Alright, this is my first original story being published so let's just see how this goes lol.

Luke's POV:
"Come on man, don't be a chicken." Josh Carson teased lightly as we ate our lunches in the cafeteria.

"I'm not a chicken Josh, I just don't like haunted houses. And especially not that one." I said with a sigh as I started walking home.

"Please Luke? I heard it's not even that scary." He persisted.

"Scary or not, weird stuff happens at Old Man Marvin's old house bro. I heard one kid went in like a month or so ago and he never came out."

"Okay, you're thinking about Jake, and he moved to Sacramento a week ago."

"Or his family did after he died in there." I countered.

"You're being ridiculously paranoid." He said with a laugh. "Nothing bad will happen."

"Or maybe I'm just being cautious. And also, you can't possibly know that."

"Seriously Luke we're 16 now. We should be able to do Halloween stuff."

"I don't mind 'Halloween stuff,' just Haunted Houses in general, but especially one that's literally haunted. Didn't Old Man Marvin die in there?"

"Dude, he died in the hospital after complications or something from a heart attack."

"That he had at his house. So the house scared even him, gave him a heart attack, and he died, meaning the house killed him... just like it did Jake!" I exclaimed as I put it all together.

"Or, hear me out here, he died because of heart problems that ran in his family or something, and Jake, wait for it... moved away!" He groaned with annoyance.

"Why do you wanna go so bad this year? You usually just give up and we go buy candy and watch scary movies."

"Last year we watched that childish 'Haunted House' movie."

"Yeah well we also watched Scream and Goosebumps and a bunch of other ones. And that movie just adds to my point. The house was literally possessed by the old man's dead wife who had a grudge on kids."

"It's a children's movie!"

"Whatever." I laughed. "But still, last year you had no interest in that house. What makes this year different? Or should I say who?" I smiled knowingly.

"Alright Mr. Know-it-all!" He sighed. "Yes, you're right. Ava really wants to go."

"Yeaaa." She beamed.

"Really?" I fake-gasped. "Well that's definitely a reason to bail on your best friend."

"Oh shut up drama king. #1, it's not like I didn't invite you-"

"So I can sit and third wheel my best friend and his girlfriend for the entire night? Awesome."

"And... #2, you could ask Layne to go with you."

I tried to hide my blush but he knew me too well.

"Ayeee- I saw that. The little smile and the blush." Josh grinned. "If not for me, for both of us? Come onnn..."

"Fine." I sighed again. "I'll go for you-" He looked at me with a smirk like 'And?' "And, partially her, but, I reserve the right to leave if I want to."

"Yes! Thank you!" Josh said excitedly.

"But you owe me." I smiled.

"Alright, deal." Josh laughed.

"When?"

"He's picking me up at 8 to get pizza and we're going to go to the store to get some candy/movie snacks and going to a big party at like 9. We'll probably go sometime late at night, 11, 11:30 since we're watching movies all night after like midnight or something." Ava said excitedly.

"Wow so that definitely wasn't something you just came up with." I laughed.

"Well we knew you'd eventually give in." Josh laughed.

"Of course you did." I shook my head. "What about Layne? When is she going?"

"Not sure. Guess you just have to ask her." He grinned and nodded towards Layne who had just walked up to get her food.

"Uh uh. No way."

"Isn't she literally like your best friend?"

"Well yeah but..."

"Then what's the problem?"

"How would I know?"

"Know what?" Layne smiled as she sat down next to me.

"Nothing!"

Way to play it cool, idiot.

"Oookay." She laughed at how quickly I said it. "What are you guys doing tonight?"

"Well, they're bailing on us for date night and I was wondering..." I trailed off.

"Wondering what?"

"Wondering... what I'm gonna do until we go to the haunted house." I gave up on trying to ask her at lunch.

"Gotcha." She smiled. "We could always hang out."

"Sure, I-I'm down." I grinned.

We talked about pretty random things for the rest of lunch.

"Alright well I have geometry so I gotta go." Josh said.

"Yeah I gotta go too. I have chemistry." Ava said as she stood up.

"See you guys later then." Layne waved. "We should probably go too."

"Huh?"

"We should go too." She repeated with a laugh. "We have clay next."

"Oh. Oh yeah." I remembered as I got up. "Here, I'll throw your tray away and we can go."

"Thanks. Oh, can we stop by my locker?"

"Yeah, of course."

I followed her to her locker as I tried to get up the courage to ask her.

Come on idiot. Pull your shit together and ask her out. Not that hard. Hey Layne, would you wanna go out with me tonight? Like on a date? I got this. Simple as that. Deep breath Luke. Deep breath and just say it. Rip the band-aid right off. Just play it cool. Be confident. You've been friends for almost 12 years and you keep putting it off but you've liked her since you met her. The feelings aren't going away and you're making it so much more painful by taking so long to just tell her how you feel. You tell each other everything so it's about time for the last secret you have to come out. You gotta tell her Luke. You know you do. Just do it. Go for it.Tell her that you love her. That you have since you met but would rather you not know and stay for sure than tell her and risk her leaving. Tell her how you love every little thing she does. How you want to be with her forever.

But no matter how much you want to, you know you won't. 

You never do. 

Never.

Wow. 

You really are an idiot.