Loving the Enemy

Not a date

"So, um, Ari... Would you like to maybe go see a movie with me?" Philips asked, blushing a little and refusing to meet my eyes.
"Sure" I said easily "I mean, that's what friends do right?" I smirked, knowing full well what he actually meant but was too afraid to ask outright.
"Yeah. Totally not a date"
"Completely" I agreed with him "100% not a date"
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For something that "strictly wasn't a date" I still went out of my way to dress nicely, even if it was just a movie. Hair out instead of up, plaiting the side bits so they're out of my face, a silver necklace, and a nice red blouse over dark jeans. I didn't tell Benny where I was going, knowing that for some reason he wouldn't approve, and not wanting to be late because of an argument with my stick-in-the-mud brother.

I walked the short distance to the commercial side of town, the cinema across from Vincent's. For something that "couldn't possibly be a date" Philips insisted on buying all the food and drinks. I made sure to buy the tickets, because it wasn't a date after all.
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The movie itself was pretty boring, so Philips and I chatted quietly almost the entire time.

All in all I had a great time, and maybe soon Philips would get enough confidence to remove the "not a date" caveat. I would put him out of his misery but as I'm sure I've said before it's just too fun to watch the poor boy struggle.

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"What took you so long?" My brother asked, spinning around in my desk chair as I entered my room.
"What are you doing in here?" I asked him, undoing my hair and putting it in its usual high ponytail.
"Waiting for you" Benny replied "forget that you said you're camping at the Sandlot tonight did you?"
"Was that tonight?" I asked offhandedly, already moving to dig my sleeping bag out of a drawer.
"Yes" Benny said matter of factly, as I located my sleeping bag and dumped it on the floor, grabbing out a white and red 3/4 sleeve shirt and a pair of tights.
"There" I announced "ready already, all I've got to do it get changed"
"I'll pretend you had them out already and didn't forget" Benny said, sounding very holier-than-thou, as he left my room.

Less than five minutes later we had left our house and we're making our way to the Sandlot, sleeping bags under our arms and a couple of bags of chips that our mum had forced into our hands. When we emerged onto the empty Sandlot I didn't need to ask where the boys were, following the dull roar of voices to the treehouse. I climbed the rope ladder and pushed aside the sheet over the door, just as Smalls fired a small metal ball from a catapult.
"Ah" I screeched, ducking to avoid the glint of metal flying towards my face "stand down! Stand down, don't shoot I brought snacks" I said, throwing the chips in as tribute. The room inside burst into loud guffaws of laughter and I slipped past the door frame while they were distracted, finding an empty spot near a window, which could afford me a good escape if needs be.

Despite the slightly strange beginning it was a good night, the boys went out of their way to include me, telling stories I was sure they'd all heard a million times but retold for my sake, making sure I got some smores instead of the first in best dressed policy that appeared to usually apply, and I had fun; but it wasn't like when I was with the Tigers-when I was with my team. There they didn't have to try, I was just part of the team, here I was just the captain's sister.