I can’t do this, Ricky thought, making his way through the crowded halls on Monday morning. But I have to, he reasoned with himself. After he had done some thinking that weekend he had still been confused about whether to ask out Emma Taylor.
It was true the day he spotted her at the library there was an instant attraction between them. He just wasn’t sure if he should act on it. He felt ready to start dating again but something inside him kept telling him it was a bad idea. He tried as hard as he could to ignore that feeling.
Although he didn’t want to admit this to himself before, he sort of missed dating. He crossed the hallway and headed toward the school library. Still unsure of whether he should do it or not, he rushed inside the building before he decided to turn back.
As he entered, his palms started to sweat. He wiped them off on his jeans before he continued on. She might not even be here, he assured himself.
He began pacing through the library looking down every aisle. So far, she was nowhere to be found. Every aisle contained at least one or two people browsing but there was still no Emma. He finally spotted her sitting at a table alone, reading a book.
It’s now or never Kimball, he told himself walking to the small table where she was sitting. He pulled up a chair next to her as she looked up from the book she was reading. She looked surprised and even glad to see him and it took off some pressure. “Hi,” she smiled.
“Hey,” he replied sitting down. “What are you reading?”
She set the book down. “It’s called In My Wildest Dreams,” she answered. “It’s about a girl who wants to become a singer and when she starts to get her big break her classmates get jealous and harass her.”
“Sounds good,” he commented.
“Do you like to read?” she asked.
He neatly folded his hands on the table. “It’s okay,” he said. “I like literature and science fiction.” He nervously unfolded his hands knowing he had to cut to the chase before he chickened out.
She nodded. “Yeah. I love literature, too. It’s very interesting.” She tapped her left foot against the metal table leg. Ricky wondered if she was nervous about something, too.
All of the sudden things got quiet between them. Ricky knew it was the perfect time to make his move but couldn’t seem to get his voice box to cooperate. “Um listen,” he started in a scratchy tone. “I was wondering…”
“Yes?” she said curiously, leaning in a little bit. He could smell her perfume and at that moment he thought he would lose it.
He looked down at the floor and shoved his once again sweaty palms in his pockets. “Well, I was wondering if you’d be interested in going out with me sometime?” He could feel his face getting red but he looked up at her to see her reaction. He thought he would die if she said no.
She grinned. “Sure,” she responded. “I mean, I was hoping that you would ask me out.”
“Really?” he asked surprised. He didn’t think she would seriously say yes. “Great,” he continued. “How about Friday? Maybe we can go out for pizza.”
“Sounds great,” Emma said.
“Okay,” he said standing up. “Pick you up at 6?”
“You have a car?”
“Yeah,” he replied. “I just got my license a couple of months ago. It feels great being able to go places without asking someone to drive me everywhere.”
“Yeah,” she agreed. “I wish I had my own transportation.”
Just then, the bell rang declaring the close of the morning break. “Well, I’ll see you then,” he said. She gathered her books from the table and stood up. “Okay,” she smiled at him. “Can’t wait until Friday.” She walked out of the library without another word.
They didn’t need any more words between them as far as Ricky was concerned. He was already grinning from ear to ear. Like Emma, he couldn’t wait for Friday to come around. Not only was she glad he asked her out but she was also impressed that he had his driver’s license. As he walked out of the library he let go of the self-doubt he had been holding on to for over a year.
It was true the day he spotted her at the library there was an instant attraction between them. He just wasn’t sure if he should act on it. He felt ready to start dating again but something inside him kept telling him it was a bad idea. He tried as hard as he could to ignore that feeling.
Although he didn’t want to admit this to himself before, he sort of missed dating. He crossed the hallway and headed toward the school library. Still unsure of whether he should do it or not, he rushed inside the building before he decided to turn back.
As he entered, his palms started to sweat. He wiped them off on his jeans before he continued on. She might not even be here, he assured himself.
He began pacing through the library looking down every aisle. So far, she was nowhere to be found. Every aisle contained at least one or two people browsing but there was still no Emma. He finally spotted her sitting at a table alone, reading a book.
It’s now or never Kimball, he told himself walking to the small table where she was sitting. He pulled up a chair next to her as she looked up from the book she was reading. She looked surprised and even glad to see him and it took off some pressure. “Hi,” she smiled.
“Hey,” he replied sitting down. “What are you reading?”
She set the book down. “It’s called In My Wildest Dreams,” she answered. “It’s about a girl who wants to become a singer and when she starts to get her big break her classmates get jealous and harass her.”
“Sounds good,” he commented.
“Do you like to read?” she asked.
He neatly folded his hands on the table. “It’s okay,” he said. “I like literature and science fiction.” He nervously unfolded his hands knowing he had to cut to the chase before he chickened out.
She nodded. “Yeah. I love literature, too. It’s very interesting.” She tapped her left foot against the metal table leg. Ricky wondered if she was nervous about something, too.
All of the sudden things got quiet between them. Ricky knew it was the perfect time to make his move but couldn’t seem to get his voice box to cooperate. “Um listen,” he started in a scratchy tone. “I was wondering…”
“Yes?” she said curiously, leaning in a little bit. He could smell her perfume and at that moment he thought he would lose it.
He looked down at the floor and shoved his once again sweaty palms in his pockets. “Well, I was wondering if you’d be interested in going out with me sometime?” He could feel his face getting red but he looked up at her to see her reaction. He thought he would die if she said no.
She grinned. “Sure,” she responded. “I mean, I was hoping that you would ask me out.”
“Really?” he asked surprised. He didn’t think she would seriously say yes. “Great,” he continued. “How about Friday? Maybe we can go out for pizza.”
“Sounds great,” Emma said.
“Okay,” he said standing up. “Pick you up at 6?”
“You have a car?”
“Yeah,” he replied. “I just got my license a couple of months ago. It feels great being able to go places without asking someone to drive me everywhere.”
“Yeah,” she agreed. “I wish I had my own transportation.”
Just then, the bell rang declaring the close of the morning break. “Well, I’ll see you then,” he said. She gathered her books from the table and stood up. “Okay,” she smiled at him. “Can’t wait until Friday.” She walked out of the library without another word.
They didn’t need any more words between them as far as Ricky was concerned. He was already grinning from ear to ear. Like Emma, he couldn’t wait for Friday to come around. Not only was she glad he asked her out but she was also impressed that he had his driver’s license. As he walked out of the library he let go of the self-doubt he had been holding on to for over a year.