Ned and Moze have been friends forever, but ever since their eighth grade year has started, Ned began to realize that there were feelings deep down that wanted so much more. He couldn't help gazing in to her big brown eyes, getting lost in the depth and beauty.

"…and he said he could enter my rocking chair into the national contest! Isn't that great!?" Moze was saying. He just stared. "Ned? Ned, did you hear what I just said?"

"Hmm?" Ned came back to reality.

"I just said that my rocking chair was going to be entered into the national contest," she said again, a little annoyed.

"Oh right! That's great! I am so happy for you!" He exclaimed.

"So you were paying attention and not zoning out?" she asked, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"What?" he asked, getting lost again.

"Never mind. If you're going to be a jerk and not pay attention when I am super excited about something, that's fine. I'll see you at lunch." She stormed off to her next class.

"Wait…!" he called after her, but it was too late. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" he muttered to himself.

"What seems to be the problem, Ned?" Gordy all of a sudden popped up by his side.

"Gordy, how do you deal with women?" Ned asked, exasperated.

"Ahh, you wouldn't happen to be suggesting the fair Moze, would you?" he asked, even though he knew it was the truth.

"Yes! No! Well, I don't know! I don't know anything anymore!" Ned cried.

"Ned, we all saw it coming. It's about time." Gordy said matter-of-factly.

"Well what do I do??? Every time I talk to her, I get so distracted, and she thinks I'm not paying attention to her, when really I am paying TOO MUCH attention!"

"Well, maybe you should just STOP BEING A LAZY BUM AND ASK HER OUT ALREADY!!" Gordy yelled.

Cookie was walking past as he said this, with Lisa Zimo on his arm. "Yeah, Ned, go for it!"

"Yeah!" Lisa chimed in. They continued walking.

"Well, how do I do that?" Ned asked.

"Wait for the perfect moment, then look into her eyes, sweep her off her feet, and carry her away into the sunset…!" Gordy started going off on a romantic tangent.

"Umm, how about I just think about it." Ned said. He walked away to his next class. He made his way to math, but if you asked him what he learned, he couldn't tell you. The entire period, he sat there with his notebook open, drawing heart after heart on his paper, and writing her name in every type of script you could imagine. Cookie looked over at the lovesick Ned.

"Umm, Ned, are you okay?" he asked tentatively.

"No," Ned said. "I'm in love."

The period eventually ended, and Ned nearly ran to the cafeteria. He saw Moze by their usual table, and tripped over his feet on the way there.

"Hey. Gonna pay attention to me now?" Moze asked, clearly still angry.

"Yeah. I always have been," Ned said in response. They ended up talking about her new project in woodshop, and Ned still found it hard not to zone out into the beauty of her eyes.

"NED! I have had enough of you ignoring me!" She got up and Ned jumped up in response, causing her to fall and spill her textbooks everywhere. He reached down to help her pick them up. They were both on their hands and knees on the cafeteria floor.

"Thanks," she said, and she looked into his eyes.

"You're beautiful," he said, nearly zoning out again. "I mean, you're welcome."

The both just sat there, on their knees on the floor, both of them holding on to the books. They gazed into each others eyes and began leaning in. Moze was transfixed on the sweet scent of his breath, so close to her face. Their eyes began to close, and right there, on the floor of the James K. Polk Middle School floors, their lips touched, so soft and sweet. They dropped the books and slowly wrapped their arms around each other. And, too soon, it was over.

"I love you," Ned whispered.

"You idiot," Moze laughed. "What took you so long?"
"I don't know," he laughed in response.

"I love you, too," Moze confessed.

The entire population of the cafeteria all began to applaud the long-awaited item.