Dustin made his way briskly down the hallway until he spotted the head he was looking for above the hallway crowd, he didn't hesitate before calling out, "Nicole!" He realized, as he said this, that his voice sounded fairly desperate, and while it wasn't his original intent, it seemed to work as Nicole heard him over the crowd and whipped her head over, waving frantically to show him where she was, not like her height hadn't already assured her location.

Dustin slipped and squeezed through the crowd until he busted out next to Nicole, who pulled him by the handle of his backpack against the lockers so he wouldn't get trampled, and then let go.

"Jesus, you're so small, you'll get killed in these hallways, Dust." Nicole joked.

"I'm not short, you're just really tall, Nicci." Dustin smiled nervously.

"Yeah, I've heard that," Nicole scoffed with a smile, "Now what's up? You look like you've seen a ghost- have you?"

"No- no, I don't think? No, it's just, I need your help." Dustin sighed shakily.

"My help? Well sure!" Nicole grinned.

Dustin waved to Nicole for her to bend down so he could tell her something.

Nicole rolled her eyes slightly and bent down so her ear was close to Dustin's lips, "Yes-?"

"I'm asking a girl out for the dance and I don't know how, when, or where." Dustin blurted out through a whisper.

"Oh, My, G O D! DUSTIN!!" Nicole shrieked as she jumped up happily.

Dustin let out a small squeak, "Sh! Ah! SH! People are staring!" Dustin couldn't help but smile but looked at the ground, "I just need help and-"

"GOT IT!" Nicole bolted away and down the hall.

Dustin's face contorted unto that of absolute horror, "N-Nicole, w-ait!" He tried racing after the other but in a matter of seconds, the bell rung and all the students began towards the opposite direction of where Nicole had went and Dustin was pushed back until he was nearly shoved to the ground, forcing him to move with the force of the crowd.

***

Dustin nervously rapped his pen on his desk as he awaited for the final bell of the day to dismiss him, he didn't even want to know what Nicole had done, but he was sure it wasn't going to be good...

A moment's time passed before the final bell rung, making Dustin jump and begin to shake with anticipation as he got up, God help me... he just needed to make it to his car and then he'd be out of here before Nicole decided to tell anyone or get anyone to help him...he needed to ask Puck out genuinely and...

Dustin's eye caught Puck's and she waved with a small smile, which wasn't really like her...but- oh well- no- not oh well- Puck just smiled at him; Dustin felt like melting but forced to keep a straight composure as he made the rest of his way out of his classroom and up to Puck.

"Hey there, Ponytail." Puck grinned.

"Good day, um afternoon, uh, Puck." Dustin couldn't bring himself to a nickname.

Puck noticed this and averted her gaze from Dustin's, "So...Nicole said you needed me on the field...?" Puck asked.

Dustin froze for a moment before realizing Puck continued to walk towards the field and quickly followed after her, the best he could do was just go with this...just go with, what else could he do? "Oh- oh yeah- um, mhm."

"Sweet, let's go." Puck nodded.

They walked the rest of the way to the field in almost tangible awkwardness.

"We're here-" Dustin chimes on his words as he saw a group of people on the field Nicole at the center of them.

"Oh good, you two are here! She'll be here any minute!" Nicole corralled Puck into a semi circle with the other people.

Puck looked fairly confused but the other people looked really excited...how was this going to work...?

"Alright now, Dustin you stand right here with your back facing the crowd and- look, there she is!" Nicole gasped as she joined the crowd who all picked up poster boards.

Dustin frowned and looked up, feeling his heart drop when we saw a pleased Jenna approaching.

Oh no.
O h no.

"Hey there, Dust?" Jenna couldn't help but grin.

"Oh- Jenna I- this isn't-"

"Hit it!" Nicole called and the group turned their cards to reveal a message:

Prom?

Jenna gasped out and cupped her hands over her mouth before running to Dustin and stopping before pulling out her phone and videotaping the scene, "Yes! Yes! I'm going to prom with Dustin uh, bud, what's your last name?"

Dustin didn't hear, he was too busy looking at the broken expression on Puck's face as she looked at the ground.

"Speechless?" Jenna giggled before hugging Dustin, "This is brilliant, you're such a sweetheart!"

Puck didn't meet Dustin's eyes, instead she simply set the sign down as the others started to crowd around Dustin, and she made her way towards the edge of the field.

Dustin tried to call for her to wait, but Jenna blocked his view on her.

It had all gone to shit.