A Y O

I opened my eyes before the alarm even rang and muttered a morning prayer before getting up to shower. Logan was done and downstairs already since he is an early waker.

As I was combing through my hair, a certain girl's image flashed in my head and I smiled. Now you must be thinking, 'I thought he was aromantic.' I thought so too but this girl just kept infiltrating my thoughts.

Unlike my idiotic best friend, I have come to acknowledge my feelings for her and can in fact keep my emotions in check. I don't just openly stare at Crystal like a creep...oh, I said her name already.

How she got past my walls and crawled into my heart, I don't know but she had always grabbed my attention since the very beginning.

I first noticed her hair, everybody notices the platinum and almost white hair at once and how it just flows like creamy milk down her back and past her waist. Her eyes are enchantingly pale. So pale, you would think she is blind at first sight. For a reason, they remind me of ice and yet they hold a warmth that melts the heart. Her randomness amuses me. She is like a book you read and turn over to find something new.

Beautiful was what came to mind when I saw her, and she is. It'll be a lot nicer if she wasn't so...how should I put this? Ignorant.

I can count the number of times I have been friend zoned albeit unknowingly and it hurts! She doesn't even know she is doing it and she keeps doing it!

I asked her out on an ice cream date and whereas normal girls would ask 'is this a date?' and I would say 'yeah', she went ahead and invited everybody! I ended up treating the whole gang to ice cream because she said it was my treat.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid...

"How to get out of the friend zone?!"

"Jesus!" I yelped and hid my phone away from Logan but he grabbed it from my hands and read through the Google page I loaded.

"Fu fu fu... You were friend zoned by somebody?! That's hilarious coming from the guy that every girl wants to date." He giggled and sat beside me. We were in the school's garden and it was peaceful there because people seldom went there. It was lunch break and I went there to sulk because Crystal once again failed to see the hints I've been giving.

"Laugh all you want. I'm not the one pushing back his feelings because of some reason." I mumbled to myself.

Logan's face suddenly went pale as he looked at me with horror and dread. "This means...this means...you like a girl!" I scowled.

"What does that mean?!" I snapped.

"Who is it?! Who is it!" He shook my shoulders as his eyes scanned my face frantically.

I rolled my eyes when I realized the reason for his strange behavior. "It's not Scarlet." I deadpanned.

"Oh." He released my aching shoulders from his vice like grip and sighed in relief, then he realized himself and started stammering. "Wha- wha- what do you mean S-Scarlet?! I didn't mention anybody!"

"Yeah yeah." I collected my phone from him. "It's Crystal." I confessed.

"Crystal?" I nodded.

"Honestly, I thought you would like her considering how much she looks like Shelia. I've been trying to confess my feelings for her but she just takes my words as words of friendship and I'm on the friend zone!" I ranted. "I don't even know if she likes me back because she doesn't even listen to me anytime I talk!" I rambled.

"And how did you try portraying your feelings?" Logan asked but I said nothing and he sighed. "Have you tried being direct and honest with her?"

"What do you mean?"

"Just how it sounds. Crystal is the kind to get distracted easily." Logan advised. Why is he going all love doctor on me?! He should practice his teachings!

"You know, nobody really knows how you and Shelia hooked up. You just came to school one day holding hands and voila! You got yourself the hottest chic in school."

"What has that got to do with anything?!" Logan asked flustered. I crossed my legs Indian style on the bench and propped up my elbow with my thigh while placing my chin on my palm.

"Just curious to know how your first date went." I wiggled my brows and he scoffed.

"It was fun...I was afraid she would reject me because I didn't have a car but Shelia was honest and a great girl." He smiled absently at the memories.

"Details, little one, details." I edged and he rolled his eyes.

"Fine." He succumbed.

-

"Uhm Shelia!" Logan called out to the raven haired beauty. Although that action was simple, it took a lot of willpower not to chicken out in the middle of it.

Ayo, who was walking beside Logan and Sharon, who was walking beside Shelia turned around at Logan's sudden impulsiveness. Shelia turned around, her hair bouncing off her body like beads bouncing off a surface, and smiled gently when she saw him.

"Oh, Logan. Hi." She tucked a strand of her silky hair behind her ear.

"Hey. Can I speak to you alone?" Logan asked. Sharon and Ayo got the hint and went ahead of them to give them space. When they were finally alone, Logan exhaled and asked, "uhm, do you want to hang out sometime?"

Shelia's eyes widened a fraction before calming down. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear as per nervous habit. "Y-yes, I'd love to." She smiled.

"Great! How does Saturday sound?"

"Yeah, it sounds good." Shelia replied.

"Cool, so I'll call you?"

"Sure." Shelia flashed a smile and started walking away only to be pulled back by Logan.

The blue (he was wearing contacts) eyed boy chuckled. "I don't have your number!" He said with a laugh as he withdrew his phone from his back pocket. Shelia was red with embarrassment as she quickly typed in the figures. "I'll call you." Logan promised. "Bye."

"B-bye." Shelia gave a small wave and walked away to where Sharon stood waiting. After a few moments, the two girls held each other's hands and started squealing before hurrying off.

"So...what did you ask her or tell her?" Ayo sounded from behind Logan.

"Why are you curious?"

"You asked her out, didn't you?" Ayo guessed.

"Let's go, I have to get to work." Logan avoided the question.

-

It was finally Saturday. The two had been talking over the phone days before their date. It had been awkward at first but they got used to hearing each other's voices and texting over the phone. They were to meet up at the bus stop at 12pm for their date.

Logan got there before twelve and only waited a few minutes before he saw Shelia walking towards him. They both wore jeans on shirts because Logan wanted them casual.

"Sorry, did you wait for long?" Shelia asked worriedly.

"No. Was the walk here long? I could've picked you if I had a car." Logan said wistfully.

Shelia shook her head and waved her hands along. "No no, I don't mind at all! So...where are we going?" She changed the topic.

"I didn't plan today out." Logan confessed.

"You didn't?!" Shelia burst out laughing.

"All the scenarios in my head turned out a disaster." Logan mumbled. "Anyway, I decided that we would go somewhere you want first, then somewhere I want to go next. How's that sound?" He suggested.

"Pretty cool. Okay, I want to go to the arcade!" Shelia said without any thought.

"The arcade?" Shelia nodded eagerly. "I've never been to one before." The moment he said that, Shelia gasped out in horror.

"You've never?!" Logan shook his head. "Then what are we waiting for?! We have to get you accustomed with the arcade culture!"

With that proclamation, Shelia grabbed his hand and they caught the next bus to the main town. They walked into the arcade and bought wristbands for a longer experience. "Which game should we start with?" Shelia wondered out loud and looked around until her eyes caught her first victim. "Aha! Pac Rat!" She yelled.

Logan smiled to himself at the enthusiasm of the ravenette and almost whined when she let go of his hand.

"Basically, you lead the rat through the maze with these controls," she pointed to the controls on the machine, "avoid these things at all costs..." Shelia explained the basics. "Okay, for a demonstration!" Shelia rolled her sleeves up and gripped the controls.

After watching her play for a while, he went to another machine and started playing. At first he lost quickly and Shelia was still playing but he got into the game and started playing. It got to a time that he heard Shelia's cheers which soon turned to threats upon seeing him slowly approaching her high score.

"Aww come on, I never knew I would be that good!" Logan defended but Shelia kept sulking because he used half the time of their wristband lives on Pac Rat. Logan scratched his head and looked around until he saw something and got curious. "Hey, what's that?" He asked.

Shelia followed his pointed finger to a crane machine and smiled deviously. "Come, come!" She pulled him to the machine and looked inside the glass box filled with plushies. Her eyes shone when she saw a shark plushie and turned around to face Logan who had been watching a parent trying to get a toy for his child.

"I think I've got it." He muttered and slipped in a coin.

"Ooh! Ooh! I want that Shark plushie! The shark plushie!" Shelia squealed.

"One shark plushie coming up." Logan pushed the button and maneuvered the crane towards the blue plush toy. He dropped the toy and Shelia whined. He tried again and it dropped once more. Shelia drummed on his back with her hands and shook him as she whined, just as the kid next to them whined to her father for his insufficiency.

Logan chuckled and tried again. This time, a rare occurrence of two plushies getting picked at once happened. The tail of the shark hooked the bow on a plush rabbit toy and the two of them got carried by the crane.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Please hold on! Please!" Sheila was actually praying. "YES!" The girl squealed when the crane successfully dropped both toys in the drop box.

She picked the two toys up and beckoned on the little girl when her father failed again and wanted to go home. Shelia crouched down to the girl's level and gave her the rabbit. The little girl stopped crying immediately and smiled real big, showing her loose tooth. "Twank you pwetty lady!"

"You're welcome." Shelia smiled back. The girl's father appreciated her and left hand in hand with his beaming daughter.

"That was nice of you." Logan complimented.

"Meh, I pitied her poor father. The girl would cry his ears off for weeks!" Shelia said with a laugh. "And besides, I love sharks! I'll name this one Nori!" Shelia squealed as they walked out of the arcade.

"Want ice cream?" Logan asked.

"Yeah."

They walked to the ice cream store and ordered. Shelia ordered a chocolate and vanilla mix while Logan ordered cookie dough and mint. They stopped by the Food House for dinner, where they had small talk and shared a laugh before heading home. Shelia's mum wanted her by seven.

While they were waiting for the bus to Shelia's street, Shelia reached up on her toes and kissed Logan's cheek. Said boy's eyes grew wide like saucers at her sudden boldness and looked at her. Shelia tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and smiled shyly.

"I had fun today. I like that you are honest with me, that you didn't go out of your way to borrow a car, that you allowed me to pay half the bill for the food and for enjoying yourself at the arcade. I like you." Shelia finally confessed her crush on him.

"Thanks." Logan smiled. "Next time, we would go where I want."

The bus came and Shelia went towards it. "I'll be expectant." She said and got on the bus. The two waved each other bye as the bus drove off.

-

"Lemme guess, you took her to an aquarium on your second date." I laughed.

"What gave me away?" Logan asked sarcastically.

"Okay, I'll follow your advice and be direct and forward with her." I smiled and scratched my cheek. "This is embarrassing but...can I practice on you?" I averted my gaze.

"Aye. Imagine I have long white hair, pale eyes and my name is Crystal." For a wild moment, I thought he would bat his eyelashes and pucker his lips while trying to imitate Crystal's voice with a ridiculous high pitch.

"Thanks."

-

Unbeknownst to the best buddies, a certain white haired girl stumbled upon their practice confession. All she heard were bunches of 'I like you's' and 'I love you's' and giggles and laughter. Thus, a huge misunderstanding was born to the world.

-

I watched Crystal walk to the school gate and got roughly pushed by Logan to catch up to her. "Yo Crystal!" He called and she turned around.

"Hmm? What is it?" Crystal asked.

"He has something to tell you. I'll be waiting in the car." And with that, he ran off. No! I need moral support!

"You wanted to see me?" Crystal's voice brought me out of my thoughts. I suddenly felt nervous as I scratched my cheek.

"I have tickets to a musical on Friday and I want you to come with me. I have a confession to make afterwards." I kind of rushed the words out but she understood and nodded.

"Okay. Just know that no matter what, I'll be your friend." She smiled and walked away.

Eh?

I watched her retreating figure for the longest of time before going to my car where Logan waited.

"So?" Logan asked as I shut the door. I ignited the engine and sighed a bit.

"There are times I don't understand girls."

***

Hai! Thank you all so much for reading. Please vote and review, they serve to inspire. Till next chapter.

-Star.