I Dare You

"Just say it." You silently reminded yourself. You knew you'd regret it if you didn't. Yet your mouth feels all dry and fuzzy at the thought. Your stomach feels as if a dozen frogs were jumping around in it. You open your mouth, but no words come out. Silently you curse yourself. You find yourself looking around the room to see if anyone noticed that you'd been trying to speak, and further your embarrassment. No one appears to notice, and you relax slightly. But you still need to say something. Your window of opportunity is closing fast. And who knows when you'll get another chance. So, you take a deep breath, and open your mouth again.

Earlier today you'd had been hanging out with your friends. You'd been eating an ice cream cone, when the cutest guy you'd ever seen walked past. You hadn't been able to take your eyes off of him. Your friends giggles alerted you to the fact that while you'd been craning your neck to watch after him, your ice cream cone had dumped out on the floor and you'd lost your ice cream. Your face flamed in embarrassment, and instead of getting another one, you just threw the cone in the trash and hoped your friends would forget about it.

Later you'd all decided to play truth or dare. Unfortunately for you, your friends had not forgotten what had happened earlier. And when it was your turn you had foolishly chosen dare. Something you now regretted. Of course your friends had taken full advantage of your foolishness, and dared you to ask out the cute guy you'd seen earlier. You were sure he was going to say no, and yet a part of you felt like you deserved the humiliation for being so dumb. You couldn't back out of this dare either, because your friends would never let you forget it if you did, and you knew you would regret not doing it. There was always that just maybe... so how could you not ask.

He began to move away and your heart sinks. You've just lost your chance, you know it. And then before you can even begin to process that, your chance gets even better, because now there's no one around to witness your humiliation. He's standing alone with no one close by.

Trying not to be obvious you edge closer. Until you're close enough to talk. You quietly clear your throat. At least you try to be quiet. He turns and looks right at you. For a moment you freeze, then you try to smile, so as to appear friendly. In reality you realize that you probably resemble a garish alien of sorts. You aren't a people person, and not for the first time you wonder why you are even taking this stupid dare.

When he returns your smile with a dazzling one of his own you are stunned. You didn't expect to receive a smile. "Ok, now is your chance. " you silently order yourself. "Say it. Ask him." Opening your mouth you squeak out." Ummm, hi. I'm- " you swallow hard, knowing that your face is probably flaming, and that you sound like an idiot. But you can't stop now. If you run away now you'll never be able to show your face in public again. "I'm Hannah, and I-I was wondering if you would want to -to" you stumble over your words yet again. He stands there waiting patiently while you try to find the courage to complete your sentence. He's still smiling, and by this point you can't help but wonder if his smile is genuine, or if he is silently laughing at you. At your feeble attempt to ask him out. Feeling slightly irked, you've never asked anyone out before, you use that ire as the courage you need to finish your question, then wait in the heart stopping silence that ensues, for your humiliation to be complete.

"I'd like that. " He startles you.

"Y-you would?" You are almost positive you heard wrong.

"Yea," his smile grows. "I'd like that. I'm Simon, by the way. Want to go get a soda or something right now, then we can catch a movie later?"

You feel like you're floating on the cloud of disbelief. Euphoric, yet almost not believing it, you agree. On the inside you are shaking your head at the thought of it all. Who in their right mind only introduces themselves after asking the person out, or in your case while asking him out. You can't believe your good fortune, and can't wait to tell your friends about it. You steal a sideways glance at Simon who is doing the same. You both smile, and you think that just maybe this could be the start of something good after all.

Later after getting a cold soda, you and Simon get to the movie theater. Turns out you both like the same kind of movies, so choosing what to watch isn't hard. You enter the theater and find your seats. While you wait for the movie to start, Simon leans closer and tells you that he's never actially gone out with anyone before. "I've always been to shy to ask." He confides.

You know what he's talking about, and tell him that neither have you. Then you tell him about the dare. And why you got up the courage to ask him.

He's quiet for a long time, and you are sure you've offended him, and wonder why you can't ever just not say something? There's never a happy medium is there? Either you're wishing you could say something, or you're wishing you would've kept your mouth shut. It always seems to be one or the other with you. Just as thw movie is starting he leans ovwr again and whisperes "Well, either way, I'm glad you did." Warm fuzzy circles spread across your insides. Neither of you says anything as the movie plays. You keep your eyes glued to the screen. But you cant help but think that just maybe this dare thing had paid off. You and Simon seem to have hit it off. He seems to like you, and you know that you like him. This could be the start of a beautiful friendship if not something more.