she was untouchable.

18 | the sky was pretty.

"How do I look?" I ask the girls. Alaina, Alira and Fly has all come over to help me get ready for my date with Zeke. The twins had just about set Fly and I deaf when I told them he asked me out. They didn't stop squealing till Fly hit them both with a pillow. Then there was a pillow fight. Not the kind the girls do on tv though. Alaina ended up with a black eye and I'm pretty sure Fly broke a toe.

"Hot." Alaina says without missing a beat.

"She means really nice. You look really nice." Alira insists, slapping her sister. Fly rolls her eyes at the two.

"I mean hot." Alaina tells me once they finish their little fight.

"You're such a tool." Alira huffs.

"It's not over the top is it?" I ask them looking at myself in the mirror. I was wearing the long black gloves that Zeke had bought me and a flowy white dress.

"You look stunning. He won't know what to say." Fly assures me.

Alaina comes to stand behind me as I look in the mirror questioning my choice of outfit. "Usually as being the sister I think I'm supposed to give the speech about 'If you break his heart' but if that little loser breaks your heart, you come straight to me and I'll show him he has nothing to live for, got it?" She says in a rather serious tone.

"Get off my fucking toe!" Fly yelps suddenly.

"Oh shit sorry. I was too busy admiring El's beauty." Alira says stepping of off Fly's foot.

"I could choke you right now." Fly says sitting down on my bed and nursing her sore foot.

"Yeah you could." Alira says raising her brows in a flirtatious manner making Fly go white.

"Don't be weird." Fly huffs out.

"I think you should go with the black boots." Alira says ignoring Fly's frustration.

As I'm putting the boots on, someone knocks on the door downstairs making Alaina scream. Alira bolts down the stairs telling us to hurry.

"I think we should hide when he answers so then he won't think that you think this is a big deal even though it is a big deal." Alira stops us before we can get to the door.

"I have no idea what that means but let's hide behind the couch." Alaina says grabbing her sisters hand. Fly shakes her head but follows after them anyway.

I open the door to see Zeke waiting patiently. "You bought me flowers?" I ask surprised.

"Would you have preferred something else? Aaron said I should get you a kebab. I wasn't sure about that though since we are already going to get food." He hands me the flowers and then scratches the back of his neck.

"No." I laugh. "They're beautiful. No ones ever bought me flowers before." I say absently.

"You look... uhh..." he stumbles over his words.

"Told you." Fly says, referring to what she had said in my room earlier.

"Fly!" Alaina scolds.

"Oh right I was supposed to stay quiet. Oops." She remembers.

"The whole girl gang is here huh?" Zeke laughs.

"Oh don't act surprised. Nik, Aaron and Leon have been helping you all afternoon." Alaina pokes.

"Have not." Zeke argues a little too quickly.

"Have too." Alira fights back poking her tongue out at her brother.

"Please let's get going." Zeke looks at me desperately then looks back at Alaina confused. "What happened to your eye? why's it black?" He asks.

"Pillow fight." Fly shrugs.

"Come on, let's go." I say grabbing his hand after leaving the flowers with Fly. Zeke groans as his sisters start to yell from behind us.

"Are you okay? you look nervous." He asks me as we sit down at the restaurant. Zeke had picked a window seat that looked out over the streets. It was a small italian restaurant near the skate park we had gone to a few weeks prior.

"I am." I admit.

"That's okay so am I." He laughs. A waiter walks over and hands us each a menu and asks what drinks we would like to start off with. When Zeke and I both say water at the same time the waiter laughs and tells us what a cute couple we make. Zeke smiles proudly making me blush.

When the waiter leaves to get out drinks Zeke's phone rings.

"Oh it's my mum, I should take this. Sorry." Zeke says looking down at his phone. He moves to answer the phone and then walks outside, stoping just beside our window seats.

I can't help but look at Zeke while he talks on the phone. Despite not being able to hear him I can tell the conversation is going good by the huge smile on his face. He laughs at something and then turns to look at me. Oh no. He just caught me staring. He smiles, walks closer and then holds his hand up against the window.

I copy his movements by placing my gloved hand on the his, just a pane of glass separating them. I look at them for a moment before deciding to take the glove off. Despite the glass between our hands the action of almost touching puts a pit in my stomach. A pit of both resentment and longing.

"Everything okay?" I feel compelled to ask as he sits down in front of me.

"Yeah." he replies. He goes to say something but stops himself just as the waiter comes over with our waters.

"Have you had the chance to look over the menus or would you like a few more minutes?" he asks. After telling our orders to the waiter and him telling us it'll be a few moments he walks away.

I look at Zeke. I mean really look at him. He's rambling about something and ever so often he looks at me to make sure i'm listening. I laugh at something he says. A laughs so real it fills my whole body.

"My wife used to have gloves like those. They're very pretty." A man says from over my shoulder. Looking over I see a short older man smiling at me. He then looks at Zeke. "Hello Zeke, nice to see you again." he says though the stern look on his face tells me otherwise.

"Hey Ermie." Zeke laughs awkwardly. "Didn't think you'd be here." He scratches the back of his neck. He looks more nervous than i've ever seen him.

"Why wouldn't I be here. I own it." He turns up his nose but turns to me and smiles. "And who's this lovely lady? Aren't you going to introduce me Zeke?"  he asks innocently.

"This is Eloise, El this is Erm-" Ermie cut him off before he can finish.

"My names Ermeneggildo but you can call me Ermie. I've heard a lot about you... you've got a mean punch." The old man says as he pulls up a chair next to me.

"I'm sorry?" I ask, confusion written across my face I'm sure.

"You punched my grandson." Ermie says bluntly. Though he doesn't look the least upset about it.

"Oh I'm so sorry." I apologise. My hand begins to feel hot at the thought of punching the boy called 'Moose'.

"Oh I'm sure he deserved it. He can be rather rude sometimes. Looks like your food is ready, I'll let you be. Make sure you guys stay for a dance later." Ermie smiles kindly. He struggles for a moment to stand from his chair but scoffs when Zeke and I offer a hand to help.

"This looks delicious." Zeke says after a moments silence.

"Why doesn't he like you?" I ask bluntly.

His eyes fill with mischief and a large smile graces his lips as if recalling a memory.