The Battle of The Bad Boys (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 8: First Date

My thumb hovers above the call button. Should I phone Sam? We haven't spoken since paint-balling (and trust me, 24 hours without a word from Sam is almost as rare as a solar eclipse). Sighing, I press my finger down and bring the phone to my ear. It rings three times before I hear a wary,

"Leila?"

"Hey Sam, you're alive!" I say, grinning as her carefree laugh travels down the phone. It doesn't last long.

"I thought you were be mad at me. I mean, you have every right to be..." She trails off.

"God, if we stayed mad at each other for stuff like that then we would never be friends. Remember the fifth grade science project?"

"As if I could forget! Took me three weeks to make and three seconds for you to destroy." She reminisces. "Thank you." She says, sincerely.

"For ruining your science project?!"

"No stupid, for forgiving me."

"No biggie. Look Sam, I really need your help..."

"Anything!" She replies enthusiastically. I pause, still unsure about how she will take the news. Then again, I haven't even confirmed if she's been acting weird because she likes Tyler. Or Hunter...

"I'm going on a date with Tyler tonight and I'm in dire need of your expertise." I blurt out.

"Okay, sure. I'll be there in ten." She says. I try to ignore the fact that her voice was a little deflated and glance at the clock. 19:15. Right, I have forty-five minutes until Tyler comes to pick me up.

*~*~*

"Done!" Sam finishes applying a subtle pink lipstick to my lips with a flourish. She swings my chair around to face the mirror. Wow.

"Sam, you're a genius!" I grin at her, admiring her work. I really should let her dress me up more often. This is even better than last time. My hair hangs in loose curls, framing my face. Silver eyeshadow (not too heavy) catches the light when I blink and my lipstick is a baby pink and makes my lips look heavenly soft. A navy crop top, white jeans and brown heeled sandals completes the look.

A ring at the door signals Tyler's arrival and Sam grins.

"Remember what I told you - dark booth, sit as close to him as possible, don't order messy food..." Sam starts rambling off a list which she has repeated to me multiple times whilst doing my makeup.

"Yeah Sam, I think I've got it!" I give her a quick hug and make my way downstairs to the door. Sam stays in my room, claiming that she'll be fine with Netflix and wants to see me after. I don't argue, I'm actually relieved that she's been so helpful. Maybe she doesn't like Tyler after all. But what if she likes Hunter... I try to push this thought out of my mind as I wobble in my heels towards the door. I open it and am met by Tyler, leaning against the doorway casually. His muscular chest is covered by a cotton white shirt, his hands are stuffed into Diesel jean pockets and his blonde hair is being ruffled by the gentle wind. Bright blue eyes meet mine and he gives me a crooked grin that makes my heart skip.

"You look beautiful." I blush and take a hesitant step out of the door. Eyeing my heels, Tyler wraps a strong arm around my waist to lead me towards the car. I hear a loud whistle and his head whips around, searching for the culprit.

"What was that?" He asks.

"Probably just the wind." I lie, mentally cursing Sam. He doesn't look convinced but lets it go. Arriving at his car, he opens my door one-handed, still keeping a tight grip around my waist and only letting go when I'm halfway sat down in the car.