HEY, PRINCESS ⎯ 𝐋𝐄𝐄 𝐅𝐋𝐘𝐍𝐍

four: friends go on dates

        

julia sat in the grass, leaning against lee flynn with her head on his shoulder as she sketched out some outfits for her design class. elle was talking to the two about tuppen asking her out on a date as she did sit ups.

"what do people even do on dates?" elle asked making julia shrug considering she'd never been asked to go on one.

"i don't know. sit around and eat food, i guess," lee said and looked down at the sandwich that he and elle were sitting around eating.

the trio cracked up laughing.

julia was sitting on her bed and reading a bucky barnes fanfiction she found instead of doing her homework when her mom popped her head through the doorway, "hey, hun!"

the blonde slammed her laptop shut and put a hand over her chest, "oh my gosh, you scared me."

her mom frowned and leaned against the doorframe, "i'm sorry, i'm just checking in on you. you doing okay?"

"i'm fine, mom," julia shook her head and opened her laptop back up, pulling up another tab on her browser.

"are you sure? you haven't talked to me much after your father—," there was a long pause in her mother's sentence until julia cut her off in frustration.

"mom, he left. he doesn't care about us, so i don't care about him. end of story," she got up and slipped on a pair of shoes, "now, i'm off to go help elle get ready for her date."

        elle looked in the mirror at the makeover julia had just finished and smiled, "oh my gosh, jules! you did amazing."

"thanks, elle. tuppen isn't gonna know what hit him when he sees you tonight," julia said as she packed her stuff up in her makeup bag.

the girls heads jerked up when they heard lee's car horn go off and julia took off towards the door while elle finished getting ready.

"woah, princess did you give yourself a makeover too?" lee whistled sarcastically when he saw julia hop in the back of his car with sweatpants on.

she laughed and pushed his arm, "very funny, wonder boy. elle will be out in a minute."

lee turned around and took a few minutes to look at julia, "you know, you still look like a beautiful princess."

julia rolled her eyes and looked away, but she couldn't hide the big smile formed onto her face, "lee flynn, you're a mess."

"julia carter, you complete me."

the two smiled softly at each other until elle came out of the house.

julia gasped dramatically and grabbed lee's arm, "lee, our baby's all grown up!"

lee grabbed an imaginary camera and took pictures of elle as she got into the car laughing, "lee just drive."

        the trio pulled up to the restaurant that elle and tuppen had agreed on, and elle got out, letting julia get in the front.

she turned to lee and julia panicking, "my heart is beating so fast!"

"that is just fine," lee assured her.

"okay, listen. can you two just keep your phones on you though, because i just honestly, i know myself and i know i'm gonna run out of things to talk about and i really wanna call one of yo—," elle rambled on until lee interrupted her.

"no, do not call me. okay? if he can't see how completely baller you are, then he's not the right guy for you," he shrugged, making elle and julia grow into a fit of 'awes'.

"you can be so sweet when you wanna be," elle shook her head in disbelief.

lee threw his head back and rolled his eyes with a smile, "i know."

after they said their goodbyes, lee started up his car and he slowly drove down the street, "so what're we gonna do until it's over?"

julia tore her eyes from the pretty lights outside and looked at lee, "what do you mean?"

lee shrugged, "maybe us– we could go eat or something, i don't know."

"like a date?" julia asked softly.

"uh, yeah," lee nodded and then he remembered the rule, "friends go on dates, right?"

julia looked down at her lap, "oh, yeah. friends totally do that. well, at least my first almost date is with you."

lee looked out the window, wishing he could just hit his forehead on the steering wheel. why did he have to make rule thirteen a thing?

    about ten minutes later, the two were at a diner and sat in one of the booths. lee ordered a double cheeseburger for himself and chicken strips for julia. as they waited on their food and sipped on their chocolate milkshakes, lee stared at julia with a smile on his face.

she looked up from her straw, "what?"

"you uh got milkshake on your face, princess," lee lied and wiped a clear spot on her cheek.

"so, how do you think elle's date is going?" julia asked with her hands rested under her chin.

lee pulled out his phone and rolled his eyes, "it's not going. tuppen stood her up."

the two grabbed their food to go and headed to lee's car to get their upset friend.

      "my god, what is wrong with me? is my butt too big? am i some sort of freak or something?" elle asked the two sadly as she and lee danced on their favorite arcade game.

julia shook her head, "no, you're perfect the way you are, elle. don't let some idiot like tuppen make you feel this way."

"you're awesome, tuppen is just a dick," lee assured her, "i don't know why i told you to go out with him in the first place."

elle shrugged, "maybe it's because he's the only guy that's ever asked me out."

"stop it! alright? tuppen isn't worth it. you're way too good for him," then lee decided to crack a joke to make elle feel better, "plus i've heard he has like three nipples, just saying."

which made julia and elle laugh as expected. then tuppen showed up looking as guilty as ever.

"you had your shot, bud. see ya later," julia stated with her arms crossed as lee stood behind her waving a goodbye.

"i need to talk to elle," tuppen explained, but the two glared at him as they stood their ground.

"lee, jules, it's okay," elle assured the angry teens and they backed off, but not before lee signaled to him that he'd be watching.

"what're they saying?" julia whispered to lee from one of the arcade games beside elle and tuppen.

"it's hard to hear," lee groaned.

"here, let me," the blonde and brunette switched places and she listened in on the conversation.

"he's been going around telling all the guys not to ask you out for a while now. flynn was the same way about that julia chick too, something about a rule thirteen between you and his brother," tuppen explained to elle.

julia turned to lee, who looked guiltier than tuppen, "lee, what's he talking about?"