The Pep Talk

"Let me guess, still staring at the phone?" said Alex cockily, when he wandered into the dorm room he shared with Clay and found his room-mate eyeing his cell phone warily. "The worst she can say is no, you know. You've even kissed already."

"Not helping, dude," Clay scowled at his over-confident friend. "That was different, maybe the kiss was adrenaline-fueled or something. She was as freaked about jumping off that bridge as I am right now."

"Well, that should put it into perspective then." Alex took a seat on Clay's swiveling desk chair opposite the bed and spun to face him with an annoying smirk. "She can't bite over the phone, you know. A no is literally the worst that could happen."

"That's easy for you to say, Jess has no self-control around you. Sara is different."

"How different, really?" said Alex, holding up his fingers to make a list. "Both dancers, both hot, both…"

"Cut it out!" Clay snapped, looking so frustrated that Alex finally stopped teasing him.

"You really like this girl, don't you?" he said simply, and Clay nodded. "Then what is there to be so worried about? I don't get it."

"I just never thought a girl like her would ever even kiss me. If I call and she says no, it'll just ruin a great memory, you know? I'm torn between another leap of faith and letting a good thing stay…untainted, I guess."

"Jeez Evans, you overthink everything." Alex shook his head in disbelief, leaning on his elbows against the backrest of the chair. "There is another option you're apparently not considering in all this. She might say yes."

"Why would she do that, though?" Clay argued skeptically, and his room-mate rolled his dark eyes impatiently.

"Did you play football in high school by any chance, dude?"

Clay shook his head. "No. Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering if a concussion in the recent past was likely because you're acting ridiculous."

"Uncalled for," Clay huffed and moved towards the door. It would have been the perfect dramatic exit if the lock hadn't jammed, and Alex' snickers just infuriated him even more. "Thanks for nothing, Lex."

"Anytime, buddy," his room-mate called after him, and then the door slammed, and Clay found himself in the hallway still at a complete loss for what to do.

His fingers seemed to know what he needed before his brain could catch up because the next thing he knew, he had dialed his older sister's number in England. Mercifully it was Lily who picked up the phone; Clay didn't fancy explaining girl troubles to his brother-in-law James either. "Potter residence, this is Lily."

"Serious question, Flo: Why did you have to move to another freaking continent? I have a huge problem here!"

"Hello to you too, ducky," she giggled at his agitated tone. "What is this oh so massive problem, hmm?"

"It's about a girl," Clay admitted; "Her name is Sara. We met last month when some mutual friends dragged us bridge-jumping into a local lake."

"Bridge-jumping? As in jumping off a bridge?"

"That does define bridge-jumping, Lils," he echoed in exasperation. "Can we focus on the real issue here, please? Girl alert! A seriously beautiful girl no less, who held my hand when we jumped off the bridge, and then we kissed in the water."

"Who are you, and what have you done with my little brother?" Lily teased, enjoying the moment before he groaned desperately. "Alright, I'm sorry, being serious now."

"Thank you! The point is I'm kind of freaking out about calling her. I know it's stupid, since like Alex pointed out, we've even kissed already. But that moment was so perfect, the bridge and the kiss and the group lunch afterward that I kind of don't want to ruin it."

"What could possibly ruin that? It sounds like a dream to me, and you're talking to a happily married woman."

"Well good because I can't marry you, that's just gross," Clay laughed at her relaxed tone, although his own nerves were still on edge. "Lily…what if she says no? I don't think I could handle it. Call me crazy, but I just keep wondering what Dad would have done, you know? It's been a year now, and I still wish he was here."

"Of course you do, honey," she sighed; "I feel that way every time I look at my girl. She's only two now, but she'll only ever have stories of her grandfather. It's not even close to fair, and we both know it."

"Normally, I'd be all over stories of Lulu, but I really am desperate here. What do I do, Flo?"

"You call her," said Lily simply. "And I bet deep down, you know exactly what Dad would have told you to do, right?"

"Yeah," he admitted. "I bet Mom got plenty of phone calls on the count of two when they were dating. I told Sara to jump off the bridge on the count of two, actually. She was horrified because it gave her less time to be freaked out, but I said it could be our thing."

"Well damn, what do you need me for, dude? That is totally smooth, way to go!"

"But that was then," Clay argued apprehensively. "I already had this conversation with Alex. What if the kiss was just a thrill of the moment thing? I mean, we got along well enough at lunch after, but what if she doesn't feel the same?"

"Now you're just looking for reasons not to call, chicken," Lily teased him. "Clay, you'll always find reasons not to do something if you really want to. But if you really do like this girl so much, man up and make that call. She'd be lucky to have you if you ask me."

"You really think so?" he said skeptically. "And you're not just saying that as my favorite sister?"

"Of course not, that's an added bonus," she promised fondly. "Then again, Tuney's barely competition, right?"

"Right," he agreed faintly. "Man, I wish you were here, Lils."

"I'll cross my fingers long-distance if it helps," she told him. "Don't sell yourself short, ducky. There might be any number of reasons for her to say no to another date, but there are definitely more reasons to say yes. You're kind of awesome, and I'm not gonna let you forget it, okay?"

"Okay," he echoed, and she could hear the tense edge of self-doubt leaving his voice now. "Thanks, Flo, I owe you one."

"You owe me way more than one if we're really counting, sweetie," she shot back affectionately. "Good luck with the call. We'll Skype tomorrow, okay? I better go, I hear my two-year-old protesting bedtime."

"She needs Mommy as much as I do, lucky girl is still allowed tantrums," Clay laughed. "Bye, sis, love you."

"You've got this, rockstar," she said firmly and hung up, leaving her brother feeling considerably calmer about what his heart was telling him to do next.

"On the count of two," he whispered to himself, stashing his phone away as he made his way towards the girls' dorms. This was a conversation better had in person, he decided, and the rest was in the hands of a gorgeous blonde ballerina.

A / N Splitting up the pep talk from the conversation with Sara just for the sake of posting a new update tonight xx