"Tell me 5 good reasons why you won't go to prom with me?" Albert's face appeared on your computer screen and you me intally screamed. All week, he has been bugging you to go to prom with him but it's a very hopeless request; you lived across the country.
"I live in a different state, Albert. Across the country." You deadpanned, rubbing your eyes lightly because the computer screen was dark in your bright room.
You and Albert had met on twitter. He was running one of those "incorrect quotes" accounts for Criminal Minds on Twitter and you thought they were hilarious and started sending him ones of your own that he would post. From there, a friendship started and now here he was, begging for you to fly all the way to New York to go to prom with him.
"Okay, that's only one good reason." The ginger haired boy stated, taking his cap off his head, only to put it right back on, just backwards.
"Well it's a pretty valid one. I don't see you giving me reasons why I should come." You pointed out and you saw Albert smirk.
"I can give you five." He stated proudly and you only hoped that he couldn't see your blush right now. "One, we'd get to meet in person. Two, you'd get to meet all my friends who are, by the way probably tired of hearing about you. Three, you'd get to wear one of those fancy prom outfits and I'll wear a tie that matches your color." You couldn't help but laugh at that one and Albert grinned back at you. "Four, I'd get to finally hold you in my arms. Five, I'd get to take you out on a real date the next day."
Albert had always been very open about his feelings with you. From the day that he realized he liked you, you knew it as well. You, on the other hand, didn't even want to admit to yourself that you liked him, although you knew that you did, let alone have him know. He lives across the country! You've never met him in person, what if he was completely different? There was so many practical reasons why you knew you shouldn't pursue this but there was something in your body yearning to know what it felt like to be held by Albert. To feel his hands on your hips, your hands in his hair. To hear his morning voice in person.
"It's just unrealistic Albert, I don't know what to say." You replied, looking down at your keyboard so you didn't have to see the way his head dropped in disappointment.
"You could at least try, (Y/N). That's all I'm asking. It's not like I'm asking you to come this weekend. This is me asking you to come months in advance. For two or three days so that we could get to know each other in person. I just..." Albert trailed off and you looked back at the computer screen, a sad smile plastered across Albert's face. "I want to meet you, is all."
"Al," you started, wanting nothing more than to reach through the computer screen and console him, smoothing away the lines of worry across his face with soft touches and kisses. "I want to meet you too. Believe me. But not this way. Not at a prom at a school where I know nobody and everybody is stiff and awkward and sweaty and hot dancing in a stuffy room with no air conditioning. I want to meet you, but not like that."
Albert let out a long sigh. "If you're not interested, can you just tell me? You've been beating around the bush for so long that I'm afraid to even bring up me coming to your hometown or you coming to mine because every time I do, it's the same excuse. You're busy, or you don't think it'll work that weekend because you might have plans or it's not the right setting you want to meet me in. Well, newsflash, (Y/N). This is life. Not everything's gonna be like a fairytale. We're not gonna meet in a field full of flowers, running into each other's arms. It's not realistic."
He didn't even give you a chance to respond, he just hung up the FaceTime call, leaving you breathless and with tears starting to track down your face. Pulling up Twitter and going to his following list, you went to his best friend, Race's account and messaged him.
Hey Race, I'm sure you know this but I'm a friend of Albert's and lately he's been asking me to come visit him in New York and to be his date to prom. I keep telling him no but I'm starting to think I'm disappointing him and hurting his feelings. Would it be possible for you to help me plan coming to prom but with not telling him? I want it to be a surprise.
-
"All I'm saying is I think you'd look good in a dark green tie, Albert." He and Race were at a suit rental shop, picking out the colors they wanted to wear to prom as well as the suits they were going to wear.
Race was matching with his date, a younger sophomore named Rosie who he was taking as only a friend, so his bow tie and vest was the color red.
Albert opted for no vest and a tie. Since you had planned on wearing dark green to prom, Race has been trying to convince Albert to get a tie to match.
"But why green? Mixed with my hair, wouldn't it kinda look like Christmas threw up on me?" Albert adjusted the tie and Race rolled his eyes.
"Come on. You look fine. Great, even. Let's just get it so we can go get something to eat." Race undid the tie from around Albert's neck and held it up to the cashier. "He'll be getting this one."
"What's gotten you so excited about prom?" Albert asked around a mouthful of hotdog that he got from the food court. "I didn't think you even wanted to go."
Race just shrugged, his eyes shifting down to his plate of chili fries. "I dunno, I think just the excitement of it is starting to get to me.."
Little did Albert know, Race had purchased a second ticket under Albert's name and mailed it to you. When you received it, you sent him a picture of your outfit and told him you expected Albert to match.
"I'm sure you and Rosie'll look great together." Albert replied, suddenly not that hungry anymore. He didn't want to go to prom anymore, but he knew backing out at this time would probably result in Race and JoJo killing him since they had all planned on going to senior prom together.
"Do you want to talk about (Y/N)?" Race asked hesitantly. Since that phone call on FaceTime, Albert and you haven't been in contact, despite you trying to get ahold of him through phone and every social media platform you had.
"There's nothing to talk about, Racer. They lead me on too long and I didn't want to feel that way anymore ."
Race picked up a chili fry and chewed on it thoughtfully for a moment. "When we're done, you wanna come back to my place and watch some Criminal Minds?"
Albert eyed his best friend skeptically. "You only watch Criminal Minds with me when I'm upset."
"Exactly," the blond grinned.
-
"Race, I promise I'm on my way. Traffic was a little bitch in New Jersey." You said into the phone as soon as Race pressed the answer button.
"You're gonna have to meet us there, we all finished pictures and now are getting into Albert's car. I'll send you the address." He whispered, as to not to be heard and you silently cursed.
"Okay, see you in like fifteen minutes." Race hung up and you pressed a little farther down on the gas pedal, hoping you wouldn't get pulled over. When your phone dinged with the address from Race, you put it into maps and continued on your way.
-
"I don't want to be here," Albert complained, hopping out of the drivers seat.
"Oh shut up and enjoy one of your last moments with your best friends," JoJo responded, adjusting his yellow bowtie in the side mirror of Albert's car.
Albert didn't respond, instead he watched a car speed into the parking lot and park sloppily, the driver jumping out of the car and smoothing down a piece of misplaced hair.
"It can't be," Albert whispered to himself and Rosie looked at him questioningly.
"Huh?"
"That person standing over there? They look just like-"
"(Y/N)!" Race cut Albert off, waving at the figure that the red head was staring at. Albert's mouth dropped open as you slowly made your way over to his small group. "Glad you could finally join us." Race teased and your face flushed.
"Not my fault that traffic was absolutely horrible." You rolled your eyes before turning to Albert. "Hi,"
"Hey," Albert replied.
JoJo cleared his throat, motioning to the hotel where the school prom was taking place. "So, we're gonna go inside. We'll meet you at the table."
After he, Race and Rosie were inside, you cleared your throat. "I know you probably don't want to see me but after that night we fought, that I needed to see you. And you invited me so..." you trailed off and Albert shrugged.
"At first i couldn't believe my eyes. i couldn't believe you were here. But now here you are, standing right in front of me and I don't even care about why I was mad in the first place." Albert grasped both of your hands and stepped closer to you. "I can't believe you're here and you're you and you're so-" he cut himself off, pressing his lips to yours lightly.
"That was a pleasant hello," you replied and took Albert's hand tightly in yours. "Should we get inside, meet your friends."
Albert looked down at you, a grin on his face. "You sure you want to go through with this? We can ditch them, I can take you to go get a greasy burger and milkshake."
You giggled and shook your head no. "I appreciate the sentiment but I'm actually really excited to hang out with your friends. Race and I have become friends since we started planning this."
"God, I'm so lucky to have a best friend who goes around my back to plan this because now I can finally just be near you." Albert admitted making you smile and lead him in through the doors.
-
"I had fun tonight," you admitted to Albert, arms draped across his shoulders and joint behind his neck.
"I'm so glad you came." Albert leaned in and pressed a kiss to your lips, only one of the several he snuck during the night. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
You grinned, unlocking your car. "I'll be counting down the minutes until then." Albert let go of your waist and you opened your car door but then turned back to him. "Hey, thanks for not giving up on me. I know I'm not an easy person to deal with but.. it means a lot that even though you'd have so many reason to just drop me, you haven't."
"Never in a million years would I give up on you for forever. Sure, I got a little disappointed for a while but you're here and that's all that matters." Albert kissed you one last time. "You're everything that I could ever want and more."