Pins and Needles

Chapter 8

I plucked a pair of skinny jeans out of my closet and matched them with a loose velvet tank top. I figured going party casual was the best road to cross seeing as I had no idea which restaurant we were going to. I probably should have asked Maeve first, but I didn't feel the need to anymore.

I walked over to the mirror and struck a pose for the girl which she mimicked. I assumed she was mocking me, so I immediately stopped, slightly flushed. I noticed that a lot about the girl; how she would copy my outfits and movements. I didn't mind, in fact, it made me feel like she was trying to get even with me. I was just happy that she accepted me, so I could care less about what she did.

"What do you think? Stylishly comfortable enough?" I said, putting my hands out to the side to show off.

The girl looked at me and after a while, she whispered, "Nice."

Since the girl had a tendency to hold her tongue, I was very pleased with this reply. I did a quick spin and squealed, "Thank you! I think so too."

Then, I walked over to my desk and took a red marker from my pencil holder. I held the marker up to the calendar and created a large X over the day's date. I stared a bit at the numerous X's that littered the month of October. I wished time would go faster.

After capping the marker, I took a deep breath and hung my head. Then, I rubbed my eyes and headed for the living room where I texted Maeve, asking when she is going to get here. However, I was cut off when my mom walked in.

She stopped at the doorway and leaned on the frame, "Woah, someone's got a date. You look wonderful, Angelica."

I nodded slightly and murmured out thanks before returning to my phone. I heard Mom leave the room with a sigh as I scrolled through social media for a while. A text from Maeve interrupted my browsing and when I checked it, it read "I'm outside". I got up from the couch, yelled a quick bye to my Mom, and left the house.

"Hey! Welcome to the party, Angel," Maeve exclaimed as I climbed into her Kia Sorento.

I nodded to the group; Maeve in the driver's seat, Clark in the passengers, and Dean and I in the back.

Maeve started up again, "Oh my gosh, I'm so excited you guys! I've never been on a double date before, this is gonna be so fun!"

Clark grunted in agreement, glancing in the rearview at me for a moment before looking back at the road and striking up a conversation with Maeve. I rolled my eyes and looked out at the passing scenery, trying to find any good thing that could come out of this pow-wow. Suddenly, tapping on my arm brought my attention towards the perpetrator of said tapping. Dean was looking at me with a thoughtful expression, so I challenged it with a curious one.

"Uh, you look beautiful, like seriously amazing," he choked out.

I stayed quiet for a moment and didn't let my face fall. However, to be polite, I returned the compliment, "Thanks, you look good yourself."

He blushed, "Oh, thank you."

I turned back towards the window thinking he was done, but I stopped when he piped up again, "I've never been on a double date before either, so I'm pretty nervous. Are you excited?"

I glanced back at Dean and gave a small nod before looking back out the window. I heard him shift around in his seat and whisper ok, clearly knowing that I was done talking.

...

We got to the restaurant in about 15 minutes and were able to snag a booth: Dean and I on one side and Maeve and Clark on the other.

Maeve was the first to speak up, "Geez, I feel old. People our age never go on couple dates anymore; I always see older couples getting together, see?" She proceeded to point out the numerous middle-aged groups that were clearly spouse-oriented.