Hard Boy ✔️

36

- Long Way Down; One Direction -

Aurora Holland

When I woke up the next day, Carter was gone. I was all alone in my bed, but it was still warm due to my body heat being trapped underneath the thick comforter. I glanced around, seeing a folded-up piece of copy paper on my art desk.

Slipping out of bed, I ignored the chill running down my spine from the cool air as I picked the paper up, smiling at the messy handwriting. Carter didn't have the best handwriting, but it was still readable. It also looked a little familiar, but I didn't question it as I read what was written on the white paper.

Left early that way your parents didn't catch me in your room.

See you tonight at 7, dress however you'd like :)

Unable to contain the grin covering my features, I reread the words over and over. It's crazy how something so simple with no huge meaning can make me look and feel this way. I feel as if I just won the lottery, although that's very dramatic, isn't it?

Remembering what he meant by picking me up at seven, I began to feel the familiar feeling of panic set in my body. The date is today.

Our date is today, and I'd simply been distracted up until now only because Carter was sitting here in my room with me. Now I'm by myself, and the reality of the date happening is setting in.

I walked back over to my bed, pulling my phone from the charger. I ignored the abundance of texts from Paige, even scrolling past the few from Logan.

I'd yet to talk to him about everything, and although I'm not as upset as I was before, I just haven't felt the need to actually talk to him. It was kind of annoying he had Paige give him my phone number as I don't like just giving it out to anyone, but there's nothing I can do about it now. She's already given it to him, and it's not that big of a deal to text her about it.

My nerves began to pick up more as I dialed Katherine's number. I didn't know who else to call, considering I wasn't close enough with any of the other girls in our friend group to tell them I'm going on a date with Carter. Not that I don't trust them, I do, it's just I'm very private about my life and I don't want to ruin whatever might happen between Carter and me.

Is it wrong to think something could happen from this? Considering this is a date and all, that's what I should hope for right? Unless he really did mean it as friends, and he's just too nice to say anything.

"What's up?" Katherine asked immediately as she answered, reminding me I was calling her.

"I need you to come over, I'm freaking out." I nervously told her, my voice shaky from the abundance of feelings I was dealing with all at once.

"What's going on? Is everything okay?" She asked, and I immediately felt shuffling on the other side of the phone.

"Carter asked me on a date last night and I'm freaking out!" I exclaimed, letting my emotions out for the first time since he'd asked me. "What happens on a date? What do I expect? Is he expecting anything from me? What if I fuck things up? What if--"

"Aurora!" Katherine exclaimed, cutting me off. "It's okay, alright? I'll be there in about twenty unless you want to meet me halfway."

"I'll meet you halfway," I said almost immediately. "I'm too fidgety to sit here and wait that long."

"Okay," She said. "I'll leave in about five minutes. Give me a bit to get ready, I just woke up."

"Okay, I need to change into something more presentable as well," I told her, nodding my head although she couldn't see me. "I'll leave in about five minutes and meet you halfway."