What the-

My heart is beating in my chest. But the funny thing is I don't really know why. I haven't liked Justin since third grade. It wasn't even my idea to ask him out. I was dared. Daring during The week before Valentines, a tradition in my friend group. Kind of, it's not the same now that all the girls actually have boyfriends. So this year it was just Lauren, Jemma, Gracie and I. Four of the original ten. Anyways...they all devised this plan. To have me walk up to Justin Brown and ask him out...on a date. So here goes nothing.

"Hey Justin I was hoping-"

"Excuse me...who are you?" He genuinely looks confused.

"I'm Haven, we were in the same class five years straight?" I was near laughing at this point.

"I'm sorry I don't know you...Haven."

Wow! He really didn't know? How do you forget Haven Hawking...we were friends first through fourth grade. All that forgotten? I gave him secret admirer notes...did he even care to read them? He looked at me with concern.

"What were you going to say?" Justin cocks his head.

Should I have a melt down in the hallway right before dismissal? Nah, I shouldn't.

"Hey random question, did you ever get a secret admirer note?"

"When I was like nine why?" He smiles.

"Well...uh... I used to have an itsy bitsy crush on you."

Itsy bitsy? What the heck I had a huge crush on him. Who uses the words itsy bitsy? Great now we are left with a little thing I like to call, Awkward Silence.

He looks anywhere but at me. At the wall, the people passing, the water fountain. I had to stop the silence before it did something bad. But luckily he says something first.`

"Oh, were you trying to...ask me?" He messes with his thumbs keeping his eyes staring at the door.

"Out?" I interrupt.

"Were you?" He mumbles.

"Uh... kind of yeah."

Do things get any worse than this? I might as well curl up in a ball and roll away. Your sixteen, Haven you can handle it. I take a massive gulp of air and it doesn't end well. I end up choking on air. Yep air. If I had any chance redeeming myself, it is gone by now. I start breathing normal again. Justin walks up to me and hand me his phone number.

"You make me to curious to just walk away." He grins in the most annoying way.

"Okay?" Justin walks away. I am really confused on what just went down.

Gracie and Jemma rush over.

"What in the world-" Gracie urges.

"Just happened?' Jemma finishes her sentence.

"He had no idea who I was." I whisper.

"Oh, that explains why you-" Jemma starts

"Froze." Lauren finishes walking over to join.

"Do you ever finish your own sentences?" I laugh.

"Stop deflecting!" Lauren says playfully.

"He gave me his number." I giggle

"Oooooh." They all mock.

"Third or Fourth Grade Haven would have freaked out."

"Probably, I mean If I'd had a phone."

"Fair point." Jemma giggles.

The bell rings. "You should call him tonight!" Gracie shouts giving me a head nod, a proper goodbye.

The truth is, I really should call him. I like uncharted territory and this was definitely uncharted. I couldn't say he wasn't pretty great still. I just don't do crushes anymore. Maybe I could make an exception. Blue eyes, Blonde hair and a 4.0 GPA that I could work with.

So I went hope, I waited a few hours and then I checked the clock. It was 6:19, I probably should call. So my hands nearly shaking, I dialed his number.

"Um Hello?" He sounded disheveled. Maybe I should hang up now.

"Hi Justin this is Haven."

"Look right now is not a good time." Justin spurts.

"Oh I'm sorry, is there anything I can do?"

"Our pipes are frozen."

In a moment of weakness I ended up blurting...

"Hey I can come over and help!"

So I hung up and rushed out to my car. Then I went back in to grab my jacket. Then I finally get in my car. It is probably five degrees out here. To my surprise it was snowing. It had dropped forty degrees within three hours. I hope I didn't get stuck over night. I am having the whole thought process. But I still go. I get there in twenty minutes. It usually wouldn't be more than ten. HIs house is...different than I imagined. His mom and himself are cover pipes with towels and turning on heaters everywhere. It looks like his house is falling apart. Shutters falling off, pieces of wood scattered everywhere. It was a mess, and I just volunteered to help.

"Hey it's Haven, Is there anything I can-"

"Please go put this in the drains." His Mom looks frantic. She hands me a bag of salt.

"Yes Ma'am." I sputter.

So I did I put salt in drains, and towels on pipes. Luckily nothing burst. I looked at my phone, 10:12.

"I need to be getting home Mrs. Brown."

"Oh please call me Hattie, and it's to cold out there hun." Mrs. Brown states.

"It wouldn't be safe." Justin adds.

"I know accommodations are not...great." She looks around.

"I can call my Dad, I have a sleeping bag in my truck."

"That would be great." Justin smiles.

I called my Dad. With some convincing he let me stay.

Justin and I became friends it seemed automatically after that. The next morning he made breakfast. He was a really good chef. On Tuesday he came over to our house to meet my friends and parents. Everything seemed to be going great. So great I decided I would ask him to the valentines dance. But there lies the issue.

"Hey Justin! I slide over to him.

"So Tomorrow is the dance and I was hoping maybe..."

"Hi Haven!" Lauren smiles. Lauren?! She grabs Justin's hand. I know why she has been gone so often! Apparently my shock shows.

"I am taking Lauren to the dance." Justin says happily.