile and stammers out a thank you. It's kinda cute.

Not as cute as Blade when she argues with me.

Stop.

"I'll see you around, Dustin!" Brina waves excitedly before practically skipping off. She pauses, as if she's just thinking of something and walks back towards me. "Actually, can I have your number?"

I smile, and type my number into her phone.

"I'll text you," she grins, waving again before skipping off for real this time. She's actually very cute.

When I get home, I go straight to Miriam's room. I know she came home early, and I want to tell her about getting asked to prom.

It's a bit weird that as a seventeen year old boy, I'm excited to tell my sister I have a prom date, but I've passed normal years ago.

"Who the hell is Brina?" Miriam asks me bluntly after I retell the events to her.

"I told you, a girl in my class."

"You've never mentioned her before."

"Well, I don't really know her."

"Yea. No shit." She scoffs. "What about Blade?"

"What about her?"

"Why aren't you taking her to prom?"

"She's not allowed to go. Plus, she doesn't like me?" I reply in a questioning tone.

"God, you're an idiot. I hope for my sake all boys aren't as stupid as you."

"What's with the assholery?"

"Nothing. I just can't believe you're this dense."

"I'm not dense!" I argue, fed up with her insults. I love Miriam, but sometimes her bluntness isn't what I need. All she's doing is making me feel worse about myself.

"You are! How can you not see that Blade likes you?"

I roll my eyes, thinking back to a couple nights ago. "She doesn't."

Miriam laughs dryly. "She does. Everyone can see it. Even mom and dad. You can practically see the hearts in her eyes whenever she looks at you."

"Yea right."

Miriam groans. "If you weren't so busy convincing yourself she's too good for you, maybe you'd see it to. Get your head out of your ass."

"Fuck you," I say, angry now. Her hostility is pissing me off now, and is the last thing I want to deal with. I don't know why her words rile me up so much, but they do, and the small smirk on her face tells me that's exactly what she wants.

"Listen, I love you, but I also adore that girl. I'm only telling you this because you both deserve to be happy and clearly, you both will do that for each other."

I sigh, rubbing my hands over my face. "What if you're wrong?" I don't deal with rejection well, and our almost kiss was all I needed to be satisfied with a what if rather than take the chance of having my heart smeared on the floor.

"What if I'm right?"

****