𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 ✹ 𝐠. 𝐠𝐢𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐧

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐱 - 𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠

Haven

The next day came way quicker than I would've liked and the impending dread of my whole set up situation with Neal weighed in on me like a thousand bricks. I thought about calling Gerard and telling him I felt sick or something, but that would just worry him which I didn't want. Everything was adding on and on and I didn't want to exist at this moment.

'can you come pick me up for the thing later?' I had texted Gerard at midday and wished his car broke down and he'd say he can't take me. He knew I wouldn't ask Johnny because he would go full raging bitch mode and then the whole thing would be canceled. Obviously I had wonderful luck because he replied in less than 5 minutes with words I dreaded: 'sure, i'll be there at 6:30'

Time was closing in and soon enough, I found myself smoothing down invisible creases on the same pink dress Kaileigh had told me to wear 24 hours ago. Gerard texted he's there and I ran my hands through my black hair once more. My eyes furrowed when I spotted my darkened freckles dusted across my neck and I covered them with my hair. I didn't like them in the summer, the sun made them darker than they were and it made me feel mismatched if you can put it that way. Well not mismatched, but just...odd.

I rushed downstairs, ignoring whatever questionable noises came from Johnny's bedroom and exited my house, walking towards Gerard's car's passenger seat door. I opened the car door and shut it lightly behind me, the scent that was so uniquely Gerard's hitting my nostrils at a thousand miles an hour. "Hey." was the first thing he said to me, as he allowed himself the freedom to scan how I looked.

"Does it look good?" Was the first thing I said to him. He nodded slowly, his gray eyes landing on my blue ones "You look great Haven, really really great" His voice sounded a bit deeper than usual which made the hair on the back of my neck prickle up.

I gave him a faint smile and he began driving to the restaurant Neal waited on. "Can I put on the music?" I asked, taking my phone out of my bag and looking at him with hopeful eyes. He gave me a side glance "Sure, but please no One Direction." He replied. Of course I would play One Direction.

I connected my bluetooth to the car and my fingers almost broke at how fast I typed '1D all songs' on the Spotify search bar. He groaned and I laughed when Harry Styles's voice sang the opening verse of Change Your Ticket. He complained I nearly made his ears bleed with the loud singing all through the ride but each time I sneaked glances at him, he was fighting back smiles.

My heart bundled on my throat as we got closer to the restaurant. "Don't be nervous, you'll be great." He reassured me, his thumbs slightly drumming against the steering wheel. I swallowed "Okay, but please have your phone on because I will call you if I want to leave." I announce, looking out the window at the streets that had been covered by the night approaching. He pulled up on a curb and I could see the restaurant right outside.

"Of course I will." He told me, gazing past me and out the window behind me "Okay he's inside, he should be by a window wearing a blue shirt." The feeling sinks in, this was real, this was my first date. I'd always imagine myself feeling excited for this moment, but I didn't. I nod at his words "Okay, thanks for the lift." I say, my voice a bit shaky as I open the car door.

"You'll be great, okay, enjoy your date! Oh and let me know when you're done so I can come pick you up!" I hear him call out as I close the door behind me. I walk up the curb and into the restaurant "You've got this Haven, he's just a boy." I murmur to myself as I cruise through the tables, the faint music lulling in my ears. Soon enough, I find Neal sitting at a table near the window and with a blue shirt just like Gerard said.

He was sitting alone on a table for two, aimlessly scrolling through his phone. I cleared my throat, my arms in front of my body "Um hi," I spoke, my voice surprisingly soft and getting his attention "You're Neal right?" His eyes slightly widened and immediately dropped for a second to my collarbone and chest area. He nodded slowly.