Dawn White
Dawn pushed open the door to her house, her steps lighter than usual. The comforting scent of home greeted her, but she barely made it to the dining area before her father looked up from the newspaper with a puzzled expression.
“Home already?” he asked, setting the paper down. “It’s not even time for lunch.”
She sighed, setting her bag on the couch. “There was a fight in the cafeteria. It got out of hand, so the school ended early.”
Her father’s brows knitted together. “A fight? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Dad. Just... some drama. I’ll tell you over lunch,” she said, retreating to her room to freshen up.
By the time she returned to the table, she had changed into a comfortable sundress and tied her hair into a loose ponytail. Her father had already set the table, and the two began eating in relative silence until he broke it with the usual question:
“So, how was school otherwise?”
That was all it took for Dawn to launch into the story of her day.
"Okay, so first, I met him this morning, his name is Erevin by the way" Dawn started, her voice bubbling with excitement. "He was so awkward and shy, Dad, like, he actually hesitated to shake my hand! Can you believe that? But then—oh my gosh—once he started talking, it was like... whoa! He said the smartest things, and not in a show-offy way, just naturally intelligent. It was like, How does someone even think like that?"
Her tone shifted to pure excitement, her eyes sparkling as she leaned forward. "But wait, this is the best part. At lunch, a bully—this huge guy, okay—came and snatched my lunch money. And Erevin, Dad, he just stood up like some kind of superhero! He threw ketchup in one guy’s eyes—like, right in his face—and then he took on five more boys! Five, Dad! He beat them up like it was nothing! I thought it was going to be a disaster, but then Principal Harris came and stopped it. And—" she giggled nervously, "I had to lie to the principal to save him from getting in trouble."
She clasped her hands together, her voice softening but still filled with admiration. "He’s just... amazing, Dad. Like, seriously amazing."
Her father listened intently, his expression alternating between concern and intrigue. “Ketchup? Wow... This Erevin sounds... interesting.”
“He is,” she said with a small smile. “But he’s complicated. He has this habit of lying and cheating sometimes—it’s really annoying. But he’s also... really awesome. He’s so smart, and kind, and...” She hesitated, her cheeks warming. “Handsome. And caring too.”
Her father raised an eyebrow, setting his fork down. “Handsome, huh?”
“Dad!” she protested, covering her face with her hands.
He chuckled. “Alright, alright. Go on.”
Taking a deep breath, she continued, “Amelia—the class topper—asked him out today, right in front of me.”
Her father leaned forward, intrigued. “And what did he say?”
“He didn’t get a chance to,” Dawn admitted sheepishly. “I sort of... interrupted. I told her that he already had plans with me tonight.”
Her father blinked, surprised. “Wait, you told her that? But did you actually have plans?”
“Well... no,” she confessed. “But I couldn’t let him go out with her. I don’t know why, Dad—I just... couldn’t. And now, I can’t exactly back out, or I’ll look like a total jerk.”
Her father sat back, rubbing his temples. “So let me get this straight—you stopped this girl’s proposal, essentially claimed him for yourself, and now you’re stuck going on a date you weren’t prepared for?”
Dawn winced. “When you put it like that, it sounds bad.”
Her father sighed, though there was a faint smile on his face. “Dawn, if you didn’t want to go out with him, you shouldn’t have interrupted.”
“I do want to go out with him!” she blurted. “It’s just... it’s my first date. I don’t know what to do or what to expect.”
Her father’s expression softened. “Ah, now we’re getting to the real issue.” He leaned forward, his tone gentle. “You don’t have to overthink it. Just be yourself. But if you’re really stuck, why not do what I did on my first date with your mother?”
Dawn’s curiosity piqued. “What did you do?”
“We went to watch a movie,” he said, his eyes twinkling with the memory. “It was simple, but it was perfect. Sometimes, it’s not about what you do—it’s about who you’re with.”
Dawn smiled, her nerves easing slightly. “A movie... that could work. But what if I mess up?”
“You won’t,” he assured her. “If this boy likes you—and it sounds like he does—then all you have to do is be yourself. Oh, and if you’re still unsure, the internet's a good place to look up ideas.”
She laughed, feeling lighter already. He smiled warmly. “Just remember—have fun, and don’t let anyone dim that beautiful smile of yours.”
Dawn nodded quickly, stuffing the last bits of her lunch into her mouth as her mind raced. She muttered a quick, “Thanks, Dad!” before darting to her room, leaving her father chuckling behind her.
Closing the door, she flopped onto her bed, pulling out her phone. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment before she finally typed, “How to make a date interesting and romantic.”
A slew of search results popped up, but her eyes caught one with the headline, “Top Tips for a Memorable and Romantic Date.” Curiosity and nerves battled within her as she clicked the link.
The list was straightforward at first:
Compliment your date.
Be attentive and listen.
Make them laugh.
But then her eyes landed on the next few suggestions, and her heart nearly stopped.
Hold hands to create intimacy.
Share a kiss to show your interest.
Make out afterward to end the date on a high note.
Her face burned bright red, and she tossed her phone aside like it was on fire. “What kind of advice is this?!” she whispered to herself, burying her face in her pillow.
But after a moment, curiosity got the better of her. She reached for her phone again, re-reading the suggestions with a mix of shock and embarrassment. Her heart pounded as she imagined holding Erevin’s hand—or worse, kissing him.
The mere thought made her want to crawl under her bed and never come out. “No way... no way I can do this,” she muttered, shaking her head.
But then she thought about Amelia’s confident demeanor, how she’d so boldly asked Erevin out in front of her. Dawn didn’t want to lose out, didn’t want Erevin to think she wasn’t capable of making their date special.
Gathering her resolve, she whispered to herself, “I can do this... right? It’s just... holding hands and... kissing. People do it all the time.” Her voice wavered, betraying her nerves, but she clenched her fists, determination blooming despite the embarrassment.
“Yes,” she declared to her empty room, though her face was still beet red. “I’ll do it. No matter what!”
Her phone slipped from her hands as she flopped back on her bed, staring at the ceiling with wide eyes. “This is going to be the most romantic first date ever..”or the most embarrassing, she muttered, covering her face with her hands.
Aaron's Note :
Dear Readers chapter 7 also has two parts so make sure to read both of them 👀
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