That One Mistake

That One Mistake

“I’m bored,” Ted said, sitting in a chair, leaning back on two legs, with his own legs up on the table.

“I’m busy, go be bored somewhere else,” snapped his brother Alex, staring at his computer screen and surrounded by books and papers. “Don’t you have homework?”

“It’s Saturday, only nerds do their homework on Saturday.”

Alex gave him a dirty look, then glancing at the clock he said, “I’ll tell you what. Why don’t you go sit on the front steps and see if someone comes along and invites you someplace?”

“Nice try, Dorko, you can’t get rid of me that easy.”

“I’m not trying. I just feel like if you were sitting on the front steps in about three minutes somebody would come along and invite you to go someplace fun.”

“You feel like that?”

“I can predict the future.”

“Since when?”

“You better hurry! It’s almost too late! If it doesn’t happen you can make fun of me later!”

Ted gave him a look, but ran to the front steps anyway. Minutes later Sandra Wilks came by, “Oh, well, I’m happy it’s you!” and handed him a ticket to a movie that started in twenty minutes. “We have to hurry!” off they ran.

Alex went back to his schoolwork.

Ted never found out Sandra had actually invited Alex. By the end of the afternoon Sandra no longer had a crush on Alex anyway, and six years later Ted and Sandra got married. They had several children, and lived a long and happy life.

Alex became quite successful too, however only for his work. He was never very comfortable being social. Unfortunately, he fell madly in love with someone when he was quite young and he never got over that unrequited love. His love, for Sandra.