When the bell rang, the class scrambled out of their seats as though the world would be ending any moment. But out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Thalia still sitting in her chair, looking ever so lovely as she thumbed through the pages of her English book.
Ah, that's my darling Thalia... always determined to be successful. She may not have been the best student at Central high, but when it came to finding a boyfriend, she was at the top of her class. And when I noticed that she was alone, I decided to make my move. Literally.
With a smile on my face I stood straight as an arrow-the way she was always advising me to do-and I walked toward her, displaying the suaveness of Cary Grant and the confidence of James Dean.
"Thalia my lamb, I trust that you heard my heartfelt ode to you?" I said, ever so smoothly.
She glared and me and rolled her eyes. "Oh, I heard it all right!"
Her outburst surprised me. "Y-you didn't like it?"
"No I didn't like it! I didn't like it one bit!" she yelled. "Dobie Gillis how could you humiliate me like that in front of the entire class?"
My James Dean ego deflated like a cheap balloon from one of Maynard's circus themed birthday parties and I wanted to drop to one knee and beg her forgiveness. And should I be so bold since I was already on one knee, propose marriage in the process.
But marriage could wait. At that moment, all I cared about was obtaining her trust and forgiveness.
Daringly I took her hand in mine, surprised when she allowed me to bring her soft hand to my lips and sit down beside her.
"Thalia, my darling, what can I do to make it up to you?" I asked. "I'll take you anywhere you want to go, buy you anything your heart desires..."
This seemed to get her attention, as everyone knew that the way to a girl's heart was through a guy's wallet.
"Well... I've always wanted to go to Paris." She admitted.
My heart fluttered at the thought of Thalia and I kissing at sunset on the top of the Eiffel Tower and at twilight, sharing a croissant at a quaint sidewalk café. And then perhaps a cup of French coffee and-."
"Oh, and I do need a new pair of shoes." She continued, therefore breaking my heavenly daydream in two.
"Shoes?" I asked thoroughly confused. "My darling, when we get to Paris, I'll buy you all the shoes you want."
"Dobie don't be ridiculous." She said, laughing. "I meant for the dance."
Now I was even more confused. "Dance?"
She sighed deeply and rose from her chair with her hands on her hips.
"Dobie Gillis, don't tell me that you forgot about it! The dance? The Spring Formal?"
"Well of course I remember the dance!" I said, although if she hadn't mentioned it, I surely would have spent Saturday night with my father and mother watching reruns on television. "I just... figured that you'd picked out the perfect shoes months ago! Why, it wouldn't surprise me at all if you had lined up a date for the Spring Formal last summer!"
"Actually I don't have a date."
Had I not been sitting down, I surely would have fainted dead away. This had to be a dream. Thalia Menninger, the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen, didn't have a date for one of the biggest social events of the year?
Oh, I knew a sign when I saw one and this was the biggest sign known to man. Even bigger than the one in front of my father's grocery store. For with one simple question I, Dobie Gillis, was bound and determined to win Thalia's heart.
But when she gathered her books and walked toward the door, I realized that I had to move fast.
"Thalia, there's something I want to ask you. But first let me read you something." I looked around suddenly aware that my carefully written ode was nowhere to be found. "I... hang on a second. I just had it here somewhere."
She turned to me with some annoyance. "Dobie is this going to take long, because Bruce is waiting for me."
I swallowed hard. "Um... Bruce?"
"Bruce Peterson? My lab partner?"
Right... The biggest jerk at Central High. The guy who's always picking on poor Maynard.
"And... you're not going to the dance with him?"
"Don't be ridiculous!" She said, making me happier than I ever thought possible. "Now, what did you want to ask me?" She continued.
I guess I had no choice but to do this without the help of my poetic ability.
"Oh, right... Thalia, would you do me the honor of allowing me to take you to the Spring Formal?"
Her eyes widened and I smiled in anticipation of her answer.
"No! Absolutely not!"
Well, that wasn't the answer I was looking for. Perhaps if I rephrased the question.
"Thalia my darling, your eyes sparkle like diamonds, your hair shines like the sun. And I would be the luckiest man in the world to be seen on your arm at the Spring Formal."
Her eyebrows rose. "Man?"
This time it was I who rolled my eyes. "All right, almost a man! So will ya?"
"Will I what?"
I exhaled deeply. I've heard of playing hard to get but this was ridiculous!
"Thalia, for crying out loud, will you go to the dance with me or not?"
"Dobie Gillis for the last time, no!" she shouted, "Now how many times do I have to say it?"
Defeated, I hung my head low and looked at my shoes. "Just once would have been enough." I muttered as I heard her walk out of the classroom. And when I returned my gaze to the door it was empty-just like the balloon of my deflated heart.
