Lucas

Standing in line is a pain. Especially when the lady in front of you is asking for about twenty modifications on her sandwich.

It is a sandwich, lady. Just make your own instead of asking for a menu item with twenty changes.

"How can I help you?" The worker smiles at me.

"Yes!" I smile back. "May I have a Veggie sandwich and a Spicy Italian sandwich?"

The worker nods and begins making the sandwiches.

"Would you like any of them toasted?"

"Just the Spicy Italian."

I look back at the table, where Victoria is sitting and typing away at her phone. She doesn't seem as nervous as I'm feeling at the moment. After Julian left, I had this great epiphany where I realized I have a crush on Nikki.

It doesn't indicate I don't like Victoria but am confused on how to proceed with this matter. I texted Victoria and asked her out via text. She texted back pretty fast and asked me to pick her up at ten in the morning. After walking around the mall in awkward silence, Victoria decided on a sandwich.

"Would you like to make them combos?" The cashier asks while typing away at the register.

"Yes. One coke and the other sprite. And add two chocolate chips cookies to the order."

I grab the food and slowly walk towards our table. Every step causes a row of ants to crawl inside my arms. As if noticing my presence, Victoria stands up to grab both drinks. I set the tray on the table and take a seat across from her. Victoria grins at the food and grabs her Veggie sandwich.

"How does it taste?" I open my sandwich.

Victoria holds up her pointer finger and swallows. "Good. I didn't eat breakfast so I was really hungry." She takes another bite.

"You - you don't like meat?" I close my eyes in embarrassment. I have no idea what to do on a date. Am I doing it right?

Victoria shakes her head, smiling. "I love meat!" Looking around the food court, she leans in to whisper. "I'm not allowed to eat meat on a first date." She giggles and takes another bite of her sandwich.

My heart thumps when she says "first". "Why?" I grab my drink.

"My mom says I'm a messy eater. She calls it a..." Victoria looks at the table in concentration. "She calls it a "fifth date" type of thing." She uses her hand to cover her laugh.

I nod.

"So," Victoria looks at her sandwich. "How many girls have you dated?"

The question makes my face flare up. Logan always says to exaggerate a little. I've asked girls on dates, have scheduled some, but haven't gone to them.

I know, I know. It was wrong.

"Just you."

She raises an eyebrow. "As if I'll believe that." She moves her hair away from her chest. "Are you also going to tell me you've never kissed a girl?"

"I've kissed a couple girls." My pointer and thumb finger create a small rectangle.

She leans her back against her chair, eyes staring at me intently. "I want a number." Her chin pops out.

"A number?" I frown. I used to kiss many girls in elementary for the sole purpose of making them cry and in middle school, I only kissed two. I was so focused on Logan, I didn't kiss any in high school. "Two." I shrug.

Normally I'd try to make up an impressive number but I have a feeling she won't be impressed.

"Huh."

"Still think I'm lying?"

"Maybe."

"I don't think I can prove it to you." I take another bite of my sandwich. "I didn't think the memories were worth conserving."

A small smile fights it way to her lips. "So," She takes a sip of her drink. "Ask me a question."

"Sure." I tap my chin, trying to think of questions that won't offend her. "Do you have any siblings?" I wince.

Maybe I have no game... ?

"No. Just me."

"Cool." I lean forward and place my arms on the table looking into her eyes. "My turn."

"What's your favorite color?" She reaches over to grab her drink.

"I don't have one."

"Really?" Her eyes raise in surprise. "Why's that?"

I shake my finger at her, smirking. "It's my turn now." I crack my knuckles. "Tell me what you hate more than anything in the world."

"I don't hate anything!" Her finger pulls her hair behind her ear, blushing.

"That's not how you play the game."

"Fine!" She playfully pouts. "Um... I guess cheaters." Her eyes turn a darker blue. I notice the crease between her brows and become curious.

How could someone cheat on such a beautiful girl?

"So someone cheated on you?"

"Nuh huh." She mimics my finger shaking. "It's my turn to ask a question. So tell me about your exes." Her body leans forward.

I lean back. "I don't have any. I just... kissed girls." I shrug like it's not a big deal. But it's a little embarrassing. I guess in teenage words, I'm a "dating virgin". Not exactly something you want to say to a fellow high schooler. It's something Logan drilled into my head before freshman year.

"Liar!" Her finger pokes my nose.

My eyes widen in surprise. Noticing my face, she retracts her finger and begins playing with her thumbs, blushing.

Cute.

Not wanting to embarrass her, I speak "My turn." Why am I not curious about her? I feel like she's a puzzle. And for some reason, there is nothing wrong with her. "Why did you move to this school?" I tilt my head and press my lips together.

Her body falls to the back of the seat and her lips fall into a faux expression. "I actually wanted to talk to you about that." She avoids my gaze.

Something makes me wish I didn't ask that question. I settle with a stiff nod.

She closes her eyes and exhales slowly. An uncomfortable silence settles in the atmosphere as I try to not seem bothered by her fidgeting figure.

"I came here... because of my cousin and her friend."

"O - kay." My lips nervously curl upwards.

"They asked for my help. They - they had some feelings." Her face scrunches up in concentration as she thinks about her next words. "There was this boy who was playing with girls... or something. So... so..."

"You don't have to tell me." My hands wave vigorously in front of me. "I didn't want to offend you or nothing like that."

Especially not after the last offense I committed against her.

"I want to!" Her face flies close to mine. "I'm supposed to get revenge against that boy."

"Right..." What? "So..." I can't understand what's she's saying.

"It's you."

I stay silent.

"You don't remember what I told you?" Her upper lip puffs out in annoyance.

I shake my head. I distinctly remember her rejecting me in front of my friends but that's about it. Is there anything else more important than that?

"You asked out my cousin and her friend."

Did I? They don't seem like the type of girls I'd go for.

"I'm sorry?" Crap! I didn't mean for it to come out as a question!

She nods, biting her bottom lip. "They were angry and so... she's my cousin and I wanted to help."

"I understand..." Still lost.

"I called if off though, no worries. They told me you'd schedule dates and never arrive so I wanted you to pick me up. I was a little surprised when you arrived but..."

She begins to ramble. I try to focus on her lip movements but my eyes search her face. A bead of sweat rolls down her flushed cheeks. She resembles a tomato. A cute one at that. Her outer appearance is innocent. To think she came here to get revenge on me... I don't believe it.

Something is wrong, fishy even.

"What are you thinking about?"

"What do you mean?" My mind is blank.

Would is be wrong to forgive her because of her eyes? It feels as if they are pulling me towards her.

"Is it Nikki?"

Her questions snaps me out my trance. My mouth moves up and down silently. Does she know I like Nikki as well? How did she know? Did I accidentally tell her while day dreaming? Did Julian say something? What did I do wrong?!

"I'm kidding, jeez."

My mouth is dry. I grab my drink and take a long sip while focusing my attention on my sandwich.

"I know you and her have a hateful relationship."

I lean back against my chair. "Is that what she said?" I try to seem uninterested in her answer. Nikki used to spread awful rumors and a tiny piece of me believes she's might be hidden somewhere.

I hope I'm wrong.

"No. It's just very obvious." Victoria laughs.

The mood is light again. She's fiddling with the straw of her drink but she doesn't seem as nervous as before. Her drink is only a fourth gone and her sandwich is almost finished. I turn my head to make sure the ice cream shop across the street is still there.

"Want ice cream?"

"Ice cream?" Her blue eyes shine.

"Yeah. There's a shop across the street." I point a finger in the direction.

Her lips form a small smile. Nodding, she grabs her drink and sandwich. I stand up and grab the tray. She places them on top before grabbing mine. We move towards the trashcan and I dump the stuff inside.

"You dropped the tray inside!" She whisper yells.

I gasp. I use my hand to reach inside the trash but feel nothing. "I think it's all the way at the bottom!" I feel my hands shake in panic.

"A worker's coming!" She whispers.

"Where?!"

"Run!" Victoria's body rushes outside the food court. Her blonde hair leaves behind the peach scent. Without thinking, I follow after her. A sudden rush of adrenaline causes my feet to speed up and surpass a giggling Victoria.

Guilt consumes my stomach as I think about the worker who will fish my tray out the trashcan. All because I didn't think before I did it.

"Wait!" A soft hand grabs mine and pulls me back roughly. A large light temporarily blinds me.

BEEP!

A large moving figure blurs past me. It causes my hair to blow away from my face and my body to turn cold.

"Are you trying to die?!" Victoria yells.

I shake my head, stunned. Did she just save my life? I turn my head towards the direction of the car and stare at it in disbelief.

"Are you alright?" Victoria's eyes appear in front of me, searching my face. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

Is it normal to have ten fingers in one hand?

"Mabry!"

Why does that sound like Avan?

"Ooo, are we interrupting?"

I don't answer as a number of faces pop into my line of sight. I'm still focused on the gray car who tried my life. My eyes run over the plate, mentally memorizing the digits. If I ever see that car... The car speeds off as soon as the light turns green. I watch it disappear.

"You look fine, girl."

It's Avan and a couple of jocks from school. I recognize a couple of them. Not that it matters. They never say anything and when they do, I don't know who it's from.

"Are you guys on a date?" Avan wiggles his eyebrows. From the corner of my eye, I notice Victoria turn her head to look at me. I open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out.

How fast was the car going? I felt a cold breeze!

"No." It's Victoria whose speaking now. "Just friends."

Goosebumps rise on my skin.

"Want to go out with me?"

I could have died!

"I'm not sure..." Victoria's eyes the side of my face again.

"I'd treat you right. Right, Lucas?" Avan slaps my back.

"Um..." Don't they see I'm panicking?

Victoria's hand slips out of mine. Her eyebrows are furrowed in what I can only guess is annoyance.

"So?" Avan winks at Victoria. "Are we going out?"

We're in the middle of a date!

"Yes." Victoria smiles.

"What?" A burning sensation arises inside my chest. Victoria's right hand reaches for Avan's outstretched hand. My hands reacts by itself. It grabs her left hand and pulls her back to my side. "You can't."

Victoria's hand feels small on mine.

"She's my girlfriend!"

The jocks holler.

So I got ahead of myself. It happens. Right?!

I look down at Victoria. She's looking at me with wide eyes and an agape mouth. I open my mouth to explain. Victoria grabs my collar and pulls my upper body down to her. When we are eye to eye, she searches my eyes before her mouth closes down on mine.

My lips are frozen against hers.

It's an innocent lip to lip kiss. Her eyes are closed tightly, focused.

Unlike mine.

After a couple seconds, her soft lips aren't on mine anymore. And I'm stuck staring at her flushed face.

Hands shake my body back and forth. I hear the distinct voices of the jocks but a familiar face catches my attention.

And it's not happy.

Crap.