The Date

"Hey Amy."

"Hey Morgan! How was class?"

I sigh and flop on the couch.

"That bad, huh?" Amy asks with a concerned look. 

I shrug like it's no big deal. "Oh you know, just the usual. Studied as hard as I could, thought I did great on my 1050 test, and then come to find out I failed the mid. Wonderful. Not bad at all. I mean 45 out of a hundred means I got almost half of the questions right, right? Nah I'm good. Doesn't matter at all."

"You know I always forget how sarcastic you are when you're upset with yourself."

"Ohhh, sarcastic? What do you mean? You haven't seen anything yet."

"Math is hard Morgan. It's okay. I mean, what's your grade?"

"C+," I grumble. 

"Hey! That's passing!" 

I stay stoic on the couch, staring at a spot on the wall.

"Well," Amy pauses, considering what to say next. "Maybe we should get out of here. Take a little break."

"Break?"

"You know…." Amy shrugs. "From school."

"I have to study."

"Morgan that's the problem. You are always studying. You need to get your mind off of things. Relax. Who knows, it might help your grade. And it'll definitely help your mental health."

I roll my eyes. "My mental health is fine."

"Well, I mean, fine is well, fine, but don't you want to be...great?"

……….

"Hey Nick! Great news!"

"Hey what's up my man? Let's hear this Chad," I respond with a grin.

"So Amy, well she has this really awesome roommate, and she wants her to get out more, you know, get her nose out of the books, so she's trying to find a date for her, and I may have volunteered you!" I look at the huge grin plastered on my best friend's face as mine begins to fade.

"Oh! What's her name?" I respond casually.

Chad scratched his head. "Well, you see, Amy wants it to be a completely blind date, so I can't tell you?"

"Well, this should be fun," I say sarcastically.

………..

“Morgan, come on! It will be so fun!! I know Chad’s friend and he’s a really great guy!” Amy's voice is all upbeat.

“I’m sure it will be fine, but I just don’t understand why it's such a big deal. I mean, I’m doing just fine single, and I’m in no hurry to get hitched.”

Amy looks at me in a disapproving manner. “I know you are in 'no hurry to get hitched'", she pauses for effect. "But a date now and then won’t hurt. Just because you went out does not mean you have to marry him, date him, or even like him. I’m more concerned about getting you out of your hermit shell once in a while then I am convincing you to get a boyfriend or fiance.”

“My ‘hermit shell’ consists of studying for classes rather than partying it up all over the place.”

“Balance, dear. You can have fun and still study. It does not need to take up every minute of your entire life.”

“Now you sound like my mother.”

“Good, I like her. She’s a good person to sound like.”

I let out an extremely exaggerated sigh. “Can I at least know his name?”

“Nope! You two can introduce yourselves. Don’t forget your jacket,” she pauses, a mischievous grin appearing. “Or do,” she shrugs with a wink. 

………….

“Chad, wait up!”

“Wait up? No, you hurry up. You are going to be late!”

“I had to feed the dog!”

“I don’t care what your excuses are, and neither will she.”

Catching up, I fall into step with Chad on the cracked sidewalk. “So,” I emphasize the word, making it seem so extremely casual that it couldn’t possibly be. “Who is she?” 

“Can’t tell you, I have said this before, Nick. Amy wants you to to completely meet each other, as if it wasn’t a blind date at all.”

“Yes, but can’t I do that and still know her name?” 

“A person’s name is one of the most important things to know about them! She should be the one to tell you.”

………….

“They should be here any minute Morgan. Where are you going?”

“Just taking a walk around the park, I’ll stay close. Why don’t you join me?”

“But I told Chad the south side, Morgan.”

“Well, looks like you are obligated to stay here then. Text me when they get here.”

“Morgan!” Amy sighs and hurries to catch up to me. I turn to face her with a teasing smirk on my face, when I smack right into someone!

We both trip over each other and end up in a tangled mess. 

…………..

"Well...what does she look like?" 

"Looks are not everything Nick," Chad reprimands.

"Yeah I know, I'm just trying to get an idea, okay?" I throw a little extra sass in just for fun.

"She is a perfectly good looking, nice, fun girl. Stop worrying so much."

"'Stop worrying so much," I mock in a high pitched tone while making my hands mimic someone speaking. "It's not like I'm going to be spending my entire evening with her or anything," I brush my sarcasm off as casualness.

"Evening. Evening, Nick. Not life. Not years. Not months. Not even days. Just a few gosh darned hours. Now please! I beg of you. Stop. Being. Dramatic."

"But dramatic is my middle name!" I turn to see Chad's reaction to my sass with a goofy grin plastered across my face, when I run right into someone and we end up in a tangled mess. 

………….

"Are you okay?" 

"Yeah I'm alright."

"Let me help you up."

"Thank you."

"I'm sorry. I definitely was not paying attention to where I was going, and...I'm so sorry."

"No, I'm sorry. I was turned, talking to my friend Amy here, and…"

Amy steps in and Chad steps to her, putting his arm around her. Then, they burst out laughing.

"Amy! What's going on? Chad?" And then realization comes.

Morgan turns to the handsome stranger she so awkwardly just interacted with, and he has the same look in his eyes.

"Well, this is one way to make an impression," Nick laughs.

"Well if that's not the truest thing I have ever heard!" she laughs back.

Nick pulls his hands from his pocket and extends one to her. "I'm Nick."

"Morgan." 

"Very nice to meet you," he looks to Chad with a stern look. "And to know your name."

"Same here," Morgan gives Amy a similar glance.