MAGICAL NOTES..........
1088 Words
MARK'S POV
I skipped a class of mine for this meeting, but I doubt it to be of any use. We were in the garden; it was me, Dean, and Annie.
Surprised how we three ended up together, no worries, I will explain. After my mental breakdown and Alex's lame idea, a brilliant idea struck me, and I called Dean.
If I have to get into my cupcake's heart, I should know her likes and dislikes, right? So, I decided to consult one of her friends with Dean's help.
I nudged Dean with a frustrated look and whispered to him, "It's been fifteen minutes; she's still into that novel."
Dean gave an apologetic smile and cleared his throat. "Sweetheart," he called her out. She looked at him and came back to reality.
"s**t! I am sorry," she said. "Hi Mark," she said while shutting her book close. I took a deep breath and said, "Annie, by now, you must be well-versed about my love for my cupcake."
She gave me a mockery cough and exclaimed, "Oh really? I never saw you outside our home holding boards, getting tricked out 'cause you sneaked up on her or professed your love in the form of a song."
I was astonished by her words but came back to the present when I heard Dean, laughing like there was no tomorrow.
"Okay, chill!! It only happens in books, so fine, continue," she replied. I was in real need of words, as I couldn't formulate my thoughts.
Before I could worsen the situation more, Dean spoke out, "Actually, Annie, my friend Mark wants to ask Josh for Prom. He also wants to know her likes and dislikes so that he could do his best to approach her.
Nice!!!"
"Dean, are you into Josh or Mark?" she asked sarcastically and continued saying, "I would be glad if Mark does the talking."
"OK, enough," I switched into my requesting tone and said, almost pleaded, "Annie, I really love Josh and want to ask her for prom.
Please, please help me. I would die if she ends up in someone else's arms dancing other than me. OK, OK, stop the drama.
If it's for Prom, just start sliding cute notes into her locker. And yeah, reminder: Nooo cheesy lines & use bright colors.
For a few days, don't approach her directly, just be persistent with the notes, and also, you can add whatever seems feasible and cute to you."
She got up, picked her novel, and left, saying, "You're welcome, boys."
"She's quite a different vibe," exclaimed Dean. Even my mind couldn't find a settling pattern in her behavior, but my mind was still occupied by the way to get my cupcake on my sweet side.
AUTHOR'S POV
Taking Annie's advice to heart, Mark spent the better part of the evening crafting his first note. He chewed on the end of his pen, trying to avoid anything too cheesy.
He finally settled on a simple message written on bright yellow paper: "Thinking of you. Hope your day is going well. - Mark."
He folded it carefully and tucked it into his backpack, a nervous flutter in his stomach.
The next morning, before homeroom, Mark strategically slipped the yellow note into Josh's locker when he saw she wasn't around.
He lingered nearby, pretending to tie his shoelace, his eyes fixed on her locker. When Josh finally arrived, she opened it, and a slight frown creased her brow as she unfolded the note.
She glanced around, a hint of confusion on her face, before tucking it into her own bag. Mark felt a tiny spark of hope.
Emboldened by his first attempt, Mark prepared another note. This time, he used a vibrant blue paper and drew a small, slightly lopsided smiling sun at the bottom.
The message read: "Heard you like lemon-flavored things. Hope you have a zesty day! - Mark." He managed to slip this one into her locker between classes.
Later that day, he saw Josh talking with Annie, and Annie gestured subtly towards her own bag with a knowing smile. Mark's hopes soared a little higher.
Mark continued his note campaign after the weekend. This time, on a bright green piece of paper, he wrote: "That new bookstore downtown looks interesting. Maybe I'll see you there sometime? - Mark."
He didn't see any immediate reaction from Josh that day, and a sliver of doubt began to creep in. Was he being too subtle? Was she even noticing him?
Later that afternoon, while at his locker, Mark saw Annie approaching. "She's definitely noticed," Annie said with a playful nudge.
"She even asked me if I knew who was leaving these... cryptic messages."
"And what did you say?" Mark asked, his voice laced with anxiety.
"I played dumb, of course," Annie winked. "Told her it was probably just a secret admirer."
Mark decided to be a little more direct, while still keeping it light. On a bright orange note, he wrote: "Prom is coming up. Just putting that out there. Hope you're having a great week! - Mark."
This time, as Josh opened her locker, Mark was positioned a little closer, pretending to chat with Zavian.
He saw a flicker of surprise in Josh's eyes as she read the note. She quickly glanced in his direction, her expression unreadable, before shutting her locker and walking away.
Mark's heart pounded in his chest. Was that a good sign? A bad sign? He couldn't tell.
Days turned into a week, and Mark continued leaving his notes – a mix of thoughtful little messages and subtle mentions of the upcoming prom.
He used different bright colors, just as Annie had suggested. He even included a small drawing of a cupcake on one.
Finally, one afternoon, as he was about to slip another note into Josh's locker, he found a note already there.
It was written on a soft pink piece of paper, and his name was clearly written on the front. His hands trembled slightly as he opened it.
The note read: "Mark, thank you for the notes. They've been... interesting. Maybe we could talk about prom sometime? - Josh."
A wave of relief and elation washed over Mark. He had done it. He had finally gotten her attention. Now came the hard part – actually asking her.
He leaned against the lockers, a wide grin spreading across his face. He knew exactly who he needed to talk to next.
He pulled out his phone and scrolled to Annie's contact.
- Writer
