I’m not really one for goodbyes so I get them over with as quick as I can. Hugs and laughs are shared between everyone. Some people exchange contact information. Maria Pilar, my scene partner, looks around frantically until finally laying eyes on her target… Me. She jerks her way through the crowd and when she eventually reaches me I grant her a hug.

“I’m gonna miss you Hey.” An honest expression on her face.

“Yeah I’ll miss you too.” I reply not quite as sincerely.

“So did you get around to everyone?” She says inquisitively.

“Uh,” I scan the room half heartedly, “That makes everyone.”

“Oh yeah? What about Sophie?”

Damn. How did she notice that? Was she keeping tabs on me or something? Oh god I wonder if she knows.
“Oh-- um-- Yeah…” I begin. Pilar notices my hesitation and sweat.

“Hey I’m just looking out for ya’.”

“Yeah I know. Thanks.” I look down but truly mean it.

“Hey look, a couple of us are gonna hang around a little bit longer and probably grab something to eat at like Waverly Place Diner… Wanna come?” Hopefully.

“As good as it sounds I should get home. I got some homework left over y’know?” I say quite obviously lying.
“Oh yeah sure. But Hey!” I look up at her.

“I wanna hear from you ok? If I don’t hear from you by Sunday I’m calling the police.” A reference to a movie we had seen and loved. It was things like these that made her one of my best friends.

I smile at her and we share one last embrace. I turn and head for the doors.

A rush of cool air hits me like a brick wall. I’ll walk home from rehearsal. I’ll take the fastest route and won’t get distracted. I’m walking along Washington Square Park and turn my head to see the arc glistening. Under it were couples falling in love. How I longed for such a feeling.

Sophie.

How could I let this opportunity go to waste? I quickly turn around and book it towards the black box. I turn on to University and just as quickly hit Washington. Did I miss her? I slam up against the windows of the building. Pilar gives me a weird look from the other side of the glass.

Oh god which way did she go? Your guess is as good as mine. I make a b line for West Broadway. Uptown or Downtown? Which side of the street? Is she even on West Broadway? I cut my loses and turn around.
“Oh Mitty… Hi,”

It was Sophie. She had found me, and as relieving as this was my heart was also pounding.

“Hi,” I said a little bit too quickly. Oh god now she thinks I’m some sort of psychopath-creep.

“How are you?” She said with a voice as soft as an angels might be. But I couldn’t dwell on this for too long.
“I-I’m good. How about you?” And now I stutter. I can feel my face turn an unhealthy shade of red. I hope she doesn’t take notice.

“I’m good.” She said in a very calm manner.

“That’s good.” Oh great input! Look we got Woody Allen over here.

“I um… I don’t really have anything going on right now… I was just going to get something to eat for dinner with uh… well nobody yet. Care to join?” I notice her face grow rosey.

“Ugh well… Yeah, that sounds great. I just gotta cancel dinner with my mom.” I say attempting to create banter…

“Oh well I don’t want to tear you away from anyth-” She says quickly.

“Oh no! I was just joking…” Oh god that wasn’t funny at all. I’m such an Idiot.

“Oh,” She half heartedly laughs, “Alright um do you know the area?”

“Right you live in Brooklyn!”

“Yeah,” giggling.

“Well Joe’s Pizza is a couple blocks west from here…”

“That sounds good… Wait…” She said with a disappointed tone in her voice and a sorry face on.

“Oh what's up?” She messed up, good that will distract her from my bad conversational skills

“I uh… I already kind of have plans, shoot. Um I was supposed to meet with my Producer and stuff… Do you think we could meet any other time?”

“Uh yeah of course! It sounds important.”

“It sounds like it is but honestly it’s not.” She seems to be wracking her brain for something, “How about um… This saturday like 1:30ish, here, Joe’s Pizza?”

“I’ll be there.”

“Ok great, bye.” She said as if she was serenading me.

“Bye.” With a smile on my face matching her tone.

We go our separate ways and as soon as I know I’m out of sight I sprint across the park in a bolt of happiness. People all around giving me weird looks but I could give a s***. But then my rational thinking kicks in. I yield quickly. Am I even going on a date, in a romantic sense? Did I totally misjudge the situation? Why would she like me, I’m not even in highschool yet! That coupled with my crippling acne what do I have to offer? To put it blatantly now I’m sad.

I walk down towards LaGuardia until I hit West 4th. I put a classic movies playlist I got from off spotify “The Sound of Silence” begins to tune in an attempt to raise my spirits. I am deep in a trance of depression. The light turns red on my face and I’m free to walk across the street but I don’t. I stand there as if nothing in the world mattered. I walk another couple blocks and my phone buzzes.

I take out my phone off hand and...

A smirk appears in the glow of my device.


“Rhapsody in Blue”