Excuses (Henry Ledore x Reader)

7. Then - Not Quite Cinderella

"Hurry up, (Name)! Tell me what happened and spare me no detail!", Angela requested with anticipation.

"So, hum, I went straight to Old Market where I met him..."

"Hmm hmm."

"We chatted for a bit, then I walked with him to Memory Knoll..."

"Yup."

"We stopped there and talked about school and the poem I wrote last night..."

"Go on."

"I found a nice flower by the river and gave it to him..."

"What else?"

"He thanked me with such an angelic voice and smiled so sweetly, I thought I would turn into stone that instant!"

"And? And?", Angela pressed you with excitement, moving closer to you.

"We bade each other good evening and parted."

Angela loudly dropped her hands onto your shoulders.

"Is that all?!"

"W-well, yes, we had a good time together but he told me he had to go home and prepare dinner..."

"Oh, (Name), come on now! You must be pulling my leg! You had the perfect opportunity to confess your love to Henry but let it slip through your fingers!"

"But I just told you Henry had to go and cook dinner! I didn't want him to be late, s-so I--"

"No more excuses! You caved in!"

"And what if I did?! I had butterflies in the stomach when I saw his smile, then my mind went blank and my body felt numb..."

Angela sighed, visibly disappointed. She rubbed her face in the palm of the hand and shook her head disapprovingly.

"You've been nurturing those feelings for the longest time now and still haven't found the resolve to share them with him!", she scolded you.

"What if he only sees me as a friend, or even as a sibling? I wouldn't bear it..."

"And what if he doesn't?"

"I'm terrified to keep my hopes too high, Angela!"

"A decade, (Name). You've been in love with Henry for a decade, now! We'll all turn seventeen pretty soon, you must do something about it! I certainly don't want to see you miss your chance on the wave of love because of that annoying self-consciousness of yours!"

"That's easy for you to say! You're beautiful, smart and popular, all the boys want to date you!"

"Oh! Then let me remind you that you too are beautiful, smart and popular! Who was it that turned Victor down the other day, uh?"

Your face got flushed with embarrassement at the memory of your classmate asking you out at the end of the weekly literature club.

"I... we barely know each other, I've rarely talked to him..."

"And yet, he thought you were radiant and interesting and developped a crush on you! He joined the literature club to get to know you better, mind you!"

"Who told you that?"

"Marnie and Piers did. They've been in the same class since middle school."

"I still feel bad, you know?"

"Don't! Be kind and true to yourself! If the one you want to date is Henry, you must tell him face-to-face. You should learn from Victor... Perhaps he could teach you a thing or two about confessing to your significant one!"