RED

Prologue

Holding a fresh rose in his hands, he drew in a deep, long, and nervous breath. The braces on his teeth made it a bit hard for him to completely shut his mouth. He positioned his large cylindrical glasses to rest properly on the bridge of his nose.

I can do this.

He assured himself but somehow those words didn't make much sense to him as they did last night. He couldn't get his eyes off the young girl who stood in front of her locker busy with something within it. The high school hallway was busy with chattering and laughing teenagers.

He realized he stood in the middle, a few steps away from her but she hadn't noticed him. They were very good friends. He assured himself of the possibility that she might feel the same way about him as he does for her. He was going to ask her today. He was going to ask the most beautiful girl he had ever seen to be his date to prom, to become his. He had been crushing on her since the first day he set his eyes on her two years ago; since the day she first stepped into his classroom. He had somehow managed to make friends with her. Lucky for him, she wasn't the type who seemed interested in the school's popular hierarchy order. She made friends with whomever she felt like. He knew he needed to tell her about his feelings.

He took his first step towards her, slow but firm, then a few more steps. This was it.

"Ana." He called her in the short form of her name and she immediately turned her head to him. A smile curled up on her face.

"Tyler." She called before shutting her locker and walking up to him.

"Where have you been..." Her words trailed away as he got down on one knee, with the hand in which he held the rose stretched out to her.

The smile on her face slowly disappeared. Eyes turned to them and they became the center of attraction. A mixed expression of surprise as well as amusement drew almost across everyone's face.

"Kiana Stuart, will you... will you be my date..."

"No." She interrupted before he could finish his sentence. She gently shook her head at him and plain expression was left on her face. She slowly took a step backward and without waiting a second more, she turned and quickly walked away refusing to look back and that was it for Tyler.

Disappointment washed over him as he watched her walk away. Slow but mocking laughter filled with whispers erupted throughout the hallway.

"Little Tyler wants to have a girlfriend... Too bad, she said no." His notorious bully mocked as he drew closer. The blonde haired boy squatted in front of him to make sure their eye level was at the same point.

"We can't blame her, can we? Look at yourself..." He started before letting out a light chuckle.

"... I mean which girl would want to have you?" He mocked more before standing straight on his two feet. Knowing completely well that all eyes was still on Tyler, the blonde haired boy poured the water from the bottle he was holding right on Tyler's head.

Tyler shut his eyes as he felt the cool water run down his body soaking his shirt in the process. Slowly, he let go of the rose he was holding on to and it fell to the floor beneath him.

When the bully was done, he laughed some more with his friends before walking away leaving Tyler all wet and still on his knees. Some lurking eyes actually showed compassion on him while some mocked him further more. Stating the quote, 'serves him right'.

He shut his eyes to control what he was feeling at the moment. He had never felt so humiliated in his entire life and this feeling was coming from a weird and geeky-looking kid. She hadn't even spared him a chance to complete his sentence. He wondered if her friendship with him was ever truly genuine. Was she friends with him out of pity?

He sighed.

Which girl would want to have you?

He recollected the bully's words. He wondered if his looks were the reasons for his rejection. He barely talked in school and kept it in whenever he liked a girl but for Kiana, he felt he should speak up before someone else takes her away. Truth be told, she was a beautiful blonde. He had started to think his feelings were more than a mere crushing, and that's why he took it upon himself to speak out. He couldn't believe she could shatter his heart in such a way.

His face was wet from both his tears and the water that was poured on him. He wiped his face with both the front and back of his hand as he sniffed to control his emotions. That was the end. Never again was he going to feel this way. He was going to make sure that things turn around. He was going to sit at the other side of the table. He was going to do the humiliating and breaking of hearts.