Adrian sat in Mia's room, his arms crossed, staring at her as she paced back and forth. A whiteboard was propped against the wall, filled with Mia's scrawled notes and ideas, most of which had been crossed out with dramatic red slashes.
"I still think the singing telegram idea would've been perfect," Mia said, tapping her marker on her lip.
Adrian raised an eyebrow. "I can't sing, and I'm pretty sure Gia would slam the door in my face before I got to the second line."
Mia huffed and crossed her arms. "Fine, point taken. But we need something big. Something she won't forget."
Adrian leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I don't want it to be too over the top. Gia's not into flashy things. It has to feel… sincere."
Mia rolled her eyes. "Okay, Mr. Romantic. So no skywriting, no flash mobs, no hot air balloons. What's left?"
Adrian thought for a moment, his gaze distant. "Something that shows her how much I care. How much I've been paying attention to her—what she loves, what makes her happy."
Over the next few hours, Mia and Adrian brainstormed, argued, and eventually landed on a plan. It would involve a bit of subtlety, a bit of charm, and a lot of effort on Adrian's part.
"It's perfect," Mia said, grinning as she wiped the board clean. "Gia won't know what hit her."
Adrian smiled nervously. "I hope so. Because if this doesn't work, I'm officially out of ideas."
Mia shot him a reassuring look. "Trust me. You've got this. Just don't screw it up."
The next day, Adrian put the plan into action. It started with a small, handwritten note left in Gia's locker: "Meet me at the park after school. Trust me."
Gia read the note, her eyebrows furrowing. She was hesitant but curious enough not to ignore it.
After school, she arrived at the park and found Adrian waiting near the fountain. His usual confident demeanor was gone, replaced by nervous energy. He held a small bouquet of daisies—her favorite flowers, as Mia had informed him.
"I know I've messed up," Adrian began, his voice steady despite his nerves. "And I know I can't undo that. But I want to make it right."
He gestured to a table set up nearby, where he had laid out some of her favorite snacks and a small scrapbook.
Gia hesitated but eventually sat down. Adrian handed her the scrapbook, and she flipped through its pages. It was filled with little memories they had shared—movie ticket stubs, photos Mia had secretly snapped, and small notes Adrian had written about their time together.
"I wanted you to know that I've been paying attention," Adrian said softly. "Even when it seems like I'm not. You matter to me, Gia. More than I can put into words."
Gia looked up at him, her expression unreadable.
"Can we start over?" Adrian asked, his voice almost a whisper.
There was a long pause before Gia finally smiled. "This is really sweet, Adrian. But don't think for a second that you're off the hook."
Adrian let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and smiled back. "Fair enough. Just tell me what I need to do."
Gia laughed softly, shaking her head. "For now, you can start by not disappearing on me again."
"Deal," Adrian said, his smile growing wider.