He was convinced she'd say yes. Everyone was constantly exclaiming, "Michael, dude, ask Nellie out! She'll be down!" It's not that he didn't like her, she was the nicest people her knew; her singing voice gave him goosebumps. He was simply afraid of rejection.
"Michael?" Suddenly she was there in front of him, fiddling with her fingers. "Blake told me that you like me?"
"Y-yeah," he stuttered, bracing himself for the rejection.
"I like you too," Nellie chuckled, "Breadstix at seven?"
As he nodded, he felt that a weight had been lifted off his shoulders; he feared rejection no more.