A Tale of Wild Roses [ROUGH DRAFT]

Chapter 25

Oliver Adams had never been on a date before, but it was Valentine's Day and Angel had sent him an ominous text message that morning.

Angle

I have a surprise for you tonight

Olive

Oh...I'm scared 😭

Angle

We'll walk to my house after school

Lmk if that works for you

Something seemed off, but Oliver pushed the feeling aside the whole day. Angel acted like nothing was off during lunch, and when the end of the day finally arrived Oliver waited outside for Angel. He was practically drowning in the fabric of his scarf so he adjusted it. When he looked up, he saw Angel bounding toward him at an alarming rate.

"Woah, why are you running?" Somehow, Angel wasn't out of breath when he approached. "Didn't want to keep you waiting. Are you ready to go?" They were about to nod their head, but then they noticed a loose curl in Angel's face. Oliver replied, "Just a sec." He took a few steps toward him, apprehensively nearing his hand towards Angel's face. They hadn't been this close since their first kiss. Their only kiss. Who knew relationships were so terrifying.

Oliver never understood why people were so obsessed with physical attraction, sexual themes laced in thousands of songs and tv shows. Now that Oliver had been in an actual relationship for the first time, he felt more strongly about his lack of understanding. He appreciated the space that Angel gave him to make sure he was comfortable, and they always asked each other first when it came to anything physical.

"Can I...there's this strand of hair...and it's really getting on my nerves." Angel was smiling in an unforgettable sort of way. He had that effect on people. "Of course." Oliver moved it aside, lingering for a moment before pulling away. They started walking in the direction of his house, Angel intentionally bumping his shoulder against Oliver's. "What electives do you have this year?"

"I have some film class in the morning, and gym in the afternoon. I hate it already." Angel nodded sympathetically. "You could always switch to the gym in the morning...with me. Mr. Neilson couldn't care less if we sit around and don't do anything in that class. That way we can just hang out together." Oliver considered it. "Not a bad idea. I'll talk to the counselor about it soon."

When they arrived, Angel explained that his parents were at work and Lucia was at her friend's house so they had the house to themselves. As they walked in Oliver was surprised to find that the island was decorated with candles and place mats. "Is this a..." Angel finished their sentence. "It's a date! I set it up this morning, and my mom gave me a weird look but she didn't question it. Anyways, I'm gonna attempt to cook. If it's bad, please don't tell me." Oliver laughed.

When he daydreamed about his first date, he wasn't expecting anything like this. Oliver was genuinely grateful, it felt perfectly Angel and getting to spend time with him after a long day of crowded classrooms and hallways was exactly what he needed. Angel insisted that Oliver didn't need to help so he sat at the island, ranting about anything that came to mind. He was in the middle of discussing his new song about a metaphor for life going on without the writer of the song when Angel finished cooking. "I think I want to call it 'My Life is a Canvas' or something like that. I'll probably make it shorter."

"Have you ever thought about posting your songs online?" Angel set down two plates of seafood paella while Oliver considered his question. "I mean, I have. It's just so terrifying though. I tend to, um, bare my heart out in my songs? They seem so personal, and I don't know if I'm ready to share them with anyone else."