All I Need is a Yes (Luna East Arts Academy)

V. Chad and Megan Together

“I won’t. I promise. But at least let me buy you—”

“Oh, Chad. You know I’m never rude to you, so take it or leave it. Another thing. It’s an event between you and me. Just you and me, Chad. You have to remember that. You wouldn’t broadcast it to Luna East like I know you would.”

“Just you and me,” he repeated, testing the words on his lips. “And it’s a yes,” he added with a smile.

She appeared satisfied. Without another word, she left, leaving an overjoyed Chad who was already thinking how he would do it.

As soon as Chad got home, he started calling friends. He knew he made a promise to Megan, but he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t do it on his own. He felt too inadequate. It was a gamble, but he had no choice other than to execute his plan. With the help of some people he knew, he went for it even if he had to face a furious Megan with only the flowers as his shield.

“Everything ready?” he asked.

Three boys from the props department wearing long sleeves and bowties nodded. They just finished decorating the theater stage for the upcoming Valentine’s Day Concert. But instead of a set of musical instruments, a small round table with dinner for two occupied the center stage.

“Don’t you think it’s too much?” he said in a nervous whisper to Toby, who was one of the boys.

“Hey, dude, ease up. Everything’s just right. Not the right time to back out.”

It calmed his physique a little, but deep inside he was still a nervous wreck. His heart was pounding in his chest too hard and too fast. If everything went according to his plan—the boy’s plan—Megan would soon be entering the theater room. There was no way he could back out. And there was only one way to find out how Megan would freak out, and that was to stand at the exact spot where the boys had instructed him.

“Len succeeded! Megan’s on her way!” another of the boys cried out.

The aisle leading to the stage was covered with rose petals, and he stood at the end of it, holding a bouquet of flowers in his cold and sweaty hands.

The spotlight turned on. The music started. Everyone knew that there was no time to waste. He looked pale. He knew that it was now or never.

The theater room was dark, except for the candles lined up, lighting both sides of the aisle. As soon as the door opened and Megan and her two best friends sauntered in, a spotlight pointed straight to a guy standing at the end of the aisle wearing a coat and tie and with flowers in hands.

Oh, God. What is this? Megan couldn’t help thinking as she started walking on rose petals and hearing the song she was very familiar with. It was her favorite. She needed to catch her breath. At the end of the aisle, Chad waited for her with a smile—a nervous one—and a bouquet of flowers in his shaking hands.

She stopped; sure that she had a safe distance away from him.

“Hi,” he said, a little shaky, like his hands.

She fought the urge to laugh. “Really? You did all this?”

He looked confused but recovered just in time. “Look, if you’re angry because I seek help from the props department and from your friend Len, and I used all the money I managed to shell out in my piggy bank on useless and stupid rose petals and candles, I’m sorry. If you don’t like me cooking dinner for you, I’m sorry, too. If you don’t like all these, go ahead and say it, I won’t even mind.”

“Are you crazy?” she cried out. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “God, of course I like it, with the exception of you almost telling the world that I agreed to go on a date with you.” She had the chance to roll her eyes.

He knew he had to say something, but for the first time in his life, his tongue backed off and forgot it even had a function.

“Why?” she continued. “After all those years that I’ve rejected you and tried to get rid of you, you’re still doing this? Can’t it be just a simple date, like, the normal ones? Why bother?”

He remained silent.

“Chad,” she sighed, and she was starting to hate the reaction. “I know you’re doing this because . . . because you think you like me. But it’s nearing four years, Chad. Wake up! You weren’t even sure if this day would come.”

The tongue came back. “I know,” he said with solemn resignation.

She sighed once more, a little surprised. “And?”

“And you are going to frigging take this flower from me and eat dinner with me, because I’m not gonna stand here forever and waste all these. This is my chance—my last and only chance, remember? And I’m not gonna frigging end this day without even trying to put justice to my efforts. At least, at the end of all this, I can say that I tried,” he said hurriedly—not caring if he was saying the right things or not.  He knew he had blown it off. He stood straight, still holding the flowers, bracing himself for her reaction.

“And you didn’t even ask me to wear a dress?” was the reply.

He swallowed. Then after what seemed like forever, his face slowly revealed a smile, the realization downing on him. This time, his smile was steady—a real warm smile with all his apprehensions vanishing away. He looked calm like a whole weight was lifted off him, which was really the case.

“What? Oh—ah—yes. I forgot. There’s still time for it anyway. We still have two days before Valentine’s Day, right? This is just the beginning,” he said, recovering.

She rolled her eyes, again, making sure to add it alongside sighing—the reactions she hated. “The beginning, huh? I wonder how’s it going to end.”

“Yeah. Actually, I’m thinking bungee jumping or rock climbing,” he answered with a big smile plastered on his face.

“Oh, please, Ricardo Sandoval. Not again.”

He laughed, knowing he got the Megan Ysabella he had always known, back—finally! They were childhood friends—had shared sandwiches, and had seen each other cry and laugh. They had shared stories, too, nasty and silly ones. But Chad and Megan couldn’t be children forever. They had to grow up. She had to meet new friends, and he had to meet his own, too.

But Chad wouldn’t give up, because he had the momentous luck to fall in love with his childhood friend. It was one of the things that he didn’t see coming, like the rest of him. He couldn’t understand why guys needed to grow mustache and needed to have muscles. He had no idea that cute wasn’t the synonym of gorgeous. Well, they were both synonyms for attractive, but cute was for teddy bears and gorgeous was for guys worth drooling for. He didn’t know where he belonged. He wasn’t a teddy bear for sure, but he didn’t see anyone drooling for him, either. He was lost.

There was one thing that he was certain, though. He liked Megan, and he would do everything just for her to like—or maybe love—him back. Fat chance, baby, he remembered Toby telling him, again, but he didn’t care. What was important for him was Megan finally saying yes to him. It was all he ever wanted.

“Does this mean we’re finally cool?” he asked, just to be sure.

“I’m not saying yes, but I’m not saying no, either.”

Okay, Chad thought. At least that was a start.