" ," Professor Knight called after Dexter as class ended, "Please stay a moment."
His older brother Daring patted his back, "Think it's time for your Wooing Mission." The Wooing Mission was an assessment given to each Wooing 101 student once a year, where you are assessed to Woo a certain person in a certain amount of time.
Dexter gulped, hoping that he could get the nerves out of his head. He wasn't good at flirting at all, even when he finally asked out his crush it turned out that she was in love with her roommate, who returned her feelings.
Dexter walk to his teachers desk and waited until the rest of the student left.
"How are you doing Dexter," his professor asked as he read something in a folder.
"I am doing quite well sir," he answered.
"You want to know something Dexter," his professor didn't give him time to answer, "On every written test I give you, you get some of the highest score in the class but when you are given face to face challenges you get nervous. This is the only class that you aren't doing that well in, other than Hero Training, so I decide to give you an assessment that partners with one of your other classes."
"Thank you sir?," Dexter replied questionably.
"I mean that quite literally Dexter," his professor made dead eye contact with him.
"What do you mean by that sir," Deter answered, pulling up a chair from one of the desks.
"I asked your Advance Crownclousy teacher to assessed you someone of your grade level and within the end of the semester I expect you to have at least gone on one date with her," His professor seem to have a evil gleam in his eye.
"Um thanks you sir?," Dexter said for once not totally nervous. He was one of the only underclassman in the class, so he was pretty sure he could get a pity date from one of the older girls. Hey he might even get some street cred with his brother.
"Do know who she is sir?," he asked.
"Even if I did Dexter, I would not tell you. Now get to your next class, I also have other classes to teach."
Dexter bowed his head and left the classroom, thinking that it might not be that bad.
Dexter sat in his seat, eager but he felt the butterfly in his stomachs. What if he got someone who didn't like him or what if he couldn't convince the girl to go out with him. Maybe this was too much to hope for.
"Dexter Charming," the teacher call. Dexter swung his back over his shoulder.
The teacher seemed to meet his eyes from she said, "With Duchess Swan." Dexter must have heard her wrong. He had never seen Duchess in the class before. He looked around in front of him and then looked back. There, sitting in the farthest seat in the corner, was Duchess Swan. The girl he know had to win over.
Dexter didn't know Duchess, he knew of her, but he didn't know her. He know that she had had some fairy fail moments this year with some of his friends, he know that she was one of the best dancer in the school, and that was about it. He didn't even remember a time where he had talked to her.
He walked to the back of the class to take the seat next to Duchess, who was just starring at him. He waved and she looked at him with new confused in his eye. He brought his hand down and pushed it into his pocket, not wanting to believe that he just waved to her.
Maybe he should just accept his fairy fail now and just focus on the project.
"So do you want to get started," he asked, opening his notebook to a fresh page.
"She hasn't given out the guide line yet," Duchess answered, not meanly but not in a friendly voice either.
"Oh," Dexter said as he looked away from Duchess and back to his notebook. Maybe he should have paid more attention when the teacher was talking.
"So, why are you here," He said, looking back at Duchess, "I know Humphrey studied all summer and only got into the 3rd year class."
Duchess seemed surprise at the question, like nobody had ever asked her that before. She pointed over to two student, one boy and one girl, "That's Nick King and Ella Sugar, both older than me and both of them my best friends."
"Oh that's pretty cool. Bet it's nice to have people in higher grades to help you out," he said, realizing as he said it that he was speaking the truth. It would have been nice if Daring was put a year ahead of him and Darling in school.
"Ya I guess, most of my friends are older than me so I never really thought of that," She said, not looking at Dexter but at Nick and Ella. Ella caught Duchess's eye and mouthed something to her in which Duchess mouthed something back and Ella pouted and than smiled at Duchess before looking back at Nick.
"Is this the only class you have with them," Dexter asked again, hoping that the questions would help him get to know Duchess better.
"Ya and we dance together every day," She smiled as she said it.
Duchess looked back at him than and he got hit with how pretty she was. Sure he had seen her before in class but seeing her up close, and smiling, was something different. She was paler up close and the black and lavender in her hair seemed to be pushed away with white, making her almost like a ghost. But than there were her eyes, almost like melting chocolate, that stood out the most to him.
It wasn't until her smile dropped that he notice that he had been starring. As the heat rushed to his checks they both looked away. At least he hoped Duchess looked away from him.
"Any particular reason you decided to stare," Duchess asked.
Breath Dexter, you got this. "Y-you loooked pretty when you smile." Of course he stuttered cause that is just his look. He tried to give a girl who must woo a compliment and he stutters.
As the teacher came to them in the back and handed them the guidelines, Duchess said in a rather shy tone of voice, "Thank you." And for some reason it had Dexter smiling for the rest of class.
Dexter gulped as the class ended and grabbed Duchess's wrist. She looked down and then back up at him with questioning eyes.
"Um since we're doing this project, can I have you number so we can um work out a time," He really hoped that his palm wasn't sweaty and she didn't find him disgusting.
"O-ok,"She strutters, using her other hand to pull out her phone and hand it to Dexter. Dexter let go of her wrist and turned her phone on. The lock screen picture with her, Lizzie, and Kitty in what he guessed was Duchess and Lizzie's dorm room in there pj's with all kinds of costume ideas on them. He thought the picture was cute.
"Are you done," Duchess said sounding slightly annoyed.
"You didn't unlock it," He said, "and this picture is fairytale goals."
He guessed Duchess was trying to look mad but the blush on her checks won't let her. She grabbed the phone and quickly unlocked and handed it back to Dexter, refusing to look at him. He quickly put his number in and handed it back to her.
The two walked silently out of the classroom and before heading their separate ways he told her he would text her. She smiled at him and quickly turned the corner for her next class. He starred at where she had been before until a voice to the back of him said, "So what was that about."
He turned to see his friend Raven. Raven had decided that the two should be friends after there date and for the first time his heart didn't flutter when he saw her. His palms didn't sweat. His throat didn't feel dry.
"What was what about," he asked as he started to head to his locker.
"You and Duchess," she asked moving to his right side.
"We're doing a project together," he answered.
"She smiled at you," Raven said to him as they made it to Dexters locker.
"So," he shot back at her,
Raven rolled her eyes, "Duchess smiles more times than my mom had taken over the kingdom."
Dexter picked up his bookball bag, "But she did. And don't dancers have to smile on stage."
"Dexter listen to me, Duchess doesn't really smile. She rarely shows emotion, and most of the time when she does she-," Raven stop suddenly at looked at Dexter, eyes slightly wide.
"What," he said, starring at her.
"You haven't stuttered once since we started talking," Raven said, sounding to shock for Dexters liking. Though he will admit he was surprised that he hadn't stuttered at all to Raven.
"Do you like Duchess?," Raven asked.
"What! Today is the first time I had ever talked to her, I mean sure she is pretty but I barley know her, how could I like from just from one period," Dexter didn't mean for it to come out as anger as it had.
"Sorry, didn't mean to flip your pages," Raven said.
"It's find, I shouldn't have said it as harshly as I did, but I'll see you later Rae," and before Raven could even say bye, he was gone.
Dexter Charming: Hey Duchess.
Duchess Swan: Hi.
Dexter Charming: I was wondering if you were free this afternoon.
Dexter Charming: For the project I mean.
Duchess Swan: I get it, I have dance until 8 tonight so could we do they project while we eat.
Dexter Charming: Ya that works, you want to meet at Hocus Cafe.
Duchess Swan: Sure that sound great, see you than.
Dexter Charming: See ya.
Dexter had already gone throw seven straws. It was getting insane. He was becoming insane. He didn't understand this feeling of not being able to stand still, having to move around and needing to do stuff.
"Hey," Duchess's voice said from behind him. He quickly jumped out of his chair and faced her. She was wearing dance shorts and what he guessed what was her teams sweatshirt. Her hair was pushed back into a high messy bun and her face gleamed with sweat. He thought she looked stunning. She wasn't all princess like. She looked like, what he guess, herself. Not Duchess Swan the daughter of the swan princess but just Duchess.
"Um Hi," he said, "Um I ordered you my favorite sandwitch, which is just cheese and tomato and um other things.
"You mean the house special," She said, sliding into the seat on his right side, "That's my favorite too."
Dexter chuckled, as he moved his notebook over for her to see. "I started working on the outer design and how it should be displayed and what should go where."
"That looks great," Duchess commented, taking out her notes and showing him the cites and research she had found. As they worked, Dexter found out how smart was. She was definitely smarter than him and the two were already done with almost all the draft before the sandwiches came.
"How about we play a game," Dexter said.
"What kind of game," Duchess said before taking a sip from her drink.
"A question game, I ask a question and you answer than I answer and than you ask a question and than I answer and than you answer and we go back and forth until we are done with our meal," Dexter offered to Duchess.
"Sounds fair but how far can we go with our questions," Duchess asked as she lifted an eyebrow making Dexter laugh.
"As far as we think the other is comfortable," Dexter answered.
"Ok, shot Charming," Duchess said as she spun around in her chair.
Dexter didn't think he ever learned as much about a person in 20 minutes ever. Duchess was a very cool girl, she might not be a good singer but she was actually a pretty good actress and had done some small films. She said that he should go to this film and editing camp and she would send a letter to the director if he wanted, which he did.
Neither him and Duchess realized that the cafe was about to close when they were done. "Um so are you free Friday," Dexter asked.
"Ya," Duchess said as she finished packing up her dance bag.
"Well there is this cool drive in movie thing that is playing a bunch of old musicals and if you might want to go see it with me, I um would like that," Dexter looked at the ground.
"Like on a date," Duchess tone of voice seemed questioning as she said the words.
"Ya if you were comfortable with that," he didn't want to look up, so he decide to playing connect the dots with the dots on the floor.
"You do know that you only have to go out once to get an A with Wooing 101," she said and Dexter eyes shot up. She had a smug look on her face.
"How... You know," Dexter barley got the words out.
"I over heard the phone call before class from Professor Knight," she said.
Dexter felt his shoulders fall, "Look Duchess I know the whole assessment might seem jerky and I asked you to the movies because I -
Duchess kissed his check, not even having to go on her toes to reach his check.
"Pick up me an hour before the movies start and make sure to text me what musicals are on for that night," She said as she began to walk.
"S-sure," Dexter stuttered pushing his glasses up as he saw Duchess walk out.
"Where are you going," Lizzie said to her roommate as Duchess smoothed the skirt of her dress.
"I have a date," Duchess almost sang as she finished up looking at herself in the mirror.
Lizzie moved to the edge of her bed and Duchess got in front of her. Lizzie pointed at Duchess, "Turn." Duchess turned around and Lizzie gave her a nodded. Her hair down with a mermaid tail braid in the center and her pale purple sundress looked perfect for the night.
"So did Sparrow finally get the guts to ask you out," Lizzie said just as someone knocked on the door. Lizzie and Duchess looked at each other before both rushing to the door. Lizzie made it first and swung the door open to find Dexter.
Lizzie looked at Duchess, who was giving Dexter a little wave, and than at Dexter, who some how made the wave back look nerdy. Lizzie rolled her eyes and pushed Duchess out the door towards Dexter and closed the door before saying, "Have her back before Midnight or it's off with your head Charming."