Disclaimer: The Characters from Scarecrow and Mrs. King belong to Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions. I make no money off of them.

This was in response to a challenge from Wicky, a few Fridays ago.

Rating: K+

Timeline: After the show, marriage is common knowledge.

Challenge: Hey, Romeo you forgot to zip your fly.

He could hear Lee's voice in the back of his head and he tried to concentrate on what the man had told him. "Stay steady, don't flinch and go with your first instincts."

He knew he probably looked silly with his fists clenched but it really helped him move forward and so he kept them that way. It was almost like his hands held that way, would actually make his feet move from the car to the front of the school. That was something his mother had always told him, 'go with what works for you.'

He felt like every nerve ending in his body was on full attention and sweat was trickling down his neck. Suddenly he wondered why was this necessary? And who's idea had it been anyway? Life was good the way it was now, why would he want to change that? There was absolutely nothing wrong with not going to the dance. As he reasoned this out, he could breathe a little better and his heart had slowed down to only about 60 mph. And it was so easy; he just didn't have to do this. He had plenty of time to worry about such things later. After all he was only 13. Surely he still hadn't lived quite half of his life. And if that were the case, he still had plenty of time to ask a girl to a dance.

But not this girl the thought began taking over his processes. This moment in time might be the only one that he could ask Carmen Montoya to a dance. Because if he didn't now, then some other guy might and what if they had a really good time and started dating and ended up getting married and having five children and a house in Alexandria or something, with a fireplace and a dog. And then it would be too late to ask her. He needed to go through with it now, while she was still a free agent.

He took a deep breath and approached the group of girls hanging out before school on the stone steps. This was an old building he knew, built even before his mom had been a kid, which in his mind was a very long time ago. He knew that someday he wouldn't think that, but right now, he did. He was only 13 okay almost 14.

"Carmen?" he heard her name before he felt his throat say it, but since it was a boy type voice and he was the only boy in the vicinity it must have been him.

"Yes, Jamie" Her brown eyes focused solely on him, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"Carmen?" he said again, beginning to feel like one of his grandmother's 78's. Once they got stuck they just played the same word over and over again. He needed someone to bump him he thought, to loosen his needle so he could go on to the next line.

He stepped closer, seeing her sparkling eyes and the expectant look on her face and thought this might not be so bad. She hadn't run away yet or anything.

"Carmen?"

"Yes, Jamie." she said just as patiently as before.

Hey, Romeo, you forgot to zip your fly" he heard someone say and he couldn't help but look down to see if it were true. And that's when Ken Marlowe stepped in between him and Carmen and asked her to the dance.

"I'll pick you up at 8 and then we can go for pizza or something afterwards."

"No thanks Ken." Carmen shook her head.

"Jamie's already asked me."

"He did?"

"I did?"

"Yes, of course, right before Ken interrupted us." she said reaching for Jamie's hand. "Come on, you can walk me to class."

If his fly really was down, please no one tell me he thought. He owed that zipper a lot right now.