Love in costume

Isaiah had planned to ask out his crush that day, Addison Myron. She had the cutest short haircut that bounced up and down when she was happy and freckles that pronounced her green eyes. He had met her during the school musical. The school was doing The Addams Family and he had lost his voice trying out for Lurch . She had gotten him lemon tea to heal his voice. It did help eventually, but he was stuck as an understudy.

Isaiah walked up boldly with his chest stuck out proudly. It was valentine’s week and the school’s plastic hearts gave him the courage he had lacked during the previous year. He figured he had nothing to lose. She said yes he got a cute date, she said no he was still were he started

“Hi Addison!” His voice broke during his greeting and Isaiah felt his bravado diminish quickly.

She smiled kindly at him with those big green eyes of hers. “Hello.”

He put his hands behind his back blushing. He smiled hopefully at her. “I was wondering if you would like to be my valentine. So what do you say?” 

Addison’s smile faltered. “Look...er,” Her eyes went to the ground.

“She doesn’t even know you weirdo, go away.” Another girl at Addison table said.

Isaiah’s wide smile faltered. He looked at Addison who was blushing darker reds than the fake hearts littered around the school. 

“You don’t remember me?”

Addison shook her head giving him a reproachful smile. “No, sorry.”

“Well!” Isaiah said, his smile quickly turning plastic. “This is awkward. Sooo,” He clapped his hands. “Imma head out now.” He spun around trying to quickly make an exit only to feel his sneaker slide on someone’s left over sandwich and crash into a nearby table. 

Isaiah’s head felt dizzy, like all of his mental shelves had been knocked over. He heard people shouting and other people laughing.

“Alright buddy, let’s get you to our table.” A familiar voice said, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him right side up. Drew sat him down on their table with the rest of his friends with worried looks.

Isaiah was banging his head repeatedly on the cafeteria table. “Why does the universe hate me? She didn’t even know me!”

“Come on, Isaiah.” Drew said in an attempt to console his friend. “It wasn’t that bad.” 

“Really?” He asked, stopping for a moment from trying to give himself a concussion peering up at the rest of the table hopefully. 

Luther began to eat his lunch with a renewed vigor, Drew looked at Lilith for help and Dido just shook her head with pursed lips. “It was that bad.”

“Well you win some you lose some.” Drew tried again. Luther dropped my fork in shock at his words. 

Drew heard a quick slapping sound and felt a sharp pain in his right arm. Lilith was glaring at him. 

“Doth thou know who is present?” Luther hissed in his dramatic voice. “Tis none other than Dido “never had to deal with a rejection” Zimmerman.” He growled in a low voice. Lilith nodded in agreement.

“No!” Dido said standing up with a determined shine in her eyes. “I will not let Isaiah “lose some” after just one try.” She threw her hands up. “This is the week of valentines day! Love is present everywhere! I will not let one of my best friends let his crush slip through his fingers!”

The glaring from both Lilith and Luther intensified.

“Everybody is coming to my house after school. Five ‘o’ clock sharp. Understood?” She declared with a stomp before heading off to her next class after lunch.

They arrived at Dido’s house at four forty. Dido was everybit the queen as her namesake was, you got there on time or you had better have a rock solid alibi.

Isaiah didn’t show up. Drew had texted Isaiah several times and all he got was 

I’m not coming .

You can stop worrying.

Look even if I come now it will be midnight when I get Dido to stop harping at me.

Drew didn’t blame him.  

“Dido let us go home, Isaiah isn’t coming.” Lilith sighed sitting next to her friend. Dido pouted. “Fine.” She relented sinking into her couch. 

Isaiah put his phone back in his pocket after Drew texted him. Luther texted him but he couldn’t understand any of the shakespearean.

He had just finished his math tutoring session and went down to the auditorium. He saw Addison was still there, probably from music lessons. No one else was there so he might as well try again!

“Hi, you might remember me from the lunch fiasco.” He said walking up to her. “I realise that might have been pretty bad, but my friend Dido said I shouldn’t give after one shot.” Not using Dido’s exact words wouldn’t hurt anybody.

“Oh! I know Dido, I talk to her all the time she-” Addison stopped at Isaiah’s kicked puppy look. “This isn’t helping is it?”

“No, but you know my friends so that’s a start.”

He stuck out his hand with a smile. “Let me introduce myself. My name is Isaiah Graham.”

Addison gasped smacking her forehead. “You were Lurch!”

Isaiah nodded still a bit shocked. “Yeah?”

She started to laugh causing her bob to bounce up and down. “I’m sorry about lunch. I do remember you, I just didn’t recognize you.”

“Really?” He asked, tilting his head. “I didn’t think I changed that much in the looks department since I was nine.”

“You were five eleven at age nine?” She asked with an eyebrow raised. Isaiah nodded seriously. “I had a growth spurt early on. But back to why you didn’t recognize me.”

“You were in costume the entire time I saw you.”  She drolled

Isaiah thought hard about the entire musical. “It’s called method acting Isaiah.” Dido had said. “ I don't care if your an understudy. You come early, I’ll help you with makeup and every time you go up you do your best.”

“Well know that you remember me would you like to be my valentine?” He asked with a flourish of his hands.

Addison giggled. “Absolutely.”