"You know what I've just realized?"

"What?"

"We've never been on a date."

I sat up straighter on my couch and incredulously glanced at Antonio. "Of course we have."

"No," he scrambled to stand up and pace across the living room of my house. "Sure, we've taken walks and binged three movies in a row, but when have I actually taken you... I don't know—to a fancy museum? Or a restaurant!"

"Technically, we've been to McDonald's," I thoughtfully mused.

Although he pretended he didn't hear me, his lips twitched into a betraying smile. "Y'know what? Let's go to one right now."

"What? A restaurant?" I asked.

"Yes," he declared, his dark eyes practically shining. "Our first real date."

"Dressed like this?" I giggled in disbelief, glancing down at my disheveled attire—a pink hoodie I've had for years, and grey sweatpants so large that they pooled at my feet. Nonetheless, Antonio left no room for argument. He effortlessly tugged on my wrists and pulled me upright from the couch, merely smirking as he led me away from the living room, out through the front door, and into his car.

"You're crazy," I breathed as he opened the car door for me.

"All the best people are," he grinned.

"Quoting Alice In Wonderland. Now you've truly done it," I quipped. He rolled his dark eyes and closed the car door. I couldn't help but smile.

• • •

"Everyone's staring at us," I murmured to Antonio, instinctively grasping his arm. We walked past a line full of people clad in expensive dresses and dapper suits. Each look we got was dirtier than the last. I couldn't exactly blame them, as we were practically in our pajamas.

"Can't blame them," Antonio smirked, glancing down at me. "We're the best-looking couple in here anyways."

"Sure, that's it."

We made our way to the front of the queue, where a mousy man in a suit indignantly stopped us.

"Ezcuse me, monsieur, mademoiselle. You must wait in line like the rest!" He said in a thick French accent.

Antonio merely bent down and whispered something in his ear. The worker glanced at him up and down before suddenly smiling and frantically nodding.

"Right this way, sir."

I was bewildered at his sudden mood change and practically ran to keep up with the worker's fast pace, as he led us through the candle-lit restaurant.

"Hey, no fair! We've been waiting here for four hours!" The next couple in line indignantly called out after our departing figures.

Antonio turned around to stick his tongue out at them. I slapped his shoulder.

"What on earth did you say to that worker?" I curiously questioned, glancing at the man who was practically running around to make arrangements for us.

"Just told him my name," he shrugged. "Status matters way more than it should in this stupid town."

I nodded in understanding and gently rested my head in my palm. A scintillating candle at the center of the table illuminated Antonio's features; his sharp jaw, his high cheekbones, his dark eyebrows, his tanned skin from spending too much time outside. I didn't even realize it, but a smile was plastered onto my face. Looking at him made me simply... happy.

Antonio glanced up from the menu to meet my eyes. "Why are you staring at me?"

"I'm not," I answered, despite never looking away. We both stared at each other for a small moment before bursting into synchronous giggles, a dimple protruding his right cheek.

Just then, a young male waiter approached us.

"May I start you off with a beverage?" He asked after greeting us. An uncomfortably large smile was plastered onto his face as he stared at me.

"A bottle of your most expensive wine, thanks Fred." Antonio glowered, glancing at the waiter's name tag.

The waiter stuttered back a measly response before scrambling away.

I peered at Antonio as if to say, really?

"He was practically undressing you with his eyes," Antonio's jaw clenched.

I couldn't help but smile as my insides warmed. "How adorable. You still get jealous."

"How could I not?" He asked. And although my curls were tied up in a messy bun, and the baggy clothes I wore were terribly unflattering, I somehow felt like the prettiest girl in the world under his gaze. I looked away before he could see the redness of my cheeks and the cheesy smile on my face. Just then, a new waiter approached with our bottle of wine and poured us our drinks.

"Look, you scared the other waiter off," I whispered.

"Good," Antonio was pleased.

I shook my head exasperatedly. We bid our thank yous to the waiter, and once he left, I curiously faced my boyfriend. "Don't they check ID?"

He merely winked and lifted up his glass to clink mine.

"Cheers," he said.

"What for?" I curiously asked, even though I could think of a hundred on the spot. Cheers to young love. Cheers to dinner at the most expensive restaurant in town.

"No reason," Antonio had simply replied.

Although, we both knew the answer.

Cheers to our last night together.

We both knew that our time together was numbered, we simply didn't want to acknowledge it. The days after our fight, if you could even call it that, had fluttered by quickly. Too quickly. My boyfriend, my first love, my only love, was moving halfway across the world, and he was going tomorrow morning. Neither of us had brought it up all day. I suppose being blissfully ignorant was better than hurting. At least for now.

• • •

"How could you possibly be laughing?" I exclaimed to Antonio, who practically doubled over as we walked back to his car.

"You should've seen the look on your face when you took that first bite!" Tears of laughter welled up in his eyes. "Priceless."

"You said it would be hot! Not spicy!" I uttered, slapping him.

"That's the same thing, dumbass!"

We partook in a petty fight, and I thanked God no one was in the parking lot. Anyone who saw us would've declared us crazy—which we probably were.

"Antonio, stop!" I breathlessly laughed at his relentless tickling.

"Oh, Antonio, baby! Stop it!"

We both froze at the mocking voice. Despite the confusion on my face, I knew exactly who it was. Only one person in this town was miserable enough to interrupt our night of fun.

It was the first time I'd seen Buzz in weeks. I couldn't tell if it was the way the moon shined on his face, or the unsettling smile he bore, but if possible, he looked worse than ever. His second-in-command, Finn, apprehensively hovered behind him, like a child with a parent. He looked genuinely afraid to start a problem and get beat up, as Antonio had done to him so many times before. I noticed that the third member of their trio, Lance, was absent. Something told me that he had stopped associating with the likes of them. After all, he was the only one who hadn't tormented me when all of his other friends had—the only one who had defended me. It was clear that he had a shred of morality somewhere in there, much unlike Buzz, who thrived off the pain of others. He was simply a bully, and that was all he was ever going to be.

"How's your father, Brown," Buzz pretendedly asked, disrupting my thoughts. "Oh, that's right. He's dead!"

He likely expected some sort of reaction from my boyfriend. However, Antonio merely cast him a bored look, as if this were school and Buzz was a teacher.

"How's it feel being an orphan?" Buzz questioned, desperately attempting to rile him up.

"If only you knew," Antonio lazily smirked. The two of us shared an amused look before simultaneously turning around and resuming in the direction of his car, as though the altercation had never even happened

"H-Hey, come back here!" Buzz called out after us.

Antonio's lips twitched in amusement and he slung an arm around my shoulder. It was strange to think that may have been the last time the two enemies ever saw each other. I was impressed by Antonio's calmness throughout the encounter, though I should've expected it. He wasn't as hotheaded as he was when I'd first met him. I briefly glanced up at the stars and wondered why that was.

• • •

one more chapter after this! hm, any predictions on what's gonna happen?

today was the last day of school before the Christmas break! hope you guys are enjoying the holidays!

Q: do you prefer white or green Christmas trees?
A: green

please leave a vote or comment if you enjoyed this chapter, it means a lot! anyways, until next time

love, emmanuela<3