How I Got My Crush To Like Me

Last Chance

Last Chance

"I can't do this." I yanked on Ava's hand, pulling her back.

"Yes, you can. You were never this nervous to go on dates with him before!"

"So? This is different! We're technically not supposed to be together!"

Ava blinked twice and looked at me blankly. "Uh... What do you mean, you're not supposed to be together?"

"I mean, he broke up with me. We're not supposed to get back together right?" I laughed nervously. I hadn't told Ava about the threats yet, and I hoped I would never get a chance to.

"Come on!" Ava tugged me and pulled me out of the car onto the sidewalk. I straightened out my dress and flipped my hair out of my face. Slowly I walked up the steps to his front door and waited for Ava to knock.

"Coming." A deep voice shouted. I heard thumping and then the door creak open to reveal Derek.

"Come on in." He gestured to his hallway, and Ava and I stepped inside.

Smiling a sickly sweet smile at me, Ava turned to Derek. "Derek, may I use your bathroom?"

"Of course. Third door on your left down that hallway." Ava left us alone to talk.

"You look really pretty." Derek said as I sit on his counter, watching him pull up a chair.

Do I say 'you too' or 'you look nice'? I wondered, starting to get nervous.

"You look nice too." I replied, using a combonation of the two. Derek's reassuring smile eased my nerves.

"Thanks."

There was an awkward silence, and I heard the distant sound of a toilet being flushed. Ava shortly re-entered the room, grabbing her purse just as the doorbell rung.

Derek went to get it, coming back in with Ethan. He smiled at us, then jerked his thumb towards the door.

"We should probably get going."

Ava and I smiled at each other before following the boys outside.

"Why dosn't Ava come with me and you guys can go together? That way, we won't all be packed together." Ethan suggested, and Ava nodded her head.

Derek opened the door for me and I sat in the passengers seat, smiling in thanks. He came around the other side of the car and starting the engine. Slowly, we backed out of the driveway.

"How are you?" I asked Derek uncomfortably.

"Better now that we're finally together again." Derek replied, his eyes glued to the road but his mouth curving up into a smile.

"Thanks for letting us get back together. I mean, the whole school practically knows we're together again, and nothings happened! This person was just trying to get us scared." I stated, hoping my guesses were true.

"Yeah. I overreacted. I just got caught up in it all. I mean, it's not like we're in some scary movie! No one is going to get hurt." Derek said confidently.

The movie theater slowly came into view. We pulled up in front and saw Ethan and Ava waiting for us.

"Hey." Derek said as we climbed out of the car. We all filed into the restaraunt and bought our tickets.

"Do you want some popcorn?" Ethan asked us, and Ava and I nod. He buys a large bucket and throws some of it into his mouth. "Oh, this stuff is super buttery." Ava laughs. Finding Theater 3, we sat down in the seats located in the middle of the theater. I was immidiately cold as soon as I feel the cold air conditioning, so I glare at Ava for not letting me bring a sweater.

"Are you cold?" Derek asked, noticing that I was shivering slightly. I nodded, and he put his jacket around my shoulders. Ava smiled knowingly.

"Can I have some popcorn?" Ethan asked, and I passed it over Ava's head to his waiting hands. He puts his arm behind Ava to reach it and passes the pocorn to his other hand, keeping his left hand placed on Ava''s shoulder's. Ava looks delighted.

"So, can you girls come to our football game this Sunday?" Ethan asked.

"No, we can't. I have a piano recital and Natalie is coming."

"Oh, that's too bad. Hey, the movie's starting!" Ethan exclaimed, shushing us.

Half way through the movie, some scary creature jumped out from off screen and began attacking the characters. I screamed and gripped Derek tightly. He held my hand for the first time in a long time, and I smiled as I leaned on his shoulder, calm again.

Once the movie ended, we got up from our seats and walk into the lobby.

"But it didn't fit with the rest of the movie! The ending should have been sad, not happy." Ethan argued with Ava. She just rolled her eyes at him.

"Ok, do you want to go to the ice cream parlor now?" I intervened, and everyone nodded their head. "Great. We can go in the same cars as before." I slid into Derek's car after he kindly opened the door for me and clicked my seatbelt into place. Derek did the same before driving the short distance to the store.

"Here you go." Derek said as he opened the door for me again. I thanked him and got out of the car, spotting Ava and Ethan accross the parking lot deep in conversation. When we got to the line, Derek insisted on paying, so I just got a small ice cream. We sat down at a table in the center of the room along with Ava and Ethan and ate the ice cream.

"I love this stuff, it is so good." Ava said as she shoved her ice cream into her mouth. I smiled at her as I licked my ice cream, I could tell she was having fun.

As I ate, I noticed a strange man looking at us. Every once in a while he would type something into his phone rapidly and then looking back up at us. His eyes followed everything we did.

"Derek, do you see that man over there?" I whispered.

"Yeah..."

I bit my tongue. "Look at his hat!" Forcing a giggle, I saw Derek relax.

"Hey Natalie? I think this is going to work out." Derek smiled at me happily, and I blushed as he gave me a kiss on my cheek.

"Good." I replied back, my stomach tied in knots.

Throughout the meal, my awareness of the man's gaze grew. When we were about to exit the restaurant, I noticed the man getting up to leave at the same time we were leaving. Slowly, we walked outside, and I kept the man in sight. When I held open the door for everyone, I noticed a slip of paper stuck in the handle. I took it out and was about to throw it out when I noticed my name written neatly on the outside.

Only until we were outside and the other three were talking did I pry open the note with numb fingers.

I warned you. You should really be more careful, because next time, I'm not going to be so forgiving. This is your last chance.

Dah dah dah! So, what do you think?? Things are going to get a little crazy from now on... Please remember to tell me what you though in you comment, as well as vote if you think I did a good job with this chapter! (In case you didn't know, I am doing all of my author notes at the end of each chapter)

QUESTION: Who is the man, and did he leave the note??