Riley sat in the very back with Cameron. Their low whispers were right in my ear. Then here I was, trapped between two conflicting male figures, unsure of what to do, or say. Austen tried to strike up a conversation once or twice, which failed miserably, since Jaxon and I's awkwardness was overpowering. Just get me out of this car, and I'll be fine.

The drive was pretty short, luckily, and I was more than eager to leave the limo. It parked in front of an extremely fancy looking restaurant right on the beach. Austen hopped out and held the door open for me, then waited for everyone else to get out. I took this time to revere in the dining choice.

The place was made of castle-like stone, and had torches blazing around the entire restaurant. Two white-gloved gentleman were stationed to open the door, and once everyone exited the limo, we went inside the glass doors. Austen placed his hand on the small of my back, and I felt all jittery inside as he led me to to the front desk.

"Are you the reservation for twelve?" The lady piped, scanning her tablet. Cameron stepped forward a little, greeting her with a confident smile.

"Yeah, we have more coming. For now it's just us six." She nodded, and led us to a long white table with folded napkins and shimmering champagne glasses. It was in a more secluded area of the restaurant, next to the long glass windows that revealed the moonlit beach right outside. Classy music was playing softly in the background, with a mixture of low conversation and the clink of forks. The whole aura of the place is too fancy for my taste.

Austen pulled back a chair for me on the end near the window, while Jaxon and his date took a seat on the opposite end. I recognized her from the beach party; she was one of the girls that sneered at me when we first arrived. Blonde, tall, flirtatious, bold, and well into Mister Bennett over here. Oh boy.

The waitress handed us each a menus and took drink orders. I strained about every muscle in my back trying to sit up straight and properly, resisting the desire to slump down and stretch my legs out. I carefully opened the menu and scanned the list of bizarre dishes.

I could feel a set of eyes across the table. Feeling a tad genius, I lifted the menu to hide my face. Ha ha, you can't see me. Austen's chair made a low scraping noise as he scooted closer to me. My heartbeat increased as the warmth of his body neared.

"I think I'm gonna go with the halibut. How bout you? Anything on the menu look good?" Austen asked casually. I skimmed through the endless list of options, choosing the first familiar name.

"Filet Mignon doesn't sound half bad," I replied speedily, pretending to be educated on the dish.

"Ah. anything for my lady. You come here often? You sound very sure of your choice," Austen announced to me with a grin. I cleared my throat, setting my menu down and turning to face him.

"Why, as a matter of fact, I do. This is where I go to have tea with the queen of the Netherlands when she's in town, who also happens to be my aunt. She's planning on passing her position and estate to me when the time is right," I said with thick layers of sarcasm. Austen laughed buoyantly, his nose crinkling up all cutely.

"I didn't know you had royal blood in you!" I shrugged, staging nonchalance. Austen drew closer, more serious now, a romantic look settling on his face.

"But hey, I always knew you were something special." His low, resonant voice sent shivers up my spine and fire to my cheeks. Fingers gently brushed against my arm, tickling their way to my hand and slowly lacing through mine. The pure blue of his eyes held me captive, distance myself from the whole awkward dinner date setting. All at once, the moment was shattered by something jabbing into my leg. Hard.

I yelped a little, looking down underneath the table. The object swiftly retreated to the other side. I narrowed my eyes, looking up just in time to see a smug face glancing back at me. We locked eyes, and I harbored all my mounting anger inside. Real mature Jaxon, kicking me under the table. Do it again and we're taking this outside. I have a fork you know. I'm more than eager to use it.

Austen kept his hand placed in mine, which made me self conscious the entire appetizing course. It also made basic actions a little difficult, such as eating bread one-handed, or fighting to take the wrapper off my straw. The other couple came just in time to order, filling in the gaps of table settings. This whole hand-holding business is tiring. Good thing when our meals came, we broke off our proclamation of unity to really dig in.

I cut into my steak, while juice pooled at the rim of my plate, and nibbled a bite. It was bursting with delicious flavor, better than any filet mignon I'd ever tasted... That's not saying much, since this would be my first time ordering such a delicacy. Austen convinced me to try some of his meal, which was a weird, flaky texture, smothered in a slightly bitter sauce, but it balanced out with the sweetness of the fish and tasted good all the same.

"So Bailey, have you and Sierra met?" Jaxon quipped, gesturing to his date. She eyed me, well, more like scrutinized me, from across the table.

"No, I didn't get the chance, but I remember you from the beach party," I said lamely, taking a sip of my bubbly beverage.

"Ahh, yes, who could forget that. You were in quite a rush to leave, I'm surprised Austen here even bothered seeking you out afterwards." Her prominently outlined eyes were cold and snide, while her voice altered what she was saying to sound friendly and innocent.

I laughed sharply, making it sound as forced as possible, and carried on eating my dinner. I knew Jaxon and his idiotic band of followers don't approve of someone like me, but I can't let something as stupid and pathetic as that affect anything.

"So, allow me to ask the question that's on everyone's mind," Jaxon began, unaffected by the tension in the air, "Are you and Austen... you know." He made weird motions with his hands, and I wanted to bang my head against the table. Really. You're going to steer the conversation in that direction.

"I don't think everyone is wondering '" I told him through gritted teeth, glancing quickly down at where our hands were intertwined, hoping Austen didn't do it again... publicly, that is. Jaxon smiled a sickly sweet smile, one that probably meant 'I know exactly what went on. You can't keep any secrets from this guy'.

"Yes, but for the same of those who are, please don't be shy. Are you official?" Austen looked to me, and I shrugged, my face toasting up. Why is it suddenly up to me to decide these things? Call me old fashioned, but doesn't the guy usually ask to go steady in some corny way that makes for great memories later on in the relationship?

"I don't know what that shrug means, but if I were you Austen, I'd move in fast before she changes her mind. That girl right there over thinks every little thing. Its shocking you two even made it this far," Jaxon pipes to Austen. The table was quietly listening to the drama unfolding before their very eyes, probably noting key points in the conversation to gossip about in the near future.

"Yeah, well, it's better than if I were to think about literally nothing but myself and my stupid reputation, which is a method that you, yourself practice." Jaxon was reveling in this, soaking up my irritation with a victorious smile. He was about to comment back, but was cut off by the waitress, who, oblivious to the enmity, asked if he wanted more to drink. The distraction called for a temporary treaty in our verbal battle. For now.

His date then took the blatant opportunity to delve into his personal bubble. I could see her hand rest on his thigh, while she leaned closer and whispered something into his ear, giggling profusely. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at this. Jaxon, ever the player, laughed and placed a hand on her side, while sneakily moving her away to a reasonable distance. Who can blame the guy?... Upon examination, her breath probably reeks of the smoked salmon she's been devouring for the last half hour.

Everyone was around halfway through their dish. Expect for me, of course. I found myself finished and accommodating bread slices to an empty plate due to my abnormal eating speeds. Me and Austen proceeded to chat for a little bit, but I couldn't quite act the same with Jaxon's constant gaze. Austen could sense this.

"Hey Bailey, would you like to go for a stroll on the beach?" He asked out of nowhere. I was in the middle of wiping my mouth with a cloth napkin, and not daintily in any way. I crumpled it up and placed it back on the table, ignoring the mannerism of wearing it on your lap.

"We can do that?" Austen laughed and stood up, taking my hand and helping me up with him. Jaxon's eyes were burning through my back. We gave shy little waves to the group, and then weaved our way through the other tables towards the fancy glass backdoor. I nearly slammed into a waitress with a tray full of goods in the process.

Austen pulled on the golden handle, letting in a frigid breeze that swept the room. I stepped out into the sand, ditching my heels by the door. The beach was empty, the only sound was the waves softly folding and breaking on the shore. With the pale wash of moonlight over the choppy water, and the soft glitter of the smooth wet sand, it created a dreamy, mystical feeling.

"This is...wow," I whispered, the nerves I felt walking over here fading. We walked hand in hand, down the beach, our tracks being turned into soft imprints as the tide came up. I couldn't get enough of the water, how it went on endlessly in both directions, and faded into black. The danger of going out into the black water, oblivious to what's underneath the waterline, doesn't seem worth the risk, yet I longed to go for a swim anyway. Maybe this is the stubborn decision everyone has to make at one point; whether you decide to stay on the shore, safe from the threatening uncertainty, or choose to venture out into the water, fighting against the odds to see what's out there. Hmmph.. why am I thinking about this right now?

"Do you feel that?" I blurted out of nowhere. Austen looked at me with a soft smile, and cocked an eyebrow. I took a deep breath, trying (impossibly) to explain my thought process.

"Just looking out at the entire ocean, it's a little overwhelming. To think something that big could go around the entire world, and and to think we have no idea what's out there, just waiting to be discovered... It just kind of feels heavy, if that, uh, makes any sense." I laughed awkwardly, wanting to break my hands out of his so I could use them to motion with. Why are you getting so deep and abstract all of a sudden? Snap out of it. Focus on cheesy romantic thoughts. You're walking on a moonlit beach for crying out loud.

"Yeah, actually," Austen cut in, easing my worries, "It does. It kind of relates to the future, where I will end up in a year from now... It's not something I like to think about." Not exactly where I was going with that, but at least he got some meaning out of it. Come to think of it, Austen's a senior this year. Talk of the future is the reason senior year exists, I think. He must be so stressed out.

"How come?" I asked, trying not to be pushy. He tightened his grip on my hand.

"Well, you know I'm leaving high school. I've never really liked it; far too dramatic and boring and cliche. For as long as I remember, the idea of leaving seemed so cool, so exciting. Now that it's finally coming, graduation and all, I can't help but feel scared outta my mind," Austen admitted, sighing and heaving a big breath. The way Austen acts, all wild and carefree, you wouldn't expect him to worry about something like that.

"Do you have any plans?" I said openly, hoping to hear more of this side of him.

"Well, yeah, I guess. College is my best option, and I'm sure my parents would be overjoyed and expecting that from me. But now that our band is getting bigger, something keeps nagging at me, telling me to pursue that," He explained, looking at me with his bright blue eyes. I concentrated, whipping up my honest opinion.

"Honestly, I know it isn't easy to go against your parents. They raised you, it seems like the least you could do is return the favor and do what they want you to. But if that's what you want to do, then... I say do it." I replied confidently. This brought a hesitant smile to Austen's face.

"My parents are going to be pissed," he claimed, and I laughed against my will. He laughed along with me, though I could tell even discussing this was bringing on loads of stress. I squeezed his hand in reassurance.

"Don't worry too much. They might not understand at first, but you have to take control of your own life at some point. That's the beauty of graduation. You finally have the chance to choose your own direction. If you let someone else make those decisions for you, then you're left wondering 'what if' for the rest of your life, and that's no way to live," I babbled, feeling right about what I was saying. It worried me too, though, to think as I grow up, I might choose wrong, and end up regretting it. But if I take a risk and fail miserably, I can't regret that. Mistakes are what you make of them, I guess. I caught Austen watching me.

"What?" I asked, slightly embarrassed, "Do I have bad breath?" He cackled at that, and I was ready to cringe at the answer coming my way.

"You know, you're kind of amazing. Not to be creepy or anything, but I've never met anyone like you. Maybe that's just cuz of the people I hang around.. I don't know. But you really are something." OoOokay, way to make a girl blush. I wanted to argue against it, but something told me he would just keep fighting me, so I let him call me amazing... even though it's a debatable word choice.

We continued to chat, and after a little while, just walked on in silence. But not the awkward kind, the type of silence that fills what words can't, you know? I really liked Austen in that moment. But looking back out at that ocean, and thinking of the depth and mystery to it, for some reason, I wanted to talk to Jaxon about it. Yeah, good idea Bailey, drag him into your weird analogies and see if he understands. But when he hinted about his feelings, about how nothing in his life is right, I wanted to prove him wrong. Have him feel what I'm feeling right now. Inject some of my optimism in him. The guy has some serious potential.

"Austen, I got a question for you." We had walked pretty far down the beach, to the point where the restaurant was just a blob glittering in the distance. I stopped, and Austen turned to me, taking both my hands, ready to hear me out.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm just wondering... where do we stand? Cause Jaxon was being a dip wad and asking about it back there... and I, I don't know, it.. well. Got me thinking. And I, uh...." I started stuttering like crazy, getting all nervous about how he would react. What if he thought I was a love-struck lunatic and laughed in my face? Doesn't sound like Austen, but this is me we're dealing with.

"Well, I know nothing is official... but I'd like it to be." Austen told me, smiling sweetly. I felt my heart flip and flutter and all that good stuff. He pulled me in for a sloppy hug, and we ended up heading back in this hug position that's hard to describe. I felt warm and safe in his arms, and I couldn't wipe a grin off my face.

"So, in all my amazingness," I said after a little while of this, doing quotation marks around the amazing part, "Would you be too intimidated if I challenged you to a race?" Austen cracked up, pulling away a little to look me in the eye.

"Not at all." Then, after a second, he held up two fingers and squinted. Okay, so just an inch or two of intimidation. I giggled at this.

"Okay, we doing this then? If you're not at all intimidated," I restated in mock doubt.

"Nope, and yes, I am so in." I did a couple lunges, and we both offered up some weird stretching moves to prep for the long Olympian sprint ahead.

"Count of three?" Austen suggested. I nodded, and we both got down on the sand, in proper stance, ready for take off.

"Here we go.... One-" As soon as the first number came out, I took off running down the beach. It was a little difficult in my dress, but I found it was easier to just hitch up the bottom and take long soaring strides. Austen chased after me.

"Bailey..." He breathed my name, and I sensed that he had come up directly behind me. To confirm this, I looked back to see him towering over me. I shrieked, accelerating to sonic speed. Sand kicked up behind me and sprayed Austen. He laughed and dodged my trail, coming up to my side. The building was no more than twenty feet away now.

Before I could go tap the wall and take the winners position, two arms wrapped around my waist. I was instantly scooped up and swung around. This caused me to freak out, and laugh and pant at the same time. Austen set me down but kept his arms around my waist, which I appreciated since I was dizzy to the point of collapsing.

"Shouldn't... have...done that... I was gonna... win," I said between heaving breaths. Austen laughed softly into my hair.

"Says the one who cheated." I spun around, his arms still around me, and looked up at his smiling face.

"I wouldn't say... picking me up and s-spinning me around... is legal either. Looks like.. we're both cheaters here." I was finally able to breathe semi-normally.

"Right," he chuckled, and watched me closely. I looked up into his piercing blue eyes, and watched as they trailed downward to look at my lips. The instant fear kicked in, and I'm sure it showed on my face.

Austen moved his hands to my back, and ever so slowly leaned down, trying not to scare me. I didn't move a muscle, but I knew what was coming, and I didn't know how to react. But when his lips reached the point where they were grazing my nose, I rose my chin, accepting the kiss. They touched mine, warm and soft, and this time, I actually wanted it. I was filled with this sugary delight that warmed my body from head to toe. But that sweet moment passed when someone cleared their throat.

"Um, we didn't mean to... interrupt." His low, grisly voice sounded thrown off guard. I turned my head and met eyes with Jaxon. There he was, stuck in the doorway of the restaurant, his date close behind. He looked from me to Austen, to me again, almost panicky, and definitely weird-ed out by what he just witnessed. His usual cool demeanor was out the window.

Jaxon then ran a hand through his hair, turned around, and scrambled back inside. His date trampled after him, sneering at the sight of us. The door slowly shut, along with the stream of light and the clinking of dishes being served.

"We've been caught," Austen mumbled, trying to lighten things up. I forced a laugh, wishing I was unaffected as he appeared to be. Jaxon seeing us kiss felt strange. Austen took my hand and led me back to the dining table, where we ordered delicious molten cake for dessert and shared.

I tried to be cool about things, but it was impossible with Jaxon right there. I kept glancing up at him, but he just stared at his plate, wearing an indecipherable look. Me and Austen fought for the last of the ice cream, and I laughed cheerily, but it felt all wrong,