reached for his hands, pulling them away from his mouth and slowly setting them on the table.
“Regardless of whether or not it works out with Grace,” she said firmly, “you are a great guy and a total catch, and even if it doesn’t happen today, or tomorrow, someday soon you will find that someone who is perfect for you.”
“So you don’t think she’s already dating someone else?” Matt asked, transfixed by the protesters outside.
Callie sighed. “I think that if you really want to know, you should probably just ask her—maybe before trying to tell her how you feel?”
“So I should tell her?” Matt asked, tearing his eyes away from the window.
“Um…” Callie faltered. “I can’t make that decision for you. But I think what it ultimately comes down to is this: are you willing to take that risk? Are you prepared for any outcome even if it doesn’t end up being the one that you’d hoped for?”
Slowly Matt nodded.
Callie started to smile as his head continued to bob up and down with increasing vigor—until all of a sudden he started shaking it violently from side to side.
“Nope!” he cried. “Can’t do it!”
“Matt,” said Callie, watching him leap to his feet.
“Just forget this whole conversation ever happened. Hey, you finished?” he added, reaching for her nearly empty salad container and coffee cup.
“Um, sure, but—”
“We should probably get going, then,” he called, tossing their garbage in the trash.
“Matt,” Callie repeated standing. “I didn’t mean to—”
“No, no, no, it’s fine,” he reassured her, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. “Really. I’m sure we both have a lot of work to do.”
“Okay, yeah,” said Callie, grabbing her book bag. “Let’s go.”
Matt still seemed highly agitated as they pushed their way through the double doors leading outside the Science Center.
“We could sneak around the back if you want,” Callie suggested, tilting her head toward a path that would allow them to bypass the protesters. There appeared to be about forty of them in total, plus roughly fifteen other students who had stopped to stare.
“Don’t worry,” Matt muttered, striding in the direction of Grace and the rest of the group. “It’s not like I’m going to grab her and announce my love right here and now—”
“Matt?” Callie turned, realizing he was no longer walking beside her.
A dreamy look had passed across his face as he watched the protesters march, waving their signs and chanting in Latin.
Callie glanced back at the crowd, where Grace stood out despite being brief in stature, holding one of the largest signs of all, which read, in huge purple lettering, CARPE DIEM.
Oh no, thought Callie, turning. “Matt, what are you…?”
“Hey!” he cried suddenly, dashing past her toward the guy closest to them on the outskirts of the group. “Can I borrow that?”
“Matt!” Callie cried, running to catch up. She couldn’t hear the guy’s response, but she did see him shrug and hand Matt his megaphone.
Before she could cry out again, Matt had climbed onto a stone bench, his head towering several feet above the crowd. Callie cringed as he raised the megaphone to his lips.
“GRACE,” he boomed. “GRACE LEE!”
The protesters paused, all eyes on Matt.
“I LOVE YOU, GRACE LEE!” he shouted into the megaphone, sounding almost drunk on his own adrenaline. “I’ve loved you since the moment you first yelled at me during COMP, and if you would just agree to go on one date with me, it would make me the happiest freshman that ever walked this campus!”
Callie could hardly bear to watch as Grace slowly lowered her sign.
The crowd drew silent. Grace grabbed a megaphone from a girl standing near her and yelled, “What the hell do you think you’re doing, Robinson? Get down from there!”
Some of the protesters cheered and others laughed, while a few appeared sympathetically dismayed. No one, however, looked worse than
“Regardless of whether or not it works out with Grace,” she said firmly, “you are a great guy and a total catch, and even if it doesn’t happen today, or tomorrow, someday soon you will find that someone who is perfect for you.”
“So you don’t think she’s already dating someone else?” Matt asked, transfixed by the protesters outside.
Callie sighed. “I think that if you really want to know, you should probably just ask her—maybe before trying to tell her how you feel?”
“So I should tell her?” Matt asked, tearing his eyes away from the window.
“Um…” Callie faltered. “I can’t make that decision for you. But I think what it ultimately comes down to is this: are you willing to take that risk? Are you prepared for any outcome even if it doesn’t end up being the one that you’d hoped for?”
Slowly Matt nodded.
Callie started to smile as his head continued to bob up and down with increasing vigor—until all of a sudden he started shaking it violently from side to side.
“Nope!” he cried. “Can’t do it!”
“Matt,” said Callie, watching him leap to his feet.
“Just forget this whole conversation ever happened. Hey, you finished?” he added, reaching for her nearly empty salad container and coffee cup.
“Um, sure, but—”
“We should probably get going, then,” he called, tossing their garbage in the trash.
“Matt,” Callie repeated standing. “I didn’t mean to—”
“No, no, no, it’s fine,” he reassured her, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. “Really. I’m sure we both have a lot of work to do.”
“Okay, yeah,” said Callie, grabbing her book bag. “Let’s go.”
Matt still seemed highly agitated as they pushed their way through the double doors leading outside the Science Center.
“We could sneak around the back if you want,” Callie suggested, tilting her head toward a path that would allow them to bypass the protesters. There appeared to be about forty of them in total, plus roughly fifteen other students who had stopped to stare.
“Don’t worry,” Matt muttered, striding in the direction of Grace and the rest of the group. “It’s not like I’m going to grab her and announce my love right here and now—”
“Matt?” Callie turned, realizing he was no longer walking beside her.
A dreamy look had passed across his face as he watched the protesters march, waving their signs and chanting in Latin.
Callie glanced back at the crowd, where Grace stood out despite being brief in stature, holding one of the largest signs of all, which read, in huge purple lettering, CARPE DIEM.
Oh no, thought Callie, turning. “Matt, what are you…?”
“Hey!” he cried suddenly, dashing past her toward the guy closest to them on the outskirts of the group. “Can I borrow that?”
“Matt!” Callie cried, running to catch up. She couldn’t hear the guy’s response, but she did see him shrug and hand Matt his megaphone.
Before she could cry out again, Matt had climbed onto a stone bench, his head towering several feet above the crowd. Callie cringed as he raised the megaphone to his lips.
“GRACE,” he boomed. “GRACE LEE!”
The protesters paused, all eyes on Matt.
“I LOVE YOU, GRACE LEE!” he shouted into the megaphone, sounding almost drunk on his own adrenaline. “I’ve loved you since the moment you first yelled at me during COMP, and if you would just agree to go on one date with me, it would make me the happiest freshman that ever walked this campus!”
Callie could hardly bear to watch as Grace slowly lowered her sign.
The crowd drew silent. Grace grabbed a megaphone from a girl standing near her and yelled, “What the hell do you think you’re doing, Robinson? Get down from there!”
Some of the protesters cheered and others laughed, while a few appeared sympathetically dismayed. No one, however, looked worse than
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