How To Save A Life

Chapter 12

It turns out "out to breakfast" means out to the gas station. Seriously he directed me to the nearest gas station and bought me a gas station coffee and a gas station muffin, along with his own breakfast, and drove us to a park. Some date this is. Just kidding, it's actually pretty cool cause I've never been on a date before, and he's being a gentleman so that's nice. Like he opened the door for me and laid a blanket from my trunk on the ground. I didn't even know the blanket was there, my parents must have put it there for the winter, but I guess everyone carries blankets in their trunks cause Sean didn't think twice about grabbing one from mine.

Sean and I sat on the blanket and talked for a while, not about anything specific, just random things. He told me his birthday is in October, which is a while from now considering it's April. I told him mine is in July and I expected a gift from him, to which he agreed as long as I got him one as well. We talked about anything just to keep the conversation going.

"So what if I get done with this muffin and I'm still hungry?" I ask Sean, cause really, it's a realistic question.

"Well then I guess you'll have to eat my muffin." He replied nonchalantly.

"You would give me your muffin?"

"Well yeah, wouldn't you give me yours?" He says, the sexual innuendo obvious in his voice.

"Excuse me, but I thought this was a friendly breakfast outing, at most a hesitant first date, and now your propositioning me? Tsk tsk Sean, what would mommy think?" I tease with fake anger.

"Mommy doesn't need to know. And just so we're clear this is definitely not a friendly breakfast outing." He says with significantly more emotion in his voice than I expected there to be.

"Well how should I know you never called it a date. I am very socially awkward and haven't had much experience in this area so you'll have to be very upfront about your intentions."

He studied me for a moment, looking rather perplexed. Then, much to my surprise, he leaned in and kissed me. I think it was a pretty good kiss, well I enjoyed it anyway, but I haven't actually done that before so I guess I'm not that great a judge. He pulls back after a few seconds, which is good cause do I really want to make with someone when I get my first kiss? Not really, no.

"Was that upfront enough for you?" Sean asked jokingly, but also with serious undertones, you get what I mean right?

"Yeah, I'd say that's plenty upfront. Anymore up front and we might have had a problem."

"More up front? I would never, I'm a gentleman." He fakes offense.

"Some gentleman, you just kissed me without permission."

"Don't act like you didn't enjoy it. I can tell you did."

"Oh really? May I ask how you can so surly tell that I enjoyed it?"

"Well, you didn't hit me. Or runaway. Or yell at me afterwards. So I take that as you enjoyed."

"Okay fine maybe I enjoyed it, but that doesn't mean I enjoy you. Maybe I just like kissing you, but don't actually enjoy your presence."

"You don't enjoy me presence?" He asks, looking actually hurt this time.

"Sean I was kidding, of course I enjoy your presence. Why would I ask to hang out with you all the time if I didn't?"

"I don't know, cause you feel bad for me?"

"Do I really seem like the type who feels bad for people?" I ask.

"No?" He answers hesitantly.

"No. And if I actually did feel bad for a person do you really think I would act on it?"

"No." This time he answers more confidently.

"So it should be pretty clear that I'm hanging out with you because I want to hang out with you."

"So you like hanging out with me? Completely honest, you do?"

"Yes Sean, I do!" I finally snap, like seriously dude needs to chill.

"So would you want to hang out with me officially? As my girlfriend?" He asks hopefully.

Holy shit. Where did that come from? Has he been getting at this the whole time? Have there been a signs? Cause if there have I definitely don't know how to read them.  Well what do I do? It's so soon and out of the blue I don't know how to respond. He's sitting there looking so hopeful and I do like him, but I was supposed to get Mavis a boyfriend, not me.

"Look Sean,-" I start.

"Oh jeez, that's never a good thing to hear." He interrupts.

"I like you, I do, but I have to find someone for Mavis first. When Mavis has a boyfriend, then I can date you." I continue.

"Well what about Scott?" He asks.

"Scott is a nice guy, but from what I've heard from you, he isn't really the type to invest in one girl."

"He has before, he could do it again."

"Sean, do you honestly think he's going to commit to Mavis? Cause if you do we can work on it, but if you don't you have to tell me. I don't like being lied to and I don't forgive easily."

"Well, no, I don't. Right now he's not even willing to commit to one outfit for the day, much less a girl."

"What do you mean he can't commit to one outfit for a day?"

"He literally changes his outfit at least thrice a day, not even kidding."

"Seriously? Wow, that is pretty noncommittal."

"Yeah, I'd say so. So no, he's probably not gonna actually want a girlfriend right now, but why not work on it anyway? He could change his mind, he could become less promiscuous."

"Okay, we'll work on that. But in the mean time I think we should remain friends. The better we know each other when we do start dating, the longer we'll last."

"The longer we'll last. You make it sound like we're bad weather or something. How long will this storm last? Just a couple hours."

"I promise we're not just bad weather. But look, we should probably be getting home, without me there to attack, my parents might go after Mavis."

"They are rather aggressive, alright, let's go."

We pack up the blanket and I drive him home. It's silent, but it's a comfortable silence. Like those ones you read about in the books. I finally understand that now.

"So I'll text you, okay?" Sean says when we arrive at his house.

"Sounds good, I'm free all the time, as per usual." I reply.

"Alright, bye Juniper."

"Bye Sean." I say with a friendly high five goodbye, then drive home to the probable parental hell that's waiting for me.