Bitter (wlw) (txs)

seventeen, again

Sam's POV:

I checked my appearance in the mirror beside my front door one last time before leaving the house.

I was looking forward to this occasion because, among other obvious reasons, I'd get to dress in a less casual or formal way than usual.

I wore a dark red, quite tight-fitting dress that revealed just the right amount of cleavage, matching it with black high-heels. I applied my signature red lipstick and tied my hair into a bun.

I walked down to my car to see Ellie already waiting for me, which surprised me since she was usually late.

She must have been eager to see me.

I'd never seen her in such elegant clothes and she looked incredibly breathtaking. She always looked stunning wearing anything, of course, but there was a special glow in her face that night.

The same thought process must have been going on in her head, because the expression on her face could have easily been the one of someone who'd just seen a ghost.

"You good there?" I snickered, amused at the shock in her face that gave me a confidence boost. Not that I really needed it, but one never hurts.

"Oh, uhm, yeah. Hi! You look...good" she said, making it seem as if she was trying not to choke on her own words and probably thinking she was doing a good job at hiding it.

"Likewise. Thought you'd stopped breathing for a second" I teased, walking towards her.

Her cheeks visibly got flushed, something not unusual for her.

I laughed as I grabbed my car keys and let her in the passenger seat.

I could tell she was feeling nervous, and honestly so was I. But I was going to do my best to make her feel comfortable, so I needed to make myself seem confident, something I was used to doing by then.

The small-talk I tried to keep going during the drive seemed to be failing as a distraction, but it was the best I could do.

Driving through the city in the evening was something I wasn't really used to doing, and I was honestly glad the drive was short because I had no idea so many people who suck at it would be in the streets.

I refrained myself from cursing at every car that got remotely close to mine until we parked in front of the restaurant I'd thought would be suitable for the occasion.

As I let Ellie out of the car I could tell worries about the luxurious looking place were roaming through her mind, so I grabbed her hand and gently squeezed it, smiling as if to tell her everything was okay.

I wanted to treat her like she deserved to be treated for the night, to make her feel appreciated. I'd gotten the impression she didn't feel that as much as she should have.

As a waiter directed us to our table we sat at the two-seater covered with white cloth, not leaving each other's hand until we actually sat.

"You've been awfully quiet since we left" I cautiously pointed out. "You alright?"

"I'm good. More than good, actually" she started to say, which made my heart flutter for a second. "This is just...an unusual setting for me to be in" she looked down.

"Let me treat you for tonight" I reached for her hand to place mine on top of it. I told her I'd made sure to find a place with good vegetarian options so she could enjoy her food, knowing it was a topic she always appreciated talking about.

A smile lit up her face, reminding me of what she looked like when I entered the classroom each day or when I opened my front door after she'd knocked. Seeing someone always so excited to see me never failed to make me feel something I'd long forgotten during the past year.