Mal was standing in front of her locker, putting away her textbook for Remedial Goodness, when Ben sidled up beside her. "Hey," he said, reaching for her hand. "I've been looking for you."
"Oh?" Mal tried to sound nonchalant as she turned to him. At least he's good looking, if also a total dork, she thought to herself.
"Yeah. So, I know you agreed to come to the coronation as my date, but that's still a week away."
"Okay?" Mal wasn't sure where this was going, but she knew she wanted him to relinquish her hand. She felt almost naked without her usual fingerless leather gloves, and having his hand directly against hers felt so foreign. It made her nervous.
"Well…" Ben smiled a bit nervously at her. "I was hoping we could hang out before then."
"Oh," Mal said, her sudden understanding clear in her voice. "Okay. Well, okay."
"So, you'll go on a date with me?"
At the word "date," Mal felt a hint of panic rising in her chest. "Uh, when?"
"How about tonight? Are you free?"
"I-well-yeah. I'm free tonight. For a-date." Mal felt her cheeks warm at her awkwardness about the whole situation.
"Perfect. I'll come pick you up at your dorm around 5." Ben beamed at her, and Mal felt her cheeks redden even more. It's just the love potion. Calm down.
"Great," she said with a hint of sarcasm in her tone. She needed some kind of self-defense, after all.
Ben squeezed her hand, released it, and walked away. "I'll see you later!" he called enthusiastically over his shoulder.
"Great," she muttered under her breath. "I need to find Evie right now."