Talk to Tracey in English class

You realize that there’s not much you can do about Abbie while you’re at school. Besides, you figure, she was probably just trying to shock you. It would be like her to do something to make you a little crazy and distract you from your insecurities about talking to girls.

Instead, you decide to focus on something you can deal with. You make the decision to try talking to Tracey in English class. English class is your last period. You get there early, so you're already sitting in your seat when you see Tracey walking in. All you have to do is speak up and say something when she walks by. If she responds, great. If not, then you can at least tell Abbie you tried, and she'll get you into a club tonight, which might be more fun than sitting home alone masturbating. Tracey is walking past you now. Your palms feel sweaty, and your heart is racing, but you're going to try.

As she walks by your seat, you just give her a nod and say, "Hi Tracey." You do your best to sound casual, even though your pulse is racing. She turns towards you at the sound of your voice. She looks a little confused, probably because you've never said a word to her before. But she nods back, with a faint smile. "Hey... Dave." She says, recalling your name after a short hesitation. Then she continues on to her seat two rows away.

You breathe again. That certainly could have gone worse. Tracey didn't sneer, point and laugh, or shriek and run for cover. You said hello like a normal human, and she returned the greeting. Maybe Abbie was right, you should think less about everything that could go wrong. Feeling a little encouraged, you start thinking about whether and how you'll actually ask her out, since that was the requirement for Abbie's deal.

As class goes on, you don't really pay much attention to the teacher Ms. Fellows, or the group discussion about the reading, but at one point Tracey raises her hand to answer a question. She makes what Ms. Fellows seems to think is a pretty good point about the book. That gives you an idea.

After class, while Tracey is packing up her things, you step over to her desk. "Hey, sounds like you've got a handle on The Crucible." You clear your throat nervously. "I was wondering if you'd be up for getting together some time to study. The big test for this quarter is coming up next Wednesday. Are you doing anything this Friday?"

Tracey looks at you with surprise again, and this time a little curiosity, you think. She smiles a bit more confidently than last time. "I'm busy Friday, but maybe we could go over some of the material at lunch one day this week," she tells you.

You feel a little disappointed not to have gotten a yes to meeting up on Friday, but even hanging out with her during lunch in the cafeteria is a huge step for you. You grin from ear to ear. "That would be great." You say. Not wanting to push it by asking her which day exactly, you step back to your desk, shove your stuff into your backpack and head towards the classroom door.

As you're about to get out, Ms. Fellows says "Dave, do you have a minute? I'd like to talk to you about your level of work in this class."