Panda looked at his phone. Nope. No feedback on his dating profile. He slammed the phone down in anger. He slumped on the couch. That was it. He gave up on girls. He waited for what felt like years to get feedback. Still nothing.

He considered everything at that moment. Maybe I should be gay or bisexual or something. It's obvious girls don't like me, he thought. He did give up. It was official.

It had been two whole weeks, and Panda didn't touch his phone. That's when Grizz got suspicious. This wasn't the Pan-Pan he knew. "Umm... You okay?" Grizz asked one morning at the table. Ice Bear gave them their breakfast. "Ice Bear says to dig in," he declared.

But Panda didn't touch his usual bowl of ramen during the morning. Now Grizz knew something was up. "Okay, Panda, tell me what's wrong." Panda looked at Grizz. He gave him an evil glare. "I gave up, Grizz. That's what. Did I ever get one request for a date on my phone?" he asked.

Ice Bear and Grizz looked away from him. But that just made Panda even more mad. He got up, walked to his room and slammed the door behind him. Grizz felt like his heart busted open. Just then, Chloe knocked on the door.

Ice Bear opened the door and motioned for her to go inside. "Hey guys," she said. "Hey Chloe! How's it been?" Grizz asked in the nicest of ways. But then Chloe slammed her stuff on the kitchen table in depression. Oh great, Grizz thought. Now we have TWO sad sacks.

"Alright, what's up, Chloe?" "I have a problem, that's why I came here. So you guys can help me," she replied. "So, this dance at my college is coming up. It's like prom, but in college." "Yeah?" Grizz asked interested. "So," Chloe continued. "You have to go for some reason and a date is required too. Here's the thing. I can't get a date."

Then Grizz frowned. But Ice Bear was the one who got the idea. Panda was upset that he can't get a girl, Chloe couldn't get a date, they're both shy to people, Chloe seemed like she liked Panda. They had similarities, and as said before, Chloe seemed to like Panda.

"Ice Bear knows who you can bring," he said. "Panda." Everyone looked at him in awe. Chloe blushed. "Panda? As in our Panda? Going to a dancey date with Chloe?" Grizz asked. But then Grizz thought about it some more. "That's genius!"

Chloe thought too. She liked Panda, more than a friend. It was no mystery. But, they could never pull it off, except maybe get shipped in a stupid fanfiction or something (teehee!). It just wasn't possible.

Grizz went up to Panda's door after Chloe left. He knocked on it. "Come in," Panda said on the other side. Grizz opened the door and saw him laying down on his bed listening to music on his phone. At least he's using his phone. It's a good start.

"What, Grizz?" he asked. "Pan-Pan, what if I told you that I got you a date with a fine lady this Friday?" Grizz replied. Panda got up slowly and took out his earphones. "Go on." "Going to a prom-like dance with Chloe at her school!" "WHAT?! Chloe? No way, Grizz!"

"Why not?" "I like Chloe, she's smart and funny and cute, but only as a friend!" "Come on, dude. You both obviously need a date! You'd be a perfect match. All I want from you is to go to that dance and have fun!" Grizz said. Panda looked at his phone once more. Still no notifications. No feedback on dating site.

He took his phone and threw it across the room. It landed in the trash can. Grizz was surprised, but hey, that's one less phone bill to worry about. "So, I take it you're going?" he asked. Panda resisted, but then the word "fine" came out of his mouth.

"I'll go to this dance with Chloe. But I'm not planning on dressing up or spraying cologne or anything." That's exactly what he did that night, but more on that later.

Panda called her on his now beat-up phone. "Hello?" she replied after a minute of ringing. "I'll go with you," Panda said. "If you're cool with it." Panda couldn't tell, but Chloe's face turned completely red. "Uh... Sure. I'm cool with it." Grizz whispered "YES!" to himself in the background.

Both Panda and Chloe were blushing like crazy now. They giggled to themselves, though. When Grizz said "YES!" like that, it was funny to them. "When do you want me to pick you up?" she asked. Then Panda got nervous.

It was usually the guy who picks up the GIRL to him, not the other way around. So he shouted "I'll lick you up! I mean pick! Pick! Auugh! Not lick, I wouldn't lick you up, that would just be weird, I mean..." "I see what you mean, Panda! You can pick me up at six!" She laughed before she hung up.

Grizz then laughed hard. "That was so smooth, Pan-Pan!" "Hardee har har," Panda shot back. "Let's just get this stupid date over with and leave it behind me forever."

Panda walked away. He couldn't wait until Friday for the date to be over with. He thought that going out with Chloe was flooding in desperation. He wanted to go out with a girl once in his life. But Chloe? What?

Chloe was walking home. She entered through the doors and saw her parents sitting on the couch. They were watching a cooking show together, what they usually do. (AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know they're foreign, but I only know English. So they're going to speak English. PRETEND it's foreign!)

"Hello Mother and Father," Chloe said. "I got a date for the dance." Mrs. Park got up and went to her daughter. "Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed. "Tell me his name and his details!"

Chloe got scared. Chloe's mom knew Panda. She disapproved of Panda. All of the bloody anime she watched because of him and her mom caught her, the ramen that gave her stomach flu, it was all Panda. Now she had to tell her mom she was going out with a guy who did these things to her. (I don't think Panda actually did this, but you never know)

Chloe had to lie to her. But not just lie. Stretch the truth. She'd say all the stuff that explained Panda, but not say it was him. "Well, he's a great guy. He likes anime, he's a vegetarian."

"Sounds perfect," Mr. Park (the dad) then said. "You two have fun!" That was too easy, Chloe thought as she went to her room and shut the door behind her. But no more lies like that again. Unless I TRULY have to.

It was Thursday morning. Panda got up and went to the table. He was less mad now, since Chloe was going out with him. But he was still mad that this seemed like admitting defeat. And other girls didn't like him, either.

Maybe this was his only option. Who knows, maybe he could even like the date! Grizz sat in the chair next to him. "What's up, loverboy?" he asked jokingly. "Grizz, it's bad enough I'm already going out with Chloe, you don't have to tease me about it and make it worse!" Panda said.

"Sorry. Why are you being such a hothead recently? It seems like you're on your menstrual period or something," Grizz replied. But Panda didn't get mad this time, he just sighed. "Dude, I've tried to get a girl for a while now. Zero responses. That's why. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings because of that."

Grizz smiled. "It's okay." "By the way, Grizz, if I was having a menstrual period, I'd be dating guys, smarty." Grizz laughed in response, followed by Panda laughing as well. "Okay, loverboy," Grizz said. Then he paused.

"Wait, isn't that dance a dress formal kind of thing?" he asked. Then Panda froze. "Oh no, Grizz, you're right! Scrap up some money somehow. I have to rent a tux."

Chloe looked at the dress her mom gave her just for Friday night. "Do you like it?" she asked. "Like it? Mother, I love it! How old were you when you wore this dress?" "Oh, I think I might've been... Eight years old?" Chloe frowned at her mother's response. She knew she was short for a girl in college.

"So, you never told me this boy's name, Chloe." Then Chloe was in a state of panic. She had to come up with a name. Fast. "Uh... Uh... And...y?" "Ah! Andy! A very pleasant name for a very pleasant lady!"

Chloe felt a wave of relief. She hated lying to her parents, very much. Yet, that was the only way this date would happen. Mr. Park came up to his daughter in the dress. "You look good, daughter. Too good. Remember, if you come home later than you're supposed to, you're in trouble." Chloe nodded.

She decided to show the guys her dress, only so they'd see what she'd look like the next day. She took a picture of her in the dress and sent it to Panda's phone.

The three bears showed up in their bearstack to Martin's Tuxedo Shoppe. Panda and Grizz hopped off Ice Bear's back as they went inside. They talked to the store's owner, Martin, and he situated Panda right away. Panda's phone got a text. "Grizz, see who that is, please?" Panda asked as Martin was measuring him head-to-toe.

Grizz saw it was Chloe, and it said "Multimedia Attachment" on it. He tapped on the attachment and saw Chloe's pic of her in her dress. Wow, she looks amazing. But, I think Panda shouldn't have a sneak peek. Let him see it during the big day tomorrow, Grizz thought after deleting the picture.

"Who was it, Grizz?" Panda asked while Martin was still measuring. "It's just politics. Just a text saying 'vote for this guy' and stuff," Grizz replied. I HATE those texts, Panda thought. Ice Bear wants a hot dog for some reason, Ice Bear thought.

The tuxedo was finally ready for Panda. Martin brought it out and Panda thought out loud about it. "I'm a panda, so I don't even a suit. I'm black and white. I could just wear the blue bow-tie I always wear and-"

Grizz cut off his brother. "Pan-Pan, you're just getting the pre-dance jitters. Don't worry about how you look, just worry about how you act around your date!" Panda smiled at his brother's advice.

The bearstack went home. Panda was in the middle of the stack, taking selfies of himself in his tux. When the three bears got home, Panda went into his room. He went on his phone once again and looked at pictures of him and Chloe.

They looked like they were having fun, having a great friendship. He frowned. He realized that if he went out with Chloe, he could never go back. Their friendship wouldn't exist anymore, it would be a relationship. So Panda thought, I'm going to do something about it.

I'll go on this date, but try to be not-so romantic. This will be a friendly dance, no "loverboy" stuff. Panda was going to be a friend, not a boyfriend. Chloe's friendship with him will not be destroyed the next day, he believed in it.

...THE NEXT DAY...

This is it, Chloe. The big day, she thought. Her mom was messing with her hair as Chloe looked at her dress for one last time. She wanted to impress Panda. Ever since they met, she's been crazy about him.

Tonight was the night. It was dark, but Chloe still spotted Panda walking down the street to her house. "Alright, mother! Gotta go!" she yelled as she left the house. Her mom was confused, until she went to the couch and watched cooking shows with Mr. Park again.

Chloe ran up to Panda. "Hey, Panda!" she exclaimed. "Oh, hey! You look... beautiful," Panda replied. Way to not start a relationship, he thought. Chloe blushed. "You're not too bad looking yourself," she said back. "Nice tux."

Panda giggled. "Yeah, it was last-minute stuff." They went to the dance later on. The school looked nice to Panda. "This college is nice! I wish I could go to college." "Why can't you?" Chloe asked. "Well," Panda said. "It'll be hard since I never got an education. I literally used to live in a box when I was younger."

Chloe nodded. It would be hard, since he's a bear too. The dance was in the college's gym where the college basketball games took place. It was filled with colorful lights and people. Music that was on the radio all the time was playing.

"Is this what prom feels like?" Panda asked. Chloe shook her head. "I don't know, I didn't go to prom. I didn't have a date and you didn't HAVE to go." Panda knew that she wasn't having a good time, he had a gut feeling. A thought rushed through his head. Forget the "try to be friends" thing. Panda wanted to make this the best dance ever.

"Come on, let's go dance!" Panda said. "I can't dance," she sadly replied. Panda took her hand, making her blush again, then went to the dance floor. "Panda, what are you doing?" "If you can't dance, I'm teaching you."

He placed one hand on her lower back, and held her other hand. "Put your arm you're not using around me," he said. She did so. "How do you know how to dance?" "The internet." Chloe laughed, then Panda did too as they danced together.

They did many things that night. They looked at a "Selfie Fails" video and gasped at it. They ate food and had conversations about the food. They told each other jokes and discussed anime. It was a perfect night, for both of them.

"So, do you know Japanese?" she asked. "Yep," Panda replied. "All so I can know what anime says without english dubs." "Tell me something in Japan!" "Um... Okay. Kuroepāku kon'nichiwa. Nanika o okonau ni ikitaidesu ka?" "What does it mean?" "I asked if you wanted to do something else at this dance." Chloe nodded.

Panda was having a fun time. He likes Chloe as a friend, but to have her as a girlfriend may not be that bad! What could go wrong? Grizz and Ice Bear were right, they had a lot of similarities, and Panda will not be getting a notification on his profile any time soon.

Chloe and Panda laughed after a couple more jokes and pop culture stuff. They eventually sat down on a bench after their night of fun. Panda looked at her dress one more time. She looked so cute.

"Thanks for going with me, Panda," Chloe thanked. "It was nothing. In fact, I'm glad I went. Tonight was perfect," he said. "It's just, college can be so hard sometimes. Everyone makes fun of me because of my height, math and stuff can be hard and..." Then she started to cry.

No. Don't cry, Chloe, Panda thought. Panda didn't know what to do. He had never been in a tear-shedding moment like this. So he did something without thinking. He wiped the tear from her eye and gave her a bear hug ("bear" hug! Teehee!).

Chloe hugged back. She needed this. "Alright, everyone! Last dance of the night!" the DJ said on the mic. "Hey Chloe, want to dance one last time?" Panda asked. Chloe laughed. This time, she took Panda to the dance floor. They did the same as before, but embraced each other more.

They closed their eyes. When the dance was over, the music went away. This can't be the end, Panda thought. His heart raced. "I had fun, Panda," she said. She looked in his eyes. They both blushed. Their faces got closer.

Panda went in for it. He kissed Chloe, then Chloe kissed back. They kissed until everyone left the room. "Well, that just happened," Chloe said. Panda nodded. They both went home. When Panda got in his room, he flopped on his bed and looked at his phone. He deleted his dating profile.

Then he smiled. Chloe was there, he didn't need one.