“So Lyle. I want to tell you something,” Ana told him.
They were in the courtyard by the volleyball net, just the two of them.
“Oh yeah?” Lyle asked. “Well, um, I promised my friends I’d meet them for lunch, so see you later Ana.”
Ana turned, and watched him head towards to cafeteria and disappear through the cafeteria doors.
“Darn it,” Ana muttered.
“Hey girl. What happened?” Sandy asked. As soon as she saw Lyle disappear into the cafeteria, Sandy ran from behind the tree she was standing behind, not knowing what Ana and Lyle were talking about.
“I tried talking to Lyle and he got up and walked away,” Ana cried.
“Ana, see? This isn’t helping your friendship with Lyle. If you really care about him, you’ll be his friend and stop this obsessive nonsense,” Sandy told her.
“But he’s such a sweet guy and I can’t help myself,” Ana sighed.
“He has a girlfriend you know,” Sandy told her.
“I know. But he belongs with me,” Ana moaned.
“You know there are other guys here right?” Sandy asked.
“Really?” Ana asked. She was in a daze, thinking about Lyle and his dark brown eyes.
“Oh gosh Ana,” Sandy moaned. “I can’t get through to you.”
Meanwhile, Lyle was sitting in the cafeteria, complaining to his friends.
“I mean, she’s always staring at me and I know she wants to talk to me about her feelings towards me.”
“Dude, you have to be honest and tell her you aren’t into her like that,” Ben told him.
“”I know. I don’t want to hurt her feelings, but I don’t love her,” Lyle admitted.
“Who do you love?” Sophia asked.
She suddenly appeared next to him and her blue eyes shone up at him. “You aren’t talking about your friend again, are you?” Sophia asked.
“No sweetheart,” Lyle said. “You are the only girl for me.”
“I’d hope so babe, because you are the only guy for me,” Sophia told him.
She tilted her head up and kissed him passionately.
“Well, this isn’t awkward at all,” James said.
When they separated from their smooch, Lyle said, “Alright love. I’ll see you later.”
She walked away and Lyle turned back to his friends.
“Dude, why do you have to be so mushy at school?” Ben asked.
“I’m in love. I can’t help it,” Lyle admitted
“So what are you going to do about Ana?” James asked.
“I think I’m going to have to tell her the truth,” Lyle said.

“The dance is this Friday!” Ana squealed to her friends.
It was Wednesday and Ana knew she only had two days to ask someone.
“Wow Ana. We’ve never seen you so excited about a dance before,” Lucy admitted.
“Well, that’s because for this dance, I’m going to ask Lyle to be my date,” Ana said.
“Oh Ana.You can ask him, but we don’t want to see you get hurt,” Lucy said.
“I hear you out,” Ana assured her friends. “Lyle has been my best friend and always will be. We’re meant to be together. You’ll see.”
“Okay, whatever you say. You know we’re here for you,” Sandy said.
“Thanks,” Ana replied.
At lunch, Ana asked Lyle to meet her in the back courtyard by the volleyball net.
“Hey Lyle,” she said. She sat down next to him. “How are you?”
“I’m good,” he replied. “How are you?”
“I’m well,” she said. “So Lyle...there’s something I want to ask you...”
“Look Ana,” he said, cutting her off. “You’re a great girl and a great friend, but I’m sorry. I just don’t like you that way.”
“Wait, what?” Ana cried. “You didn’t even give me a chance to finish my thought. It’s an important question!”
“Well, I’m pretty sure you were going to ask me to go to the dance with you on Friday,” Lyle replied.
“Wow, was it that obvious or are you just that smart?” Ana asked. “So, will you go to the dance with me?”
“Ana, I just told you I only see you as a friend,” Lyle repeated. “I’m sorry. I’m going with my girlfriend.”
“Oh, okay,” Ana sighed. “I understand. See you later.”
She got up and walked back into the cafeteria. Lyle sighed in relief, knowing she finally put her obsession behind her.
When Ana met up with her friends in the senior hallway, she was in tears.
“You guys were right,” she sobbed. “He doesn’t like me the way I like him. He’s taking his girlfriend to the dance.”
“Oh Ana, I’m so sorry,” Lucy sympathized. “But there are other guys out there.”
“And you will find another date, don’t worry,” Sandy assured her.
“No, no I won’t!” Ana cried.
Lucy and Sandy looked towards the cafeteria to see Analy Garcia talking to Charlie Davis
“Its really sweet of you to ask me to the dance Charlie,” she said. “But I’m really not interested.”
“Oh, okay,” Charlie sighed. “Thanks for your honesty.”
She walked away as he sighed, set the rose he was holding on the table next to him and sat on floor, dropping his head into his hands.
“Hey Ana,” her friends said. “We know who would love to go to the dance with you.”
“Who?” Ana asked.
They turned her in the direction where Charlie sat with his head in his hands.
“But Charlie is such a dork!” Ana cried. “With his glasses and pimples, I can’t be seen with someone who looks like that. He’s no Lyle.”
“He may not be Lyle, Ana,” Sandy said. “But Lyle never recognized your feelings. Charlie on the other hand would be thrilled if you asked him to the dance.”
“Okay girls, I’ll do it,” Ana said.
She walked over to Charlie and tapped him on the shoulder. “Hey Charlie.”
“Oh, hi Ana,” he said.
“I saw what happened with Analy,” she said. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. Thanks though,” Charlie said.
“So, I was wondering if you would like to go to the dance with me?” Ana asked.
Charlie took off his black taped glasses and wiped them on his shirt.
“Really? You want to go with me?” he asked.
Ana looked down at his curly blond hair and was sheepish about it but smiled.
“Yes really,” she said. “I want to be your date to the dance.”
“Awesome!” Charlie cried.
He jumped up and handed her the rose that had been sitting on the table, and walked away, smiling.
Ana walked back to the senior hallway where her friends were waiting patiently for the good news. “So?” they asked.
“I’m going to the dance with Charlie,” she told them.
“Oh, and he gave you a rose! How sweet!” Lucy cried.
Friday night came and at eight o'clock, Charlie knocked on Ana’s front door.
When she answered the door, he was speechless. She wore a strapless blue floor length gown and her hair was falling down her back.
“Wow, um, you look...amazing,” he stuttered.
“Thank you,” Ana replied. “You look pretty amazing yourself.”
He did. In his black tux with a red rose boutonniere, and his glasses, Ana couldn’t help to think, wow, he’s cute. Why didn’t I notice how cute he is before?
“This is for you,” he said shyly.
He handed her another rose.
“Oh Charlie, you shouldn’t have,” Ana said. “I still have the one you gave me on Wednesday.”
“I know,” Charlie responded. “But I thought it would be a nice gesture.”
She hugged him. “It was very thoughtful. Let me put this in a vase, then we can go, okay?”
After she put the flower in a vase with water, they left for the dance, walking up the long hill to the high school.
The gym was decorated very romantically and they could feel the vibe as soon as they walked in.
“Do you want to dance?” Charlie asked.
Ana looked and noticed Lyle and Sophia dancing and smiled. “Sure.”
Out on the dance floor, Ana was watching Lyle and Sophia’s every move, but not letting Charlie know. She was staring at Lyle over Charlie’s shoulder and Lyle glanced at her a few times.
“So Charlie, I never realized how handsome you are until tonight,” Ana told him.
“Well, I guess I’ve been hiding behind books in the library all through school,” Charlie admitted.
As they danced, Ana let her head drop on his shoulder as they swayed to the music. They danced all night long and by midnight, Charlie escorted Ana back to her house.
“”Wow, I had a great time tonight,” he said.
“Yeah. Amazingly, I did too,” Ana said.
He leaned towards her, wanting to kiss her.
“Oh, um, Charlie, do you like me?” Ana asked.
“In fact, I think I’m in love with you,” Charlie whispered.
“Oh, I...um...,” Ana stuttered.
He looked at her face, and blushed. “Okay, I guess that was a little too much for the first date and I’ve made you nervous,” he observed.
“Uh huh, just a little,” Ana whispered.
“I guess I will just leave you with this,” Charlie told her.
He stepped closer to her and tenderly kissed her cheek. He smiled at her then and walked home in the moonlight.

Monday morning Ana’s friends were eager to hear all about Friday night. “So, how was the dance?” they asked. “It was fun,” Ana said. “Lyle was there.” “Oh no. Seriously, Ana! He was there alone?” Lucy asked. “No. He was there with his girlfriend,” Ana reminded them. “But I caught him looking at me a few times.” “Ana, I’m sure he was glad to see you have moved on,” Sandy said. “Well, the dance is over, but I am not over him,” Ana told them. At that moment, Charlie walked up behind her, holding a bouquet of roses. “I love Lyle,” she continued. “Um, Ana, I think you should...,” Lucy started. “I know I should give up on him, but Lyle and I are soul mates. We’re meant to be together,” Ana said. “But Charlie is...,” Sandy began. “Yes, Charlie is sweet, but I don’t like him that way,” Ana said. “I was just using him to get Lyle’s attention.” “Ana...!” her friends cried. “Really Ana?” Charlie asked. She whirled around. “Oh, Charlie....I didn’t see you there,” Ana cried. “Obviously not,” he said. “I thought at the dance you were into me, but I guess it was all an act. Thanks for clearing that up. Have fun with Lyle. You two deserve each other.” He dropped the bouquet of roses on the ground and abruptly walked away. “Charlie wait...,” she called. But he didn’t look back. She picked up the bouquet of roses and sighed. “Darn it,” she muttered. “Girls, why didn’t either of you tell me he was standing there?” “We did! You wouldn’t listen to us!” Sandy told her. “”Great! Now Charlie hates me!” Ana moaned. “You said he doesn’t mean anything to you,” Lucy reminded her. “So why do you care if he hates you?” “Ana, what really happened at the dance?” Sandy asked. “Do you like Charlie? He is kind of cute when you think about it.” “I don’t know,” Ana admitted. “At first I was just using him to get Lyle to notice me, but when he showed up at my front door, I saw how cute Charlie really is and we had a great time at the dance. When we were slow dancing, I couldn’t help myself from melting in his arms. He swept me off my feet. It’s like I know what it feels like to have a guy actually like me. But now because of my big mouth, I’ve ruined everything.” “Well, it looks like you’ve moved on from Lyle,” Sandy observed. “How can you tell?” Ana asked. “”Because you are talking about Charlie like you are in love with him,” Sandy told her. “Oh s**t,” Ana muttered. It was true. But the hard part was going to be proving it to Charlie.

Ana slugged, day by day, upset. She saw Lyle and Sophia, in love and if she hadn’t opened her mouth, she knew she and Charlie would be just as happy. She walked into the library and noticed Charlie with his nose in a book. It made her heart ache to see him so engrossed in the books.
The following Monday, Ana strolled into the back courtyard. She needed advice and knew the one person she could go to.
She saw Lyle and Sophia wrapped up in an embrace.
She walked over to them slowly and tapped Lyle on the shoulder.
“Hey Lyle,” she said softly.
“Oh, hi Ana,” he said as he turned towards her.
“Hey, listen. There’s something I need to talk to you about,” Ana said.
Sophia glared at her. “Step away from my babe,” she snarled.
“You must be Sophia,” Ana said nervously.
“Obviously,” she snarled.
“No, I’m over him, honestly,” Ana assured her. “I just need to ask Lyle for some advice on relationships.”
“Okay sweetheart, it’s alright,” Lyle told Sophia. “I’ll meet you in the cafeteria in a few minutes, okay?”
“Alright babe,” she sighed.
He kissed her one last time and she sauntered into the cafeteria like a real diva.
“So Ana, do you want to sit?” Lyle asked.
“Sure. Thanks,” Ana said as she sat down.
“So what’s up?” he asked.
“So, I have a problem,” Ana said. “There’s this guy I like. But I started going on and on about how great I think you are and how I used him at the dance. He’s in love with me, and I think I’m falling for him. What do I do now?”
“Is this the guy you were with at the dance and making eye contact with me?” Lyle asked.
“Aw, so you noticed,” Ana sighed. But then her face went serious. “But, that’s not the point. Yes, it is the guy I was with at the dance. I realized at the dance that you are very happy with Sophia, and I won’t come between you two. That would ruin our friendship, and after all this time, nothing is more important to me than our friendship. I want us to stay good friends. Now that I’ve found someone who really likes me, I need to make everything right again. What should I do?”
“Ana, you need to tell him the truth,” Lyle said. “You need to apologize for what you have done, and hopefully he will forgive you. I also want to stay friends with you. You are a great friend as I have told you. Let’s promise that we won’t get weird around each other again?”
“I promise,” Ana told him. “Thanks Lyle.”
She kissed him on the cheek and then she got up and headed to the library.

Ana walked into the library and found Charlie sitting in a blue chair, engrossed in a book.
“Hey Charlie,” she whispered. “Can I talk to you?”
He ignored her.
“I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have lied to you,” she continued.
“Why should I listen to you?” Charlie replied “I’m a dork, I don’t deserve a girl like you.”
“Of course you do,” Ana told him.
“All you care about is Lyle Anderson,” Charlie said. “I mean, that would make sense why you would be into him. You are both good looking.”
“That’s why I used to like him,” Ana admitted. “But he has a girlfriend. It took me forever to figure it out. That’s why we’re just friends, we always have been. But you. The night of the dance when I saw you in that tux, it opened my eyes to realize that there is a handsome guy behind those book covers. It also made me realize that I want to get to know you better.”
He looked up at her and smiled.
“Can we go into the courtyard with this discussion?” Ana asked. “I’m getting kind of tired of whispering.”
“Sure,” Charlie replied.
They walked out of the library towards the front doors where they sat on the benches just outside of the front doors.
“So Charlie, I’m very sorry. Do you remember when you told me that you were in love with me?” she asked.
“I do,” Charlie told her.
He was gazing at her, admiring her beauty.
“Do you still love me?” Ana asked.
“I never stopped loving you,” Charlie said.
“I’m glad to hear that,” Ana told him.
He looked at her seriously, locking his blue eyes on her face.
“Do you love me?” he asked seriously.
She took a deep breath as he took her hand.
“I love you too,” she said softly.
He reached his hand up to her face and gently grazed her cheek. He leaned in, and this time, Ana was ready.
He kissed her gently, and Ana responded to his touch by parting her lips and feeling her tongue brush up against his.
They sat there, in that embrace, with Ana’s hands wrapped around Charlie’s neck and Charlie’s hands around her waist.
They made out for about five minutes and when they finally separated, Charlie was surprised and pleased.
“Wow,” he said. “That was amazing.”
“It was,” Ana agreed. “It was perfect.”
“Are you sure you want to date me?” Charlie asked nervously.
He put his arm around her.
“You don’t think I’m too dorky?”
“Of course I don’t love,” Ana assured him.
She leaned into his chest. “You are perfect the way you are.”