More Than Friends - A Hayes Grier fanfiction

Chapter 17 - The date

I wake up to my phone pinging like crazy. Messages from everyone are appearing in my inbox so I read them all.

Alyssa: OMG guurrrrlllll what happened with u + Tanner? ;)

Kaitlyn: U better message me ALL the deets kay?

Megan: V happy 4 u girly!

Kyle: Get in there Sophie!!!

The last message is from Tanner so I open it and read it. He is asking me about going to the mall later on today so I ask mom if I am free. When she tells me yes, I text him back saying yes. He tells me to meet him outside Chipotle at half past twelve. I grin at my phone screen and message him back to confirm.

“What are you smiling about huh?” Molly appears in my door frame.

“Nothing.” Wide eyed, I shove my phone under my pillow to try and pretend nothing is happening.

“Sophieeeee?” Molly says in a sing song voice.

“Okay fine. This boy asked me to go to the mall with him.”

“A date?”

“No...”

“Yes?”

“Maybe?”

“Yes!”

“I don't know!” I shout and she grins.
“Don't do anything I wouldn't do!” She says and leaves me alone.

An hour later, after I have finally got out of bed, I get dressed in my cutest outfit and pack my handbag. I check the time and see it is quarter past twelve so I yell at Molly to drive me to the mall. I go into the sitting room and se her sprawled on the couch.

“Molly hurry up!” I shout and drag her by her arm. She flops on the floor so I pull her into the netrance hall and shove her shoes on her feet.

“GET UP THIS IS IMPORTANT!” I scream and she shoots up and hurries out of the door, knowing I mean business. We scramble into the car and roll away from the house.

“Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up!” I yell as she dodged traffic, getting beeped at multiple times. She careers round corners and revvs the engine, multiple children screaming at the loud noise coming from the car.

“There's the mall!” I yell and check the time. 12:28. I scream and she speeds down the road. We pull up outside the mall, I jump out and she wishes me luck. I wave goodbye the run into the mall. I run past the shops to where Chipotle is on the other side. When I get there Tanner isn't even there so I stop to catch my breath.

“Ugh, after all that.” I complain and lean against the wall to catch my breath. Suddenly I feel a hand on my shoulder.

“Hey!” I turn and see Tanner grinning at me.

“Hey!” I cry and give him a quick hug. Immediatly I regret it. What if it was too much? I mean we aren't even dating...

We go inside the restaurant and a waitress seats us at a window table. I skim through the menu, though I already know what I want.

“Shall I go and order for us then?” Tanner gets my attention. I tell him what I want then hand him my ten dollar bill.

“Hey, don't worry it's on me.” He smiles and bats his long eyelashes. His brown eyes come very close to Hayes'... wait why is Hayes in my mind. I frown internally at myself then go on my phone to check instagram. I scroll past a few selfies of people from school then, and of course I would see it, a picture of Megan and Hayes pops up. It is on Hayes' instagram so of course there a, like, a thousand likes and even more comments. I read through a couple and they are all generic 'couple goals' and 'baes'. I grimace just looking at them.

“Whatcha looking at?” Tanner appears at them table holding a tray.

“Not much, just Hayes' new instagram picture.” I show him the screen and he raises his eyebrows.

“Wow...” He says quietly.

“Why wow?”

“He moves on so quick.”

“What d'you mean?”

“Well, when he first came back in summer he was talking about you, like he wanted to date you. But I guess not...” I raise my brows this time.

“Yeah I guess not.” I repeat.

“That's why I helped you up, well partly. I felt bad because you had to see Megan and Hayes together like that.”

When he says this my stomach suddenly flips. I never realised that Tanner, one of the school's star football players, was so... well... sweet.

“Thanks Tanner. I appreciate it so much.” I say shyly. We finish up our lunch then head for the shops. I walk into Brandy melville with him following close behind. As I search round the shop for something I don't already have, I feel him walking closer and closer to me. Suddenly I spot a cute bralette that must be new in stock, so I grab it before another girl can.

“Hey Tanner do you like...” I turn round briskly as I say it and it suddenly trip over my feet into his chest. I feel his strong arms break my fall and he lifts me upright.

“Your a bit clumsy aren't you?” He laughs, but not in a mocking way.

“Just a little.” I laugh. “ So d'you think this is cute or nah?”

“Yeah. Get it.” He grins, not even looking at what I am holding.

…

I check my phone and stare at the time in horror.

“Tanner it's nearly six. I need to go.” I say.

“Okay. I'll call my brother to come and get us.” He says.

We wait for barely five minutes and Levi, Tanner's older brother parks beside us. I look in the front window and see none other than Nash sitting in the passenger seat.

“Why is Nash here?” Tanner questions.

“We went to shoot some hoops.” He says blankly. Nash turns and gives me an odd look. He smiles at him, trying to be nice, but he turns round and ignores me. I frown at the back of his head and go back to looking at my phone.

“What did you two get up to then?” Levi asks and I see he is grinning in the mirror.

“Just... stuff.” Tanner says bluntly.

“Hope you used a condom then.” Nash jokes, making me grimace.

We pull up outside my house a few minutes later and me and Tanner hop out and stroll to the door.

“I had a really nice day Tanner.” I stare into his chocolatey brown eyes and get kinda lost in them. He grabs my hands, catching me off guard, and bites his lip.

“I really... really like you Sophie.” He says.

“I like you too Tanner.”

“Good...” He says and then slowly leans his head towards me. I tilt my head slightly and we gently touch mouths. Just as the kiss is getting good, Levi leans out of his car window and shouts, “Get a room!” I blush and we both turn our heads to them. Levi is grinning madly but Nash's face is like thunder.