Once in a lifetime.

⚠️15

"'Great expectations'?"

"First...."

He turns to me cutting me off, "My God! Your class must have hated you."

I laughed. "They did. I would read the chapters at home after ballet while I was soaking my feet, or while I was stretching. I finished most of the books in a few days and then I would do free reading while the other members of the class did popcorn reading."

He looks at me funny. "What the hell is popcorn reading?"

I laugh, "When the teacher chooses randomly who is going to read the next chapter."

"That sounds awful. What happened when it was your turn to read?"

"I would ask where we were and then read what I had to and go back to doing my own thing. I got so much extra work done in that class."

"Did you pass all the tests?"

"Yep, and every day we had a chapter review. Our teacher started handing that out before we started reading because she was skeptical of if I was even paying attention. I would always finish it within the first five minutes of class before we even started reading. I think that's when she knew that I was doing the work outside of the class."
"Wow. I'm dating a nerd."

My eyes go wide. "Dating?"

The black circle in Dalton's pocket starts buzzing taking away Dalton's attention. "Our table is ready." he starts walking away and I follow smiling.

Sitting in Woody's  library restaurant I feel my legs begin to bounce. Dating. He said he's 'dating' me. Then he called me a nerd, but I can't help and keep replaying the way he said 'dating'. Does he want us to date? I mean I guess I can assuming yes since he said we were.

And the way he said it,
"Juliet." My eyes shoot up to his. I also instantly feel myself melt because of the way he said my name. "I'm sorry if I came off too strong."

My eyebrows come together. "What?"

"I just meant....well this is a date, right?" My tongue is heavy in my mouth. I nod. "I don't go on dates with someone unless I'm dating them so...." He trails off. I just keep looking at him because my tongue won't work and his eyes are hypnotizing. "Okay. Umm. I've only ever done this one other time so this will probably be lame. Juliet, I was wondering...."

"What can I getcha?" the waitress breaks the moment and I exhale all the air I was holding in. Dalton blinks a few times and then looks over the menu again.

"I'll have just a cheeseburger, fries on the side, a Dr. Pepper." He looks over his menu at me.

"I'll have a salad with a side of fruit. Water to drink."

Dalton puts his menu down shaking the table. "You're having WHAT?"

I'm taken back. He's talking a little too loud and I can't help but notice the couple at the table next to us look over. I repeat myself. "A salad and a..."

"Oh, I heard you." He cuts me off. He turns his attention to the waitress. "Bring the fruit, scrap the salad. She will be having the same as me."

My mouth gets dry. "Dalton I can't eat that before a show."

"We aren't going to a show." He seems confused and I look at the waitress. She looks a little uncomfortable and she doesn't know what to write down so she's forced to stay.

"That's fine," I say to her, letting her leave.

"I'll go put these in, your drinks will be with you soon." She seems a little too eager to walk away.
"I know you eat meat, you ate it at the buffet last night."