Many people ask me what it is I like in girls. My answer is always the same. And, they look at me with this puzzled, stupefied look on their faces and expect another word to escape my lips as if what I had just said was a joke.

     I waited for Josh after school that day to arrive at his locker. I sat down on the nearby seat, scrolling through the old photos on my phone. After a few minutes, I got impatient and looked up at my watch, when I saw her again. My eyes dilated and my heart raced back and forth in my chest. I ran my fingers through my hair, checking out my reflection on my phone.

1. Spiked hair, check.
2. Unchapped lips, check.
3. Cool sunglasses, check.
4. Fresh breath, check.

     Alright, I was ready to go.

     As usual, she was walking with her friend. I stood up and pretended to be on the phone, to avoid looking like a complete loser. She walked by with her friend, not even acknowledging my very existence. That really hurt. Finally, after a few moments of agonizing embarrassment, Josh arrived at his locker. I walked over to him, and leaned back against the rusty locker next to his.

     “Sup dude?”

     “Hey man, look….there she is,” Josh stated. “Just go talk to her already!”

     “Dude, shut up, she’s right there!”

     She was right there, talking to her friend. I stood there, entranced by her dark brown eyes. I thought of why I was so nervous and couldn’t just go over there and introduce myself. What’s the worst that could happen? I cleared my throat, and began to make my way towards her. My hands trembled, my footsteps grew heavy, and my arms went numb. Thoughts of failure and rejection swarmed around in my head, bouncing off the walls of my brain. There were some thoughts in my head that told me she was too beautiful, too far out of my league. That wasn’t gonna stop me. But as I got closer, what looked like hundreds of her other friends quickly crowded around her. I rolled my eyes and turned in the other direction. Maybe another time. I walked back to Josh’s locker, when he turned and faced me.

      “Why do you even want a girlfriend?” asked Josh.

      “I don’t know. I just…do,” I replied.

     But, I did know why I wanted a girlfriend. I wanted someone to talk to, someone to hold hands with, to make laugh, to tell stupid, corny jokes to, to remind her of how beautiful she is, to hang out with her, to text her for hours and hours until midnight, to go out on dates and have fun with, and to be best friends with. But, I can’t do any of that, if I never go up to her and tell her how I feel. Well, there’s only so many ways that can go, and it was time I did something about it.