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"You know Zindel, you really do not need to do this."

The annoyed leviathan just gave me the side eye from the driver's seat, "you know i would believe you, if you i didn't know you better. It's been over a week and you still didn't ask him."

I messed with my hands in my lap, "come on you know it is not easy for me to do it."

Zindel just sighs, "Sol please don't pout with me, i am really not in the mood for that shit." his voice just dripped with exasperation.

"I'm not pouting, I'm just hesitant that's all."

"That's understandable. However, that is no excuse for putting it off for so long."

"It wasn't that long."

"Trust me Sol, in dating, a week is long enough." Zindel pulls into the parking lot of Botanical Heaven. While there were a lot of cars, it wasn't as busy as the last time i was here.

"Well i am just waiting for my next paycheck and-"

"Which is why I am paying for our admission." He found a parking spot close to the entrance.

"What if he doesn't work today?"

He put the car in park, "which is why we are here on the same day you saw him. He will be here." Zindel turned the car off and stepped out.

I remained seated in the powered off car, my nerves keeping me strapped to the seat as much as my seatbelt. I knew I shouldn't have told Del. If only i kept my big mouth shut maybe i would still be at home doing school work.

The door on my side opened, " come on out now, we are wasting time." Zindel reaches over me and undid the buckle for me.

"Wait Del, I really don't know about this."

Zindel sighs again, "look Solomon, i have seen this song and dance before so let me tell you what usually happens. You see someone, find them cute, don't bother asking them at all, and then when you hear they are dating someone else, come crying to me all sad they didn't notice you sooner, despite the fact you never once talked to them, and hold up in your room watching romantic comedies and reading visual novels until you feel better."

I slump in my car seat. That is exactly what happens each time. Doesn't matter who it is, i just act the same way. "Maybe it is a lost cause already, they probably have someone already."

We were both silent, the only sound was the ones made by the cars passing in the streets nearby. "If we want the rewards of being loved we have to submit to the mortifying ordeal of being known."

I looked at ZIndel, "Huh?"

"It's a quote from the New York times. While it would be nice to just have the one stumble into your life, that is not going to happen. You have to actually do something about it. You have to go out there. You have to talk to people, not sit on your ass wishing god to send you someone. This is how your parents met, how my parents met, and how i would meet my future wife."

"But what if it doesn't work out, look at me. I am a behemoth, nobody is jumping with joy when they see me."

"Nobody is doing that because they don't know you that well. You just hide away hoping someone will come to you, but you don't give anyone a reason to actually do that. You need to be proactive for once, take a leap of faith."

I try to digest what Zindel just told me. He was making lots of sense. I never did anything that garnered attention so I never had someone approach me like that. I didn't join any sports team or a club while i was in school. Never went to any parties or events with lots of people. Everyone that did get close to me usually was because they kind of needed to or another friend set it up. I just sat on the sidelines and let stuff happen around me.

Zindel put a hand on my thigh, "look i can see this might be difficult for you so i'll make you a deal. If you don't want to do it today, that is fine. But the next time you come here, it would be your choice when you come back and the situation might change by the time you get the courage to do it. You will have to risk that possibility that you might miss that chance to have him in your life and will have to live with it. If you can live with that, i will take you home now."

When he said that line about me missing my chance, my heart felt uneasy. Was I really willing to let this chance slip by again just because of nerves. How many chances had I had before now to get a partner? I couldn't live like that anymore. "You're right," I said as I move out of the seat, "if I really want to change my odds, I need to do stuff about it. Maybe he will say yes."

Zindel smiled and pats my shoulder, "that's the spirit. Make yourself known."

"Yeah and in the case he turned me down, i am sure there is pouninous plants in the garden i can use to kill myself in shame and embaresment."

Zindel's smile weakened, "yeah, but for the record, keep the morbid humor to a minimal until you get his number at least."

We walked to the reception gate and Zindel paid for us to enter together. While it has only been a week, this place was a bit more empty then it was the last time i was here. The cloudy weather might have played a part in why it isn't crowded. I felt a bit relieved since that would mean there will be less people to see me if this ends up poorly for me. As we searched the garden for the object of my desire, the hype I had at the entrance died down. What was once a flame of passion was quickly turning into embers. I stopped looking around and started to look at the ground trying to distract myself by looking at my feet as I walk.

After thirty minutes of searching, I was ready to give up, "it's no use." I sigh, sitting on a bench I could find, "he's not here today. I should have figured." I put my face into my hands.

Zindel leaned over me and pats my shoulder, " I'm really sorry Sol. this probably hurt you more than i can imagine."

Hurt was probably an understatement. I felt so humiliated and disappointed. I finally decided to act differently and this is how it works out. It's like all the other times. Shit just doesn't work out.

As I lift my head up, my eyes get drawn to something moving across my field of vision. What I saw made my heart skip a beat. Passing in front of me was a minotaur. Wearing a blue shirt with the logo of the garden, holding a bag of what I assume to be some sort of plant food on his shoulders and some sort of scoop in his hand. He walks over to some plants nearby and starts scooping out the contents of the bag onto the plant bed.

In my mind, I could only think of how lucky I was to run into him again. He was the one I wanted to see. The one I wanted to date.

ZIndel noticed me eyeing him, "so he is the one?"

I just nodded.

"He's cute, i can see why you like him that much."

"Y-yeah."

ZIndel pats my back, "well, go on then."

"Huh? Oh yeah." I slowly stood up from the bench and approached the minotaur. Even though it was only a few feet, it felt longer. Every second felt like a minute. Every step felt like a mile. Every beat of my heart I could feel felt like it could be my last. Parts of my mind screamed at me to turn away, that it was already a lost cause or that it was already too late for me, but i persisted. I was tired of just doing the same thing over and over again hoping for a different result. I need to be proactive, I need to do more this time.

I stood over the minotaur, my body stiff as wooden boards. He said something but his words were drowned out by the sound of my heart beating in my ears.

I swallowed my nerves and took my leap.