Chapter 4- An Opening

Jake

"This is an interesting piece of food. Ood. What is it?"

"Oh that's a pretzel, Ax. Try it, and dip it in the mustard first," Tobias suggested. We were all having a good time at the mall. It was after school, and we'd all just come from the record store to look at Cds. Now we were just relaxing and watching Ax experiment with food.

"Oh, yes," Ax was telling us. "This is quite…as you say…tasty. Taste. Asty."

"Glad you like it, Ax-man," Marco said lightly, "but give it back before you owe me a buck- ninety nine." He snatched the remainder of his pretzel and took a big bite out of it.

"So, Jake," he asked me over a mouthful of pretzel, "When you gonna ask Cassie to Homecoming?"

I nearly spit out my orange soda. "What?"

"What do you mean, what? You are gonna ask her, right? You better get a move on, dude."

"I never said-"

"Come on," Marco said. "It's easy. I already asked Shelby Daniels today. She said she'd think about it. And you'll get a definite yes if you ask Cassie. Just go for it. Hey, Tobias did, and now he's got Rachel as his date to Homecoming!"

"It's not a date, alright?" Tobias sighed.

"Yeah, whatever, man. I just don't know why you're so modest. I'd shout it to the rooftops if I'd bagged a chick like Rachel."

"Wait. I do not understand. Why do you need to bring Cassie home? I should think she would be home by now."

"Ax, try to keep up, okay? The football team's coming back to our home field to play, so we have this big dance to celebrate their homecoming," Marco explained.

"Oh."

"So anyway, like I was saying, you gotta ask her soon. Homecoming's only a week away."

"Yeah, Jake," Tobias remarked. You have to let Cassie know how you feel before it's too late."

"Yeah- the hypocrite over there is right," Marco joked. "And now's the perfect time. This dance is an opening. All you have to do is step through. Trust me, man, you don't wanna sleep on this any longer."

That got my attention. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're totally taking Cassie for granted. How long do you think she'll wait for you?"

"She's not waiting for me," I said wistfully.

"Come on, wake up. That girl is totally head over heels in love with you. You're obviously deaf, dumb, and blind."

"And think about it," Tobias said, "If you want to ask Cassie to the dance, there are others who do, too, take it from me."

"Others?" I asked worriedly. "What others?"

"Come on, open your eyes and face it, Jake," said Marco. "Have you looked at Cassie lately? The girl gets more beautiful every day. I'll bet there are plenty of offers coming in. And those guys aren't gonna ask your permission. Plus, she may like you, but she won't ask you out. She's not like those girls who are all aggressive with guys. But you can't just assume she'll be there waiting for you whenever you decide to come around. You might miss your chance."

Marco's words were hitting home, big time. What if someone else got Cassie before I did? Then I may never get the chance again. I frowned in thought. If someone else asked her, I was out of luck.

A while later I laid across my bed at home, thinking about my options. It was clear to me then that I only had one. I had to take this chance while I still had it, and forget my nervousness and insecurity. And if Cassie would have me, I knew that nothing could be better. It was becoming impossible to control the urge to reach out and touch her, to put my arms around her, to kiss her, and tell her how I feel. Well, it was now or never. I sat up and picked up the phone. I dialed quickly, before I lost my nerve, and listened for her soft voice. But it never came; the line was busy.

"Damn," I said softly as I placed the receiver back in its cradle. Well, I can't let that stop me, I thought. I have to go to her. I grabbed my jacket.

Cassie

"Are you kidding?"

"No, Rachel, I'm totally serious." I had called Rachel to tell her my news about Brian after my chores were done. "He really asked me out. I guess you were right," I told her as I walked with the cordless phone out to the front porch swing.

"When am I not right?" Rachel joked. "So, what did you say to him?"

"Not much. I didn't really get the chance to. He asked me, and then I just stared at him like I was a complete idiot. And then he got all nervous and backtracked, which was really kind of sweet, then he said I probably already had a date. And I didn't say exactly, but it must have been all over my face that I was waiting for someone, because you know what he said?"

"What?"

"He said that whoever the guy was is really lucky, and that if he doesn't come around, that Brian'd be at the dance."

"Wow."

"Yeah, I know, and now I feel kind of stupid."

"Why? You still want to go to the dance with Jake, right?"

"Well, yeah, of course, but I just turned down a really sweet, smart, adorable guy, not because I already have a date, but because I'm waiting for the guy I really want to ask me. How selfish is that?"

"That's not selfish, Cassie," Rachel told me. "It wouldn't be fair to Brian if you don't return his feelings and you make him think you do. Because you don't…do you?"

"Well, no, I mean he'd be a great friend, but I have much more inside me for Jake. Only Jake hasn't asked me to this thing yet."

"He will," Rachel said confidently. "If he doesn't, he's an idiot, and there's no hope for him, 'cause I know he's gone over you. Although…"

"What, Rachel?" I asked curiously.

"Well, I think that when it comes to you, Jake's just a normal, insecure guy who's afraid, so he's dragging his feet. And it's an age-old rule that nothing makes a guy step up to the plate more than thinking someone else is after you."

"What are you saying?"

"Just that maybe seeing you as the object of another guy's attention might make him snap to attention. He'll go totally caveman on you. It could make for a very interesting dance."

"Wait- You're saying I should go with Brian to the dance just to make Jake jealous?" I asked.

"More or less," Rachel replied.

"I don't know about that, Rachel. I'm not into playing games."

"Well, I'm not saying you should do it; but it would work if you did. But you're not gonna have to, anyway, because Jake will ask you, you'll see."

"I hope s-" I broke off as I looked down my driveway. "Rachel I have to go; Jake's here."

"Told you I'm always right," she said.

"Bye Rachel," I said and hung up the phone. Jake was walking up my drive, looking determined, nervous, and gorgeous. As always, when I looked at him, I felt a rush of emotion. He was so tall, six foot one at 15 years old. He was wearing jeans and a white T-shirt, which he filled out nicely. I felt the familiar tug in my belly and my heart just looking at him. Then he was up on the porch, smiling at me. God.

"Hey, Cassie."

Jake

"Hey." Cassie smiled at me. God, she's so damn pretty, I thought. For a second, I just stood there looking at her.

"Well, have a seat," Cassie said, motioning me to the swing. I sat right next to her on the little swing. She smelled so good.

"What's up, Jake? You've been looking at me like that a lot lately; is something wrong?"

She leaned closer, her deep brown eyes searching my face. Her hair, which she'd recently grown out, was in all these dark curls around her face, and they looked so…soft. I stuck my hands in my pockets.

"No, Nothing's wrong," I told her. Go for it, my head kept telling me. Ask her. "Cassie…"

"Yes, Jake?"

"Um…"Are you going to this Homecoming…thing…on Friday?"

"Yeah, I think I'll go," she said.

"Yeah?" I said. "Because I think I might go, too."

"Really?" She wasn't gonna make this any easier for me.

"Yeah. Ah…has anyone…I mean…is there anyone going with you?"

"No, I don't have a date yet."

Phew. "Oh, yeah? Cause, you know, I was thinking…Maybe-since we'll both be there anyway- we could maybe go together." Well, here goes. "I guess what I'm trying to say is…Would you go to Homecoming with me?" I finished on a breath. Cassie was just blinking at me. Oh, God. Why doesn't she say anything? I panicked. "I mean-just as friends, of course," I blurted. As soon as I said them, I wanted to gobble the words back up. You stupid idiot! I berated myself. Cassie just looked down.

"Of course," she said softly.

Had that been disappointment I had seen in her eyes, just before she'd hidden them with her lashes? No, it couldn't have been.

"I'd love to go with you, Jake," she said, sending me a small smile.

"Cool," I said, grinning back at her. I stood up. "Well, see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Bye, Jake."

I went home and kicked my desk.