Admire
Age 13 / 610 words
It was an impossibly hot weekend. So hot, in fact, that the boys had tried congregating in Slytherin because the rooms under the lake were the only cool place in the castle but the seventh years had chased them out, over Graham's protests. They'd finally settled against the wall of the castle though it provided inadequate shade on the principle that anything was better than nothing; that and a couple of quick cooling charms ("No snow, Dennis!" "I know!") when they were sure no professors were about kept the worst of it off them.
"And on the upside," said Jack, nodding down the slope, "we have a good view to admire."
"If you like squid infested lakes," said Andrew.
"I do!" said Dennis.
"Not over there," said Jack. "Over there!" He gave up trying to be subtle and just pointed at where the girls had congregated at the lakeside and were dipping their feet in the water.
"Ohhhh," said Andrew.
"This is kinda skeevey," said Graham.
"And yet you keep watching," said Kevin.
"Well, it'd be insulting not to," Graham said.
They watched Kei Li dip her hands in the water and splash water on herself, running her hands back through her long dark hair. Andrew whistled.
"You should ask her out," said Jack.
"Yeah, that's going to happen," Andrew said.
"It is?" asked Dennis. "When?"
"I was being sarcastic, Den."
"Oh."
"You can't just go up to a girl like that. She'd laugh you out of the school. And then all her friends would join in, just in case she hadn't crushed your soul on her own."
"But you're not still holding a grudge from that time Abbott turned you down or anything," said Jack.
"I know the minds of women," said Andrew.
"Do you use legilimency?" asked Dennis.
"Legiwhatsy?"
"Mind-reading!"
"No," said Andrew. "Although that would be useful. No, the direct approach is fatal."
"So how do you get a date?" Dennis asked.
"You could try throwing yourself at the first person who shows an interest in you," Kevin said and laughed when Graham smacked him.
"You have to be subtle," said Andrew with a worldly air. "You have to be both the bait and the trap, enticing them in with your casual disdain and just the tiniest amount of attention, entrancing them with your bravery and wooing them with your, you know, petting of small animals, or whatever. Drawing them in with random acts of chocolate and flowers and then, the instant they're in reach, snapping closed before they can escape."
"And that works, does it?" asked Dennis.
"Not yet," Andrew said, "but I'm working on it. I'm drawing them in."
"Drawing them in," scoffed Jack.
"Drawing them in!" Andrew insisted.
"Like flies to honey," said Kevin.
"Yes, but less with the insects and more with the hot chicks," said Andrew. "Just you watch. I have allure. I am admired by all and sundry." The others broke up laughing. "Oh, you can laugh, but we'll see. They'll be throwing themselves at me, you'll see!"
"Who will?" asked Natalie.
Andrew yelped, jumped, banged his head on the wall and swore loudly. Jack fell over, he was laughing so hard.
"Hello, Nat," Dennis said. "That's a nice dress! You look really pretty!"
Natalie smiled. "Thanks." She gave them a little twirl of her sundress, and winked at Dennis. "See you later."
"Okay!" Dennis beamed. They waved at each other and Natalie continued off along the path.
"...or yeah, you could just do that," said Graham.
"Smooth," agreed Kevin, giving Dennis a friendly thump on the arm.
"What was?" asked Dennis. "No, really, what? What? Why are you all laughing?!"
It was an impossibly hot weekend. So hot, in fact, that the boys had tried congregating in Slytherin because the rooms under the lake were the only cool place in the castle but the seventh years had chased them out, over Graham's protests. They'd finally settled against the wall of the castle though it provided inadequate shade on the principle that anything was better than nothing; that and a couple of quick cooling charms ("No snow, Dennis!" "I know!") when they were sure no professors were about kept the worst of it off them.
"And on the upside," said Jack, nodding down the slope, "we have a good view to admire."
"If you like squid infested lakes," said Andrew.
"I do!" said Dennis.
"Not over there," said Jack. "Over there!" He gave up trying to be subtle and just pointed at where the girls had congregated at the lakeside and were dipping their feet in the water.
"Ohhhh," said Andrew.
"This is kinda skeevey," said Graham.
"And yet you keep watching," said Kevin.
"Well, it'd be insulting not to," Graham said.
They watched Kei Li dip her hands in the water and splash water on herself, running her hands back through her long dark hair. Andrew whistled.
"You should ask her out," said Jack.
"Yeah, that's going to happen," Andrew said.
"It is?" asked Dennis. "When?"
"I was being sarcastic, Den."
"Oh."
"You can't just go up to a girl like that. She'd laugh you out of the school. And then all her friends would join in, just in case she hadn't crushed your soul on her own."
"But you're not still holding a grudge from that time Abbott turned you down or anything," said Jack.
"I know the minds of women," said Andrew.
"Do you use legilimency?" asked Dennis.
"Legiwhatsy?"
"Mind-reading!"
"No," said Andrew. "Although that would be useful. No, the direct approach is fatal."
"So how do you get a date?" Dennis asked.
"You could try throwing yourself at the first person who shows an interest in you," Kevin said and laughed when Graham smacked him.
"You have to be subtle," said Andrew with a worldly air. "You have to be both the bait and the trap, enticing them in with your casual disdain and just the tiniest amount of attention, entrancing them with your bravery and wooing them with your, you know, petting of small animals, or whatever. Drawing them in with random acts of chocolate and flowers and then, the instant they're in reach, snapping closed before they can escape."
"And that works, does it?" asked Dennis.
"Not yet," Andrew said, "but I'm working on it. I'm drawing them in."
"Drawing them in," scoffed Jack.
"Drawing them in!" Andrew insisted.
"Like flies to honey," said Kevin.
"Yes, but less with the insects and more with the hot chicks," said Andrew. "Just you watch. I have allure. I am admired by all and sundry." The others broke up laughing. "Oh, you can laugh, but we'll see. They'll be throwing themselves at me, you'll see!"
"Who will?" asked Natalie.
Andrew yelped, jumped, banged his head on the wall and swore loudly. Jack fell over, he was laughing so hard.
"Hello, Nat," Dennis said. "That's a nice dress! You look really pretty!"
Natalie smiled. "Thanks." She gave them a little twirl of her sundress, and winked at Dennis. "See you later."
"Okay!" Dennis beamed. They waved at each other and Natalie continued off along the path.
"...or yeah, you could just do that," said Graham.
"Smooth," agreed Kevin, giving Dennis a friendly thump on the arm.
"What was?" asked Dennis. "No, really, what? What? Why are you all laughing?!"