~~~
Excuse the mistakes
dedcicated to vagueism, who created the lovely cover on the side!
~~~
“Okay, so let me get this straight.”
“Go ahead, O.”
“Alright… So, you had coffee with Duke, apparently found out you guys have mutual crushes on each other, and are now going on a date tonight?”
Olive squinted at me from my bed, where she was lying on her stomach with her hands keeping her head propped up. I leaned back in my desk chair and folded my arms across my chest. “You’re correct,” I replied, “Although I’m not shocked, since I have explained it over three times.”
“I’m just trying to wrap my head around it,” Olive said with an arched eyebrow. “I don’t need your sass, bitch.”
“Bitch is not at all a term of endearment,” I stated, turning my nose up dramatically.
“Bitch, bitch, bitch!” Olive yelled, and she grabbed one of my pillows and threw it at me.
The pillow hit my chest lightly and bounced onto the floor, and I just rolled my eyes. Olive lolled over onto her back and threw her hands up in victory. “Nothing but net!” she cheered, grinning broadly and waving her hands.
I laughed and stood up, and I grabbed my pillow and tossed it back on my bed, making sure that it hit Olive’s stomach. Then, I opened my closet and started ruffling through my clothes, looking for something to wear. As I passed by each dress and shirt, I exhaled loudly. I thought back to last night, and I frowned.
After we headed back home from our spontaneous coffee date, Duke had to go to an impromptu football practice and bonding with his team. Before leaving, he’d asked me to go on a real date with him tonight. However, when I’d asked what we were doing, because Duke seemed like he’d had a plan, he refused to tell me. “Dress comfortable,” he’d said, and that was it. So, basically, I had no idea what to wear, and frankly, that was a real dilemma, especially since this was my first “real” date with the guy I really liked.
“What’s up?” Olive asked, although her voice told me she wasn’t really paying attention. With one look over my shoulder, I could tell that I was right because she was suddenly texting on her phone with crazy speed. My guess: Lillian.
“Oh, nothing,” I sighed, examining a pink sweater and then immediately vetoing it.
“Is this something clothing related?” Olive asked, and a moment later, I heard the soft ruffle of my blanket, and then feet hitting the floor. A moment later, Olive popped up next to me, and she put her hands on her hips as she looked into my closet. “Alright,” she said, “What are we dressing for?”
“Oh, I dunno,” I replied with a shrug, and Olive’s head snapped to the side to stare at me incredulously.
“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Olive asked confusedly, “I mean, didn’t Duke tell you where you were going?”
“Uh, no he did not,” I said as I looked a black dress up and down before making a face and flipping past it.
Olive ran a hand through her hair and shook her head. “I get that some people think that surprise dates are really fun and romantic, and in some ways they are,” she said, and she started pacing around my room, “However, the downside is that if we aren’t told where we are going, how are was supposed to dress in a cute, comfortable, and not over or underdressed way? I mean, c’mon!”
“Well,” I drawled, tapping my finger against my chin, “Duke did tell me to dress comfortably, but that’s it.”
“He may as well have told you to wear a shirt,” Olive replied, rolling her eyes. “You can be comfortable in a pair of jeans, sweatpants, a dress, or nothing. Like, that’s such a vague term.”
“Yeah, I’m aware,” I muttered, and I turned away from the closet and glanced at my alarm clock next to my bed. Duke said to be ready at 6 o’clock, and it was five-thirty already. I had half an hour to put an outfit together, as well as do my makeup. Thankfully, my hair was already done because I’d taken a shower after getting home from Starbucks.
“Here,” Olive said, interrupting my thoughts, “let’s think deductively, shall we?”
“What do you mean?” I asked with a frown.
“Duke doesn’t seem to be a super fancy guy,” Olive stated, and she started talking animatedly with her hands. “So, we can probably be safe in assuming you aren’t going to some fancy restaurant.”
“That’s a good point,” I replied with a slow nod.
“I know,” Olive stated, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “Duke also doesn’t seem like the guy to take you paintballing or something; at least, not on a first date. So, sweatpants or like other super comfortable clothes probably aren’t appropriate either.”
“Then what’s left?” I asked, trying to piece together any possibly outfit in my head.
“Hmm,” Olive hummed, and she stepped in front of me and started leafing through my closet. I decided to just step back and let her do her work, and I headed towards my bathroom.
“I’ll be right back, okay?” I said, and Olive just waved a hand dismissively at me. I chuckled and shook my head, and I padded into my bathroom and flicked on the light.
Quickly, I brushed my teeth, and then I ran a comb through my hair, which had dried wavy. My bangs looked weird, so I grimaced and clipped them back, and then I pulled my makeup bag out. I concealed the dark bags under my eyes, which inevitably popped up on every high school senior, and I put on some eyeliner and mascara.
“So, I think I found something.”
I glanced towards the door the bathroom to see Olive standing there with a hanger on her hand. It was a black dress with daisies on it, and it was the kind that hugged your top and then flared out at the waist, and it was one of my favorites. It was definitely comfortable.
“I figure if you wear it with some tights underneath, if you have to run around somewhere, you won’t flash anyone,” Olive stated, holding the dress up against her body and pulling out the dress’s skirt.
“I think that sounds perfect,” I replied, and I took the dress from her hands. We walked back into my bedroom, and I grabbed my black tights from the top drawer of my dresser. Then, as Olive made herself at home on my bed once again, I stripped out of my flannel shorts and tank top.
I made a face as I started putting on the tights because, let’s face it, putting on tights is hell. You have to be really careful putting them on so you don’t rip them or get a run, and if one leg is pulled up further than the other, it’s all up in your crotch, as well as making your legs different colors. After managing to get the tights on, I pulled the dress on over my head, and I smoothed it with my hands.
Just as I pulled on a pair of black ankle boots, there was a knock at my bedroom door. “Come in,” I called, and I watched as Duke stepped into my room.
“Hey,” he said, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Duke saw Olive on the bed and waved, “Hey Olive!” She grunted in greeting as her fingers flew across the keyboard of her phone, and Duke shrugged before looking back to me. “Are you ready to go?” he asked.
“That depends,” I replied, and I gestured towards my outfit, “Do I need to change? Or is this fine for our super-secret date?”
“It’s perfect,” Duke stated with a grin, and he looked me up and down for a moment before nodding. “As long as you have something between your feet and those shoes, we’re good to go.”
“Um… yeah, I do,” I said slowly, and I gave him a weird look.
“Don’t worry,” Duke said with a laugh, “It’ll make sense when we get to where we’re going. Then, you’ll probably thank me for making sure.”
“Okay,” I replied, still suspicious, but also really curious. “Let me just grab my purse.”
“Alright,” Duke said, and then he nodded towards the door, “I’ll meet you in the car, okay?
“That’s fine,” I stated, and I smiled at him. Duke grinned right back, and then he glanced over at Olive. “Bye Olive,” he said, and once again, she returned his words with the same grunt. Duke and I exchanged an amused look before he disappeared from my room.
“Was that my cue to leave?” Olive asked, and I nodded. She let out a groan, and then rolled over onto her stomach. I watched as she bounced off of my bed, shoved her feet in her flip-flops, and grabbed her purse.
“I’ll see you soon, O,” I said.
“Don’t get pregnant,” Olive replied with a mock salute, and then she flounced out of my bedroom.
“Not a problem,” I muttered, and I grabbed my tiny, black shoulder bag. I quickly threw my wallet, keys, and phone into it, and then I hurried out of my room.
By the time I was down the stairs and outside, Olive’s car was gone. She was probably off to Lillian’s for cute, cuddling time that might get x-rated, and as much as I loved them, I didn’t need to ponder their intimate activities.
I walked down the front steps and crossed over to the driveway. I climbed into the passenger seat of our shared car, and I quickly shut the door and buckled my seatbelt. “Ready?” Duke asked, and I nodded.
As Duke pulled out of the driveway, I fiddled with the radio, and I settled on a station playing some acoustic song that I immediately knew was by the Head and the Heart. I tapped my finger to the beat, and glanced at Duke, who was also drumming his fingers against the steering wheel.
“I saw them in concert,” I said, breaking the ice.
“Who?” Duke asked, glancing at me.
“The Head and the Heart,” I clarified, pointing at the stereo, “I saw them live when they opened for Death Cab for Cutie. They’re really good.”
“I know Death Cab pretty well,” Duke replied, and he nodded towards the stereo, “And they sound chill. I bet it was a great concert.”
“It was,” I said with a smile, “It was one of my favorites.”
“One of?” Duke asked, giving me another sideways glance, “What are your others?”
“Hmm,” I said, leaning back into my seat, “That’s a hard question. I really enjoyed the Fun. concert, because they were great and Tegan & Sara was the opener, but I also saw Barenaked Ladies, who were pretty laid back. Those are probably my top ones.”
“I’ve only been to one concert, and I regret every moment of it,” Duke replied, and he shuddered as he turned right.
“What concert?” I asked, and Duke exhaled slowly.
“Justin Bieber,” he stated without looking towards me, and I burst out laughing.
“You cannot be serious!” I cried, and Duke shook his head.
“No, I went, I saw, I died a little inside,” he said with a chuckle. “I took my two cousins, who were huge fans at the time. Now, luckily, they see he’s kinda a huge asshat.”
“A gigantic asshat,” I muttered to myself, and Duke laughed.
Suddenly, Duke pulled into a huge parking lot, and when I glanced around, I saw the logo for the local bowling alley. Duke was right; I was pretty damn thankful that he’d made sure I had something for between my feet and my shoes. Bowling shoes were nasty inside.
“I haven’t been bowling since I was twelve,” I commented as Duke pulling to a parking spot and shut off the car. “I used to be pretty good, though, so maybe I’ve still got it.”
“Nah,” Duke replied, and he opened his door and climbed out of the car, “I’m gonna kick your ass.”
Quickly, I scrambled out of the car and met him at the back of it. “Oh, are you so sure?” I demanded, crossing my arms over my chest, “because I could be a bowling god and you wouldn’t know it!”
“I’m feeling pretty confident,” Duke said, holding his arms up at his sides. I tried to ignore the fact that when he did that, his shirt lifted a little, and I could see his defined muscles. Girls, don’t judge. You’ve all marveled at muscles before, whether they’ve been on guys or girls.
“Yeah, well, let’s head inside and test that theory,” I shot back with a smirk, and Duke laughed as we walked into the bowling alley together. He held the doors open like a gentleman, and then we approached the desk. Duke booked us a lane, and after getting shoes and balls, we went and set our stuff down.
As I pulled off my boots and started putting on the bowling shoes, Duke sat down at the keyboard that was connected to our scoreboard. “What shall your bowling name be?” he asked over his shoulder.
“I dunno,” I answered, and I waved a dismissive hand. “Surprise me!”
“Hmm,” Duke hummed, and he started pressing keys. I finished lacing up the shoes, and I pushed my boots under the seat. When I looked up at the scoreboard, my mouth fell open.
“You did not put that as my name!” I gasped, and Duke started laughing.
“Do you like it?” He asked, trying and failing to contain his laughter.
“It’s a dick!” I hissed, jabbing him in the abdomen with my fingers, “you just made a dick!”
For my nickname, Duke had put “8==D”. I kid you not.
“Mine is two dicks, if it makes you feel better,” Duke replied, pointing at the screen with a huge smile on his face.
“You’re a child!” I cried, throwing my hands up in the air. However, I couldn’t help but start laughing. I didn’t actually mind too much, since the bowling alley was mostly empty. It was, of course, World Cup season, and everyone was at home, glued to their TVs. Plus, it was actually pretty funny.
“Alright, dick, are you ready to lose?” Duke asked, cocking an eyebrow.
“I think you’re mistaken, double dicks,” I replied, poking him in the chest, “You’re going down!”
Duke shook his head confidently, and then pointed at the lane. “You’re up, Harper,” he said, and I strutted past him with purposely dramatic gusto. I picked up my ball, positioned myself the way I vaguely I remembered I was supposed to, and then I swung the ball back, and then as I pulled it forward, I released it.
Strike.
“You have to be fucking kidding me,” I heard Duke mutter, and I turned around and jumped up.
“Beat that,” I stated with a wink, and Duke exhaled slowly as I passed him.
Duke picked up his ball, which was a few pounds heavier than mine, and he approached the line. As he swung back and then pulled the ball forward, I knew it was going to be a gutter ball. My grandma had forced me into a bowling lesson once, and despite the guy being drastically creepy and sweaty, I’d picked up a couple things.
“Well shit,” Duke muttered, and he walked back to ball return to wait.
Please don’t be the type of guy who gets embarrassed when a girl tries and helps, I thought, and with a quick wince, I walked over to Duke, who had just picked up his ball.
Without a word, I grabbed his arms and pulled him over to the line. Then I stood behind him and turned him in the direction he would want to be standing. After that, I started to guide his arm back.
“Um, Harper?” Duke asked, glancing back at me, “What are you doing?”
“Haven’t you ever seen a teen rom-com?” I asked, and I shrugged. “I’m doing the thing where I help you with the sport you’re making me do.”
“Doesn’t the guy usually do that?”
“Don’t be sexist,” I replied simply, and then I took a step back. “Now bowl, but make sure you stay straight and your thumb points to where you want the ball to go!”
Duke took a deep breath and did exactly as I said. I stepped up to Duke as the ball rolled, and when it crashed into the pins and knocked every single one down, we both jumped up and started cheering like something miraculous had happened.
Suddenly, Duke pulled me into his arms for a bear hug, and then when I looked up at him, our eyes locked. My eyes went from his eyes to his lips, and then back up again. Everything slowed down, and I decided to just throw my inhibitions to the wind and go for it.
I pushed myself up on my tip-toes and lightly pressed my lips to Duke’s. He was surprised at first, but it only took him a moment to put one hand on the small of my back and pull me closer. I wrapped my arms around his neck for support, and after a few moments, I slowly came back to earth.
“Well,” Duke said quietly, looking down at me, “that was… something.”
“A consolation prize,” I replied, trying not to sound breathless, “I’m still going to kick your butt.”
“Oh,” Duke stated, arching an eyebrow and smirking, “We’ll see about that!”
~~~
So here's the new update! They kissed, omfg, waaat, yasssss, soml.... (guys, I'm so drained from school right now, if you can't tell. Tomorrow is my last final, and then I graduate a week from today. Hot damn.)
Who can spot the Justin Bieber comment I know I'm gonna get hate for? :)
If you guys are reading Thin Ice, you would know that it only has the epilogue left. (if you aren't you guys totally should, because yeah). Which means.... *drum roll*... It's time for me to prepare a new story! So, in the next couple of days, I'm going to narrow down my ideas. Then, I'll release the description. Watch out for that!
To the people who ignored my author's note in the last chapter, ya'll are assholes. Go ahead and lecture me, it just adds to you asshole-ness (I swear, that is a word).
Also, look up the Head and the Heart, the band I mentioned in this chapter. I actually did see them open for Death Cab wiht my boyfriend and some friends, and they were really amazing and awesome and I love them. The girl plays a violin and she's a bamf.
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