Nice Guys Finish Last

Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Everybody Knows

"Ash! You didn't tell me."

I turn around to see my best friend Emily. I ask, "Tell you what?"

"That you're going out on a date with Louis!" Emily exclaims, hugging me. "Everybody's talking about it now."

"Everybody's talking about it?" I ask. "How do people even know?"

"Well, Louis has been telling all his buddies that he's taking you out, so I guess the word spread around," Emily responds.

I'm still confused about why he would tell his friends. Knowing them, I'm sure they'll bug me about it later. They all love to make sexual jokes out of everything. They're those kinds of guys.

"Ash!" Emily cries, furrowing her eyebrows. "Why am I just hearing about this?"

"I don't know," I say. "I just haven't really talked about it with anybody, not even Louis."

"Okay, yeah, but why does Riley Chatman know, but not me?" Emily demands, folding her arms.

Riley Chatman is one of Louis's many ex-girlfriends. She's a pretty brunette with hair that goes past her shoulders. She dresses nicely, and she and Louis went out for over a year. She was the longest relationship Louis ever had.

"Oh god, I bet Riley's going to get revenge on me or something," I say, sighing.

"I'm sure she'll be fine with it, she's moved on and is dating some new guy," Emily explains. "You're avoiding the question, Ash. Why does she know but not me?"

"You know now," I try.

"Seriously?" Emily says, glaring at me.

"Okay, well Louis seems to be a bigmouth, or at least a few of his friends," I say. "People like Riley aren't even supposed to know. It slipped out."

"I'm only letting this go because I love you, kid," Emily says, and grins at me. "But let's take a minute to think... Louis Parks asked you out, Ash!"

I smile to myself when I think about it. He's really picked me, hasn't he? I just can't help but feel flattered that Louis wants to go out with me.

"I know," I say.

"You're not even a bit excited?" Emily asks.

"I am," I respond calmly, trying to keep it cool. "But I just want to see how it goes."

"Keep him until winter formal, or you'll end up going solo... or with somebody like Harry!" Emily cries, laughing.

I furrow my eyebrows and ask, "Word gets around that quickly?"

Emily looks confused. Oh crap, did I just mention something she doesn't even know about? Knowing her, she'll want to know what it is now.

"What happened with Harry?" Emily asks me.

"It's nothing, he just asked me to the winter formal," I respond.

We both stand there in silence for a moment.

"I said no," I say, giving her the conclusion she wanted.

"Oh good!" Emily exclaims. "I thought you were turning Louis down for him."

"