7:


So I'm in love. Woody thought to himself. Now what? Should he confess? Spill his soft white cottony guts to Bo? Or would that make things weird between them? Things were never going to be the same again anyway, he reasoned. He might as well tell her.

He practiced. Fishing an old makeup compact out of the garbage, he sat himself in a quiet corner of the bedroom where he could rehearse. Opening the compact, he stared at his reflection in the powder streaked mirror.

"'Hi there, Bo. How are you?'" He paused. "'Hmm, oh me? Well, I'm pretty good. Actually, I've been doing great since you came to town…Well, not really town but you know…Andy's room…'" He stopped pretending for a moment. "Ok, you're rambling, Woody. Gotta watch that. Stay focused." Clearing his throat, he tried again. "'I just wanted to say, Bo, that I think you're charming and witty and…and smart and fun to be with…and well, you light up my life.'"

Once again, Woody stopped. He grimaced at his words. "'You light up my life?' Of all the corny nonsense…" He sighed. This was going to be harder than he thought. Maybe he should just practice the important part. Well, here's goes nothing…

"'I love you.'" He said to the mirror. That wasn't so hard. He tried saying it different ways. "'I love YOU.' 'I LOVE you.' 'I loooove you…'"

"Told ya he was in love with himself." Potato Head said to Hamm as they strolled by. Woody glared.

Looking back at his reflection, he felt depression welling up inside. What's the point? She'll never say it back. Look at you. All limbs, no muscle. Your head's twice as big as hers and that nose! I'm surprised Andy's still got both his eyes with as pointy as it is.

Suddenly there was another face in the mirror. One with a pretty, sympathetic smile. "Feeling down today, Cowboy?"

Woody jumped almost out of his boots. Bo was standing behind him. "Didn't mean to startle you. You just looked so sad all the way over here by your lonesome." She touched his chin and lifted his face. "I don't like to see you sad."

Woody had the urge to grab her. Grab her, dip her backwards, and plant a kiss on her that was worthy of Gable and Leigh. But he just stood there, frozen like a ninny. Not even the words he had been practicing earlier would come out of his mouth.

All he could do was force a smile. "S-sad? No, I'm not sad! See?"

She looked skeptical. Could see right though him, he reckoned. "Well, if you need to talk about it, my lamp's always burning." She said finally.

"I know…" Woody watched her, and his opportunity, walk away. He hung his head in shame. I'm such a coward…