"So…" Edward was looking really shy again. "So…you're going to help me get over my fear of girls, right? You said you would. I mean, it's okay if you don't want to, I mean, but, um—"

"It's okay, Edward." Hermione smiled. "You don't even have to be in debt to us if you don't want to. We want to help you. I wouldn't like it if I were afraid of boys…would you like that, Andrea?"

"Definitely not," said Andrea, grinning.

"Well, let's get started, then!" Edward said, happily. The girls were glad that they had managed to make him so happy.

"All right, Edward," said Andrea in a business-like voice, sitting him down in another pool chair. "So you're afraid of girls."

"That means I need to see a psychologist, right?" Edward asked them, sadly.

"Of course not, Edward!" said Hermione, pulling up yet another pool chair and sitting beside Edward; Andrea did the same, on his other side. "The only reason you do those weird things around girls—and then become afraid of them—is because you just get so nervous. It's perfectly normal."

"Nobody else I know is afraid of girls."

"Look." Andrea got up from her pool chair. "Pretend that I'm this really pretty girl whom you have a crush on, okay? And say you see me at the pool today. What do you do?"

"Uhhh…" Edward's face was getting a little bit red. Or maybe a lot red. It was hard to tell, actually.

"You come talk to me, that's what you do!" Andrea said, rather sharply. "Okay. Just come up to me and make some small talk. Maybe girls will like you more."

"I can't!" said Edward. "What if I trip or something?"

"Then you get up, and laugh about it!" Andrea said. "Look, they might not get a crush on you from just one encounter, but they will notice you if you talk to them, and trip in the process, whereas if you stay on that chair all your life you won't ever get a girlfriend!"

"I'm so short, though!" said Edward. "I'm a midget! I'm thirteen…I should be taller than you guys by now."

"No, you shouldn't," said Hermione. "We're fifteen, Edward. We're two years older than you! And even if you are a midget, you'll probably get a huge growth spurt when you're my age."

"Fine," said Edward grumpily. He walked up to Andrea and said, "Hi, Andrea. My name's Edward."

"Hey, Edward," said Andrea.

"Hey," said Edward, looking around. "Listen, I-I heard about this great movie that's playing, and…well, I-I'd be r-really happy if you went to see it with me."

"Why, Edward, thanks, but…no thanks." Andrea smiled.

"Why'd you refuse me?" asked Edward, looking at Andrea as though she had just gone insane or something.

"You have to learn how to accept rejection," said Andrea shrewdly. "Not everybody's going to take you to the—"

"Oh my God!" cried Edward, and he scurried to hide behind Andrea.

"What is it, Edward?" asked Andrea, but Edward's only response was to point. Andrea, and Hermione too, followed his gaze. There was a beautiful blonde girl there, the wind blowing her hair like in a shampoo commercial. Edward's hand was shaking, like, an inch from side to side, and he looked terrified.

"I think that's the girl he's got a crush on, Andrea," said Hermione knowingly.

"Definitely," said Andrea, looking at the girl. She was wearing a pretty pink bikini and, by now, Edward was drooling all over the place. Andrea rolled her eyes.

"Go talk to her, Edward," said Hermione, getting up from her chair, walking to Edward, and giving him a gentle push.

"I can't," said Edward. He seemed so scared.

"Yes, you can, Edward!" cried Andrea. "Your only problem is that you just don't have enough confidence in yourself. Now go and talk to her."

"Her name's Stephanie," said Edward shyly. "And you're right, Andrea. I think I'm going to go talk to her."

"Good for you, Edward!" said Hermione, smiling, and Andrea gave him the thumbs-up sign as he came out from behind her.

They couldn't hear what Edward was saying as he approached Stephanie, but they did seem to be getting along well. Then, as they were leaving, Edward turned back to Andrea and Hermione, giving them the thumbs-up. His arm was around Stephanie's waist, since he couldn't really reach her shoulders.

Hermione and Andrea looked at each other, smiling.

"We did it!" Hermione said, happily, and Andrea agreed, as they watched their friend leave the pool with Stephanie.