Hey guys, I'm starting off with a new story!! It's called The Art of Courting, and it's going be a bit of a feelgood romance. Again, if you have any questions go to my FAQ page and ask me there!
This prologue is dedicated to shotgunsinner, one of my absolute favourite authors on here. She's written one of the best Draco Malfoy fanfics EVER (but it might not be suitable for some of you, some sexual themes and course language. Just a warning) and another book I love called Of Love and Hate You Were My Greatest Mistake. So, check her out!! Thanks!!
Love, Twix
PROLOGUE
THE BUBBLY REDHEAD BLABBERED ON shamelessly to the blonde- who wasn't even paying attention. Chelsea O'Hara cringed internally when the redhead, who happened to be one of her best friends, turned to her after she realized the blonde, Danielle, wasn't paying any attention.
“You think I'm right, don't you Chels?” she demanded. Chelsea sent her a soft smile.
“Of course, May.” What are you right about?
“See Dani! You should totally ask him out!” Oh.. This again.
They were talking about Jay Frost, Danielle's crush since grade school. He was actually a pretty nice guy and Chelsea was a friends with his twin sister, Jordan, but she didn't really know him well. What she did know, though, was his dating history. It wasn't exactly good.
“I don't think I can!” Dani complained. “Every time I go near him I freeze up, like a fricking popsicle stick!”
“You can do it!” May coached. “We'll be with you the whole time- right Chels?”
“Uh huh.”
“We'd never let you made a fool out of yourself! Right Chels?”
“Uh huh.”
“See? You have our full support!”
Dani frowned at them before turning to Chelsea. “You're the rational one, C. What do you think?”
“Depends,” she drawled in reply. “Do you want the mushy cliché reply or the what I really believe? Choose wisely.”
“Just give it to me straight. Like ripping off a band aid.”
“Jay's a bit eccentric and mischievous, but if you think you can handle him go for it. Though, every other girlfriend he's had has been left heart-broken in the long run. Plus he's a year older than us and won't be in any of your classes, so you won't be able to tell what he gets up to in them-”
“Yeah, but you could help her with that!” May interrupted. “You're taking practically all junior classes this semester!”
“True,” Chelsea agreed thoughtfully. “Fine. Ask him out.”
“Aren't you guys forgetting something?” Dani asked with a slightly sad smile.
“No...?
“He has to say yes first!”
May's face fell and Chelsea rolled her eyes. “Honestly, Dani, a doubt that any boy would say no to you. You're too pretty for your own good.”
“Really?” She shot her a hopeful look before blushing at something behind May. “Oh my gosh, he's here!”
“WHAT?” the redhead shouted loudly, spinning around in her chair and searching the small coffee shop excitedly.
“May!” Dani practically screamed and Chelsea held back a snigger as her friend spun around guiltily.
“Sorry! I didn't mean to!”
“The one time I need you to be discrete you go ahead and freaking gawk at him!”
“I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!” May chanted, bouncing up and down on her seat.
“Sorry isn't good enough, stupid!” Dani cried back.
“I'm not stupid!”
“Guys, you do know he's heading over here... right?” Chelsea butted in with a nod to a very awkward-looking Jay. He was around three tables away from them, a determined look in his eyes. A couple of mildly familiar guys trailed behind him and as Chelsea watched one of them grudgingly handed the other a ten dollar note. It must be a dare or something, that's why they're betting, she mused as they came closer. By now Dani was shaking with nerves while May hid her smile behind her coffee cup.
“Come on, Dani! Now's your chance!” she whispered to the poor blonde who sent her a glare.
“I'm not doing it here! Not in front of all these people!”
“Chicken.” May started making loud, obnoxious clucks and waved her hands around. Chelsea resisted the urge to face-palm.
“Please shut up,” Dani begged. “Please, May? You're seriously embarrassing me! Ugh! Mabel Ursula Eleanor Howard!”
May instantly stopped the chicken noises while Chelsea burst into laughter, nearly dropping her hot chocolate. Jay seemed to have paused in his walking to observe them.
Maybe he'll go away when he realizes how crazy we are?
"Dani! Don't call me that! That's not my name!” May complained and threw her spoon at the unsuspecting girl.
“Hey! That hurt!”
“Well, you shouldn't have-”
“Um, excuse me?” a deep voice intervened. The three girls looked up to see none other than Jay Frost standing there in all his glory. His dark hair fell slightly in his eyes as he smiled down at them and Chelsea could see Dani almost swooning at the sight.
“What can we do for you, Jay?” May asked with a bright grin. Jay blinked a bit at her enthusiasm before responding with his own.
“I'm afraid I'm going to have to steal the Lady Chelsea from you two for a couple of minutes,” he said in a fake posh accent, his grin almost creepy-looking.
“O-of c-c-course,” Dani stuttered. “Y-you can have h-her whenever!”
“Whenever, ay?” He sent her a wink and Chelsea rolled her eyes. Standing up, she grabbed her handbag and followed him to a table on the other side of the shop.
“So,” she began, getting down to business, “what do you want?"
“Always straight to the point, aren't we?” Jay laughed and Chelsea felt one of her eyebrows go up.
“I don't like wasting time, so hurry up.”
“Okay, okay. Well, it's actually a pretty funny story...” he trailed off. Chelsea sighed and made herself comfortable- well, as comfortable you can get on a tiny, hard, no-where-near-big-enough-for-your-bum chair.
“This better be good,” she warned and he chuckled nervously. That was the thing about Jay. He was always laughing. It was like, instead of pulling an awkward face or doing one of those ridiculous animals with his hands, Jay laughed to relieve the tension. In a way it was almost endearing.
“So... I was talking to a couple of my friends last Friday when my sister, Jordan, walked in. And, well, you know Jordie. She's a bit...”
“Blunt? Straight-forward? Pushy?” Chelsea helped.
“Yeah.” Again with the nervous chuckle. “Anyway, she and a couple of her friends joined us and we were playing a drinking game with a bottle of coke-”
“Why would you play a drinking game with a bottle of coke?” she interrupted. He stared at her like she was stupid.
“Because we ran out of booze the Friday before.”
“Oh. Okay.” Seems like a logical answer. “Continue.”
“We started playing that one where you have to tell a truth about yourself and if someone drinks from the cup they've never done it.” Jay looked thoughtful for a second. “So if I say 'I had sex with a chick' and you drank from the cup it means you've never had sex with a chick- if you're being truthful. I'd be worried if you didn't drink from the cup...”
Chelsea shot him an 'are you serious?' look. He shrugged sheepishly. “Sorry.”
“Apology accepted.”
“You're a bit weird, aren't you Chelsea?” His face instantly turned red after he said it. “Oops, sorry! I didn't mean that! You just make me so nervous when you look at me like that...”
"Just get on with it, Jay,” Chelsea sighed and leaned back.
“Right. Where was I?” She felt her left eyebrow go up. “Oh. Right. Sorry. Um, it was Daisy’s turn and she said that she had never asked her childhood crush out. Turns out was the only one who took a drink from the bottle.”
“And?” Chelsea prompted.
“And bee of that Jordie made it her mission to make me ask out my childhood crush, hence why I am here right now,” Jay finished and let out a shaky breath.
“You need help asking one of my friends out?”
“N-no...”
Chelsea frowned. “I don't get it, then.
He let out a frustrated sigh. “Let me spell it out for you, Miss Brainiac. I'm not here for them, or for anyone else here. I'm asking you out.”
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