Started With A Dare

❥ 0.3 - editing

0.3 | discombobulate

Disconcert or perplexed;
The results of utter confusion.
(See: Childhood crushes)

Summer

It was currently last period and Ms. Oakley, our history teacher, has been droning on about the French Revolution for the past half hour. To be completely honest, I stopped paying attention about fifteen minutes in. 

Instead, I've been unproductively staring at the back of Joel's head in confusion and trying to figure out the reason of his outburst. He's barely spoken two words to me since and has been avoiding all efforts from me trying to start a conversation.

I thought he'd be happier about the progress of my dare but apparently not. 

Sighing, I slouch further down in my seat. Who would have guessed I'd spend my senior year chasing down the playboy and being avoided by the guy I actually liked; what a disaster.

"Summer," Ms. Oakley calls and I jerk up a little, caught off guard, "you're paired with Joel." 

I open my mouth to ask 'what for' but think better of it as Joel pushes his chair back. I swallow my words and silently watch as he takes a seat in front of me. 

After about the most awkward silent ten seconds of my life, I clear my throat hesitantly, "Um, I actually have no idea what we're meant to be doing."

Joel's shoulders relax a little and he lets out a soft chuckle.

"Why am I not surprised, I find it hard to believe you're even awake," he jokes, running a hand through this hair. I sigh in relief as the frown on his face disappears and hope whatever it was that was bothering him had gone.

"We have to research and present a specific event that occurred during the French Revolution period," Joel explains.

I make a face.

"And it's due in two weeks."

"If I do all the research, can you do the presentation?" I ask, completely serious. It's not that I'm scared of public speaking or had stage fright, but if there's a way for me to avoid it, I would gladly do so.

Joel laughs again, "I'm sure people would much rather stare at your pretty face."

I blink at his unexpected reply, was that meant to be a compliment?

"I think everyone would agree that you're the one with the pretty face," I reply before I could stop myself. 

Joel's mouth falls open and the realisation of what I had just said suddenly hits. 

Why. Did. I. Do. That. 

I could feel the tips of my ears burning as I try to laugh it off and save myself from further embarrassment.

"I mean, there's a lot more girls in this class than guys so it makes more sense they'd want to look at you...and not me." I cringe at how unbelievably lame my reasoning sounded. 

"Okay we get it, just say you hate presenting already," Joel teases, completely unfazed by my response. 

It's times like this that I thank my lucky stars that he's just a guy, and guys were way too thick to realise things like their girl best friend accidentally flirting with them, much less, crushing on them. 

"Definitely hate presenting," I nod and wince, secretly praying for class to be over soon because this was just torture. 

With everyone paired up, the class starts buzzing with more noise. Joel and I eventually decide to go over the project a little more in depth and assign roles. After bickering back and forth for a while, we finally agree on the same topic and start researching our parts.