mlb one-shots | completed

civ | aaron judge

bad timing | for ransomenote666

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"Just talk to him, Katie!" Didi encouraged for what felt like the hundredth time, looking over at the tall boy in question. For was felt like months, Didi's best friend, Katie, had had a huge crush on one of their classmates, Aaron. The problem? She couldn't find a way to talk to him.

"I'm trying!" Katie huffed, crossing her arms. She was as frustrated as Didi was. No matter how much convincing her friends did, there was something about Aaron that intimidated her to no end.

"Yeah, if trying means doing nothing at all," Didi joked. As much as he made fun of Katie, Didi did feel bad for her. He had never been that nervous when talking to girls, but Katie had always been a bit more socially awkward than he was. She was being faced with a problem that Didi felt was very Katie.

Both Katie and Didi knew that Katie was running out of time. There was only a week until final exams, and after that, Katie wouldn't see Aaron again for another three months. The thought of that happening saddened her. She knew Didi would be seeing him all summer, the two played baseball together, but she always quickly denied Didi's offers to introduce the two. She feared that it'd be painfully awkward.

However, she didn't want to not be able to tell Aaron about her feelings, either. She had had feelings for him for a surprising amount of time, and she knew that if she didn't tell him, she would never forgive herself for it. Didi knew this, too, and so he continued to encourage her to no end, even if it sometimes became an annoyance to her.

"How have you avoided talking to him, anyway?" Didi questioned, the thought suddenly popping into his mind. "I talk to him all the time at school."

"I get nervous whenever I see him," she admitted. "I usually find some excuse to run away when I see him coming."

Didi laughed a bit obnoxiously. "You are unbelievable, Katie."

This was only somewhat the truth, Katie thought. Sure, it was crazy that her timid nature had come to this extent, but she had always had trouble talking to new people, especially when they were cute boys. She had never had any luck with boys for that reason. They didn't flock to her, and she never sought anyone out, as much as she wanted to.

"I'll talk to him eventually," she assured Didi, though she was mostly trying to convince herself. She continued to eye Aaron from across the room. They were all waiting for the bus to arrive after school, but it was raining, so everyone had moved inside. Katie always got frustrated while waiting. She knew it was the perfect time to talk to him. He was usually talking to friends, which she hated because she didn't want to pull him away from his friends, but the rare case he was alone for a moment became increasingly frustrating to her.

It was almost two weeks of continued frustration before Katie finally got the guts to talk to Aaron. She sat outside as she waiting for the bus when she spotted Aaron sitting a little ways away from her. looking down at his phone. She knew this was her perfect opportunity. she had to talk to him now or never.

Luckily, there was a little bit of time between the end of her final exam and when the buses arrived that afternoon. She figured Aaron was alone because many of his friends were seniors, and therefore were exempt from most of their exams. It was just her luck that twenty minutes after she had first spotted him, he was still sitting there.

Taking a deep breath, she took a moment to notice how fast her heart was racing before standing up and walking towards Aaron. She was shaking as she approached him.

"Hey, Aaron?" she spoke, and Aaron looked up at her. It was a miracle she could even manage her next sentence. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Of course," he answered with a smile, standing up and shoving his phone into his pocket.

She led him a little ways away, still somewhat close to the other students but far enough away where no one would be able to hear their conversation, and hear the inevitable moment where she would get rejected by the most popular boy in school.

"What's up?" Aaron questioned once she had stopped walking. He didn't look uncomfortable at all, which was a great contrast to Katie. She was freaking out.

"I, uh," she tried, before clearing her throat and trying again. "Aaron, I want you to know that I really like you."

Silence hung in the air. Katie felt like she was going to die from embarrassment. After all this internal struggle, she was finally getting turned down and she knew it.

Much to Katie's surprise, Aaron started laughing. This made Katie feel awful until Aaron spoke. "You have awful timing, Katie."

She finally looked up at him, very confused as to what he meant. She was met with Aaron's smile.

"I like you, too."

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06.28.18