I'll Leave It at "You Amaze Me"

Mikayla danced around as she dressed for her date. “You should meet him. He’s amazing,” she gushed as she tried on her third dress. “His friends are pretty cool, too. They’re all really sweet. I think that you and Garrett would be so cute together!”

I picked at the chipped blue polish on my fingers. “Garrett?” I asked. I had no clue who any of the guys she’d been hanging out were, but I’d heard nothing but good about them. And Mikki, well… She loved playing matchmaker.

“You should come. It’s not a really formal date or anything. Plus, he’s bringing the guys. It would be nice for you to get out…” she trailed off, hoping I would take the bait.

I rolled my eyes before I stood from the bed and went into her closet. I grabbed a simple outfit then went and tossed it on the bed for her. “Oh! I love that! Are you wearing it?”

I shook my head. “Nope. You are.”

“Then what are you going to wear?”

“I’m not going,” I shrugged.

“Please?” she begged.

I let out a sigh. “You owe me.”

“Yay! So what are you going to wear?” she asked as she bounced up and down excitedly.

“This,” I mumbled.

She sighed. “You’re no fun, Merrick.” I rolled my eyes and waited for her to change her clothes so we could leave. She came out from her closet five minutes later wearing what I had picked for her. “Merrick, you are, undoubtedly, a fashion genius sometimes.”

I shrugged. “Can we just go and get this over now?”

She grinned and nodded before leading me to her car. The ride was filled with the sounds of a band that I wasn’t familiar with. When we got to the restaurant, she was greeted by some guy—I’m guessing her boyfriend.

I silently got out of the car and nervously picked at my chipped nail polish again. Four guys were leaning against the wall, either watching Mikki and the guy liplock or watching me fidget—I wasn’t too sure.

One of the guys cleared his throat, getting Mikki’s attention along with the guy she’d been making out with. “Sorry,” the guy mumbled. The same guy that cleared his throat nodded in my direction. “Huh, who’s she?” My cheeks flushed red.

“Oh! This is Merrick!” Mikki introduced me. “Merrick, this is John.” She pointed to the guy she’d been making out with.

“Nice to meet you,” John said with a grin.

“Um, that’s Pat, Kennedy, Garrett, and Jared,” Mikki said as she pointed out each of the other boys. Kennedy had been the one that cleared his throat.

“Hi,” I squeaked out. Mikki skipped over to my side and wrapped her arm around my shoulder.

“Let’s go eat!” she declared. John led the way into the restaurant with everybody else following behind him.

“So what do you think so far?” Mikki whispered.

I shrugged.

I was focusing on my empty plate rather than the conversation I was supposedly having with Pat. I looked up when he mentioned Garrett. “No, we broke up,” Garrett replied. Maybe Pat wasn’t talking to me…

“You aren’t very talkative,” Kennedy said as he looked over at me. “I promise I don’t bite.”

“I feel no need to talk,” I mumbled.

“Why?” he asked curiously.

I shrugged and picked at the chipped nail polish again. “So tell me something about yourself,” Kennedy said after I was silent for a few minutes. I felt everybody staring at me and my cheeks turned red.

“Like what?” My voice was very quiet.

“Parents, siblings, pets, children, criminal record, talents,” Jared rambled. “Stuff like that.”

“Oh,” I mumbled, trying to think of relevant information about myself. “My parents are divorced. I haven’t talked to my father in over five years. I was an only child… I had a pet guinea pig when I was seven…” It felt weird to know everybody was listening to me. Especially when my voice kept squeaking. “I don’t have kids… I’m only eighteen. And I’ve never had a boyfriend, for that matter…” There was no need to include any details on this stuff. “I have no criminal record, thank you very much. And if I have talents then nobody told me about them.”

“What are you talking about? You’re an amazing singer!” Mikki exclaimed. “I cry whenever you sing Let Go.”

“You’ll have to sing for us sometime then,” Pat said with a smile.

“I don’t sing well,” I protested quietly.

“Please?” Garrett asked.

“I bet John would sing with you! That would be awesome,” Jared mused.

“Yeah! Please, Merrick! Please, oh, please!” Mikki begged. I sighed, giving in. “Yay!”

“Will you tell me what you think now?” Mikki asked as she picked up a pillow from the couch and hugged it to her chest.

I blushed. “They’re okay.”

“Just okay?” she sighed.

I rolled my eyes. Mikayla was prone to being overdramatic. “I guess they’re pretty cool…”

“Yay! So I’m going to set you and Garrett up on a date.”

“No!” I protested.

“Awe, why not?”

“I don’t date,” I reminded her.

“You will soon,” she said in a singsong voice.