Shawn Laurence was rather distracted. Anyone who knew him and saw him on that Sunday in late February could have told you that. Especially one of his best friends. Erica Johnson walked beside him through the slush-covered streets of their Washington town that gray day. His black ringlets hung unfettered before his green eyes, when he usually would push them away.

“Dude, what is it?” The brunette asked him, tightening her own ponytail through the hole in her well-worn baseball cap.

“Huh? Oh, nothing Erica. Just… thinking.” He muttered in his soft voice, taking a swipe at the curls obstructing his vision. The pair walked in silence for a bit before she spoke up.

“Shawn, can I ask you something?” His head snapped up instantly.

“Anything. You know that.” He hoped that what he had been planning to do was about to be made easier.

“How can I get Travis to notice me?” She asked innocently, her hazel eyes turning up to him. Shawn sighed. Travis Murphy was probably the king of almost every sport in their high school, not to mention the eye-candy for every girl in school. His intent was just made ten times harder.

“I don’t know, Erica. Why, you like him or something?” Shawn finished his query with a teasing tone, a mischievous glint in the forest green eyes.

“You know I do!” She muttered, giving him a light punch in the arm. He surveyed his tomboyish best friend for a moment. She was practically the only single girl in their school that didn’t fear his rather intimidating build. He was a hefty young man, though tall enough for it to balance out a bit. The girls were rather afraid of him because he was rumored to use his size to intentionally intimidate, and that he was a guy like the henchmen that people see in movies. In all actuality, he was really nice.

“I’m not too sure how to help you, Er. I’m not really a guy like Travis, in case you couldn’t tell.” He replied gently. ‘Of course she could tell, you idiot! That’s why she’s asking you this about him, rather than asking someone else about you.’ He thought to himself.

“But you have to have some idea? I mean, come on, you’re both guys.” She grinned up at him. Shawn let out a snicker.

“That’s like me asking you to give me advice on how to ask Geena Summers out on a date!” He elbowed her.

“Who, that prissy little brat? Heck no! We’re nothing alike!” She insisted. It was true. Geena was Erica’s complete opposite.

“Well, same thing with me and Travis. I can’t give you advice because I don’t know him, and we’re nothing alike.” He really didn’t want to have to tell her something he knew Travis had said about her. It would kill her to hear that. “Anyways, you’d probably have to change into Geena to get him to notice you. You know, act all girly and everything.”

“I can try to act girly. I am a girl, after all.” She replied. She raised an eyebrow in her trademark manner, as if he implied that she wasn’t.

“I know, but it’s so…. Not you. You don’t want to change who you are for a guy that could go as easily as come, do you? That would be completely against the Erica I know.” ‘And love,’ he added mentally.

“Well, how else am I gonna get a date to prom? If acting like a bimbo gets me a date, I’ll do it. I’m sick of flying solo.” She told him a bit testily. He thought that was it. His heart sank a bit lower as he realized that if he only spoke up a bit sooner, maybe they wouldn’t have been having this conversation.

“There has to be someone who would go with you, without you having to change. I mean, you’ve only considered Travis? Maybe there’s someone else who wouldn’t mind going with you as you are.” He tried to be subtle about the whole thing. It blew right over Erica’s head.

“Come on, Shawn! Who would honestly want to go with loud, obnoxious, ugly me? I might as well shoot for the moon with this and who knows? Maybe by changing my ways I can get someone else’s attention.” She answered brashly, folding her arms. Shawn saw that it wasn’t just a defensive front. She was cold. Her thin, denim coat wasn’t doing anything to keep the harsh weather out.

Being his usual self, he gently shrugged off his well-loved pleather coat and draped its warmth over her chilly, short figure. She looked up at him, astonished, but slipped her arms through the sleeves of the large coat.

“To some guys, it doesn’t take a Geena Summers to get their attention. Just a simple, cold tomboy.” He spoke cryptically, with a gentle smile. He sped up towards their destination, leaving Erica walking a ways behind him.

‘I’ll still ask Travis to prom,’ Erica thought to herself, ‘But if he thinks I’m gonna change myself for him, he’s nuts!’ Slowly, she was beginning to realize that there were other options. Options that weren’t so out of reach that she’d have to pull out all the stops to even stand a chance.

If she needed him, she knew Shawn would be there; tux, corsage, and all. But then again….

“Hey Shawn! Wait up!”

Why even bother with Travis? Shawn was right there. Always was. Always would be.