Broken confession

The next day was a quiet and uneventful free day for most people, but not for Lucas. He was in his room, sitting on the edge of his bed, staring at his phone like it was a puzzle he couldn't solve. In his head, a battle raged—a debate about whether or not to call Kara.

He'd never struggled like this before. Schoolwork? Easy. Sports? Piece of cake. But this? Calling Kara to arrange their dinner plan? It felt like the hardest assignment of his life.

"Why is this so hard?" he muttered to himself, running a hand through his hair. "It's just a phone call."

He picked up the phone, his thumb hovering over Kara's name on the screen. He took a deep breath. I'll just call, be casual, and ask her to pick a time. No big deal. But as soon as his thumb moved, he froze and pulled it back.

"What if I sound stupid?" he thought. The fear of messing up was creeping in, making his pulse race. He closed his eyes, trying to push away his nervousness. "Just do it, Lucas."

Finally, with one more deep breath, he pressed the call button, unaware that his shaking fingers had already dialed Kara's number.

"Hello?" Kara's voice came through the phone.

Lucas nearly jumped in shock, almost dropping the phone. His heart skipped a beat. "K-Kara! Hi!" he stammered.

"Hi, Lucas. How are you?" Kara asked, her voice calm and polite.

"I-I'm good! And you?" he managed to reply.

"I'm fine," she said, waiting patiently for him to continue.

Lucas swallowed hard, his mind scrambling to find the right words. "So, um… about that dinner… Would today work for you? You can pick the time."

Kara giggled softly on the other end. Lucas froze at the sound, wondering if he'd already messed up. "Sure," she replied. "How about 3 p.m.?"

"Perfect!" Lucas blurted out, his voice louder than intended. "I mean, yeah, that's perfect. See you then!"

He hung up so quickly he didn't even give her a chance to respond. Dropping the phone on the bed, he let out a long breath.

On the other side, Kara looked at her phone, smiling to herself. Lucas was something else—always confident in class, but somehow so shy around her. It was endearing in a way she didn't expect.

"Why is he so nervous around me?" she wondered, shaking her head with a soft laugh. "It's kind of cute."

Behind Kara, she heard Lucas' voice, and then Tara chimed in with a teasing smile.

"Here he is," Tara said, pointing subtly. "You know, that guy is always so, I don't know, he doesn't talk much. Like, he's always skipping around you and acting all nervous. You've got yourself a crush, Kara."

Kara turned, flustered, trying to brush it off. "Stop it, Tara. You don't know that. It's just… friends, okay?"

But Tara wasn't backing down. "Come on, Kara. It's so obvious! The way he acts around you… It's like he doesn't know how to talk to you, but he really wants to."

Kara crossed her arms, thinking for a moment. "Maybe I also seem a little harsh, I don't know. Do I? What's wrong with me? Do I seem harsh to people? I mean, I'm kind, right? I know I am, but sometimes I don't know if that's how people see me."

Tara chuckled softly. "Kara, you're definitely kind. But maybe you come off a little tough sometimes. People can be intimidated by that, but it doesn't mean you're not kind."

Kara paused, taking in what Tara said, but still unsure. "I don't know… I just don't want to give anyone the wrong impression. It's complicated."

"Well, whatever it is," Tara grinned, "I think you've got someone smitten. You'll figure it out. Just be yourself."

Kara sighed, still feeling a bit unsure, but she couldn't help smiling at the thought of Lucas being nervous around her.

By 3 PM, Kara had arrived at the dinner spot Lucas had texted her about. As she walked in, she noticed Lucas sitting at the table, looking unusually good—better than she had ever seen him. She couldn't help but notice how he looked today. She also realized that he had probably been waiting for a while since she was 15 minutes late, but she figured that was just the usual when it came to girls taking their time to dress.

She quickly walked over to him, apologizing. "I'm sorry I came late. I had some things to do, and I'm just so sorry," she said.

Lucas smiled and waved it off. "Never mind. What would you like to have?" he asked, calling the waiter and handing Kara the menu.

Kara, unsure of what to pick, said, "Anything you want, I'll take it." She was trusting him to make the choice for her. After a while, he picked something for her, and they enjoyed the meal together. Later, she decided to have ice cream, the only casual snack on the menu besides Milky Donuts and regular donuts.

As they ate, they talked, laughed, and had a good time. When Kara was almost finished, she noticed something on Lucas's cheek, right next to his mouth. "There's something here," she pointed out, trying to get his attention.

Lucas tried to clean it but couldn't figure out where it was. Kara then stood up, took a napkin, and cleaned the spot off his cheek for him. This completely shocked Lucas. He hadn't expected that at all. His face turned bright red with embarrassment.

He immediately stood up, stammering, "I'm so sorry! Please, can you excuse me? I'll be back in a minute. I need to use the restroom."

Kara, still a little amused by his reaction, just nodded. "Okay, alright. You can go," she said.

Lucas quickly left, still flustered by the unexpected moment.

When Lucas returned, he noticed Kara was already smiling at him, which made him a bit uneasy. She asked, "Why are you always like this around me? I told you before that you're always shy and reserved. I want you to loosen up, but is there a reason behind it? You can tell me if there is."

Lucas stared at her, visibly flustered. After a long pause, he blurted out, "Because I like you." He immediately corrected himself, "No, no, no, I don't like you—I mean, I like you, but please, I'm so sorry. I really like you, and I don't know… whenever I see you, I can't seem to control what I say, how I act, what I do. I can't help but feel this way around you. I just want to be someone perfect for you, but I don't know why I keep embarrassing myself. I'm so sorry. I didn't expect my confession to be like this—it just happened. And I told you, I can't control myself around you. You're like my control right now. So, yes, I want an answer, but I really need an answer now. I respect your decisions. You can think about it, but I'm sorry if this feels bad to you or if I disrespected you. I'm very, very sorry."

Kara just stared at him. This was unexpected, shocking, and most of all, overwhelming. She could almost feel her gaze pierce through him. This made Lucas uncomfortable, and he rubbed his neck nervously, unsure of what to do. Kara cleared her throat and finally spoke, "Um, okay. This is… unexpected. I didn't expect this. And is that why you're always shy around me?"

She paused, her tone shifting. "As for your reply… I'm so sorry, but it's not possible. I'm very, very sorry. You're a great guy, but it's just not possible."

Lucas was devastated. He didn't expect this reaction. He had imagined this moment countless times, but not like this. He felt like he had just been struck by something painful, as if his heart had been torn apart. "I'm sorry… but can I ask why?" he asked, almost in a whisper.

Kara looked at him, feeling a bit awkward, but her voice was calm. "The thing is, I'm not really ready for any of this. I don't need anything like this right now. So, I'll say… maybe we can still be friends. If that's possible. But if it's going to be awkward, then maybe it's better if we just keep our distance for a while." She hesitated for a moment, then added, "I'm really sorry if this hurts you, but I think I need to go now."

With that, Kara stood up. She was clearly uncomfortable with the situation, but there was a sadness in her eyes as she looked at Lucas one last time before walking away. Lucas sat there, still in shock, unable to process what had just happened.