Like the stars

ELEVEN

I had only been on one date before, back when I was a freshman. It was when I first joined the soccer team, excited about my first win and went on a date with the first girl who asked me.

Girls were interested in me, it was every guys dream for a hot girl to ask them out, to push away social normaties and be bold and confident. She was. She was bold, pretty, confident, incredibly attractive and she asked me on a date. It was unbelievable to freshman Logan.

All she could talk about was soccer, probably thinking that was what I wanted to talk about but I soon realised that she wasn't interested in me, she was interested in my status, she was interested in popularity.

She wanted me because I was on the soccer team, because people noticed me and my social status within the school was increasing by the day.

After that I never went on another date, I wasn't interested in girls because to me they were all superficial and materialistic. I knew they all weren't like that, I knew there were girls who didn't care that I was on the soccer team but after years of the girls only talking to me and looking at me because of who I was, it ruined every girl in my school for me, even the ones who moved here quickly became acquainted with who I was and what they wanted to be to me.

So after having zero interest in any girl for the past three years, feeling what I was feeling for Harley Nickels was strange. I heard the rumours, the absolutely stupid and pathetic ones and the weird ones. Like how she was carrying my baby after a one night stand or how she was a witch and managed to put a spell on me.

Was it so hard for people to understand that she was different than every other girl I had ever met and I relished in the feeling of not being talked to and flirted with because of my social status?

Yes apparently it was very hard for people to understand.

I had explained the shopping dilemma to Harley in maths and she responded with a blank stare and a stiff nod which actually made me think she didn't mind it. She could have ignored me or not answered but she didn't, she nodded and that made my whole body soften like butter on a pan.

There was one terrifying thought that accompanied me when the date entered my mind. What if she didn't speak? I knew she could talk, I had a conversation with her, the most interesting and real conversation I've ever had but what if it was a moment of weakness?

A one sided date. A date where only one participant spoke and carried the conversation.

But then she wanted to talk to me, she made up the no earphones thing so I would speak to her... at least that's what I think it was. I didn't care what it was to be honest, as long as I got to speak to her I was happy. So surely she would speak on our date... hopefully she would speak on our date.

"I have a list to follow." I spoke, shifting the gears of my truck. This truck was my baby since Carter gave it to me after him and Lauren went halves on their own car, sharing it between them.

"A list?" I heard her ask in her soft voice over the hum of the engine. "Don't you just buy whatever you want?"

I shook my head, trying to suppress the laugh at the thought of my siblings and I just buying whatever we wanted from the store. "I have three other siblings and a strict dad. We follow the list or we do extra chores that are stupid as hell."

"Like what?"

I grinned at her. "This one time Carter, my older brother, had to clean the flowers in a vase because he didn't pick Zoey up from softball practice on time. He cleaned them five times before realising they were plastic."

I swear the whole world stopped and time froze. My heart skipped a beat and I tried so hard to keep my focus on the road and not crash but it was so difficult while hearing her laugh.