Beauty and the Dork

Stray Puppies

"Sometimes I think I would give up my individualism if it meant I could be a little normal. Could have a shot with a girl like you," I confessed. It was true – I was often envious of the popular kids, how everything seemed to come to easily to them. The girls, the grades, the parties. Hell, I was desperate to even go to a dance.

"You have a shot with a girl like me," she insisted. I scoffed.

"Only if it's in private," I snapped back, meaner than I intended. I looked down at her and practically felt my heart break at the look on her face. She was hurt. "I'm sorry, Go, I shouldn't have said it—"

"I'm sorry, Eddie," she whispered to me, her voice cracking. I wrapped her in my arms.

"No, I'm sorry, Go – I'm just all over the place. I don't know why you'd waste any time with me, you're this goddess and I'm just this nerd."

"I like that about you," she said quietly. I sighed.

"It'll wear off. You'll learn the depths of my dorkiness and realize you should cut and run," I said, already dreading her future rejection.

"Not a chance – you learned about my secret nerdiness tonight," she retorted. I laughed and relaxed around her, pulling her close to me.

"There's no way you're lamer than me," I replied. She pulled back from me, studying my face. I felt my face heat under her stare, confused on what she was doing. "What?"

"Do you want to know just how lame I am?"

I laughed, pressing my forehead to hers.

"No matter what you tell me, I'm still going to be lamer."

"You were my first kiss," she announced abruptly. I felt a wave of emotions – what had she said? I was the first person who she let kiss her? Me?

"R-really?" I asked, my eyes widening. She flushed and nodded.

"Really," she answered. I felt my heart seize with pride at the realization that Margot Patterson had chosen me to be her first kiss.

"You wanted me to be your first kiss?" I asked, still stunned. Her lips started tugging into a smile.

"You were a good choice," she complimented, making my heart clench all over again.

"I can't believe you've never been kissed before," I replied, absolutely stupefied. She shrugged.

"No one's ever wanted to kiss me before."

"That's impossible to believe," I insisted, knowing that plenty of people wanted to kiss Margot Patterson. Hell, two days ago I would have sold my pinky finger to get the chance. "I know that everyone wants to kiss you. I just can't believe you picked me."

"Believe it, Sir Tiebaut," she answered, getting close to my face. I wanted to pass out from her proximity.

"So, that did nothing to make you seem lamer. If anything, it made me feel cooler since Margot Patterson picked me," I teased. She grinned and shook her head.

"You're one of a kind, Eddie Munson," she said quietly, placing her hand on the side of my face. I smiled, deciding that I would take advantage of this miracle. Margot Patterson was here, in my arms. She liked fantasy books and puppets and thought I was worthy enough to be her first kiss.

---

Eddie was handsome. God, I knew that my fascination with him over the last year had the rumbling of a crush, but now it was consuming me. It felt like my chest was burning from the inside out. I watched him, wondering if this is how you were supposed to feel on first dates. I never felt like this on all of the other first dates I had been on.