Our Chemistry || ✔️

- 5 -

The sun, a big ball of luminescent yellow, graced the skyline of the buildings, slowly sinking beneath the ground. The sky, a tinted blue and yellow, shined above, with traces of white lights – the stars were beginning to show. 

Inside the park, me and Alec walked aimlessly, looking anywhere but each other. I stared at the trees, which were still in blossom because it was summer, and then at the swings and slides. It seemed so lonely without the usual gleeful shouts of children playing. 

Alec sighed from beside me, and I whipped my neck to face him. 

"Look..." He began, "I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I've been acting pretty weir—"

"Oh," I interrupted, "I've noticed, alright."

"—d," He rolled his eyes, "God, Harper, don't cut me off. Just... listen, okay?"

I gave him an annoyed look but nodded. My mind was turning in circles; this wasn't the first date I had in mind. Even though we were having such a good time before...

Alec searched his pockets and took out his phone, and I watched him type something on the web browser. After a few clicks and taps, he shoved the phone into my hand with a red face. 

I frowned at his behavior, slowly shifting my eyes from his blushing cheeks to the screen in my hand. A webpage – rather, a blog – was open, titled "Tips and Tricks to Win your Girl!" 

My eyes widened, and my mouth gaped at what I was seeing, "What—?"

"IfoundthisbeforethedatebecauseIwassonervous," Alec rambled, and I just stared at him, my mouth still gaping, because I didn't understand a word he said. 

"I..." He swallowed, repeating, "Found this before the date because I was so nervous..." 

My mouth closed, then opened, then closed, then opened. Am I supposed to say something right now? I should probably say something right now. But he told me to listen. So, I decided to close my mouth and stare at him.

"Scroll to the first one," He said, frowning as he looked away into the distance. 

I gulped, my finger shaking, I scrolled to the first one. It read...

"Number 1, Open her doors," I read it out loud, remembering all the times Alec had rushed before me to open my door – be it the car door or the restaurant entrance. He always opened my door for me, waiting for me to get in or out.  

He gave a shaky breath, "Now read the second." 

"Number 2, Tell her family you will cherish and protect her," I read, gasping as I realized his sudden declaration to Hayden in my kitchen.

"Third."

"Number 3, Plan the date to be something she would enjoy doing with you," I said, thinking of only one thing, Mexican food.

"Fourth."

I swallow, the blush on my cheeks are getting redder the more I'm reading, "Number 4, If you're planning on watching a movie, remember: it's a guarantee that horror is a success!" Oh, Alec...

"Number 5," I read out, without him needing to tell me, "Never tell her where you plan to take her. Girls love mystery?" I scoffed, scrolling further down.

"Number 6, Always compliment her, Number 7, Don't let her pay. Be a gentleman." The more I was reading, the more I realized why Alec acted so unnatural. 

"Number 8, Pick her up before the date and drop her home after. Number 9, Call her the next day or simply leave a message to notify her of your "interest." Number 10, kiss her goodbye." 

"There you have it," Alec took back his phone, staring at the webpage for a second too long, and then pocketing it, "The reason why I was acting so weird. I know that you knew I can't handle spicy food, but you love Mexican. And now you also know why I chose that horrible movie, and also, how I can't handle scary stuff either. And just – I puked," He cringed when he said puked, "Because of that entire thing. My stomach was already upset because of the spicy food, and then the movie just... really made me queasy. And then your punch. Ugh..." 

At this point, Alec looks physically pained to be saying all this, whereas I'm trying to piece and process the information I'm getting. I blink at him. 

And then I begin to laugh. Hysterically, might I add. 

"Oh my god," I wheezed, staring at his stunned expression and drowning in another bout of giggles, "Oh my fucking god."

"Um," He was frowning, "I don't think God would approve of you saying "fucking" before His name."

"Oh, that's alright, sweetie," I wiped a tear that escaped, "I'm not that religious."

He rolled his eyes, "Okay, anyway, now you know. So, I'm not dying okay?" A mischievous smile appeared on his handsome face, which had regained its previous glow, "You don't need to cry anymore."

I cringed, "Ugh, if you let that go, I'll let this go. I say we forget the bad cringey stuff and focus on the important thing."

"Which is?" He laughed. He was closer now, almost a shoulder's length away. I stepped closer, feeling a bit daring, and locked my arms behind his neck. He bent down to my height, eye-level. 

We were so close. 

Not close enough. 

"What was it called? Tips and Tricks?" I laughed as he blushed a bit, "That's definitely going in your dark past, mystery man. But as shitty as the list was, it got one think insanely wrong." 

"Huh?"

"Number 10, Kiss her goodbye," I repeated, watching his green eyes shine with realization.

"I say, to hell with that," My voice was a whisper, but we were close enough that he'd hear it, "It should have been, Number 10, Kiss her like you mean it." 

And I joined my lips together with his, breathing in deeply through my nose – as if it was the first time I was breathing. His eyes shut, and his hands curled around my waist, lightly brushing my bun until it was loose, and my hair tumbled down in curls, with his hands threading through them. I sighed, doing the same to his own hair. 

We didn't use tongue. No, it was bad etiquette to use tongue on the first date. But we did kiss. A lot. A hell lot. 

When we finally stopped, I stared at his eyes and he stared at mine. 

"I definitely kissed you like I meant it," He said, a little grin on his cheek, "Did I pass?"

"Oh, you aced it," I replied, laughing along with him. 

After that, we went to his car, drove around the city, talked, and then he dropped me back to my house. We kissed some more and parted ways. 

And when I went to sleep that night, all I could think of was...

That it was the most perfect date I'd ever had.

Hilarious. 

But perfect.

.... So there you go. My first date with Alec Smith, now titled boyfriend. 

Ah, that stupidly cute boy!