Goodbye for now || n.h

Chapter 2

I had practiced all night last night on how to ask Dakota out. It felt weird and awkward to talk to myself in the mirror, but I had one chance and I was willing to do anything to get her to say yes.

It was Thursday. The big football game and our family dinner are on Saturday, so I was free tomorrow night, and I hoped Dakota was too.

"So how and when are you going to make your big move?" Zach asked me during lunch.

"I was thinking after school. Just walk over to her locker and ask her."

"After more than three years of being secretly in love with this girl, you're finally going to ask her out on a date." Sebastian grinned.

"What if she says no?" I asked, suddenly doubting myself.

I glanced over to her table. She was currently trying to balance the spoon on her nose, but dropped it because she burst out laughing at her friend's failure. I found myself smiling when I heard her laugh, so Sebastian gave me a punch against my arm.

"Stop being so fucking creepy! What if people saw you staring at her like that?"

"I have a hard time believing that she will say no." Zach told me. "But if she says no, then you know she's not interested and you can move on with your life."

"Rumour has it that Sophie, you know that junior girl, has a crush on you. Maybe you can ask her out if Dakota says no." Sebastian encouraged me.

"Yeah... I just don't know how I'm going to react if she says no. After all, I've had a crush on her for almost four years now. Just thinking about getting my heart broken by her makes me kind of sad."

"Stop sounding like such a girl. If she says no, just act cool and then go home and cry to your mother. Simple as that." Sebastian said with a shrug.

"Or she says yes and you two live happily ever after." Zach grinned.

She was still standing by her locker with her friends. I've been lazily putting down things in my backpack the last two minutes, just so I'd still be here when she's alone. Eventually I heard them saying their goodbyes and I glanced over there. Dakota was reaching for something on her shelf and the hallway started to clear out. I took a deep breath.

It's now or never.

With my heart pounding out of my chest, I closed my locker and began walking towards hers. I held onto the strap of my bag tightly, almost feeling my knuckles turning white. God, I never knew it was possible to be this nervous about something.

She looked over to me once she realised I was walking towards her and not just walking past. She gave me a smile and I felt my lips twitching as I tried smiling back.

"Hi." She said as I stopped walking. I stood beside the locker next to hers, still holding onto the strap of my bag really tight.

Say something

"I, um... hi."

She lightly giggled and pulled on her denim jacket.

"I was just wondering..." I trailed off, feeling my cheeks burning.

My heart was beating so loud I thought she would hear it too.

Then a girl called Becky stopped next to us and placed her hand on Dakota's shoulder.

"Hey, you don't happen to know about the homework for Mr Smith's class, do you?"

"I think he said the group project is supposed to be finished by tomorrow, but other than that I'm just as lost as you are." Dakota answered, once again slightly laughing.