By NationChild

Created on January 31st, 2007

Daina buried her nose into her book, examining the text.

Find the slope of 5-4x+10y. Huh?

He was watching her. She knew it. But she dared not turn and check. It would be embarrassing if he was looking at her and she was staring back at him. It’d be even more embarrassing if he wasn’t looking at her, then caught her looking at him. Maybe he was thinking about her. Maybe he was thinking about asking her to the dance.

Her cheeks flaming at the thought, she forced her mind back to math.

Jolting up from her desk, she red the clock. 11:45. Darn. Fifteen more minutes of clueless wandering.

Again, Daina felt it. The familiar tingle in her spine. Maybe he was seriously considering it! Shaking her head, she attempted to shut out certain distracting thoughts of him, red in the face, asking her, or him with his hand outstretched, requesting a dance. Nope. Didn’t work. Perhaps she should be the one to ask him.

Daina’d noticed Katie sending flirtatious smiles his way. Not that he’d noticed. And everyone in the world (except for John, of course) knew Katie liked him.

Daina bit her lip and cocked her head to one side, staring at nothing in particular. John was a sweet guy, quiet and polite. It’s so hard to find a guy like that, Daina thought.

John. Her childhood friend since the third grade. Like many people, Daina was afraid of breaking the bond between herself and John beyond the point of “just friends.”

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“Alright. Your turn.”

Lauren’s eyes held a gleam that was unmistakable.

Daina blinked. Her best friend was scaring her, just a little bit, especially with that wicked smile twisting her face.

“Just go, Lauren!”

“Okay, okay. Truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

Lauren’s smile widened.

“If you had to choose one, which boy in our class would you spend the rest of your life with?” Lauren’s eyes twinkled in anticipation for the answer.

But Daina wouldn’t let Lauren enjoy herself without a fight.

“Lauren, don’t you think it’s a little too early in our lives to plan our future? I mean, we’re only eleven.”

“Stop being such a logical spoilsport and answer the question, Daina.” Then, sensing Daina’s anxiety, she added softly, “It’s John, isn’t it?”

Daina just stared at her friend in disbelief. Lauren forced a hoarse laugh from her throat.

“C’mon, Daina! I’m your best friend; I know these things.”

Daina couldn’t get any words out before Lauren cut her off. “Yeah, I know, I won’t tell anyone. But Daina, you should be on your guard. You never know when another girl will come swooping and steal your man.”

“He’s not my man!”

Laughing, Lauren caught the pillow thrown at her.

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As if reading Daina’s thoughts, Lauren quietly tore a piece of paper from her notebook at began writing.

A few seconds later, a folded piece of paper landed innocently into Daina’s lap. Checking the teacher’s location, she unfolded the note. The paper read simply, Ask him.

A now sixteen Daina creased her eyebrow.

The bell commenced its usual custom of dinging. It was time. As students started gathering their books and exiting the classroom, Lauren gave Dana a small wink, clearly stating, Go for it!

Daina spotted John at Mr. Jornes’ desk. John’s bangs flopped to one side of his face, partly covering one eye. He really needs a haircut, Daina thought wryly.

“Yeah, okay. I think I got it. Thanks!”

Turning from the teacher’s desk, John spied Daina staring, and for some odd reason, she was staring at him.

“Daina? You okay?”

Snapping to attention, Daina looked around dazedly. Then, as though an electric shock coursed through her being, her eyes widened slightly, taking in the matured form in front of her.

Besides his overgrown dark hair, Daina as looking straight into a pair of navy blue eyes, spots of white reflected from the weak overhead lights. Today, John had donned a pair of blue jeans, along with a black shirt with white lettering, MY GUESS IS AS GOOD AS YOURS!

Diana suddenly blushed a nice magenta shade. She had to ask him, even if her face incinerated. Like an oral presentation ready to proceed, she forced the words out.

“Would you like to go to the dance with me?”

A sweet smile sat on John’s face, newly painted. Then he said yes.