I Love You, I'm Sorry

Chapter 16.

The Summer I Turned Pretty

"ATLAS!" Lemon found herself yelling as she bursted out the door, thankfully catching the boy as he descended the stairs.

"Lemon?" Atlas said as he ran back up the stairs, "What are you doing here?"

"Um..." Lemon's hand went to touch at her fascinator, vaguely motioning at the hat.

"Wait. Are you a deb?" Atlas eyed the girl, a teasing glint in his eyes.

Lemon rolled her eyes as she smiled awkwardly, "Uh- yeah, I guess." She shrugged.

"Uh," Atlas slightly shook his head as he eyed Lemon's dress before his eyes bounced back to her face, "You look beautiful in this dress."

"Thanks." Lemon blushed before she then realized she was in fact blushing, "Just wait 'till you see me in my debut dress." She flirted.

"So, I'll be the one to see it first, then?" Atlas smiled as he stepped closer.

"Possibly."

"I'll take that answer."

Atlas soon cleared his throat, "Um, I never really got a text back from you. If I'm being totally honest, I've been looking at my messages, waiting for you." He rubbed at the back of his neck in a nervous manner.

Lemon momentarily closed her eyes as a pained look crossed her face, "Shit."

"I'm so sorry." Lemon genuinely apologized, "I've been busy with the whole getting ready for the debutante thing and everything has just been piling up and I promise you, I'm never this busy. I really meant to text you, Atlas. Please do not think I was trying to, uh, ghost you." She cringed at her choice of word.

Atlas stared at the girl before then covering his mouth - covering his laughing as turned away from the girl.

"Are you laughing at me." Lemon deadpanned, a pout forming on her lips as she realized the boy wasn't entirely taking her seriously.

"No, no. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the apology but I feel like a douche here because the phone works both ways." Atlas shook his head at his stupidity, "I could've just texted you first but I was scared?" His last sentence came out more like a question than a statement.

"Well, then we're both forgiven." Lemon smiled, "I pinky promise to text you later." She then held out her pinky.

Atlas stared at it before then looking at Lemon, "Pinky promise?" A teasing glint was in his eyes.

Lemon's outstretched hand faltered, "Hey, don't be a dick. I've always done pinky promises." There was a defensiveness in her tone, Atlas took notice.

"Hey, hey, no." Atlas quickly interlocked his pinky with Lemon's still outstretched pinky, "I wasn't trying to make fun of you- it's just cute, that's all I'm saying." He gulped as he watches the girl eye him.

It was just like the night they met, her scrutinizing his every move and he couldn't deny that he absolutely liked the attitude on this girl.

"You're such a pussy." Lemon broke as she slipped out of her facade, "Well, now that we have made a promise, we can no longer feel any guilt." She nodded as she let go of Atlas' pinky, her arm swinging to her side.

"I'm a pussy?" Atlas repeated, "Yeah, I am, aren't I." He let it a sigh as Lemon let out a quite laugh.

A silence took over the two as they tried to find something else to talk about.

Atlas cleared his throat once more as he felt his mouth turn into cotton mouth, his hands shoving themselves into his shorts, "So, I'm just going to bluntly put this out there since I know you don't do with hints. Uh, would you consider going on a date with me?"

Lemon froze as she blinked, "A date?"

"A date." Atlas repeated, nodding in confirmation.

"Oh."

"You- you don't have to say anything yet or at all. I mean, this isn't exactly how I wanted to ask you but I've just been thinking about you and I honestly can't get you out of my mind. And I know I sound desperate, believe me, I know. I've just never been like this with any girl that I've talked to or dated and there's just something about you that I-"

"Woah! Woah!" Lemon raised her hands as she placed that on the taller boy's broad shoulders, "Breath, Jonesy. Breath."

Atlas listened to the girl as he began to inhale and exhale, eyes roaming around and looking anywhere but where he wanted to look.

"You're cute." Lemon commented, eyeing the boys reddened cheeks. "I'll go on a date with you, because you're just so desperate!" She teased as she leaned her head back to laugh as Atlas gave her an offended look.

"That's mean, Lemon." Atlas shook his head as a smile soon grew on his face, "Truly, whatever came out of my mouth, I had no say, alright?"

Lemon nodded in false sympathy, "Okay, Jonesy."

"Seriously, I'll go on a date with you." Lemon chuckled to herself as she took her hands on Atlas's shoulders, "So, what's our date going to be?"

"An outdoor cinema." Atlas told Lemon, "Me and Camy like going to those."

"Oh my god!" Lemon gasped, "I absolutely love outdoor cinema, it's a tradition for myself to come here for my birthday but nowadays we've stopped doing that..." She couldn't help but reminisce about a time where everything was normal.

"What's your favorite movie?" Atlas asked.

Lemon's eyes snapped back towards Atlas as a smile came back to her face, "Sabrina."

Atlas took a mental note of that as he nodded, "Never heard of that movie."

"It's an oldie." Lemon nodded, "Belly and I love old movies." She smiled at the mention of her sister.

"You know, Camy actually asked her out." Atlas told Lemon, eyeing her reaction. "Said we should have a double date if you didn't turn me down." He laughed to himself.

"Well, now I'm definitely going to question my sister." Lemon scoffed as she shook her head, "Yeah, I don't mind a double date. Just let me know when our date will be, okay?"

"Yeah, definitely." Atlas nodded.

"Well, unfortunately I have to go." Lemon sighed to herself, "Paige and the girls at my table are probably starting to wonder if I've either got major diarrhea or something else that's so concerning that I would've ran out of the room."

"Well, I won't hold you any longer than I already have." Atlas nodded as he began to slowly back away, "I will wait for your text, Lemon." He then gave a two finger salute as he grinned.

"Don't cry when I don't immediately text you, okay?" Lemon couldn't help but tease the boy one last time, smiling even bigger as she watched the boy playfully roll his eyes as he gave her the finger.

Atlas Jones was something else entirely.