Valentines Day

Manning looked into Kara’s eyes briefly, only mere seconds, before his eyes dashed off to a random corner of the classroom. He suddenly found his mouth bone dry.

“I, uh…”

“Yes?” Kara asked, wiping a stray hair off her forehead, back behind her ear. The teacher, Ms. Torpor, was collecting her things behind them, barely noticing that they were still in the room.

Manning liked Kara, and today he was going to face his worst fears, and ask her out on a date. Quite new to the whole ‘boyfriend, girlfriend’ scene, he scratched at the back of his neck with one hand nervously. Kara broke the silence again.

“You said you wanted to ask me something, Manning?” Her beautiful eyes looked right into his. Manning slowly looked up from his untied shoes, to meet them.

“I um…well…you know how like, we’re good friends and all, and I was just thinking, um…” Come on, out with it! You big bumbling oaf! “…do you have a pencil I could borrow? ‘Cause I need one for next class.”

“Sure, Manning! Let me just get out my pencil case.” She dumped her book bag on a nearby table and began to scrabble through it, looking for her slim box of pencils.

A ball of nervousness tumbled down his throat, making his voice sound cracked at first, then over-anxious, like a toddler just trying to play ‘the charge of the light-brigade’ on a bugle for the first time. “Oh, and another thing!” He took a deep breath as she turned around from the desk to face him.

His whole proposition came out in the form of word vomit. “Willyougooutwithme?” He asked, pulling an awkward smile.

“What? Say that again, I was only half listening, damn this pencil case…” You idiot! You said it too fast!

“Look! Don’t worry about the pencil!” Manning exclaimed, and suddenly embraced Kara. Ms. Torpor looked at them strangely for a moment, and then left the room.

“Um, Manning…? What…?” Kara gasped, having all the breath beaten out of her by Manning suddenly flinging himself upon her, taking her completely by surprise. She felt tears begin to fall on her shoulder. Manning was crying.

“Manning! What’s wrong?” She asked, beginning to hug back.

“It’s just…” Manning broke into a bout of sobbing, hot stinging tears steamed out of his eyes. “Will you like, you know…?”

“I know what?”

“WILL YOU GO OUT WITH ME?” Manning yelled, attracting the attention of two grade nines walking past the door, who then ran and pressed their faces against the windows to see what was going on.

“Awww, Manning!” Kara exclaimed, and reached up and kissed him on the cheek. Manning’s face turned even more scarlet than before. “Of course I will!”

“Really?” He asked, sniffing up the mucus off his upper lip and wiping his eyes.

“Of course! Even in the…uh…state, you’re in.” She let out a hearty laugh and finally let go of him.

“Well I - !” Manning didn’t even get to finish his sentence, Kara pushed him up against the wall that was covered with year six paintings, and brought her sweet lips upon his. Manning glared past her at the little grade nine’s perving on them through the windows. They left, chuckling and laughing.

Wow, I got her! His mind kept repeating, celebrating, as he kissed her back, holding her perfectly curved chin in his clammy hands. This is a happy valentines day!