The following day, school was buzzing with excitement as there was going to be a dance. And as per the traditions, for the first dance of the school year, it was up to the girl to ask a guy to escort them to the dance, and not the other way around.
Karen was naturally going to ask Aiden. She was even planning on confessing her strong albeit complex feelings to him.
You can do this, Karen, she told herself as the fourth period ended and it was time for lunch.
She and Aiden were heading to the cafeteria together to have lunch when he whispered in her ear, “I can sense that you’re nervous about something. What’s wrong, love? Is there something I should know?”
Her eyes narrowed at him briefly. How could he be so dense? And then a pout broke onto her features, softening them.
“What is it?” He insisted.
“Oh god, you’re so thick!” She exclaimed angrily.
“Oh my, thank you,” he said in a teasing tone, a chuckle escaping him.
Her own words replayed in her mind and she blushed when she figured out how it could be misinterpreted. She hit his arm with her first playfully.
“You hit like a girl,” he chuckled again.
“Well, I am a girl,” she retorted with an eye-roll.
“Oh, I know,” came his drawl.
They picked their lunch and were heading to a table when the same persistent girl from the day before last showed up in front of them.
“Hey Aiden,” she greeted cheerfully, completely and purposefully ignoring Karen. “I missed you around yesterday. I hope you weren’t sick.”
“He wasn’t,” Karen replied before he could, doing her best to appear calm and collected when she was anything but.
“Oh, you checked up on him. That’s sweet of you!”
“Look, Jessica,” Karen began in a saccharine tone. “You would do well to stop if you know what’s best for you. You have the entire soccer team to bother, the popular crowd to drool over, and the nerds to gawk at if you so wish. Stop trying to get with Aiden.”
“Why? You feel threatened?” The girl had the nerve to ask her challengingly.
Karen giggled humorlessly at the girl’s comeback.
“Let’s just say that I am looking out for you in my own way,” she then told her. “He and I are in it for the long run, aren’t we, darling?”
That was when Aiden spoke at long last, “You know my answer to that, love.”
“But she doesn’t,” she retorted.
“I love you. And I will carry on loving you until the last breath I take,” he said sincerely, looking at Karen sideways.
Oh god, how was she to respond to that? Could she? Dare she?
“I love you too,” she told him in a sweet bashful mutter.
His only response was to drop his tray on a nearby table and plant his lips on hers – after placing her own tray on the table as well.
“Ugh! Have fun with this bore!” Jessica spat out and then stomped away.
But the two lovebirds had no business listening to a jealous girl’s rant. They were much too busy kissing, tasting one another’s lips… until someone cleared their throat that is.
“Detention to the both of you,” the teacher said once they parted for air. “No such PDA is allowed at school.”
Karen blushed in utter mortification whereas Aiden chuckled good-humoredly.