ɴᴏᴡ ᴏʀ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ⇢ ᴊᴇʀᴏᴍᴇ ᴄʟᴀʀᴋᴇ

seven

"What were your plans for tonight?" Marissa asks her date as they start their walk towards - what Marissa assumed would be - town. "Anything I have to prepare myself for?" She jokes, nudging Brandon's shoulder lightly with her own.

Brandon laughs, shaking his head, "Don't worry, love, tonight will be one to remember," he promises.

"I'm going to keep you to that, you know."

"Good thing I meant my words, then right?"

-

He took her to a diner. Marissa is kind of relieved, honestly, she didn't want to go on a huge, extravagant date. The restaurant seemed cozy enough; the walls were lined with red booths, and the primary coloured-tile floor was littered with tables fit for large and small families. There were at least ten people working the kitchen hidden behind the front counter where another four were stationed.

The two got their seats almost immediately, and almost seconds after that, two strawberry milkshakes were placed in front of them.

"I know you love these," Brandon smiles, taking a sip of the cup of heaven. Marissa actually did blush that time. "One thing you must know about me, Ms. Bradley, is that I am a fantastic listener."

"Now, now, don't want to oversell yourself now, do you, Mr. Samuels?" Marissa said, taking a sip of her milkshake (and very barely covering up a moan).

"Try me."

Marissa took a second to think, she wanted the absolute perfect thing. "I got it!" she smiled, ready to have some fun. Brandon raised an eyebrow as if to say 'you're on'. "How old was I when I first started playing hockey?" Brandon took a few seconds, causing Marissa to say, "Come on, this is an easy one."

"I know," the boy chuckled. "Um, 5?" he tried. Marissa frowned, which led to Brandon thinking he was wrong.

"Correct."

"What did I tell you?" Brandon laughs, the most childish smile plastered on his face. It took every fiber in Marissa's being to stop herself from letting out her own grin. "I'm just a good listener."

"I'm not done yet, Mr. Know-It-All. How old was I when I first started attending Amun?"

"Eleven. Next."

"Why did I move from Canada?"

"Because you 'hypnotized' your cousins into believing they were prey being hunted by the vacuum, so your step-mum sent you here."

Marissa frowned again, he was good. Then, she had an idea.

"What did I tell you about my mom's death?"

Brandon froze. "I-I-" he cleared his throat. "You didn't tell me anything about your mom's death." he finally said with out-of-the-blue confidence.

Marissa was taken aback for a moment. Her gut was telling her this boy was lying. Her head, however, only thought that Brandon Samuels was way too cute to not be innocent. Marissa was torn; this just got a lot more difficult.

"You're right," she smiled somewhat uneasily. "I was just testing you, and you passed. I didn't tell you anything about my mom's death." Marissa looked down at her lap, a feeling of defeat taking over her. Her heart felt as empty as her milkshake.

Brandon cleared his throat, "Now that we're on the subject," Marissa looks up, "what happened to your mom?" The girl avoids eye contact, finding the crying baby across the restaurant more amusing. "I'm sorry if I overstepped, you don't have to answer."

The girl shook her head, "No, it's okay." She moved her gaze back onto her date, saying the next few words slowly, wanting to gauge his reaction carefully. "I actually don't know how she died. No one does."

Brandon looked shocked, to say the least. He sat back in his chair for a moment, then came back up to hold both of Marissa's hands in his. They felt warm, comforting. "I'm so sorry, it must be hard not knowing."

She sent him a sheepish look, "It's okay, really. With not knowing, I can always imagine she went peacefully. That sounds more appealing to whatever the truth may be." she said, meeting his warm brown eyes with her hazel ones. She shook her head, "We're totally ruining the whole 'first date mood'," she chuckles, "can we talk about something a little less depressing." Brandon nods, looking a little relieved himself. "Let's talk about you, eh? What's your story?" Marissa puts her head in her hand, ready to listen.

"Well," Brandon starts, wiping his hands on his jeans. "I was born here but moved to America for a few years for my father's work. Moved back around a year ago, but I don't live in a schoolhouse. Something about my mother wanting to keep a close eye on me or whatever. Uh, apart from thinking you were the most beautiful person I've ever laid eyes on, there's nothing else interesting about me." He finishes. Marissa's face can quite possibly resemble a tomato. "Oh!" Brandon stops, remembering something. "I can also say the alphabet backwards."

Marissa raised her eyebrow is astonishment, and as he performed the talent for her, the girl couldn't help but wonder if this boy was really so bad.