Tongue Tied *UNDERGOING EDITING*

20. Hung Up On You

Hung Up - Hot Chelle Rae >>>>

Ariel's POV

Luke pulls up in front of my house 20 minutes later. He parks the car and unlocks the door. "Thanks for driving me home, Luke." I say while getting out the car. I close the door, but Luke rolls down the window. "No problem, Ariel." he says, emphasizing on my name. "See I didn't call you babe. What's my prize?" he asks, smiling. "You tell me what you and Zoey were talking about?" I say hopefully.

"That doesn't benefit me in anyway, babe." he says smirking. "Ugh fine. You can come up with something." I say, leaning against the open window. "Well, remember the night Zoey had her seizure?" he asks. I nod, not wanting to think about that. "You invited me to stay for dinner and I never got too." he says. "You want to come to my house for dinner? How does that benefit you?" I ask, not getting the point.

"No no no, not at your house. I want you to come with me out to dinner." he says. "Where? At your house?" I ask. "Um, no. Out. Like at a restaurant." he says. My jaw drops slightly and I try to close it. "Did Luke Mason just ask me out on a date?" I say like its the most absurd thing ever. And even though I'm keeping a cool and collected cover on the outside, I'm freaking out on the inside.

Luke just asked me out. What do I say? What do I do? Ugh I wish this was easier.

"No, no I'm not." he says and my spirits sink a little. "Just a repayment." he say with a triumphant smile. "A repayment for what? Not calling me babe? That's absurd." I say laughing. "So?" he says. The smile slips away and I swallow hard. What if this is a joke? What if I say yes and then he laughs, says he's joking, and then thinks I like him? Which I do, but like I want him to know that.

I bite my lower lip and he raises his eyebrows, searching for an answer. "This isn't a date? Just two friends having dinner?" I question. "So we're friends now? Not just 'mutual project partners'?" he asks. "Yeah sure we're friends. Are you gonna answer my question?" I say. "No, it's not a date. Just two friends going out to dinner." he says smiling. I pause for a moment, put my forefinger to my chin, and look up at the sky as if I was debating whether to say yes or not. When in reality, I had an answer.

"Okay."



~-~-~-~-~



"What do I do?!" I ask Zoey the next day. "I can't believe he asked you out!" she says. "Well he didn't really..." I say. I don't think I would have said yes if it was a date. After all, he doesn't like me that way. He likes Zoey. "OK sure. What are you going to wear?" she asks. Even though she's sick, she's still peppy and ready to help.

"I don't know. I'm just nervous. But enough about me and Luke. I want to talk about prom. Can you come?" I ask. "Yeah. They're releasing me for that one night, but I have to come straight back to the hospital afterwards." she says, a smile on her face.

"OK good." I say with a smile. "So I've picked out a few dresses online, and I need you to help me decide." I say, opening up the page on my phone. I show her the three dresses. "That one." she says, pointing to the last one and zooming in on it.

Its strapless, short and red has a sparkly band to form an empire waist. The sheer layer is a bit longer than the red part, forming an even better layered look. "That's the one I was leaning towards too." I say with a smile. "Its perfect, but what about mine?" she asks. "I can order one for you if you'd like." I say. "Can you go back up to the first one?" she asks, so I scroll back up to the first dress, a short, strapless, periwinkle dress. It has a flower at the top, then crisscrosses before the skirt is gathered and then flowy.

"I love that one." she says. I can see the glow in her eyes. "OK. It's settled, I'm buying it for you." I say with a smile and close my phone. "Thanks." she says and then rests her head back, a pained expression on her face. "Are you OK? Do you need me to call a nurse?" I ask, getting out my seat quickly and positioned to press the call button near her bed. "No, I'm fine." she says laughing a little. "I just get a really sharp pain in my head from time to time." she says.

"Oh." I reply, sitting back down. We talk a little more about prom and dresses and the theme and then the nurses come with some food for Zoey. "I should probably get going." I say and stand up to give her a hug goodbye. "Bye. Call me before your date tomorrow!" she says. "Its not a date!" I say. "Ok sure." she adds, smirking. I roll my eyes and smile before leaving the hospital.

Its not a date, right? No he confirmed it wasn't. It's just dinner. He doesn't like you Ariel. So quit thinking he does.

I arrive home just as my parents are setting the table. "Oh, I was just about to call you. How's Zoey doing?" my mom asks. "She's OK. But they're starting her chemo next week." I say, setting my bag down and kicking off my shoes. "Oh. Well you're just in time for dinner so," my mom says, setting down a bowl of peas and then walking back into the kitchen. I sit at the table and hear footsteps come down the stairs after a few minutes.

"Hey, how's Zoey?" Cameron asks, taking a seat in front of me. "She's OK." I say. Mom and dad join us at the table with the rest of the food and we start our normal Saturday night family dinner. Its mostly quiet from me, my mom and dad and Cameron all talking amongst themselves. I don't know what they're problem is. Have I done something?

After dinner, I head upstairs to go to bed early. I feel exhausted, what with worrying about dinner with Luke tomorrow night and everything else. It will probably just be filled with awkward silences and talking about our presentation that we'll have to do the next day. I climb into bed and fall asleep quickly, thinking about Luke and dinner and shoes.



Luke's POV

She said yes. Why didn't I do that earlier? But if I had, she probably would have said no. Correction, she definitely would have said no. But she doesn't think its a date. And it isn't really. I wonder what Alyssa would say...

Alyssa. I still have to break up with her.

I pull out my phone and dial her number. It rings for a while before she picks up. "Hey babe, how are you?" she asks. I can hear the fake pout in her voice. And I hate when she calls me babe. I feel like that's something special between me and Ariel. And she only started calling me that a few weeks ago. "Um, I'm actually not good. I need to talk to you about something that's been on my mind lately." I say. I don't know how to let her down without crushing her feelings.

"OK baby, what is it?" she asks. "I...I think we should break up." I blurt out. I do it fast and quick, like ripping off a Band-Aid. Hopefully, the sting won't last long. "W-why?" she stutters. "I'm just not feeling it anymore. I don't want to hold you down. You deserve someone who loves you and will make you happy." I say. Even though Alyssa can be a bitch sometimes, that doesn't mean she doesn't deserve someone who makes her happy.

"Oh. Thanks, I guess." she says, then an awkward silence sets in. "I should probably go." she says after a while. "Oh, ok." I say. "Bye Luke. " she says, but I don't get the chance to say goodbye because she hangs up the phone.

That was harder than I thought it would be. But it needed to be done. I feel better now, like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

I take a deep breath and lay my head back on my pillow.

Now I can focus on my "dinner between friends" with Ariel. Or at least that's what she wanted to call it. But I think the both of us know that its a date. I wanted to say yes when she asked if it was a date. I didn't want her to get out of the car. I wanted to lean forward and hold her hand. Feel that spark I always feel between us. Because I'm ready to admit to myself that I like Ariel.

As more than a friend.

~-~-~-~-~-~

The next morning, I practice the presentation for a little bit before going downstairs for breakfast. Both of my parents sit at the dining room table, eating there own breakfasts. "'Morning." I say, waving to my parents and walking into the kitchen. "Hi sweetie. Are you excited for tonight?" my mom asks. "Uh, yeah, I guess." I say. "Well you should be. Ariel seems like a sweet girl." she adds, joining me in the kitchen with her empty oatmeal bowl.

"Have you met her?" I ask. "Yes. I saw her and her mom at the open house at the beginning of the year." she says, placing her bowl in the sink and running water in it. "Is she new this year?" I ask. "Luke, she's been going to school with you since kindergarten." she says. I turn my head slowly towards my mom. She sounds a little disappointed. "I have?" I ask. Probably not the best idea.

"Yes, you have!" she yells. She leaves the kitchen. I don't get why she's so annoyed. So I haven't noticed her? I wish I had. Maybe I don't know as much about Ariel as I thought.



Ariel's POV

I wake up the next morning, but lay in bed for a few minutes before pulling back the covers. What will I wear tonight? How will I do my hair? Should I dress casual or fancier? Where are we going? What time is he picking me up? So many questions run through my mind while I lay there tucked under my blankets. I needed to calm down and stop overthinking everything.

I get out of bed and go to my closet to get dressed for the day. Then I start looking for an outfit.

After an hour and picking and choosing and taking out and putting back, I finally have an outfit that should be acceptable.

Then I go downstairs to eat breakfast. Cameron is sitting at the counter reading another book. "Good morning Cameron." I say, my voice a little cheerier than I meant it to be. "Morning. You excited?" he asks. He smiles deviously, knowing that I'm going on a date with a boy, no matter how many times I tell him it's just a friendly dinner. "I guess. There's nothing to be excited about though. It's just dinner." I say, fishing out some cereal only to find we have no milk. Just perfect.

"OK sure."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know."

"Cam, if I knew, I wouldn't be asking you. Can you please tell me what you mean?" I ask.

He turns towards me, setting his book down with the pages facing against the counter. "No guy asks a girl to "just dinner between friends", Ariel. Trust me, I know. I'm a guy too, you know." he says. I roll my eyes and cross my arms. "OK sure. Luke doesn't feel that way about me, Cam." I say. "But you feel that way about him?" he asks, but it sounds more like a statement than a question.

I pause before answering. "No." I say, but I'm pretty sure I'm blushing right now, so he probably doesn't believe me. "I don't believe you." he says. "You shouldn't." I add after a second. Cameron smiles, but it goes away almost as quickly as it came. "He's a player Ariel. I don't want you to get hurt." he says. "I know that Cam. I've known him since kindergarten, even then he had, like, three girlfriends at once." I say. I lower my head. "I always told myself that I would fall for a guy who was sweet and smart and genuinely a good person." I add. "But you fell for the opposite." Cameron says, sounding like he finished my sentence. But I'm not quite done.

"I'm not so sure. He can act like a sweet and genuine person sometimes." I add. Cameron looks at me with a surprised face. "What?" I ask, a small laugh escaping my lips. "You can really find the good in people Ariel." he says. "Thanks. He's not all that bad. But he has a girlfriend so, I don't have a chance. This really is just a dinner." I say.

"Sorry." Cameron says. I shrug my shoulders, suddenly remembering about Alyssa. That's how I knew it wasn't a date. And then there's the fact that he likes Zoey. He's probably just playing me, like he does every other girl.

But even with that thought settling in my mind, I still can't convince myself to stop liking Luke.