Myshuno! 2014 Prompt: "'I'm sorry. I can't.'" (274 words)

[esmeiolanthe]

The prompt for this story was “‘I’m sorry, I can’t.”,” submitted by katrisims. This story fits into the next chapter of Auspicious It Ain’t. There are no spoilers.

Rating: G

Dramatis Personae
Beaudelaire Rossi, a sophomore
Pretty Girl, as described, in his class
Other Student At Table, as described, goes to the same school

Setting
The school cafeteria. Beaudelaire is reading while he eats, although there are other people at his table, meaning he’s not a social outcast. A pretty girl his own age comes up to him, somewhat nervously.

PRETTY GIRL: Hi, um, Beaudelaire?
BEAUDELAIRE: (looks up) Yes?
PRETTY GIRL: Hi, um, I’m in your science class. I sit behind you. Jenny. (sticks out her hand awkwardly)
BEAUDELAIRE: Nice to meet you. (shakes her hand)
PRETTY GIRL: So, um, there’s that new movie coming out this week. Out of the Forest. It has singing and dancing and stuff.
BEAUDELAIRE (politely): I’ve heard of it.
PRETTY GIRL: And I was going to go see it this weekend. And, um, I wondered if you wanted to go see it too. With me.
BEAUDELAIRE: I’m sorry. I can’t.
PRETTY GIRL: Oh! I almost forgot. I asked, so, um, I’m paying. (as she processes what Beaudelaire said) You can’t this weekend, or you can’t at all?
BEAUDELAIRE: I can’t at all. I’m engaged. (as she stares at him open-mouthed) I’m really flattered, though. Thank you.
(The pretty girl opens and closes her mouth a few times and then flees, bright red and fighting back tears.)
OTHER STUDENT AT TABLE: That wasn’t very nice.
BEAUDELAIRE: What wasn’t?
OTHER STUDENT AT TABLE: Lying like that. If you don’t want to go out with her, just say no. You didn’t have to make that up about being engaged.
BEAUDELAIRE: But I am engaged. I didn’t make it up.
OTHER STUDENT AT TABLE: Oh yeah? Then who are you engaged to?
BEAUDELAIRE: You don’t know her. (returning to his book) She doesn’t go to our school.

Comments

[katrisims.livejournal.com]

Poor girl, that must hurt. At least Baudelaire handled it as politely as he could.

It also reminds me here's another story I should catch up with so I'd know the background. :)

[esmeiolanthe.livejournal.com]

You should catch up on this one. You should catch up on all my stories, because they are Awesome, because *I* wrote them. Seriously, though, this story will feed back into Ruth's and relatively soon, too, so it might help to be caught up. There aren't very many chapters or very much plot, and each chapter is fairly short. The really important points to know if you don't want to do more reading are 1) Beaudelaire is engaged to one of the Shankel girls and 2) Beaudelaire is a redhead.

Obviously he is also a gentleman, and fairly kind, as you can see from this story. But yes, that poor girl is going to be unhappy for a little while. :(

Thanks for reading and commenting! :)