April 9

     While my US Constitution class marched over to the library to register to vote, my mind wandered to things other than civic responsibility. Today, I was going to ask Alex if he wanted to go to prom with me.  It would be really awkward if he said no since we were not only dating, but now living together. It wasn't like I could just go home and escape the humiliation of being rejected.

       I tried not to dwell on the possibility as I registered to vote and when our class returned to the school. The rest of the lesson was a lecture and I kept forgetting to take notes, my mind jumbled with thoughts of Alex's possible responses. The worst scenario too I saw in my head was Alex laughing when I said no, looking amazing in a white gown. I don't know why my brain meant there since Alex was wearing paper-bag waist pants and a long-sleeves shirt today and secondly, Alex had no wedding dresses that I knew of. Besides, who would wear a wedding dress to AP History?

     Nevertheless, I was relieved when I caught up with Alex before AP History and found he was not wearing a wedding dress. I decided to wait until lunch to pose the question. The day seemed to drag on forever and I felt like I'd never learned less in one day.

   When the lunch bell finally rang, I sprinted out of the classroom and tore to the Ceramics studio where I'd stored my poster for Alex. Sif had a class going on, but she let me grab my poster and smiled at me as I left. On the way to the cafeteria, I ran into Coach Thor balancing a paper plate of pizza bites on his head as he walked down the hallway. He winked as he saw me and then cursed as the plate slid down his head and his lunch fell on the floor. "Would you mind helping me clean this up, Magnus?" Coach Thor asked. "I'm going to go grab some more from the staff room."

He took off as I set my poster aside and bent down to pick up the pizza bites. I threw them in the trash and hurried to the cafeteria. I was running late.  I was to the bottom of the stairs when I realized I'd forgotten my poster. Just great.

    I ran back up the stairs, my lungs aching, to retrieve it. As I picked it up, I felt a tightness close in on my chest and I knew I needed to get my inhaler, which I'd left in my locker. I half-stumbled, half-dragged myself to my locker, wheezing the entire time.

     My stomach was now twisting in my chests and my lungs felt oddly constricted. I fumbled with the lock and it took several tries before it opened. My fingers trembled as they brushed my inhaler and I drew it towards me.

    The first inhale hurt, but after that, I felt the tightness in my chest loosening. Within a few minutes, I was feeling winded, a little faint-headed, but much better. I vowed to get a fanny pack, knapsack, purse, or something so I could keep my inhaler with me at all times.

      Now that the immediate danger to my life was over, the old anxiety seeped in, filling the space the asthma attack had occupied. I closed my locker and walked briskly towards where I'd left my poster. It wasn't there.

    Panic unfurled within my chest as my eyes darted around. Where was it? There it was! My poster had been rolled up and put in the trash bin, the top half hanging over the edge and slightly unfurled. I moved towards it and suddenly I was aware of the lunch bell ringing. I'd blown my chances to ask Alex today!

    No, I thought, shaking the thought away. I still had two classes. I moved forward to grab my poster, but before I could, someone dumped their half-eaten sloppy joes sandwich on it. The tightness in my chest returned and I wondered if I'd end up getting a fatal asthma attack. I could practically read my obituary; cause of death: asthma attack induced by panic over asking someone to prom.

      No, I thought; there was still hope. I grabbed the poster and wiped off as much of the sandwich as I could, but the sauce had stained parts of the poster. Only the last letter of Alex's name was visible and the snake looked like it was bleeding to death. Before I could salvage it any more, I heard someone call my name. My head snapped up to see Alex, his arms folded in front of his chest. "Where were you during lunch? You missed out on the food fight."

      "The food fight?" I asked.

      "Coach Thor and Loki got into one," Alex replied. "You should've seen the tortilla chips in Coach Thor's beard and Loki's shirt was covered in pizza sauce."

     I looked up to the ceilings and said beseechingly. "Why does everything happen when I have an asthma attack?"

      "You had an asthma attack?" Alex asked, his voice tinged with concern.

    I opened my mouth to explain everything, but Alex grabbed my arm and steered me towards Learning Lab. When we got there, he directed me towards a seat. "Spill. The. Beans."

I recounted everything and even showed him my sandwich-attacked poster. That part made his lips twitch as if he was trying not to smile, but other parts made his forehead crease. "I'm glad you got your inhaler in time," Alex said.

"Me too," I agreed.

My stomach growled and Alex grinned. "With all this excitement, you've missed lunch. Luckily, I got just the things for you."

She handed me a plastic baggie filled with falafel and a small container of yogurt sauce. "I made them from a mix," Alex said, "because I'd falafel if you didn't go to prom with me."

I stared at my boyfriend in incredulous gratitude. "I have the best boyfriend in the universe."

For once, no one argued.