Isabelle's P.O.V
I got home and flopped onto my bed. After cliff jumping, we had spent the night roaming around different campsite parties and I'm pretty sure I consumed my weight in alcohol. I'm sure I did, because I spent the whole way home puking up nothing but a variety of different color liquid that sure as hell looked like the alcohol I consumed. It didn't help that I got stuck in the boys car after a failed game of rock paper scissors and Nathan drives like an idiot and Brayden spent the whole ride pretending to gag to make me puke.
On the bright side, Nate felt bad for me and bought me some saltine crackers at one of the gas stations we stopped at. I barely remember what happened last night other than the fact that I had to be carried to bed, which was embarrassing. Everyone else was in fine shape this morning, obviously, all of them know how to handle their alcohol. I rolled over and prepared to sleep until tomorrow. I was just beginning to fall asleep when my phone began ringing. I flipped back over and looked at the call display. Once I saw it was Anna I answered it.
"Hello," I said in a tone that sounded half asleep. "You cannot be sleeping already? Belle, it's only three o'clock." Anna said with a sigh. "Anna, I am hung over and spent two hours locked in the car with the boys," I said bitterly. "And Nate," She had a point. "Anyway, what's up?" I asked, knowing there had to be a reason for her to call. "I was wondering if, you, me, Nate and Nathan could double date." I sat into an upright position on my bed. "Wait he finally asked you out?" I said with as much excitement as I could muster with a hangover. "Not exactly." She said in a mumbled tone. "What do you mean not exactly? Anna, please don't drag me into one of your crazy plans. Liz and Spencer are still not talking and Natasha is still pissed at the boys for forgetting her at the gas station, I don't need any more friends being mad at each other." I said in the nicest way I could.
"Look, I just need you to pretend like you're super nervous about the date and asked to make it a double." She said pleadingly. "Anna I just don't understand how that helps you? He's still going to think you're asking him as a friend." I said trying to make her see this was a horrible idea and would only end in heartbreak. I really didn't want her to get hurt because it seemed to be the running theme this weekend. "I don't know but I'm just hoping it will make him see me in a different light. Please, Belle." She pleaded again, and I sighed. "Alright fine, but please be careful." "You are the greatest friend anyone could ask for!" With that, she hung up to call who I assumed was Nathan.
***
I woke up the next morning to Anna texting me the details of the date, which apparently she had planned while I had been fast asleep. Before I could respond, she barged into my room. "We need to go shopping." She stated and crawled into my bed beside me. "Um, why?" I asked. Looking out my window, I could see it was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky. "Belle, the date is on Friday!" "Exactly. It's supposed to rain Wednesday, why don't we go then?" Anna shook her head in response. "If I don't find the right outfit Wednesday, I would need to go out of town to the other mall on Thursday and if I don't find something then, I will be doomed," Anna said in a melodramatic tone. "You're being over dramatic," I said and got up from my bed.
She gave me a pout. I sighed, she wasn't going to let the thing go. "Fine, just give me a bit to get ready. Did you invite the other girls?" I asked as I made my way to my bathroom, which was adjoined to my bedroom. "I did, but only Liz and Natasha can come." She said as she picked at her nails. "That's odd, what's Taylor doing?" Taylor didn't have a job because she spent most of her days having to watch her younger brother, but her mom worked from home Monday's so she was usually free. Anna shrugged, "I don't know, all she said was she was busy." Hm, that's weird. I shrug, I'm sure it was nothing.
After I had finished getting ready we headed over to Liz's place to pick her and Natasha up. They slid in and Liz instantly began discussion her argument with Spencer. "Like what right does he have to tell me who to date? Not that I'm going to date that Greg guy, I'm just saying." She huffed out. I sat quietly and listened intently as she ranted on. "And what was with him telling me that what I was wearing was inappropriate? Who is he my father?" at this point she was waving her hands around trying to make her point. "Anyway, I'm not speaking to him unless he gives me an explanation." She let out a breath and sat back, thankfully done with her rant. No one spoke for a minute, unsure of what to say to avoid setting her off. Luckily, we arrived at the mall before we had to.
We began drifting from store to store, while Anna tried on a million dresses. None of us really needed anything and were basically along for the ride. I should've been going crazy about what to wear for this date, but I had so many dresses and clothes in my closet that Nate had never seen me wear. I guess that was the perk of seeing someone who had just moved here, while Anna, on the other hand, felt like she needed something that would "wow" Nathan.
"Okay, guys I think this is the one!" Anna yelled from behind the change room door. "You said that about the last twelve you've tried on." Liz sighed and got up from the circle chair we had sat on outside the dressing room. We had almost hit every store in the mall and Anna still hadn't found a dress. "Hurry Anna, I am starving!" Natasha's stomach grumbled confirming her plea. "Me too," I shouted as Anna walked out from the change room.
She walked out in a plain cream colored romper that showed off her tan. I smiled, she was right this outfit was definitely the one. "Pair that with some brown wedges and I think you just found the perfect outfit," I said with a smile as Natasha and Liz eagerly nodded their heads. She turned in front of the full-length mirror and smiled. "Alright, I'm getting it! Let's go get food." We all sighed in unison as Anna went back into the change room to change.
After Anna had finished paying for her outfit we headed to the food court before beginning our hunting for the perfect pair of brown wedges to go with her romper. We rounded the corner to the food court and instantly were hit by the smells of greasy food. My stomach grumbled at the prospect of food. I walked over to the pizza place in hopes they had a freshly made pepperoni and pineapple slice.
I was waiting in line and scrolling through Facebook when I heard someone cough behind me. Without looking up from my screen, I stepped forward away from the person to avoid the germs. The person coughed again and I could tell they had moved closer to me. I stepped forward again and stopped myself from saying anything. Then the person coughed again and I could feel their spit hit the exposed skin of my neck. With that, I turned to find a smirking Josh staring at me. I shook my head in response. "You're gross," I said smiling.
"I saw you standing there and thought I would come say hi." He gave me a cheeky smile. "So instead you decided to cough to get my attention," I said with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah, it was funny to watch you go rigid every time I coughed." "Next!" the counter person yelled. I went and placed my order and waited as it was in the oven. Josh walked up beside me after placing his order. "So what are you doing at the mall on a nice day?" "I could ask you the same thing," I said as they pulled my pizza out of the oven. "I needed some new shoes for work." He smirked. I nodded, "I'm here looking for a double date outfit." An expression I couldn't decipher crossed his face before quickly disappearing. He said nothing in response. My pizza arrived and I smiled, "I'll see you at work." He simply nodded in response. I gave him a weird look before walking to the seat the girls had found. I wonder why he was acting so weird.
***
The week had flown by between all the shifts I had to cover at the ice cream shop. Apparently, Josh was sick but I suspected it had something to do with the way he had reacted after I had mentioned my double date. Thankfully, Elena promised that Josh's sister was coming for the summer, so that meant another person to help with the customers that seemed to be growing in numbers each day. I was able to get out of the closing shift at the shop and was now at my house getting ready for the double date.
My door flew open and banged against the wall. I walked out of my bathroom and glared at Anna, who was giving me the oops face. "Anna, you're going to put a hole on my wall if you keep barging in here like that," I said and returned back to finishing my make-up. "I'm sorry, I'm nervous." She said sheepishly. I sighed, "You have nothing to worry about it's just a date." I tried to give off the impression I was anything but the nervous mess I currently was. "How are you so calm?" She asked, and I smiled at the fact my act was working. "Because I know that everything will go great tonight, just have a little faith," I smiled and she gave me a smile that did nothing to hide the fact she was nervous.
I looked at the clock and was surprised that for once I was on time. I finished up my make-up and walked to my closet. I realized I had yet to pick an outfit for tonight and I had no clue what to wear. We were having dinner at one of the nicer restaurants located at the pier, which meant I needed to wear something that wasn't jean shorts and a t-shirt. I opened my closet and my eyes were instantly drawn to the dress the girls had insisted I try on, and eventually, I bought. I had forgotten all about it. I pulled it out and slipped it on. I looked in the mirror and saw Anna giving me a nod of approval.
"It's a good thing you bought that dress." I nodded in agreement and grabbed a pair of sandals that wrapped around the ankles. My phone buzzed with a text from Nate. "Their here." Just as I said that the doorbell rang and I rushed downstairs to grabbed it before my father did. I heard my dad opening the door as I reached the stairs and cursed under my breath. I kept my speed and went down the stairs, which was probably the worst idea because my sandals had no grip and the stairs were carpeted. I slipped down the stairs and landed at the bottom, on my butt.
Nate ran over concerned but I could see in his face he was trying to hold back his laughter, unlike Nathan and Anna who had begun laughing uncontrollably. I looked over at my parents, namely my mom for moral support, so I wouldn't die from embarrassment, but they were both stifling a laugh. My mom's eyes read pity but her face looking like a child trying to poop, red from holding her breath and scrunching up awkwardly as she tried to hold back her laughter. My father was smiling in a creepy way, obviously hoping that this embarrassment would save him worry about his daughter ever dating again.
I looked back at Nate who was looking for broken bones and bumps on my head. He smiled at me after confirming I was okay physically and slowly pulled me off of the floor where I had fallen. "Are you okay?" He eyed me with concern and even though he confirmed I was physically fine, I think he was making sure I wasn't so mortified I become immobile. I nodded and walked out the door, somehow thankful this happened so we avoid my dad's interrogation.
Nate opened the passenger door on a truck that I assumed was his. He closed the door and went to the drivers side. Nathan and Anna had finally stopped laughing and the car settled into a silence I was itching to fill but couldn't seem to form any words. Instead, I leaned over and fiddled with the radio until Nate grabbed my hand and pulled it away from the radio and gave me a warm smile that instantly calmed me. As he drove he continued to hold my hand and I tried to focus on anything to hopefully subside to butterflies in my stomach. Nathan started talking about a football game that was happening this Sunday with Nate. I sat quietly and stared out the window and watched as the tree's whizzed by.
Once at the restaurant, Nate opened the door for me and we fell into step behind Anna and Nathan, as we made our way across the pier to the restaurant. "You sure you're okay? You were so quiet in the car." I smiled at him and nodded, "I just don't know anything about sports if I'm honest." "Understandable, it's nice that you're honest about that, most girls would've lied." He gave me a heart stopping smile and I smiled back because it was contagious. "Do you play football? or any kind of sport?" I asked as he shook his head, "Not football, but I played volleyball, I was on the school team." "You strike me as someone who would play football, not volleyball," I said as we arrived at the restaurant. He smiled and opened the door for me. As I walked in he leaned forward and whispered in my eye, "People can surprise you Is." I shivered as his breath fanned across my neck. He placed his hand on the small of my back as we followed Anna and Nathan to our table. Before we sat he leaned and whispered in my ear again causing the heat to rise to my cheeks, "I forgot to say that you look beautiful in that dress."
I was flipping through the menu trying to hide the blush that had been staining my cheeks for two minutes now when someone forcefully kicked me under that table. I looked up and narrowed my eyes at Anna who was smiling sheepishly. She began mouthing an unreadable sentence to me and I sighed. I stood up, which prompted the boys to look at me. "I'm going to the bathroom. Nate if the waitress comes could you order me the seafood pasta, please," I smiled at him and he nodded. I walked away and listened as Anna said she would be right back. She caught up to me just as I was entering the bathroom.
"Sorry, I didn't realize how much force I put behind the kick." "It's fine, what's up?" I asked and walked into a stall figuring if I'm in here I may as well go. "I'm so nervous I can barely speak to him. He has yet to even compliment my amazing outfit." She whined I busied myself with washing my hands as I tried to come up with the right words to say. "Anna, you have to remember he thinks you invited him as a friend, you need to show him that's not why you invited him," I said instantly regretting the words as they came out.
I watched her face light up and instantly I knew I had said the wrong thing. "Your right! It's time I finally tell him that I'm tired of being in the friend zone." She said with a new found confidence that could only lead to bad things to come. "Not exactly what I meant," I muttered as she walked out of the bathroom with purpose. I just hoped she could wait till after the date to shout her feelings to the world.
Dinner went by with conversations and thankfully no proclamations of love. We were finishing up dessert and agree we should walk on the beach when a disgruntled looking girl marched over to our table. Nathan quickly stood up upon her arrival. I recognized her from the freshman class and began shaking my head. "You cheating asshole!" She shouted causing everyone to look up from their dinners. I quickly shielded my eyes because the last thing I needed was to be a part of the town gossip.
She turned to Anna who sat shell shocked as she watched the events unfold. "Did you know we were seeing each other? or did he forget to mention that?" Anna stared at her in disbelief. Anna was not one to keep quiet, especially when someone had no business yelling at her, but she just sat there and didn't say anything. I was shocked that some lowly freshman had the guts to even approach a table full of soon to be seniors.
"Would you calm down. It's not a date, well I mean it is for Nate and Belle, but were just here as friends." Nathan said well pointing his finger at Anna and him. I looked at Anna who did nothing to hide the obvious pain and embarrassment she felt from that statement. I watched as the girl seemed to relax her stance a bit but her face still showed anger. Nathan turned to Anna pleading her to back him up. He whispered a please in her direction.
As she registered what he was asking her face slowly changed and I watched as the wall she had built to protect her feelings crumbled. "Why? So I can forever be stuck in the friend zone and waste my time trying to get you to notice me for once? So I can watch you float from girl to girl with no regard for their feelings, and constantly be there to save you when you screw it up, without some much as a thank-you? No, I'm done, you're on your own." Anna said in a calm tone that was boarding on hysterical crying because some of her words came out cracked like she was holding back the tears that so badly wanted to spill out. The restaurant was completely silent with the only sound coming from the scrapping of Anna's chair as she push it away from the table and her shoes smacking the creaking floors boards as she walked out of the door. As soon as the door smacked with a close everyone went back to eating aware the show was over.
Nathan made no move to go after her just stared at the door she had used to exit from. I stood up and Nate followed suit. I shook my head, "I will call you later okay." He nodded and I gave one final glare at Nathan, who recoiled as I did, and left.