02x12: Pre-Party Preparations

Joel gives Austin advice as he attempts to ask her to the FS Night.

PRE-PARTY PREPARATIONS

 

     Everyday before October 29 was spent on trying to ask Janella or planning to ask Janella. Austin has never asked a girl to a dance before. He loved going solo but hated it at the same time. Last year was the worst case scenario. It was a disaster.

     During lunchtime, Austin noticed that Roey was no longer playing Ninjas and Magic but a mass produced game. They were playing Yu-Gi-Oh. Austin used to play it but not anymore. He got bored with it. He found out that Ivan was the one who started it. No one played Ninjas and Magic anymore. Ninjas and Magic was definitely superior to this game. Just then Austin realized, Roey could be rich someday.

     One day in August, Roey and the guys were playing Ninjas and Magic outside Sr. Dan’s office. Sr. Dan, being the Level Coordinator, caught them and asked them what it was. Roey explained and since they weren’t gambling (Ninjas and Magic poker would be incredibly stupid) Sr. Dan let them pass. Sr. Dan even considered calling a magazine called K-Zone to feature their card game and mass produce it. Of course it would come to life and Roey warned Sr. Dan so the whole thing was canned.

     Around this time, Austin was becoming a teenager. His birthday was a few days away and his addiction to music was almost leveling with his addiction to movies. He even made a movie theatre on the third floor of the hotel. He wanted to play the guitar so badly too.

     One friend of his, JB, he was really good at playing the guitar. Abram Napiza, one of his classmates, was actually part of a band called DRIX and they were performing 21 Guns during the FS Night.

     This year, Austin definitely felt a lot different towards school. There was barely any trouble in school, no Dave, PJ, Jelo, and Ivan pissing him off every now and then. The Mastermind hasn’t shown his ugly face yet; the worst part of the year was the constant attacks on him caused by flying, exploding, spikes. School was a lot more fun than after school. He’d just stay in his suite trying to master the band or master his powers or master his own life. He was trying to eliminate his old self, the nerdy, over-smart, over-snobby, self.

     This year, people liked him a lot more. The people he hated last year, he didn’t hate anymore. The girls, well, he had a lot more friends among the girls. The new students also accepted him but they weren’t really the best of friends since Austin didn’t play DotA or any MMORPG’s which were popular.

     It was October 19, a Monday. Austin was eating lunch with Joel and Ernst.

     “We have to wear costumes?” Joel asked.

     “Maan told me,” Austin replied.

     “Maan really has initiative doesn’t she?” Ernst said.

     “No worries, I’ll just wear a mask,” Joel said.

     “Ymara said no masks,” Austin replied.

     “Damn, umm… how about I wear a wizard hat?”

     “Too simple.”

     “So?”

     ‘Maan’s the valedictorian last year right?” Ernst asked.

     “So have you asked her yet?” Joel asked.

     “Not yet, are you planning on asking anyone?”

     “Oh, err… I don’t know if I’m coming.”

     “Guys, Hitler was amazing, I mean, he killed Jews but, he’s German right?” Ernst commented.

     “Why don’t you know?’ Austin asked Joel.

     “We have to pay right?”

     “They are going to deliver food across the ocean.”

     “Through teleporters.”

     “Does anybody else want to boycott New Moon when it comes out?” Ernst said while a table of Twihards stopped eating and stared at him. Austin and Joel didn’t notice this anyway.

     “You have to come to the FS Night!”

     “I might not be able to.”

     “Look, if I end up being a lonely, senseless, d****e on the dance floor, I won’t have anyone to talk to.”

     “You have Michael.”

     “Cooler than me.”

     There was laughter behind Austin.

     “Ivan?”

     “With Michael.”

     The laughter grew louder

     “Jericho? Johann? Rodrigo? JB?”

     “Well, maybe.”

     “Ernst?”

     “He’s a d****e. And why is everyone laughing?”

     “Speaking of Ernst, where is he?”

     Ernst was gone from his seat.

     “AHHHHH!!!!”

     They heard a scream from behind them. The Twihards had carried Ernst out of his seat and beat him up in the middle of the canteen. Ernst’s pants were on fire, his hair was colored pink, his mouth was full of boils inside out, and he was in women’s clothing.

     “Whoah!” Joel and Austin said in unison.

     The rest of the day passed by quickly. Austin and Janella would talk as usual. Austin felt like he could talk to her a lot more freely than any of his friends. He only felt like this with Kyle and Patrick. But of course, Janella was a girl, Austin never enjoyed talking to girls but Janella was not just a girl. If Da Vinci lived today and made a painting of every 12 year old today, she would hop out of the painting and everyone else would remain. She stood out in his life but he had no way of knowing if the feeling was mutual. He couldn’t read her mind because he chose not to. This was a friend, a person, not some guy who had useful information that would cause a life-death scenario.

     Tuesday and Wednesday were the days Austin would go back to his stalking method. Well it isn’t stalking really. He was just used to the pattern. And besides, her two best friends were Justin and Queenie, easily found because they popped out of the crowd. Justin would be dodging shuttle c***s and Queenie would be serving but that’s just a meaningless metaphor.

     Thursday was another homeroom day. This time, Alecz called for some singers to sing in the choral competition to sing “Tanging Yaman”. Austin had a terrible singing voice so he didn’t join. Very few people stood up. Forty-three students were in this classroom and thirty singers were needed. After a few minutes of encouragement, some people finally stood up. Among those who stayed down were Austin, Janella, Joel, Queenie, Justin, John, and some other people who would look odd. But the thing is, Ernst was in this competition. Abram joined because Bruce joined. They were going to play the guitar. Bruce had recently started a relationship with Clara.

     A lot of relationships were starting and these people were twelve or thirteen. Austin hated the fact that he was shut in for eleven years of his life and didn’t know how to talk to a girl. Austin also hated the fact that Ernst was four months older than him yet about fourteen inches shorter.

     Friday was great but bad at the same time. Another twenty-four hours kicked off the countdown till the FS Night. Sr. Philip had played the guitar during Music class. Austin was once again dreaming of playing a song on the guitar. More conversation between him and Janella happened but was usually cut off by Ernst running between them from a group of Twihards because he said something stupid again.

     Finally Monday came. Austin’s weekend sucked without her, He could have always gone upstairs sure but he never got the courage. He usually waited in front of the elevator hoping that she’d come out but only two kinds of people came out, people who don’t jump out of paintings or people who aren’t in paintings. Only three people jumped out of paintings for Austin and they never came out.

     Austin’s favorite number was three because there were three circles in a hidden Mickey and he and his mom’s birthday were November 3 and June 3 respectively. There were also 3 7’s in a slot machine and the FS night would be his first high school dance but his third dance overall. Three days before the dance seemed like a good time to try.

     Homeroom was opportunity number one. They used this time to practice for the choral competition. Austin was left in the room with the guys who didn’t join. Janella was with her friends and they were left to do whatever the hell they wanted. Austin wanted to make his move but wanting doesn’t really guarantee having.

     “So Austin!’

    “AHHHH!!” Austin yelled. Joel had suddenly asked him a question while he was staring at her thinking of a plan.

     “Sorry. Look, stop staring at her and start talking to her.”

     “What staring at her. I wasn’t staring at her.”

     “Ok, I’ll do to you what you were doing to her.”

     Joel put his elbows on his table and opened his eyes wide open, staring right into Austin’s soul, or so it felt.

     “What do you call this now?”

     “Fine, I was staring but I was also thinking.”

     “Thinking of what?”

     “A plan?”

     “What to say?”

     “Yeah.”

     “You were thinking of how to ask her?”

     “Yes, I already said that.”

     “Don’t do that. Make it impromptu.”

     “Why?”

    “Imagine you’re a girl. A guy who stalks you, stares at you, and obsesses over you walks over to you. He says ‘Hi’ and pulls out a piece of paper out of his pocket, all crumpled up. He reads ‘Dear <insert girl’s name her> blah blah blah blah.’.”

     “I’m not gonna write on a piece of paper.”

     “I MEAN DON’T MAKE A SPEECH!”

     “Why not? And when did you become the love guru?”

     “Well, if you tell a girl what you feel at that moment of time on that time of day while staring at her in the eyes, chances are it will be more sincere than what you wrote before hand, staring at writer’s block, during classes, at a moment of time where you are nervous.”

     “Uh-huh…”

     “Just tell her what you really want to tell her.”

     “Maybe I should ask a girl for advice. Maybe Guen.”

     “NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT!”

     “Why?”

     “Men shouldn’t ask women for dating advice!”

     “Why not?”

     “Because they might want them for themselves!”

     “Don’t be racist.”

     “I’m not racist. I’m stereotyping.”

     “Then don’t be sexist.”

     “I’m stereotyping!”

     “Stereotyping the opposite sex is sexism.”

     “I knew that. “

     Recess, Austin went over to their gang.

     Go ahead, ask her. The worst thing that could happen is she says “no”.

     Austin was glued to the floor. He couldn’t move. He just realized how much of a wuss he was and his mind slapped him in the face.

     During Social Studies time, Sr. Leo was late. They had a bunch of free time so Austin took this opportunity to talk to her. Not ask her yet but just talk to her.

     “So Janella…”

     “Oh, hi Austin.”

     “Are you coming to the dance on Thursday?”

     Austin might have been hallucinating but she smiled a little.

     “Yeah. Why?”

     “You have a partner yet?”

     Austin was in Wonderland. She was smiling. Or was the Cheshire cat just slapping around his subconscious?

     “Nope, not yet.”

     “Oh.”

     “Why’d you ask?”

     “Nothing. Just curious.”

     Nope, still a wuss. The imaginary smile on her face disappeared. The Mad Hatter just screwed Austin around.

     Later on, Austin abandoned Joel’s advice about not asking women so he asked Guen.

     “Guen…”

     “Yeah.”

     “Let’s say I want to ask someone out to a dance and.”

     “You want to ask Janella out?”

     Guen was a member of the Vanitiez and the Vanitiez knew everything.

     “Well…”

     “Don’t deny.”

     “Well…”

     “Just tell her how you feel at the moment of time at the time of day and stare at her eyes to make it look sincere.”

     Man, did Joel and Guen read the same book?

     “Umm…”

     “Just tell her, ‘May I have this dance?’ That would be so sweet.”

     “You’re going with PJ?”

     “Maybe.”

     Since Kat knew about Austin’s crush, everyone knew. The Vanitiez could keep a secret if they wanted to but wanting doesn’t really guarantee having. They probably didn’t want to in the first place.

     Lunch was pathetic. Austin had tried to ask her but she once again surrounded by friends. It was just not possible.

     “Hey Austin.”

     “You didn’t startle me that time Joel,” Austin said.

     “I wasn’t trying to startle you and I told you to stop staring.”

     “I’m thinking.”

     “I told you not to think too.”

     “You told me a lot of things.”

     “You never obsessed over anyone since the third g�"“

     “DON’T GO THERE! I was eight!”

     “Just walk up to her. Look, I’ll look for Ernst. We’ll distract her friends.”

     RIIIING!!!

     “Crap, it’s time. Let’s go.”

     Another hour knocked out of the countdown.

     Dismissal was the time where Austin was finally free from the boundaries of school. He went to the bookstore to get his homework for computer class. After going out, he saw her walk by.

     “Bye guys, see you tomorrow!”

     She was alone. He was alone. They were alone. Time to make his move.

     He rushed out of the bookstore; his heart was pounding faster than it had ever pounded before. He ran after her. Was he going to do it or was he not? To ask or not to ask, that was the question. He never even read Shakespeare.

     “Janella!”

     He said it. He called her. No turning back now. He had to do it or he’d look like an idiot.

     “Yes?”

     “Do you have a partner for the FS Night yet?”

     “No.”

     “Well…”

     Austin was taking deep, rapid breaths. He was imagining him taking these breaths but he felt like these breaths were real. He wasn’t sweating at all. Why?

     “Austin? You okay?’

     “Yeah. Umm. Would you…”

     Say it Austin, the worst possible reply is “You’re pathetic!”

     “...like us to be partners?”

     He said it. No taking it back. This wasn’t a Facebook status update. It was a conversation.

     “Oh! Umm…”

     She wasn’t smiling.

     “Sorry, umm. I don’t want anything like that yet.”

     She looked into his eyes and he looked into hers only it hurt for him.

     “Look, I wasn’t planning to have a partner. I’m sorry.”

     He didn’t know how to feel. Happy, definitely not. Sad, maybe. Angry, no, didn’t feel that. Confused, sort of.

     “Are you mad at me?”

     I am an idiot, I am an idiot. I am a naive, underdeveloped idi�"

     “Austin?”

     “No, no, it’s okay.”

     “We still friends?”

     “Yes, of course!”

     “Ok, Bye. Look, I’m really sorry.”

     “It’s okay.”

     “See you tomorrow.”

     “You too.”

     Austin was speechless. What to feel was unclear. He was riding the rollercoaster of emotions. How will this affect everything else? He didn’t know. Well, at least the hard part was over. It wasn’t that bad really. He went back to his suite and lied down on his bed. He still didn’t know how to feel but he just realized. He didn’t need to know.