**************************************************
This is it! Karl is going to ask me to the dance!
I heard a voice behind me, “Ummm, Hannah?”
I whirled around and the nervous smile froze on my face as I was greeted, not by Karl’s face, but by the ever-blinking eyes of Randy.
I tried not to show my shock, but I’m pretty sure I looked a lot like Randy in that moment, blinking in disbelief.
“Ummm … hi … Randy,” I stammered. Please don’t ask me to the dance, please don’t ask me.
“Ummm … *BLINK* … I was wondering … *BLINK* … if you might … *BLINK* … maybe if … … *BLINK* … you wanted to … *BLINK* … gotoHomcomingwithme … *BLINK* … ?
Oh no! I can’t go with Randy! Karl hasn’t even had a chance to ask me. What I am I going to say? How am I going to get out of this without being mean?
“Ummmm … let me think about it and let you know. OK?”
*BLINK* … “Oh … OK … *BLINK* … sure.” Randy looked crestfallen as he lumbered away.
I felt terrible. I didn’t want to hurt Randy’s feelings, but I really, really didn’t want to go to the dance with him. I would be a laughing stock. And I wouldn’t get to go with Karl. Chrissy had practically assured me that Karl would ask me. I just had to give him a chance to talk to me. I did the right thing; I had bought some time for Karl to ask me, and once I said yes, then I could tell Randy I was already going with someone else. That would let him down gently; that was way better than flat out telling him no.
I didn’t pay a lick of attention in my afternoon classes, just turned the situation over and over in my mind. Before Randy’s proposition, I had only worried that no one would ask me to the dance. All the boys surely were intimidated by my soaring height – only three boys were tall enough to consider me as a date. Slim pickins. I had never considered being asked by someone I would want to turn down. What if Karl didn’t ask me? How was I going to say no to Randy if I didn’t have another date lined up? What if Karl heard that Randy asked me and decided not to ask me?
Oh the never-ending agony of being 14.
As the seconds ticked by until the final dismal bell rang, I practically sprinted to my locker. This was Karl’s last chance to ask me. If he didn’t, I was going to have tell Randy … something.
As the hallways cleared and students headed out into the crisp fall afternoon, I lingered at my locker, fiddling with this and that, trying to look very busy and very nonchalant. But there is only so much stalling a girl can do, so I reluctantly zipped my blue canvas backpack, and prepared to go home to a long evening of reflection, contemplation and lamentation, coupled with some wailing and gnashing of teeth … all on the phone with my girlfriends, of course. You might say that seems a little dramatic, but at age 14, what isn’t that dramatic?
As I made my departure, Karl appeared at the end of the hallway in front of me. It was as if he had been waiting for me to head in his direction. And here I had been waiting for him to come to my locker. It was fate, really.
Don’t act nervous; play it cool. I walked toward him.
“Hey,” Karl said.
“Hey,” I replied, a little too excitedly, as we walked toward the exit.
Two voiced competed in my head. “Don’t assume anything. Don’t assume anything,” intoned Debbie Downer. “He’s gonna ask you to the dance! HE’S GONNA ASK YOU OUT!!!” screamed Pollyanna, pom-poms in hand.
“You’re not already going with someone to Homecoming, are you?” Karl said, a little quietly.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!” screamed Pollyanna, breaking into a mid-air toe touch. “He’s asking you to HOMECOMING!!!”
“No, not yet.” But I will be soon if you ask me!
Karl smiled a little bit at the news. “Well, do you want to go with me, then?”
Now I was smiling, “Sure, yeah, that would be fun.”
“Cool, cool,” the relief was washing over his face. I didn’t reject him. As if!
“Yeah, cool. We’ll have to, like, make plans and stuff.”
“Yeah, definitely.”
“OK, well, I’ve got to go.” And call everyone I know and tell them this amazing news. I HAVE A DATE TO HOMECOMING, and he is TALLER than me … and cute! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
“Me too,” Karl agreed. “See you tomorrow.”
“Bye.”
I took a deep breath as we parted ways, and I tried not to skip to the car.
I heard a voice behind me, “Ummm, Hannah?”
I whirled around and the nervous smile froze on my face as I was greeted, not by Karl’s face, but by the ever-blinking eyes of Randy.
I tried not to show my shock, but I’m pretty sure I looked a lot like Randy in that moment, blinking in disbelief.
“Ummm … hi … Randy,” I stammered. Please don’t ask me to the dance, please don’t ask me.
“Ummm … *BLINK* … I was wondering … *BLINK* … if you might … *BLINK* … maybe if … … *BLINK* … you wanted to … *BLINK* … gotoHomcomingwithme … *BLINK* … ?
Oh no! I can’t go with Randy! Karl hasn’t even had a chance to ask me. What I am I going to say? How am I going to get out of this without being mean?
“Ummmm … let me think about it and let you know. OK?”
*BLINK* … “Oh … OK … *BLINK* … sure.” Randy looked crestfallen as he lumbered away.
I felt terrible. I didn’t want to hurt Randy’s feelings, but I really, really didn’t want to go to the dance with him. I would be a laughing stock. And I wouldn’t get to go with Karl. Chrissy had practically assured me that Karl would ask me. I just had to give him a chance to talk to me. I did the right thing; I had bought some time for Karl to ask me, and once I said yes, then I could tell Randy I was already going with someone else. That would let him down gently; that was way better than flat out telling him no.
I didn’t pay a lick of attention in my afternoon classes, just turned the situation over and over in my mind. Before Randy’s proposition, I had only worried that no one would ask me to the dance. All the boys surely were intimidated by my soaring height – only three boys were tall enough to consider me as a date. Slim pickins. I had never considered being asked by someone I would want to turn down. What if Karl didn’t ask me? How was I going to say no to Randy if I didn’t have another date lined up? What if Karl heard that Randy asked me and decided not to ask me?
Oh the never-ending agony of being 14.
As the seconds ticked by until the final dismal bell rang, I practically sprinted to my locker. This was Karl’s last chance to ask me. If he didn’t, I was going to have tell Randy … something.
As the hallways cleared and students headed out into the crisp fall afternoon, I lingered at my locker, fiddling with this and that, trying to look very busy and very nonchalant. But there is only so much stalling a girl can do, so I reluctantly zipped my blue canvas backpack, and prepared to go home to a long evening of reflection, contemplation and lamentation, coupled with some wailing and gnashing of teeth … all on the phone with my girlfriends, of course. You might say that seems a little dramatic, but at age 14, what isn’t that dramatic?
As I made my departure, Karl appeared at the end of the hallway in front of me. It was as if he had been waiting for me to head in his direction. And here I had been waiting for him to come to my locker. It was fate, really.
Don’t act nervous; play it cool. I walked toward him.
“Hey,” Karl said.
“Hey,” I replied, a little too excitedly, as we walked toward the exit.
Two voiced competed in my head. “Don’t assume anything. Don’t assume anything,” intoned Debbie Downer. “He’s gonna ask you to the dance! HE’S GONNA ASK YOU OUT!!!” screamed Pollyanna, pom-poms in hand.
“You’re not already going with someone to Homecoming, are you?” Karl said, a little quietly.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!” screamed Pollyanna, breaking into a mid-air toe touch. “He’s asking you to HOMECOMING!!!”
“No, not yet.” But I will be soon if you ask me!
Karl smiled a little bit at the news. “Well, do you want to go with me, then?”
Now I was smiling, “Sure, yeah, that would be fun.”
“Cool, cool,” the relief was washing over his face. I didn’t reject him. As if!
“Yeah, cool. We’ll have to, like, make plans and stuff.”
“Yeah, definitely.”
“OK, well, I’ve got to go.” And call everyone I know and tell them this amazing news. I HAVE A DATE TO HOMECOMING, and he is TALLER than me … and cute! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
“Me too,” Karl agreed. “See you tomorrow.”
“Bye.”
I took a deep breath as we parted ways, and I tried not to skip to the car.
Oh how I love hearing about Karl! :) Will we get to see the purple halter dress picture with him???? :)
ReplyDelete