[sub][h3][center]Archie[/center][/h3][/sub][hr]
[i]”Oh, that's less weird. Yeah, sure. Give me a sec."[/i]

Archie, hearing his cue to leave, just about scurried off to the restrooms.

The men’s washroom wasn’t particularly interesting. It was just that, a men’s washroom. Tile flooring and blue walls. It was well maintained, which was better than a good portion of the bathrooms he had seen in his life, but there wasn’t a whole lot else to it aside from a small cork board that listed items for resale or club activities on the station. Archie let himself into the largest stall, the one that was usually reserved for disabled, and promptly shoved his hand under the sink.

He inhaled a short, sharp breath when he felt the cool water hit the inflamed skin of his hand. It was a stark contrast from the painful heat, but it felt nice. He continued to let the water run over his hand and in the meantime, Archie found himself staring down his reflection.

“You can do this.” He said, putting on a face that was as serious as he could. He would deal with all the schemes and villainy later. Today he was just a boy telling a girl that he liked her.

[i]You’re an idiot.[/i] his reflection almost seemed to say back.

Archie had always been a person who wore his heart, stitched in bold red, to his sleeve. His mouth contorts at the thought. “I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna ask her out.” He declares, glaring daggers into his reflection succeeding only in making it seem more intimidating.

[i]You’re still an idiot.[/i]

He breathed in, and pulled his hand out from under the faucet and gave his reflection the middle finger when he stepped away. Deciding to pay his uncooperative reflection no more mind, he stepped over to the air drier. He glared at it. He always hated air driers. They were loud and sounded over his own thoughts. When he stepped out of the stall, there were two other young men that glanced to one another, then at him, and then averted their eyes as if pretending they didn’t hear him give himself pep talk. Archie opened his mouth, debating whether or not to apologize for their secondhand embarrassment or not, but decided not to at the last moment. He put his head down and quickly ducked out to avoid further scrutiny.

When he left the bathroom, he just about collided with Natalie. Despite her smaller stature, he knew well enough that she would probably not budge an inch even if he ran into her at full speed. He took a deep breath, hoping she didn’t notice his anxiety. He goes nothing- oh, she was speaking.

[i]”So what did you want to talk about?"[/i]

In a moment of courage unlike anything he had expected in his life, Archie answers her by sweeping her grandly towards him, dipping her downwards, and kissing her passionately on the lips. Or, at least, he tries to – he gets stuck on the first step, when he tugs Natalie's arms in his direction and they end up bumping their foreheads together.

“Ouch.” Archie says, more out of social convention than actual pain. He steeled himself further- hoping that this would be the one type that Natalie couldn’t bend.

“Will you go to homecoming with me? Not just like with me, but [i]with me[/i]?”