DUDES! I'm losing my voice D: I hope I don't have strep throat or anything because that would suck... last time I lost my voice I was like five and I had to sign language to my dad to get me Cheerios...

"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes!"

Third period art class was proving very difficult for Joe. For one, he couldn't convince Cary to go after Elle. And for another, his clay pot wasn't coming out too hot. As much as he tried, he couldn't get his pot to thicken enough without flopping all over the place. Cary wasn't doing much better, either. It didn't help that Alice, who was sitting to Joe's left, was halfway done... and of course it was perfect.

"Come on! We all know how you're soooo-" Joe batted his eyelashes for emphasis- "In love with Elle. Go. Ask. Her. Out! If you don't you're going to be forever alone and be living in a cave-"

"I'd rather go and live in a cave than go out with girls," Cary said stubbornly, wrapping a coil around his pot.

Joe shook his head at his friend's denial. Cary's mind, however, was racing.

Huh, maybe Joe's right... suppose someone else gets her before I do? Oh, God forbid... but still! What if she says no? Huh? What're you gonna do then? Lie low, maybe, don't talk to her, shut her out of your life... No, I can't do that, I see her practically every day! She's gonna say no, she's gonna say no, she's gonna say no...

But what if she says yes?

Cary sighed. Nobody knows how hard it is, being a guy.

Meanwhile, across the school, Elle was having a very serious discussion in History with her friend, Sharon.

"My love life sucks," Elle sighed, scribbling down the first question on the review sheet.

"Same," Sharon agreed. "Although- I think that Cary guy likes you." She looked pointedly at her, her long brown hair cascading down her back.

"Cary? From Mr. Dunn's? He's just a friend," Elle replied, flipping through the textbook.

"Uh-huh," Sharon grinned at her.

"What?"

"You!" She prodded her. "Come on, you guys are meant for each other!"

"Riiight. Just like me and Mark Hamill were meant for each other."

"No, I'm serious this time!" Sharon said, gesturing wildly with her hands. "I'm telling you, he's gonna ask you out somewhere soon. Real soon."

"Mm-hmm..." Elle hummed, scrawling the answer.

"Elle!" Sharon punched her playfully on her arm.

"Sharon!" Elle returned the punch.

"So- suppose he did ask you out... what would you say?" Sharon pried for information.

"Er... I dunno... I've never really thought about," Elle said thoughtfully, chewing the tip of her pencil. "Probably yes- no, no- no, wait, yes-"

"List the pros and cons about him," Sharon suggested. Elle thought this was a good idea, so she brought out a clean sheet of paper and wrote:

PROS:

-Really nice
-Really sweet!
-Kinda nerdy
-Likes fireworks.

CONS:

-Has braces.

That was as far as she got.

"Shallow, much?" Sharon grinned at her as she scanned at the list.

"Shut up," Elle mumbled.

So I guess that means I'd say yes to him... Ah, no! I can't say yes! We're still in the friend zone, right? I don't even like thim that much... oh, but it would crush him if I said no! What would I do then? I can't avoid him forever. I mean, I see him every day in the morning.

Elle shook her head and sighed. Nobody knows how hard it is, being a girl.

Awww. Gives you an idea of what a hopeless romantic I really am... sigh... LOVE! What a boo-yah-tiful thing.

-If I ever go on a bad date with someone, I'll jump up, scream, "YOU'RE AN ACTOR, I'M AN ACTOR, THEY'RE ALL ACTORS, AND YOU'RE ON MTV'S DISASTER DATE!" and run out.