Chapter 25

"Kiiiiiiid," said Patty, grabbing onto my shoulders.

"What?"

Liz shoved a flyer in my face. "The Winter Ball is one week away!" she said, "And you still haven't asked Crona!"

"We have a Winter Ball?"

"Don't mess with me!" said Liz, and slapped the paper onto my chest.

"You have the rest of the day to ask him," she said, "Or I'm going to ask him for you."

The thought mortified me.

"Kid is a coward!" said Patty.

"I'm not a coward!" I said, and crumpled up the glittery flyer.

"So you'll do it," said Liz.

"Of course I will," I scoffed, tossing the paper in the trash. The bell rang for the end of break. I had the next class with Crona.

"Good luck!" called Patty as she and Liz skipped away.

I sighed. I wasn't prepared for this.

"Okay," I said, "Okay, stay calm, you got this, it'll be okay -"

"What're you muttering to yourself for?"

I jumped. "Jesus, Soul! Don't sneak up on people like that."

"You nervous or something?" asked Soul.

"No," I said, "Let's just get to class."

We walked in. "Hey, are you going to the dance?" he asked.

"I think so."

"You think?"

We took our seats. "I mean . . . I'm asking Crona, and if he'll go with me -"

"No way!" said Soul.

"What do you mean by that?"

"You're finally taking action!" he said. I noticed Crona walking into the classroom.

"There he is," I said.

"Man, you got this," said Soul, and I told him to shut up as Crona took his seat beside me.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi." I watched as he pulled stuff out from his backpack.

"Um, I have something to ask you," I said. He paused and faced me.

"Yes?"

"Well, ah . . ." He watched as I awkwardly wound my hands together. I was taking too long to answer. Soul kicked me under the desk.

"Would you like to go to the Winter Ball?" I said. I paused. "I mean, with me." Another pause. "As my date."

I watched as Crona grew flustered. I took his reddening cheeks as a good sign.

"So will you?" I asked.

"Y-Yes," he said.

"Really?"

"Yes, really," he said, looking uncomfortable.

"I mean, you don't have to, I don't want you to pity me or anything -"

"I said I want to," said Crona. His face was pink, and he looked embarrassed, but he was looking me in the eye. And saying yes.

"Okay," I said, feeling my face heat up as well, "Cool. Yeah."

I turned back to my desk, but not before I caught Soul texting Maka about me.