Under the Radar

A Personal Question

"So how was Thanksgiving?" I nudged Charlie's shoulder. She and I were in the school library during free period. It was the first day back since the short break.

"It was great! My uncle held me up by my ankle while holding my dad in a headlock, who was in a cat fight with his sister, while my cousins tackled Johnny to the floor, while Johnny and I pulled each others hair." She smiled widely. I expected nothing less. They were a.... Strange family. "So yeah, just the usual family reunion. How was your Thanksgiving? With your dad and everything..."

I blushed. "It was-uh-good." She raised an eyebrow. "We had some guests, Lilli had puppies, went Black Friday shopping, that's pretty much it."

"Lilli had puppies! What?! I always knew there was something going on between her and the German Shepard next door!" Charlie shouted. She smirked and raised an eyebrow. "But company, you say? Did that company just so happen to be Danny-boy and his lovely granny?"

I gaped at her and blushed. She bursts into laughter. "Mia, relax! You should've seen your face! A little birdie told me." She winked.

I rolled my eyes. "By little birdie, do you mean my mother?" I groaned.

"You know it babe. So how'd things go?"

I smiled. "It was great. Everyone got along. We had fun, everyone did little speeches on what they were thankful for, we played with the puppies. It was really cool."

Suddenly, the bell rang, signaling us to go to next period. Charlie and I hugged each other goodbye and headed our separate ways in the hall. "Mia!" I spun around and found Daniel running through the crowd of kids.

I laughed when he stopped next to me and caught his breath. "You okay?" I asked, patting his back as he bent over with his hands on his knees.

Abruptly, he grabbed my arm and pulled me into an empty classroom. "Mia, I have something I've been trying to tell you. I've never actually done this sort of thing, like... ever. So this is all new to me. So hear me out, okay?" He took a deep breath in and then continued. "Listen, I'm known as the bad-boy. I do stupid shit and get in trouble. I sleep around with girls-"

"Which is dangerous," I cut him off and he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I know. I've gotten the talk from Gramm. But that's besides the point. So anyways, when I first crashed into you in that hallway, I didn't know what to do. I mean, I've always seen you around in classrooms and some parties here and there, but when I looked at you I saw you were different. When I started talking to you, it only made me more interested in you. Ever since I met you, I've been talking less and less to every other girl. Now, I just avoid other girls completely. You're the only girl on my mind, and it's all the time!

"Mia, I like you; a lot. You're the only girl I've ever really felt this way about. In the past few months I've fallen for you more than I did for glitter when I was a kid." We smiled at his joke. "So Mia, do you like me back?"

I stared into his eyes, watching them fill with hope. "Daniel, I...." He suddenly looked nervous as he bit his lip. "I like you too." He smiled excitedly and spun me around.

"Good. Now, may I escort you to class m'lady?" He bowed.

I giggled and curtsied, "You may, my good sir."