If there was one thing Bill Dickey hated, it was people. If there were two things Bill Dickey hated, it was people and freshmen who clogged the hallway like NPCs with broken pathfinding.

He adjusted the stack of comics under his arm and shoved past a group of kids gathered around someone's locker.

"Move."

None of them did.

"Jesus Christ," he muttered. "It's like cattle."

Finally squeezing through, he made his way toward Sketching and Design, already annoyed enough that his day had effectively peaked before first period.

He dropped into his seat in the back corner, headphones around his neck, pencil tapping against the desk.

The room slowly filled.

Someone talked too loudly.

Someone else was chewing gum with their mouth open.

Bill considered transferring schools.

Then the girl at the table beside him pulled out a notebook.

Not a regular notebook.

A Dungeons & Dragons notebook.

The cover was covered in hand-drawn dragons, tiny twenty-sided dice, and a little wizard frog wearing a pointy hat.

Bill looked at it.

Looked away.

Looked back.

The dragon had six limbs.

He sighed.

"No."

The girl looked up.

"...No?"

"No."

She blinked.

"No what?"

"The anatomy."

"What anatomy?"

"The dragon."

She glanced down at her drawing.

"...What's wrong with it?"

"It has six limbs."

"...Yeah?"

"That's wrong."

She tilted her head.

"According to who?"

Bill looked genuinely offended.

"According to fantasy."

"There are dragons with six limbs."

"There are wyverns."

"I know what a wyvern is."

"Evidently not."

She smiled.

"Oh, so you're one of those people."

"What does that mean?"

"The kind that corrects dragon legs."

"They matter."

"They really don't."

"They do."

She held up her pencil.

"Counterpoint."

"What?"

"I drew it."

"..."

"..."

"...That's not a counterpoint."

"I think it is."

For the first time all morning, Bill couldn't think of a response.

The teacher walked in before he could recover.

"Alright, everyone! Today we're doing creature design-"

The girl whispered,

"I've got a pretty good head start."

Bill rolled his eyes.

"Debatable."

✮

Twenty minutes later, Bill was still pretending to work.

Instead, he was stealing glances at the notebook beside him.

The dragon now wore tiny armor.

A little speech bubble floated over its head.

Erm actually-🤓☝️

The girl caught him looking.

He immediately looked back at his own paper.

"...You can laugh."

"I'm not laughing."

"You want to."

"I don't."

"You absolutely do."

"...Maybe a little."

She grinned.

"I knew it."

He hated that grin.

Not because it was annoying.

Because it made him want to grin back.

Thankfully, he was emotionally constipated enough to suppress the urge.

✮

When class ended, everyone packed up.

The girl tucked her sketchbook into her backpack.

"I'm Sophie, by the way."

Bill hesitated.

He knew introducing yourself meant there was a chance you'd have to speak to that person again.

Unfortunately, he'd already been speaking to her for forty-seven minutes.

"...Bill."

"Nice to meet you."

"It wasn't."

She laughed.

"You always this friendly?"

"No."

"So this is the mean version?"

"This is the normal version."

"Oh."

"..."

"..."

"...You still drew the dragon wrong."

Sophie gasped dramatically.

"I'll lose sleep over that."

"You should."

"I won't."

She slung her backpack over one shoulder and headed for the door.

Just before leaving, she looked back. Then she disappeared into the hallway.

Bill stood there.

The classroom emptied around him.

His pencil was still in his hand.

He looked down at his own drawing.

It was unfinished.

Next to it, without realizing, he'd doodled a tiny dragon wearing a wizard hat.

He stared.

"..."

Then he quickly scribbled it out.

"Stupid."

✮

Lunch.

Jerry sat down across from Bill.

"You look weird."

"I always look weird."

"No, different weird."

Pete leaned over.

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

Josh snorted.

"You got detention?"

"No."

"You fail a test?"

"No."

"You finally shower?"

Bill glared.

"No."

Jerry took a bite of his sandwich.

"So what happened?"

Bill shrugged.

"There was this girl in art."

The entire table went silent.

Pete slowly lowered his soda.

"...A girl?"

Bill frowned.

"What?"

"You talked to a girl?"

"I argued with a girl."

Josh grinned.

"For how long?"

"..."

Bill looked away.

"...An hour."

Nobody spoke.

Then Jerry smiled.

"Oh, you're screwed."

"What does that mean?"

"It means you like her."

Bill nearly choked on his drink.

"I absolutely do not."

Pete was already laughing.

Josh slammed the table.

"BILL HAS A CRUSH!"

"I DO NOT."

"You know her name?"

"...Maybe."

"WHAT'S HER NAME?"

Bill stood up so fast his chair scraped across the floor.

"I hate every single one of you."

He grabbed his comics and stormed away.

The three watched him leave.

Jerry nodded thoughtfully.

"...He's coming to lunch tomorrow with his hair combed."

Pete snickered.

Josh shouted across the cafeteria,

"BYE, BILL! TELL YOUR GIRLFRIEN—"

A french fry hit him square in the forehead.

Somewhere down the hallway, Bill yelled,

"SHUT UP FATTY”

Sophie, walking to her next class, heard the commotion.

She looked toward the cafeteria and smiled to herself.

She kind of hoped she'd have Sketching tomorrow.

✮

Bill Dickey was not following Sophie.

He would like that to be made abundantly clear.

He simply happened to be walking toward the library.

She was walking toward the library.

People walked toward libraries every day.

It wasn't weird.

"..."

He was absolutely following Sophie.

She pushed open the library doors and wandered over to a display shelf.

Bill ducked behind a bookshelf.

Immediately, the librarian looked over her glasses.

"Can I help you?"

"...No."

"You've been standing behind the fantasy section for three minutes."

"I'm browsing."

"Without looking at any books?"

"I know what books are here."

The librarian narrowed her eyes.

Bill left.

✮

The next day in Sketching, Sophie plopped into the seat beside him.

"Morning Bill."

Bill didn't look up.

"...Morning."

"You sounded almost happy."

"I wasn't."

"You smiled."

"I didn't."

"You absolutely did."

"I was grimacing."

"Oh."

"..."

"..."

"...At you."

She snorted.

"Liar."

The teacher clapped her hands.

"Today you'll be designing a character! Give them a name, a backstory, hobbies, the works."

The room collectively groaned.

Sophie immediately started drawing.

Bill pretended not to care.

Five minutes later he looked over.

"...What is that?"

"My D&D character."

"...She's wearing plate armor."

"Yeah."

"She's a wizard."

"Yeah."

"Wizards aren't proficient with heavy armor."

"She is now."

"...That's illegal."

She turned her sketchbook around.

"I make the rules."

Bill rubbed his forehead.

"No you don't."

"I literally do."

"You can't just rewrite game mechanics."

"I can."

"No."

"I already did."

"..."

"..."

"...You're the worst."

She beamed. To be fair she mostly just drew it like that to piss Bill off, it was easy to make him angry.

"Thanks."

"I wasn't complimenting you."

"I know."

For reasons Bill couldn't explain, she somehow looked even happier.

✮

At lunch, Bill sat down.

Jerry looked at him.

Then at Bill's tray.

Then back at Bill.

"...You packed grapes."

"So?"

"You hate grapes."

"I don't hate grapes."

"You called them 'wet disappointment' yesterday."

Bill froze.

"...Did I?"

Pete leaned across the table.

"You know who likes grapes?"

Bill frowned.

"...Who?"

Jerry answered without missing a beat.

"Sophie."

Silence.

Bill slowly looked up.

"...How do you know that?"

Jerry smiled.

"Oh, so we're admitting that's her name now."

Bill's soul briefly left his body.

Josh slapped the table so hard his milk almost tipped over.

"HE SAID HER NAME!"

"I DIDN'T MEAN TO."

Pete pointed dramatically.

"He's cooked."

"I'm not cooked."

"You're medium rare."

"I'm perfectly fine."

Jerry nodded.

"Then go ask her if she wants your grapes."

Bill stared.

"...Why would I do that?"

"Because you're not scared."

"I'm not."

"Prove it."

Bill looked over.

Across the cafeteria, Sophie was sitting with two girls from art class, doodling in the margins of her math homework while talking animatedly.

She laughed.

Bill immediately looked away.

"...No."

Pete burst into laughter.

"HE'S SCARED."

"I AM NOT."

"Then go."

"I'm eating."

"You've touched one french fry."

"I'm saving the rest."

"For what?"

"...Later."

"You don't save cafeteria fries."

"I DO NOW."

Jerry folded his arms.

"...Bill."

"What?"

"You've been staring at her for like ten seconds."

"I have not."

"You have."

"I was observing."

"Observing what?"

"...The room."

"The room named Sophie?"

"Shut the fuck up you fag-“

✮

The bell rang.

Students flooded into the hallway.

Bill escaped before anyone could say another word.

He rounded the corner, and nearly ran straight into Sophie.

"Oh!"

She caught herself before dropping the stack of books in her arms.

Bill stepped back.

"...watch where you’re fucking going-“

He stopped, noticed it was Sophie and his mind turned to mush.

"...”

A moment of awkward silence followed.

“You need something..?” She asked

“Oh, uh, no I’m good.”

“Uhm. Okay then..”

Then noticed one of the books she was carrying.

A Monster Manual.

He blinked.

"...Is that second edition?"

She looked down.

"Yeah."

"...Where'd you get it?"

"My cousin."

"...Can I see?"

She handed it over.

Bill carefully flipped through the pages like it was an ancient artifact.

"...The binding's still intact."

"I know."

"..."

"..."

"...This is really cool."

His voice had gone strangely quiet.

Sophie smiled.

"You can borrow it if you want."

Bill looked up so fast she thought she might've offended him.

"...Seriously?"

"Sure."

"What if you need it?"

"I'll ask for it back."

"..."

He stared at the book.

Then at her.

Then at the book again.

"No one's ever let me borrow one before."

The words slipped out before he could stop them.

For the first time since she'd met him, Bill looked less grumpy than...surprised.

Sophie smiled, softer this time.

"Well..."

She nudged the book toward him.

"Guess you're the first."

Bill carefully tucked it under his arm like it was worth a million dollars.

"...Thanks."

She grinned.

"There you go."

"...What?"

"You said thank you."

"I always say thank you."

"You definitely don't."

"..."

"..."

"...Don't get used to it."

She laughed all the way down the hallway.

Bill stood there until she disappeared around the corner.

Then he looked at the book.

Touched the cover once.

And muttered to himself,

"...This is getting really annoying."

✮

Bill spent the next three days trying to convince himself that borrowing Sophie's Monster Manual meant absolutely nothing.

He failed.

The book sat on his desk at home.

He'd already read it twice.

Every time he looked at it, he remembered she'd smiled and said,

"Guess you're the first."

"..."

"This sucks."

✮

Art class.

Sophie sat down beside him and immediately leaned over.

"So?"

Bill looked up.

"So what?"

"My book."

"...It's good."

"I know."

"..."

"..."

"...That's it?"

"What else am I supposed to say?"

"I don't know."

"You already know it's good."

"I wanted a review."

He sighed dramatically.

"The illustrations are excellent. The encounter tables are well organized. Whoever owned it before took decent care of the binding."

She stared.

"...You reviewed the book physically."

"I did."

"I meant the monsters."

"They're also good."

She laughed.

"I'll take it."

The teacher walked around handing out supplies.

"Today you'll be working in pairs."

The class erupted into groans.

Bill froze.

The teacher looked down at the seating chart.

"Bill..."

He braced himself.

"...and Sophie."

Sophie grinned.

"Looks like you're stuck with me."

"...Unfortunately."

"You're smiling again."

"I am not."

"You are."

"I'm squinting."

"There are no bright lights."

✮

Lunch.

Bill had barely sat down before Josh pointed across the cafeteria.

"Dude."

"...What."

"Your girlfriend's waving."

Bill whipped around.

Sophie was indeed waving.

Not at him.

At someone behind him.

He turned back.

"...She wasn't waving at me."

Pete smirked.

"You looked."

"I looked because you're an idiot."

Jerry calmly took a bite of his sandwich.

"So when's the wedding?"

Bill slammed his milk onto the table.

"There is no wedding."

"So engagement first."

"There is no engagement."

Josh gasped dramatically.

"Oh my God, he hasn't proposed."

Bill stood up.

"I'm leaving."

"You just sat down."

"I've lost my appetite."

"You ordered pizza."

"I HATE THIS PIZZA."

He stormed off carrying the entire tray.

“This is why I don’t sit with you assholes!”

Pete watched him disappear.

✮

The final bell rang.

Students poured into the hallway.

Bill shoved comics into his backpack and headed for the exit.

"Bill!"

He turned.

Sophie jogged over.

"You forgot this."

She held out the Monster Manual.

He blinked.

"...I was bringing it tomorrow."

"I know."

"So why'd you bring it?"

She shrugged.

"I figured we walk the same way for a bit."

"...Oh."

They started down the sidewalk.

For almost a minute neither of them spoke.

Bill hated silence.

"So..."

"So."

"..."

"..."

"...You draw a lot."

Sophie smiled.

"I do."

"You play D&D."

"Yep."

"You read comics."

"Mhm."

"You've got weird taste."

"So do you."

"I have excellent taste."

"You own three different editions of the same comic."

"They're different printings."

"They're the same story."

"They are NOT."

She laughed again.

He pretended not to notice.

✮

They reached the corner where their routes split.

"Well..."

"Yeah."

"I should head this way."

"...Okay."

Sophie started walking.

Bill watched her go.

She got maybe ten feet before,

"WAIT."

She turned around.

"What?"

His brain immediately stopped functioning.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"You okay?"

"...There's..."

"What?"

"...A movie."

"A movie?"

"Yes."

"...Congratulations?"

"No-I mean.."

He rubbed his forehead.

"There is a Star Wars movie."

"I know."

"..."

"..."

"...I was going."

She waited.

"..."

"...And?"

"...You could also go."

She blinked.

"...With you?"

"...Maybe."

"...Bill."

"What?"

"...Are you asking me out?"

He looked at the sidewalk.

Then at a tree.

Then at literally anything except Sophie.

"...Maybe."

There was a long silence.

Long enough that Bill became convinced he'd ruined everything.

He opened his mouth.

"Forget I sa-"

"I'd like that."

He stopped.

"...What?"

"I said yes."

"...Really?"

"Yeah."

"...Why?"

"Because arguing with you is funny."

"..."

"...That's a terrible reason."

"I know."

"But I still want to go."

Bill stood perfectly still.

His brain had exited the building.

"So..."

She smiled.

"Saturday?"

"...Saturday."

"What time?"

"...Five."

"I'll meet you there."

"...Okay."

She took a few steps backward.

Then pointed at him.

"And Bill?"

"...What?"

"This counts as asking someone on a date."

"It does not."

"It absolutely does."

"It is simply two people attending the same film."

She laughed.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

Then she waved and headed down the street.

Bill remained where he was for nearly thirty seconds.

Finally, he whispered to himself,

"...This is not a date."

From across the road, Jerry, who had been walking home the entire time, watched the exchange in complete silence.

He adjusted his backpack.

"...I'm telling the guys."

Bill looked up.

Their eyes met.

"...Jerry."

Jerry nodded once.

"...Bill."

Then he turned and ran.

"JERRY!"

"I'M TELLING THEM!"

"GET BACK HERE, YOU ASSHOLE!"

Jerry disappeared around the corner laughing.

Bill stood alone on the sidewalk, one hand over his face.

"..."

"..."

"...This is the worst day of my life."

✮

Bill Dickey arrived at the theater at 4:27 pmz

The movie started at five.

This was because arriving exactly on time would make it seem like he cared.

Arriving early, however, was simply good planning.

He looked at his watch.

4:28.

"..."

He shoved his hands into his pockets.

A family walked past him.

Another group of teenagers walked in.

He checked his watch again.

4:29.

"...How is that possible?"

✮

Back at home, Sophie stood in front of her mirror.

She wasn't nervous.

Not at all.

She had only changed shirts four times.

"This one's stupid."

She threw it onto her bed.

"No...too nerdy."

Another one.

"...Too plain."

Another one.

Finally she settled on a black T-shirt with an illustration of a 20 sided die.

Perfect.

She grabbed her little sketchbook, stuffed a handful of dice into her bag for absolutely no reason whatsoever, and headed out the door.

✮

4:53.

Bill had already memorized every poster in the lobby.

He was currently pretending to read a cardboard display.

"Bill?"

He spun around so fast he almost lost his balance.

"...Oh."

Sophie smiled.

"Hi."

"...Hi."

"You've been here a while?"

"No."

"You've got popcorn already."

"...I was hungry."

"And a drink."

"...Still hungry."

"And candy."

"..."

"..."

"...I like snacks."

She laughed.

"I can tell."

For some reason, hearing her laugh made Bill forget every sentence he'd prepared on the walk over.

He had spent twenty minutes planning how to say hello.

Instead he'd managed:

"Oh."

Fantastic.

✮

They got in line for tickets.

Sophie looked over the movie posters.

"You know..."

"What?"

"I've never actually gone to the movies with just one other person before."

Bill's stomach immediately dropped.

"...Neither have I."

"..."

"..."

"...So this is kind of new."

"...Yes."

Another silence.

The cashier looked up.

"Two tickets?"

Bill answered before Sophie could.

"Yes."

The cashier smiled.

"Date night?"

Bill froze.

Sophie bit her lip to stop herself from laughing.

Bill looked horrified.

"...No."

The cashier shrugged.

"My mistake."

Bill paid for the tickets in complete silence.

The second they walked away, Sophie glanced over.

"You looked like you saw a ghost."

"...He was wrong."

"Hm."

"..."

"..."

"...He was."

She smiled.

"Sure."

✮

Inside the theater, they found seats near the middle.

The lights dimmed.

Commercials played.

Bill leaned over.

"That trailer was inaccurate."

"The movie hasn't started."

"I know."

"..."

"...You're gonna talk through the whole thing, aren't you?"

"No."

"...Really?"

"...Probably not."

She giggled.

✮

Halfway through the movie, Bill forgot he was supposed to be acting cool.

He whispered little bits of trivia every few minutes.

"That design is based on older concept art."

"Hm."

"They changed that scene."

"Mhm."

"The novelization explains this better."

"I know."

He stopped.

"You know?"

She nodded without looking away from the screen.

"I read it."

"..."

"..."

"...Oh."

Five minutes later she leaned over.

"You're doing it again."

"What?"

"Your nails."

He looked down.

He was biting his nails, hadn’t noticed he was.

“Poeple do that when they’re nervous.”

“No they don’t..”

She gave him a side glare, teasingly, not in a mean way.

He immediately stopped 

"..."

Thirty seconds later his fingers started tapping the armrest instead.

Sophie quietly smiled to herself.

✮

When the credits rolled, people slowly began filing out of the theater.

Bill stood up.

"...Well."

"...Well."

"So..."

"So."

"...It was good."

"It was."

"They changed a few things."

"I figured you'd say that."

"They also got some details wrong."

"I figured you'd say that too."

She nudged his shoulder.

"But you liked it."

"...Yeah."

"I can tell."

"...How?"

"You only rant this much about things you like."

"..."

"...That's not true."

"It absolutely is."

He sighed.

"...Maybe."

She grinned.

"I win."

"You win nothing."

"I win the argument."

"There wasn't an argument."

"There was."

"I would've known."

"You were participating."

"..."

"...You're annoying."

"I know."

"..."

"...Thanks for inviting me."

The words came out so quietly that Bill almost thought he'd imagined them.

He looked over.

She was smiling at him.

Not laughing.

Just smiling.

"...Yeah."

"..."

"...I'm glad you came."

For a moment neither of them moved.

People walked around them toward the exit.

The theater lobby buzzed with chatter.

Neither of them noticed.

Sophie rocked back on her heels.

"I should probably head home."

"...Right."

"I'll see you Monday?"

"...Probably."

She rolled her eyes.

"That's a yes."

She turned to leave.

Then stopped.

"Hm."

Bill frowned.

"What?"

She stepped back toward him.

He blinked.

"What are you-"

Before he could finish the sentence, Sophie leaned forward and gave him a quick little peck on the cheek.

It lasted barely a second.

Then she smiled.

"Bye, Bill."

And walked away.

✮

Bill didn't move.

Someone bumped into his shoulder.

"Sorry."

He didn't answer.

A little kid tugged on his mom's sleeve.

"Mom?"

"What?"

"Why's that guy standing like that?"

"I don't know, honey."

Bill slowly reached up and touched his cheek.

His face was bright red.

"..."

"..."

"...What."

Across the parking lot, Sophie looked back once.

She saw him still standing there.

She covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.

Then she waved.

Bill's brain, already hanging on by a thread, completely shut down.

He lifted one hand and gave the smallest, stiffest wave imaginable.

She disappeared down the sidewalk.

Bill remained frozen for another thirty seconds.

Finally he whispered to himself,

"..."

"What the fuck.”