Chapter 77: Fail, Again
FOM THIS POINT FORWARD, WE ARE SWTICHING FROM 1ST PERSON TO THIRD PERSON POV. HOPE ITS NOT TOO BAD.
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And so, the new plan was set. A plan so simple, so painfully obvious, that it felt destined for failure. The strategy was now "no strategy." (Honestly, you have to pity the boy. This was like telling a fish to try "not swimming.")
Jake was now on a solo mission. A lone operative armed with nothing but the vague instruction to "be a person." He shadowed Ruby from a distance as she left the library, his movements a masterclass in how not to be subtle. He would duck behind a locker. He would pretend to be fascinated by a fire extinguisher. It was a pathetic display, really.
’Okay, just be normal. Kofi said be normal. Nina said be normal.’
He was sweating.
’What is normal? Do I talk about the weather? No, that’s what old people do. Do I ask about her weekend? Too personal. Do I just say hi and then walk away? Cowardly.’
He watched as she stopped at her locker, fumbling with the combination lock. This was it. This was his window of opportunity, the moment where he could execute the brilliant "no plan" plan.
His legs felt like they were filled with concrete.
’Go. Just go, you idiot. She’s right there. She’s not a final boss. She’s just a person.’
He took a step. Then another. It was the longest walk of his life, a journey of ten feet that felt like a pilgrimage across a desert of social anxiety. He finally came to a stop a few feet away from her, his throat completely dry.