It's taking forever for Thursday to come. Wren doesn't go to school again for Tuesday which means another day of silence and awkwardness. Wednesday, Wren does come, but only after English, and me and Amélie present the book report. I have to speak most of the time because Amélie keeps on switching between French and English and no one understands her.
Finally, Thursday. Today's the day. Even before school starts I'm already crazy nervous. Dad makes a big deal about it, which only makes me even more nervous.
Dad settles in his seat. "Big day for you, huh?"
"Yeah." I can't even focus on eating the cereal.
Oh my goodness. I'm asking out a girl for the first time ever!
"Nervous?" Dad catches on.
"Crazy nervous," I reply. "How was your first time asking someone out?"
He leans forward in his chair. "It shouldn't go too bad. If you already have a good relationship, she'll probably say yes." I hope so.
The fact that he said 'probably' and not 'definitely' amps up my nervous level. If Wren says no, I will crawl into a hole and cry forever. Let's try to be hopeful about it. "Thanks."
Dad nods since he's chewing. I manage to eat half before my fluttering stomach refuses to eat anymore. I realize something: When do I ask her? English is too early to ask, and Zoe will see. She doesn't need something else to cry about. P.E. is too weird of a place to ask.
Lunch! It's the perfect place to ask! The biggest issue of Zoe being there is removed! Not that I'm necessarily happy about it, I still feel bad about rejecting her, but for this occasion, it's a good thing. I can text Wren to come over and then I'll ask.
Somehow, today is also when Zoe starts being friendly today. She smiles when I walk into English and I can't help but think about how nice she looks. "Hey. We're cool."
Just like that? "You're sure?"
"Seriously. I'm fine now. Sorry about getting angry at you. I just needed time to... recover from what happened."
"Sweet." Today is already going great. "So I have something big to announce."
"What is it?"
"I am asking Wren out." I say proudly.
I can literally see Zoe's brightness dim as soon as I say it. "Oh, you still..." She turns away from me. Oh man, I made Zoe upset again. Just as soon as she felt better. Should not have told her that.
I put a hand on her shoulder. "Zoe, you didn't know I still like Wren?"
"Leave me alone." Zoe bats my hand away, voice breaking halfway through 'alone'. Looks like I'm back to square one. Today isn't that great anymore. She faces the front as Mr. Tran walks in. Her face is still tilted away from me. I can see her mouth slightly trembling.
Before Wren even puts a foot through the door Mr. Tran somehow senses her presence. "Wren Fox!"
"Hmm."
"This is the tenth time you have arrived late. I cannot tolerate this behavior anymore. We are going to the office." Wren rolls her eyes. "And I'll be taking that skateboard for the rest of the day," he adds.
Wren's eyes widen and she holds her skateboard tight with both hands. "No, you... can't." She's right. Mr. Tran doesn't know how important that skateboard is to Wren.
"I can." Mr. Tran stands up. "Put it here, next to my desk."
Wren stays by the doorway, silently pleading him not to take it away from her.
"Now." When he says it like that, you know he means business.
She walks over, defeated. Before they both leave, Wren takes one last longing look at her skateboard. The room is filled with noise once the teacher is gone. I sit awkwardly next to Zoe, waiting for her to say something. She gets up and leaves. Probably to use the washroom. Out of pure curiosity, not because I'm a creepy stalker, I follow her. I'm actually good at tailing Zoe without her noticing me. As I sensed, she passes the washrooms. Where else could she be going?
I follow her to a 3-way intersection. Zoe goes left, into the hall where it stops after 3 metres for some reason. I stay behind the corner. That place is a dead end, what would she be doing? Then I hear her crying. Crying quietly. Most students don't go here. This place doesn't have any lockers or doors. No one would find Zoe crying here. The feeling I felt when I saw Wren crying is back, but worse, because it's my fault Zoe's crying. I have to fight every instinct to come out of hiding and comfort her, like Wren. But if I did that it'll only worsen things because no one is supposed to be here except her. Saying sorry isn't enough to make Zoe feel better. Her heart got broken, or at the very minimum almost broken as soon as it started getting better.
Now she's whimpering and groaning, like she's hurt. I have to see to see if she's actually hurt so I step out. Zoe's sitting against the wall, knees pulled up to her chest. Her coily hair covers her face and she has a hand gripping the area around where her heart would be. Her heart? I could go back behind the corner because she isn't looking up, but then she sniffles and looks up. Crap.
"What the fuck, Jae?" Zoe whispers. Ouch. She never talked like that to me, ever. I did follow her to this place when I definitely should not have. "Why can't you leave me alone? You already hurt me enough."
Those words hit me hard. I have no idea how I'm supposed to respond. "Uh, I-I'll leave." Her glistening eyes follow me until I round the corner and can't see her anymore. Putting as much distance between me and Zoe's current state is definitely my highest priority. Luckily, Mr. Tran hasn't come back yet. Alex is sitting in Zoe's seat.
He crosses his arms. "I see you now understand how Zoe really feels about it." Seems like he must've seen me tail her. "Man, you messed up big time."
"What was I supposed to do?" I shoot back. "I can't be with Zoe if I still like Wren."
"Being with Zoe was definitely possible. But a crush is still a crush. I see how you-"
Mr. Tran walks in with Wren. "Okay, class! I'm sure that was more than enough time to chat with your friends. Alex, go back to your seat. And where's Zoe?"
I really don't want to be the one to answer oh, she's out in the hallway crying 'cause I broke her heart, but I know nobody else is going to answer. "She's in the washroom."
"Thank you, Jae," Mr. Tran says. "We have one last book report presentation to watch. Wren, please come up."
Wren leans back in her seat. "Left it at home."
"You left it at home," repeats Mr. Tran, spitting out the words like they're disgusting. He crosses his arms and sighs. "You're staying one more hour after school. And I know you don't have any extracurricular activities to attend."
"Shit," Wren mutters as everyone oohs. Afterwards, Zoe walks in, hugging herself like she's cold.
Mr. Tran looks confused. "Zoe, are you ok?"
She sniffles and nods.
"Not sick or anything?"
She shakes her head. Maybe she's too upset to talk.
"Ok. Go back to your seat."
Zoe silently heads to her seat next to me. I want to move seats so that I'm far from Zoe. If I have to be reminded every day that I messed things up with her, that'll suck. I miss her energy. I miss the lively chats we used to have that are now replaced with silence. But I have to push forward with the plan. Asking out Wren is still what's going to happen. The only issue now is that Wren's most likely staying in detention after school. Once Wren gets out, it might be too late to do the ice-skating thing.
Wren leans over to me. "She totally cried."
"Mhm." As if I didn't know. "Wren you're staying in detention after school, right?"
She sighs. "Yeah. Two hours, now. I even have to stay in at lunch."
Can't ask at lunch, then. "Is there, um, some way that you can sneak out?"
"Oh, you want me to?" Wren's cute, tilted head dazzles me.
"Um, uh..." Ok, why did I just forget what I was going to say? "Uhh, I need to tell you something."
Wren's eyes roll as she thinks. "Remember how you waited under my window?"
I nod. "Yeah?"
"The detention room has a window on the west side of Southview," she explains. "Wait there for me after school."
"Ok, ok." My nodding is frantic. It's set now and a clock in my head starts ticking down.
6 hours...