Have Hope

The Day He Asked Me Out (edited)

"I can take her to school, you know that right?" I hear Brennan ask Drew while I brush my teeth in the bathroom on the main floor of our house.

"I don't mind picking her up."

School started a week ago, and Drew has come to pick me up every morning and taken me home every day since. He usually gets here and sits in the kitchen to talk to Brennan while I finish getting ready. Brennan took a quick liking toward him, shockingly enough.

"I'm ready," I announce after wiping the toothpaste off my face. I step around the corner and into the kitchen. "See you at school, Bren."

"Drive safe." He kisses my cheek and nods at Drew.

It's been roughly three weeks since Drew and I went on our first date. We have hung out several times since then and have gotten to know each other more and more.

He even introduced me to his closest friend at Saint Shield, Kaden Hills. Kaden's a lot like Drew's other friends; he's tall, quiet, and intimidating. However, after spending just one afternoon with him at Drew's, I realized he is a six-foot-tall teddy bear. I'm not sure he could even hurt a fly.

"Did you do the English?" Drew asks once we get in his car.

"Yes, and you should have, too."

I also met his parents last week. I went over for dinner after the first day of school. While he was in another room, I was helping his mom clean up after dinner, and she told me she was already seeing an improvement in his attitude and outlook on life here in Saint Shield since we started seeing each other. Improvement in schoolwork is still a work in progress though.

"I forgot about it," he mumbles or whines, I'm not really sure.

"I reminded you." I literally texted him as soon as he left my house last night, reminding him to do the homework.

He shoots me a guilty smile when we stop at the stop sign at the end of my street. He grabs my hand and squeezes it. "I'm trying, Lainey." I squeeze his hand back.

"I know."

Andrew blew off his freshmen year. He was new and didn't have any friends, until November when he'd met Kayden; he didn't care what happened to himself or his grades.

He was sure it was too late for him to amount to anything after barely passing freshmen year, but I assured him he could still turn it around if he was willing to try. I promised I'd help him through it all.

He brings my hand to his lips and presses a sweet kiss to my knuckles.

Once we are in the school parking lot, Drew pulls out his English folder and a pencil and begins completing the quick grammar worksheet we were assigned last class.

"Is this right?"

I lean over the center console to get a better look at the paper in his lap. "Yeah, it looks good." When I look up, our faces are only a few inches apart.

"So do you." He smirks and leans forward to peck my lips.

A knock on my window launches me back into my seat, blushing like crazy.

I look to my right to see who scared the living daylight out of me, and I'm not surprised to see Kaden. I roll down the window.

"Hi, Kaden," and I say it in that tone that insinuates he definitely interrupted something.