Henry
You’re a girl, right?
As if he only just realized it.
We’re in his room finishing off a pizza.
I’m wearing sweatpants, my hair’s a mess, and I’m eyeing the last slice.
Not exactly Kate Middleton.
Henry
I need your advice. A female perspective.
I try to smooth out my hair.
Henry
See, there’s this girl I like. She’s…special.
He’s asking me about girls.
I might as well be his sister.
Even though Henry is my oldest friend…
He’s also my biggest crush.
Henry
Anyway, this girl. I want to ask her to prom.
Henry
And I wonder if you have any tips as to how I should do it.
Grace
Well, what’s she like?
Henry
Why does it matter?
Truthfully, it doesn’t matter.
I know he’s talking about Madison.
They’ve been dating on and off for years.
Grace
Because every girl is different.
Grace
Different girls want to be asked in different ways.
Henry crinkles his nose like he does when he’s thinking really hard.
Henry
She’s like…sunshine. Brilliant and bright.
Henry
When I’m around her, I feel warm and tingly.
Henry
But I can’t look directly at her for too long because…
Henry
She’s so beautiful, it makes me weak.
Grace
She sounds perfect.
Maybe I should give him bad advice.
Like tell him to stand outside her window with a boombox.
I couldn’t do that to him.
Grace
Look. It doesn’t matter how you ask someone to prom.
Grace
It’s the person you’re asking who makes it special.
Henry
So, no flash mobs or string quartets?
Grace
Simple is better. I’m sick of all these big, flashy spectacles.
Henry
Is that why you don’t have a date?
He looks at me with those chocolate-brown eyes of his.
I feel my face heating up.
We’re in dangerous waters here.
Grace
I don’t have anyone to go with.
Henry
Well that’s not true.
Henry
I know for a fact that both Mark and Tyler asked you…
Henry
But you turned them down.
Henry
Why wouldn’t you go with one of them?
Because their eyes don’t light up when they laugh in a way that makes my knees wobbly.
Because they don’t have amazingly soft hair that I want to lace my fingers through.
Grace
I don’t know them very well. It would be uncomfortable.
Grace
We’d have to make awkward small talk all night.
Grace
I’d have to meet their parents.
Grace
And we’d probably dance arm's-length apart.
Henry scratches his chin.
Henry
Oh, that’s no good.
He gets a mischievous glint in his eye.
Henry
Seems to me like it would be better to go with someone you’re already comfortable with.
Henry
Someone whose parents you’ve already met.
Grace
That would be nice.
Henry
Someone you also happen to find so overwhelmingly attractive…
Henry
That you’d actually want to hold onto them tight during a slow song.
Grace
I guess it’s too bad you’re dating Madison.
Did I just say that out loud?
I wish I could melt into his duvet.
Grace
I don’t know what I was thinking.
Grace
I don’t even know where that came from.
I stand abruptly, but Henry grabs my hand.
Henry
Grace, it’s fine. It’s just…
It’s just that he doesn’t think of me that way.
It’s just I’m not his type.
It’s just I kind of look like a troll right now.
Henry
It’s just that Madison and I broke up.
Henry
Yeah. She was convinced I liked someone else.
Henry
Not that I can blame her. There is someone else.
He’s wearing an expression I don’t recognize.
It’s almost as if he’s…nervous.
Whatever it is, it’s adorable.
Henry
There always has been.
Henry
I’ve tried to fight it because I don’t want to ruin what we have but…
Henry
There’s just something about her.
He’s looking at me intensely.
I’m suddenly very aware that he’s still holding my hand.
It’s warm, sending electric shocks through my body.
I’m holding my breath, hoping.
Hoping with every fiber of my being that he’ll say what I think he’s going to say.
What I’ve been dreaming about him saying to me since freshman year.
Henry
Will you go to prom with me?
He says it just like that.
And it’s like a weight has been lifted.
I look up to see him smiling, and his eyes twinkling.
I can’t help but smile too.
I sit next to him on the bed.
Grace
So tell me more about this girl you’re crazy about.
Henry
She’s smart as a whip. All AP classes. Definitely going places.
Henry
She’s extremely funny.
Henry
She can make me laugh so hard I cry.
Henry
And she’s beautiful.
Henry
Even when she has pizza sauce on her face.
I lunge for a napkin, but Henry stops me.
He gently wipes my face with the napkin.
Then he puts the napkin down…
And I lace my fingers through his amazing hair.
He holds my face in his hands.
And then he presses his lips onto mine.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see the last slice of pizza.
