Stood Up
Fred fixed his tie and shirt, half hoping that this wasn't too formal of an outfit to wear to a first date. Two days ago, Fred had finally gathered the courage to ask out a really cute guy at his high school. He had said 'yes', and they agreed to dinner Friday night at 7:00 PM. He was already at the table, and it was only 6:50, so Fred had some extra time to himself to mentally prepare for this epic date.
He was nervous as hell, as most first dates went, but he waited quietly for seven. A waitress came to his table to ask if he was ready to order. He told her he was waiting for someone, so she left him with just a tall glass of water. Ten minutes later, and his date still hadn't arrived yet, but Fred wasn't worried. No one could be THAT punctual to arrive right on the clock.
Then it was 7:20 PM. Fred's nervousness turned to worry. What was taking him so long? Sure, Fred never knew the guy that well before asking him out, but he didn't seem like the type to arrive this late.
He waited....
And waited...
And waited...
And waited.
Fred was on his third cup of water, and his date was now nearly an hour late. He was getting looks from people around him, wondering why he was all alone and not eating. Slow realization sunk in that he had been stood up. Fred hid his face in his arms with embarrassment. His date wasn't coming. It was a mistake asking him out in the first place! Maybe he should just go home, eat a shitload of ice cream, and pretend none of this never happened....
As he was getting ready to get up and leave, another boy his age approached his table and sat down. Fred had never seen him before, but he looked very handsome.
"I am so sorry I'm late," the boy spoke loud enough so those around him could hear. "I had to babysit my little brother, and traffic was horrible."
He whispered so only Fred could hear him, "My name is Tadashi. Whoever stood you up is a jerk, so let's just roll with this, alright?"
Fred lit up like a Christmas tree, "Yeah, sure. My name's Fred."
Tadashi returned the smile and looked through his menu, "Then let's order, shall we? I bet you're starving."
Dinner was fantastic. As they ate, they talked and got to know each other. Tadashi was a student at the public high school, while Fred attended the private school. Tadashi lives with his aunt and gifted younger brother, and their aunt worked at a cafe nearby.
Fred told him about himself as well, being careful to avoid the topic of his ex-date. All in all, the date went very well.
As they were leaving the restaurant (and giving a generous tip to their waitress), Tadashi wrote on a sheet of paper and handed it to him.
"Here's my number. We can go out again on Sunday if that's alright with you. We'll watch a movie."
"That sounds great. I'll see you later, Tadashi."
As Fred watched Tadashi leave, he couldn't help but think that this was the best. Date. Ever.