"We need a game plan," Scooter told him.

They're at Scooter's house, chillaxing in a dark living room with the tv on and the characters talking in dialogues. The boys were just casually watching some tv programs and earlier they played a new video game of his.

"What game plan?" Joshua questioned.

"You to finally talking to her," Scooter answered, pointing his index finger at him.

Joshua's head jerked back with a questioning look on his face. "You're.. joking.."

Scooter shook his head to convince his confusion. "I'm not. Sorry dude, but... you're doing nothing at this rate."

"I'm fine, anyway," Joshua said, tearing his gaze away.

"Then what do you think is the point of having a crush?" Scooter interrogated, crossing his arms in a stern manner.

"To keep it silently in my head.."

"That's it?"

"Well.. yeah," Joshua silently answered with a shrug.

"If that's all you can do, just quit crushing on her."

Joshua widened his eyes at his comeback. There's no way he could do that. He couldn't stop even if he wanted to. Coral was a girl to him that filled with radiant and blithe. He admired the kind of person that she is and more than just the outside surface.

"I can't," he said.

"I'm not saying you should go all out, but try approaching her. It wouldn't hurt to have a few minute conversation, would it?" Scooter asked, genuinely concerned for his friend's terrible lifestyle of choices.

"I think it would," Joshua replied, his voice sounding hoarse.

Scooter sighed disappointingly. "Have you ever thought about talking to her, at all?" he asked, pensively looking at him.

Joshua nodded his head. "I did, but.. I can't." He threw his hand out like he was throwing the towel in before his body fell back onto the couch with his head rested onto the head cushion.

"A girl like her.. she's too far out of my reach.. a guy like me won't fit her," he said wearily.

"That's because she doesn't know you yet and you don't know what you could have in you," Scooter said, poking at his chest.

"Ow," he uttered softly from Scooter's hard poke, placing a hand over his own chest and rubbing lightly over it.

"So the tips. You could use them and help yourself."

Joshua sighed from his persistent push he's giving him. "Okay fine." He gave in. "Tell me."

Following the next day, Joshua and Scooter were on standby in the distance. They could see Coral in plain sight of view while she had just waved off to her friends.

"Okay, good, she's alone," Scooter noted.

"Remember what I told you yesterday. First, start by being casual and say hi."

"Got it." Joshua nodded.

"Ready?" Scooter asked.

As Scooter was readying to walk with Joshua to Coral to help him out, Joshua hadn't moved from his remaining spot.

"Dude, let's go," he said.

Joshua heard him, but he couldn't move his feet to walk over there. His feet were still as if stuck on the solid surface of the ground.

"Joshua, let's go," Scooter hinted.

"You know what." Joshua realized, coming back to the present. He turned his body around. "I suggest we'll try again tomorrow," he said as he was just about to walk away.

Not.

Scooter grabbed firmly onto the back of his collar and prevented him from leaving as Joshua struggled to walk forward. "I know what that means. That tomorrow means never."

"Please let go," Joshua said with an uneasy expression on his face.

Scooter tugged at his collar and moved him back facing towards her and released his collar. He gave a little push at his back, prompting him to go forward.

Joshua, at the immediate command, walked there beside him and fixing his uneven collar to straighten it. He didn't like the crease of his shirts.

When they get closer, Joshua was nearer than what he did two seconds ago.

Coral looked to find two boys coming to her and immediately a gentle smile emerged onto her appearance.

"Hi," Scooter started.

"Hello. What can I do for you?" she asked politely, gazing at him and Joshua.

"He has something to say." Scooter gave Joshua a glance, indicating his turn.

Joshua stared helplessly at Scooter, afraid of facing forward at her. Scooter had to make it obvious to him without giving too much away. He swiftly motioned his head towards her direction; a sign for Joshua to say something.

After a few seconds of stalling, Joshua had to look away from him and face forward properly at her.

Coral stood there without appearing bothered by their glances at each other. She hadn't mind it at all as she waited.

Joshua stared straight at her, but everything just froze.

Coral blinked, gazing at Joshua.

Scooter leaned his head nearby and whispered to him. "Say hi."

No words could come out of Joshua; afraid that even a "hi" he could say wrong.

She glanced at Scooter, and he only responded with a shrug.

When Joshua stood there and stared blankly at her, it was evident that the words he wanted to form had a hard time in coming out.

"Hi," she initiated, being the first one to speak to him.

Joshua reacted very slowly. Even startled that she said hi to him. After many seconds passed, he shakily moved his arm up to raise his hand and waved at her nervously.

"H-H-Hi.." He stuttered slowly.

"What can I do for you?" she inquired.

Scooter let Joshua take the floor. He thought that he had to try for himself instead of speaking for him.

"I think that maybe... E-er, well, um..."

With Coral's sweet doll-like and bright eyes focusing on him, Joshua was only mesmerized by it that he was unable to form a proper sentence.

"U-Um... do you know what the word of the day is?"

"No... what is it?"

"A-According to the Merriam-Webster, it's arbitrary."

"Really?" Coral said with a puzzled expression, having her head tilted to the side with her hands joining together. "I guess... thanks for telling me?"

Scooter watched Joshua. He couldn't believe it's the first thing he brought up. Thus, his hand meeting his forehead to facepalm.

"I have to go wash the carrot- car, uhhh, I.. meant take.. I have to go.. I have science class." Joshua ended, cringing with his eyes almost shut tightly at his own utterance and stumbling words he called lame.

Having to hear himself say those words out loud was an embarrassment that he could no longer stand. He had to abort the mission.

Backing away slowly, he attempted to at least wave goodbye but as he was doing so, he bumped into a random stranger.

"S-Sorry..." he said, apologizing to a guy he bumped into and quickly moving away.

Knowing that she saw that, he thought of how he just made a fool of himself.

--

A little longer than the first but I hope it's still enjoyable? I'm still processing this story as it goes so I really hope it doesn't wear anybody out? D: But did you see that, word of the day? Aha.