Connor ended up staying the night too. Josh had volunteered to sleep on the couch in my room, leaving the bed for Connor and I. He slept the bed with me. I could feel the loved pouring from his heart the whole night as he held me tightly in his arms. We didn't even get changed either. The two of us slept in my uniforms the whole night.
"Wake up Josh!" Connor and I shouted.
He grunted at us as he opened his eyes.
He yawned and said, "So Andrew, I texted the coach last night."
"Wait. You did what?!" I said.
"And you've got a spot on the JV team now. Congrats."
Connor was literally jumping for joy. He kissed me two or three times and I smiled. I finally get to play soccer with Connor.
"So Andrew, I've got our date for today all planned out already," Connor changed the subject. "I don't want you to get changed. I want you to wear that uniform on our date."
He must really think I look cute in my uniform. I wonder what he had planned. I didn't even know that he wanted to go on that date today, but whatever. I wasn't going to let him down, I couldn't.
"We are going to be meeting Alexis at the park at about 11:30 AM," he told me.
I have a feeling that he has been planning this date for a while. I put my finger up to his lips and shushed him.
"Don't spoil it. I want to be surprised," I told him.
He looked at me and smiled, "Okay."
I honestly had no idea what I was doing. I guess I took a leap of faith. Hopefully it wouldn't come back to bite me in the ass.
I looked over at the clock in the room. 11:00 AM. I smiled and laughed to myself.
"Connor, you do know that it's already 11?" I asked him.
"Yea. So we need to leave now!" he exclaimed.
"Josh, I guess I have to go. Just go ask my mom for a ride home. She'll take you," I said to Josh as Connor was literally dragging me out of the house.
The two of us started walking to the park. When we got to the end of the driveway, I noticed that I still had my cleats on. I could've sworn that I took them off after the game ended. Connor wouldn't let me go change them. I had to walk in the grass instead of on the sidewalk. After all, I didn't want to wear down my cleats and ruin them.
I still wasn't sure if this date was a good idea, but it was way too late to second guess myself or change my mind. I spent most of the walk still trying to understand and figure out what I was feeling, thinking, and doing.
"Andrew! Are you even listening to me?!" Connor snapped at me.
"Huh? Wha? Oh no. I zoned out I guess. I'm sorry." I said as I came back to reality.
"I said. We are here," he restated.
"Oh"
I hadn't even realized but, I guess the two of us walked all the way to the soccer field at the park. I guess I was really zoned out. I looked around to and in front of one of the goals, I saw a red head girl sitting on a blanket. She looked orange; I think she must've gotten a spray tan recently. I realized, after a moment that it was Alexis.
Connor grabbed my arm and dragged me over to her as he shook his head and sighed. I guess he though I zoned out again.
"Connor, it's 11:42. You're late."
"I'm sorry Lex, but someone was walking pretty slow," he explained, gesturing towards me.
"Who? Me?" I asked.
"Yea you," Connor teased.
There were a couple sports bags and a basket lying on the ground. I had a feeling I knew what we were doing, but I let Connor have his fun moment.
"Surprise! It's a picnic!" he shouted in excitement to me.
"Awesome! What kind of food?" I asked.
"I got us peanut butter and jelly sandwiches," he answered.
"You mean I did," Alexis interjected, clearly offended.
"So you're the friend that Connor ACTUALLY tells everything to." I said, teasing Connor.
"He planned this date a long time ago. Honestly I was surprised when I got his text last night saying that it was a go. I never expected him to actually ask you out nor you to agree if he did," she explained.
"Hehe. That's cute of him. I guess he dragged you into helping him," I said.
"Yea."
"Well Connor, it's your date. Are we going to eat now?" I asked him.
"No," he said as he reached into one of Alexis's sports bags.
"We're going to do this first," he announced as he pulled a classic black and white soccer ball from Alexis's sport bag and held it up in front of Alexis and I.
He punted the ball over to the goal on the other side of the field. He reached back into and pulled out a pair of gloves and cleats. I sat down and swapped his sneakers for the cleats. He stood up and put the gloves on. I realized that they were goalie gloves.
"Connor, you're not a goalie. You've never even played goal. Why do you have those gloves?" I asked him, a little confused.
"Shhh. You said you wanted a surprise; don't ask too many questions," he scolded me.
I turned and looked at Alexis. I don't know how I didn't see it before but, I noticed that she was wearing her soccer uniform. She just giggled at the confused look on my face as she stood up. I turned back to Connor just to find him running off towards where the ball landed.
"Alright. It's on. If Connor thinks he can stop a shot from me, without any experience as a keeper," I started saying under my breath, "than he's got another thing coming," I exclaimed out loud.
I sprinted towards the ball. Connor was already in the goal. When I got to the ball I wailed it in Connor's direction. It was one fast, hard kick. There was no way he could stop that. I ran towards Connor, following the ball. It was heading for the top right corner of the goal.
"Ha. You're not stopping that!" I taunted him.
He scoffed and leapt toward the ball. I grabbed the ball and landed on the ground, crouched, ball in hand. He looked like pro.
"WHAT!!!!!" I screamed out in anger.
"THERE'S NO FUCKING WAY THAT JUST HAPPENED!!!" I cussed out at him.
He just laughed.
I ran up to him and demanded, "Gimme that ball!" As I ripped the ball from his hands I exclaimed, "That was just beginners' luck! You won't stop another!"
He just looked at me with a pompous, stuck-up, arrogant look on his face. I just scoffed and it and went back to take another shot. When I got a good enough distance from him, I wailed the ball towards the goal once more.
"WHAT!!!!!" I screamed.
He stopped another, and another, and another, and another. I spent the next hour and a half taking every imaginable shot on him. He stopped all but two of them.
As I stood in front of him, panting, I asked, "Hhh...Hhh...How, how are you doing it?!"
Alexis was standing next to the left goal post watching and before Connor had a chance to answer, she interrupted and said, "Isn't it obvious? He's a good goalie!"
"How though?!" I demanded, still panting.
"I practiced. And practiced. And practiced," Connor answered.
"When?" I asked.
"Every day since summer break started. In the summer I got professional training," I explained.
"Okay. Why does Alexis know about this?"
"When I wasn't practicing and training with the professional trainer, I was practicing and training with her," he answered.
"Why?"
"Isn't that obvious as well?" Conner asked me.
I sighed and said, "Are you going to tell me or not?"
"For you!"
"What do you mean for me?" I asked.
"Andrew! Are you really that naïve?" Alexis interjected.
"Obviously he wanted to impress you," she explained.
"Why?" I asked.
"Andrew, you ask too many questions," Connor stated, flat out, annoyed.
"You better have brought something to drink," I threatened.
"Relax. We've planned this for like months. Of course I have bottles of water," Connor said confidently.
The three of us walked back over to the picnic blanket. It was nearly 2:00 PM, at least I assumed it was after how long Connor and I went at it on the field.
Connor got to the blanket first. Alexis and I were a distance behind. As we were walking toward Connor, we saw him collapse onto his knees, covering his face. The two of us ran over to him as fast as we could.
"CONNOR! WHAT'S WRONG?!" I cried out to him.
Sobbing he answered, "Look..."
He pointed to the picnic basket. It was ripped apart, bits and pieces everywhere. The food was gone. I guess an animal must have come by and snagged the food while we were over on the other side of the field playing soccer.
"So? What's the big deal?" I asked.
He was balling his eyes out and said, "I wanted today to be perfect. I've hoped and dreamed for this moment for a long time. I've planned everything out for this day, but I didn't plan for this. Everything is ruined."
"What do you mean everything is ruined? You're crazy. It's just sandwiches," I said to him.
I crouched down and put my arm around him and said to him, "Connor, it's ok. Just get me a bottle of water and I'll be happy."
He took one deep breath and regained his composure. He reached into the other sports bag and pulled out a brand new, ice cold bottle of water. It was dripping and covered in water droplets.
Connor turned around and handed me the bottle and said, "Here."
I grabbed the bottle, but didn't take it from him, not right away at least. I sat there looking at him. His was still red from crying moments before and tears were still flowing down his face. I leaned in closer to Connor and smiled at him, using my other hand to wipe the tears off of his face. I don't know what compelled me to do it but, I let go of the bottle and pulled his head closer.
I kissed him.
I. Kissed. Him.
My emotions and feelings were in control of me now. Logic, reasoning, and rational though had flown away.
"Connor. You're beautiful. This date has been amazing, I couldn't have asked for more. I'm sorry that I didn't realize how you felt about me sooner," I just started rambling on, not even realizing what I was saying; I guess the heart says what it wants, not what it should.
He smiled at me. The tears that had subsided only minutes ago were once again flowing down his face. At least he wasn't crying, just tears.
"Why are you crying again?" I asked
"Because, I'm so happy!" he answered.
"You two are so cute!" Alexis interjected.
The three of us spent the rest of the afternoon playing soccer and hanging out. Alexis had to go home at five o'clock. Connor and I stayed behind a while longer.
I collapsed on the ground in front of one of the goals. I lied there on my back panting. Connor came over and laid down next to me.
"Co...Co...Conner...I think it's time to call it quits for today," I said to him as I gasped and huffed for air.
"Okay," he agreed.
"Connor, I don't know how happy my mom is going to be when that I stayed out this late. It's nearly ten o'clock."
"I'm sure she won't be too mad," he assured me.
"So can I wash my uniforms when we get home this time?" I sarcastically asked him.
Connor turned his head and moved closer to me. He sniffed me up and down.
"Yea. You're one stinky, smelly, sweaty boy alright, but I think it's cute," he answered.
I found it a little weird that he liked how I smelled when I was all sweaty and gross but I wasn't going to judge. It was just another one of his cute little quirks.
The two of us walked back to my house hand in hand, after all it was pretty dark and we had to make sure we stayed safe.
I still didn't know why I said yes when he asked me out. I still didn't understand my feelings for him yet. I didn't know what I was getting myself into. All I knew was that I liked it so far.