Dominique came out of the Exam Room with a broad smile on his face. "Let's just say I aced that exam so hard my new name is Ace!"

I laughed.

"Well, Hello Ace nice to meet you but I really need to speak to Dominique we have important business."

Dominique chuckled, putting his arm over my shoulder as walked to the courtyard. " So you're really doing this huh?"

" Yeah. What makes you think I'll change my mind? I've already wasted this whole year. I don't care if it's November."

" What do you care about?" Dominique teased.

"I care about you following the plan"

" Trust me if there's one thing I'm good at, it's acting"

"Let's just go over what you have to say to her in detail."

Dominique smirked. " Fine. I walk up to Olivia and tell her that Mrs Edwards wants to see her on the top floor in classroom 16B and it's urgent"

"Good and make sure you don't smile when you're telling her this so she doesn't seem suspicious."

" I promise I won't flash her a smile and steal her heart before you do" he says, making me elbow him.

"Owww!! This is what I get for being friends with an Ostrich like you!"he says, dramatically.

I'm about to answer but I catch Olivia's figure strolling across the field with a friend of hers.

" Dominique it's time and please don't ruin it."

" Trust me!" Dominique says, smirking.

Then he struts off towards Olivia and this is my cue to leave the courtyard and walk up the staircase to classroom 16B.

I enter the empty classroom walking further into it and I take a seat on the last row by the window. The sun's rays shines warmly in the classroom but nothing can melt my tense heart.

Clasping my hands tightly together I try not to overthink what's about to happen.

What if she says no?
What if she has a boyfriend?
What if she's engaged to marry the Prince of Egypt??!!
What if she thinks I'm a crazy stalker?
What if—

The door to the classroom creaks open. Olivia pops her head in—

"Hello?" she says softly.

She  gets in and scrunches her face when she takes in the empty classroom but then her eyes land on me.

" Leonardo?"

"Where's Mrs Edwards?" she says, eyebrows raised.

" What? She called you too." I say,with fake surprise.

"Yeah…Dominique told me that she's calling me and that it's urgent" Olivia answers.

"She told me the same thing and said I should wait here for the staff meeting to be over"

"What?! That's a whole hour" Olivia complains, pouting.

"Guess we have to wait " I say, nonchalantly.

She sighs, nodding her head in agreement. Then she takes a seat on one of the wooden desks,her back facing me. I watch her swing her legs back and forth and faintly hear her  humming.

We're finally alone together and I don't know how to ask her to take this journey of falling in love. I don't want to seem like a creep. I just —

"Olivia!" I blurt out, a little too loudly.

She turns her head and raises her brow in question.

I clear my throat. " Since we're here why don't we talk?..."

She's quiet for awhile and before I can jump out this window from utter embarrassment— " As long as it's not about the exam. That's the highest leading cause to heartattacks among teenagers."

The laughter bubbles out of me and my lips stretch into a warm smile.

She's funny.

"No not about the exam" I add, smiling.

Her pink lips curve into a soft smile that makes my heart beat louder against my chest. " Cool " she says.

Before I know it, she's walking towards me and then she's in front of me. A sweet scent filling my nostrils. I thought she'd take a seat on the chair in front of me but she takes a seat on the desk across from flattening her grey skirt and crossing her legs.

Her coffee brown eyes meet mine and a gentle smile is on her face as she stares at me. 

" You have an hour until Mrs Edwards comes now—go!"she says, pretending to put a timer on.

I chuckle. " I-uhh-I " —start rubbing my neck while looking up at the ceiling but confidence isn't dropping from heaven.

"I wrote a poem" I finally blurted out.

Her eyes widen and she has the cutest expression on her face. Then she starts giggling and it's the sweetest sound but it's also humiliating.

" I'm…sorry…" she says, through her giggles,her brown eyes crinkling. "You just don't look like the poem type of guy."

I laugh. " I get it. I mean I don't have the powdered cheeks and grey wig with my matching tight pants" I add, making her laugh louder.

I smile.

She calms herself down. "I feel terrible anyway, please continue —your poem" she says, gesturing with her hand.

Her eyes sparkle with curiosity and if only she knew that I'm ready for her to get to know me. I'm willing but the question is, Is she?

" The poem's about…you" I confess,"I'd like to r-read it to you but first I'd like you to understand why I wrote it"

She's not saying anything, her lips are pouted in that way it always is when she's thinking. I notice that her eyes can't meet mine anymore and I wonder if I had just ruined everything.

" You wrote a poem about me?" she clarifies,eyes furrowed.

"Yes" I say, boldly.

I wish I could know what was going on in her head. What is she thinking at this moment?

"Mrs Edwards isn't coming, is she?"she asks, making me still.

Her sincere eyes meet mine and I feel  guilty.

" No she's not" I confess, my shoulders deflating.

"Why are you talking to me now? Why are you doing whatever you're doing now? You had the whole year" she says, irritation clear on her face.

I stood up abruptly, shocking her. I take steps towards her so I'm directly in front of her. She fiddles with her hands on her lap unsure of what's about to happen.

" Olivia. I liked you from the moment you hiccuped your way into my life. It's funny really but it's the truth. I also wasted a lot of time and this is me trying to fix things. I'm asking you to give me 36 days to show my love for you and for you to hopefully love me back"

" That's pretty bold.How do you plan on doing that Leonardo?"

Taking in a breath I hold her uncertain gaze. " With 36 Questions."

"What?" she says, looking baffled.

" I watched a video and read some articles about this… study and if we're compatible with each other we might have a future together. If we're not then at least I know I tried. High School's over in a month so you know this is not just a fling for me. It never was. If there's ever going to be an us I always want to be intentional and this is the beginning…"

Olivia's face is still furrowed in thought and the tense seconds go by with my heart thudding loudly. 

"So you think asking me a question everyday we'll get me to fall in love with you in the next 36 days" she clarifies.

"Yes and No. It's only going to be the beginning. I've done my research and it wasn't a 100 % guarantee that the couple would last or be together. There's lots of factors to it so yeah…" I finish, rubbing the nape of my neck.

"What if I don't want to fall in love?"she says, " I know the videos you're talking about. I watch them on YouTube all the time but" she bites her lips, eyes uncertain.

" It's okay Olivia —I'm the loser who couldn't speak to you for a whole year. I just - It's your decision in the end. Love is a risk and I understand that you're wary  of it. I mean you don't even know who I am…" I sighed, staring longingly into her eyes.

"..."

"I once saw this painting of a girl jumping off a cliff into the unknown and the artist said that it was a representation of love. That it's like a leap of faith and faith is the substance of things hoped for. And as corny as this sounds I want us to take that jump together…You should go home and sleep on this.Tomorrow after the exam I'll be waiting here in classroom 16B if you change your mind."

I walk away before I can register the look on her face.When I'm out of the classroom I take in a large breath. I pray to God that she'll risk it with nobody like me.

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

I'm curious 🤔 what do you think of the story so far?

💕Please 💕

Vote🌟

And
Comment 🌬️

Thank you for reading!☺️