Hold Me Closer

Chapter 3

Bright sunlight streamed through Clare's blinds as she sat at her desk, diligently working on her AP geometry homework. Soft jazz music played in the background, blending seamlessly with the gentle hum of her dehumidifier, which kept the air just right to prevent a sore throat. Clare had meticulously arranged her room to be a clean and relaxing haven, hoping it would boost her motivation to study—and it did. Her grades were excelling, she was consistently ahead with extra credit work, all while balancing a job that occupied her evenings five out of seven days a week.

Pausing for a moment, Clare tried to figure out twelve times fourteen, but her mind wandered to her upcoming date with Carlos. Letting out a groan, she anticipated the strange topics he might bring up. Glancing at her phone, she saw it was 1:47 PM.

"I should probably start putting together an outfit," Clare muttered to herself. She walked over to her closet, sliding the doors open to reveal a collage of dresses and skirts. She pulled out a pretty blue floral corset top and a white pleated skirt, inspecting them thoughtfully. "This would look perfect with a white cardigan!" she exclaimed, scrambling to put the outfit on, excited at the thought of looking cute.

Admiring herself in the mirror, Clare smiled and gave herself a pat on the back before heading off to do her makeup.

Clare finished her makeup, carefully applying mascara and a hint of blush to define her features. Satisfied with her look, she added a touch of lip gloss for a subtle shine. Glancing at the clock, she realized she had just enough time to grab her bag and head out.

She slipped on her favorite white sneakers, grabbed her purse, and took one last look in the mirror. Feeling confident in her outfit, Clare smiled and headed downstairs.

Stepping outside, she felt the warm sun on her face and took a deep breath, feeling ready for the day ahead. With a mix of excitement and nervousness about her date with Carlos, Clare set off, hoping for an interesting afternoon.

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Walking into the garden, Clare looked around at the gorgeous greenery. There was a koi fish pond to her right, and a maze of flowers to the left. Everywhere she looked there was a new plant to see, all of them popping with color.

Sitting next to the pond on a bench was Carlos, who had a blanket in his lap as he stared down at his phone.

Making her way over, Clare gathered some courage as her heartbeat loudly. "Hey, Carlos! ...You look nice." She said, smiling at him. He didn't really though. Carlos was wearing basketball shorts and a sweater—not the fanciest for a first date. If he couldn't put any effort into looking presentable for Clare, why should she?

"Thanks," Carlos replied, looking around for a spot to sit. "Let's go under that tree, it looks nice and cool."

She felt slightly insulted that he didn't compliment her outfit, but Clare nodded, following his lead to a large oak tree.

Carlos rolled out the blanket. It was a light gray color, but was tainted with multiple stains, making it look very unappealing to sit on. Carlos sat down hard on his butt and laid his legs out in a large V-shape taking up half of the blanket. Clare sat down cautiously on the edge, placing her picnic basket next to her.

For a moment, neither of them said a word, both staring at the blue sky. Clare didn't want it to be that kind of date that was really awkward and silent, so she decided to take the wheel and ask some questions. "What sports do you play, Carlos?"

He smiled. "Oh boy. I play soccer. And more soccer. And more soccer. It's all just soccer. You see, ever since I was a kid, I've had this growing passion for soccer. I want to be big on the NSL and be rich and famous and everything above. Soccer is a lifestyle for me. I've always been the best on my team, and I think I could really make it big. Everyone's been telling me that too."