Song: Perfect by Ed Sheeran. I thought the song would be *perfect* for this chapter. I'll shut up with the bad puns and let you read it.

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"What do you think, Anthony?" I ask. Most girls ask their moms or sisters for advice like this. I don't know why an almost eighteen year old girl is asking her older brother for advice, but he can be good when it comes to that.

"Whatever feels good to you, Sophia. It's your choice at the end of the day," he says. I frown. He isn't helping right now. "You're supposed to be helping me here," I say assertively. Anthony rolls his eyes. "Sophia, I don't know what to help you with. It's really your own opinion. I can't change that," he says.

"Come on, Anthony. Can you please help me? This is a really important decision for me," I plea. Anthony raises his eyebrows. "Sophia, trying to decide what color you should wear on your first date isn't an important decision," he says. I raise an eyebrow back at him. "How would you know? You've never had the guts to ask a girl out on one," I say.

Anthony opens his mouth to protest, but I cut him off. "And no, prom doesn't count. Especially since the girl asked you," I say. Anthony frowns. "Okay, Julia didn't ask me. She just merely suggested we go together," he says. I start to laugh out of pure sarcasm. "Merely suggest? Does, 'Hey, prom's this Saturday. Do you want to go together?' sound like suggesting?" I ask.

"At least I stayed with her the whole night," he says defiantly. My mouth falls open. "Are you amnesiac? You ditched her halfway for Devon and deleted all the pictures of her and you on your phone so we wouldn't see what she looked like," I say. Anthony shakes his head.

"Hey, she wasn't really my type," he says. I scoff. "I have no hopes for you and your love life. Your non existent love life," I say. After our little mini bicker, my dad comes into my room. "What's all this bickering about?" he asks, slightly annoyed. "I was just reminding Anthony of prom night and how he ditched poor Julia," I say.

My dad nods his head. "Oh yeah. Anthony, the day you get a girlfriend is the day Sophia says she hates Oreos," my dad says, and we laugh. "Dad, what color do you think I should wear for my date tonight?" I ask. My dad thinks for a few seconds. "How about neon yellow?" he asks. I shake my head.

"I do not look good in neon yellow. Why do you say that?" I ask. My dad smirks. "Because, that way, all the boys will stay away from my little girl," my dad says. I frown. "Dad, I'm seventeen. I'm going to be eighteen really soon. I can't believe you still consider me your little girl," I say. He smiles. "You'll always be my little girl," he says, and he hugs me.

I love how I am a daddy's girl, but he can be a tad bit overprotective sometimes. He's still the best though. "Sophia, when is Ray coming?" my mom asks, hurrying up the stairs and into my room. "What's the time?" I ask. My mom looks at her watch. "4:45," she says. "Then in 45 minutes," I say. "What are you going to wear?" she asks. I shrug.

"He said not to dress too formal. I'm struggling to decide on a color to wear today. And the men in this house aren't helping with that," I say. My mom shakes her head.

"Sophia, the one thing you should note is that most men suck at fashion. I am not saying all of them do, but most do. Why else did I go to the store with Anthony when it came time to pick a tuxedo for prom? Hell, I'm going to probably end up picking the tuxedo he's going to wear at his wedding," my mom says.

"If he gets married. Considering how his love life has been so far, my hopes aren't very high for him," I say. She laughs and nods. "True. But what are your options? What color do you want to wear?" she asks. I sigh.

"I don't know. I've narrowed it down to two options," I say. "Well, what are they?" she asks. "Black and dark red. Black really looks good on me. But dark red has this sexy vibe to it that I really like. I just can't decide on which one," I say. "Why only those two options? Those aren't the only two colors you're allowed to wear on a date," my mom asks. I clear my throat really loudly.

"You see, someone decided to come up yesterday for an unexpected visit-," I say, but my mom raises her hand to cut me off, sighing. "I get it. I think I would say black. I actually agree with you on the fact that you look really good in black. But let's get a second opinion on our fashion statements," my mom says. Suddenly, Sera's head pops in.

"I heard fashion and second opinion in the same sentence. What do you need help with?" Sera asks. "My first date with Ray is today. I am having trouble with my outfit. I need help. Can you help me?" I ask. Sera walks in my room. "Music to my ears," she says, and opens my closet. Then, my aunt Bianca comes in. "I heard help. What do you need help with?" she asks.

"I need help with choosing an outfit for my date with Ray," I say. Aunt Bianca walks over to where Sera is. "You talked to the right people," she says confidently. "So, what color do you want?" Aunt Bianca asks. "Well, I decided on black, and I already picked out a dress for the occasion," I say.

"Well, put it on. We'll decide," she says. I go into my bathroom and I put on the dress. I walk back out, and Sera's eyes widen. "Holy moly. You look so pretty, Sophia," Sera says. My dress is plain black, with netted full sleeves. It reaches to just below my knee. "I love it, too. But don't you think that it's missing something?" Aunt Bianca asks.

"Yeah. You need something on the legs, Sophia," she says. "Do you have stockings or something?" my mom asks. "Yeah, I'm positive," I say, going through my closet. Eventually, I find a pair of stockings. I show them to Aunt Bianca and Sera. "Perfect, Sophia," Aunt Bianca says, and I put them on. "Now, time for hair and makeup," I say, and I go in my bathroom.

I apply a winged eyeliner that isn't too dramatic. After adding mascara, I then apply pink lipstick, and then I'm done with makeup. I then move on to my hair. I straighten my hair,  take one tuft from each side and  clip it back. After doing my hair and makeup, I take my purse and walk outside. I walk over to the living room, and my whole family is waiting.

When they see me, a look of pure shock forms on their faces. "You look stunning, Sophia. You look gorgeous," Uncle Raphael says. "Ray is going to faint when he sees you. You could kill people with those looks," Anthony says. I smile. "Do you think I should wear heels, Aunt Bianca?" I ask. She shakes her head.

"You don't want to be too formal. Ray said that himself. Go with flats today," she says. I nod, then  go to get my flats. I slip them on, and then I hear the doorbell ring. My dad goes to get the door, and when he opens the door, Ray is there. He is wearing a white button down shirt with dark blue dress pants and a belt.

"Hello, Raymond," my dad says, and he beckons for Ray to come in. Once he's in, he takes one look at me, and the look on his face says it all. He bites his lower lip, and I swear I can see him blush a little bit. "Raymond. I trust you with my daughter tonight. I want her home by 11 sharp. Take good care of her," he says. Ray nods. "I will, sir. Of course," he says.

My dad looks at me. "Have fun, Sophia," he says. I smile. "I will, Dad. Thanks," I say, and I head out the door with Ray, bidding everyone goodbye.

Once we're outside, Ray turns around and looks at me. "This is too good to be true," Ray says, kind of dreamily. I raise an eyebrow at him. "What is?" I ask, curious. "I'm going out on a date with the most beautiful girl on the face of the planet. If this a dream, please don't wake me up," he says as we reach the car.

I walk closer to him and I place my hand on his face. "I'm as good as they get, Ray. You're stuck with me," I say, and smile. "I have no problem with that. You're as good as they get and a little bit more," Ray says as he opens the car door. I sit inside, and Ray sits in the driver's seat. "Ray, are you sure about driving? It's still pretty soon after the accident," I say.

"I'm fine with it, Sophia. Plus, my parents weren't even that mad. They knew that I was the one hit. Plus, the insurance covered the value of the car," he says. "Ok. I just got a little bit worried," I say. "You have every right to worry, Sophia. You are one of the people that helped save my life," he says as he starts to drive. "And I don't regret it one bit," I say, and he smiles.

"Where are we going, Ray?" I ask. He smiles. "That's for me to know and for you to find out, Sophia," he says. I smile. "I do love mysteries," I say as he drives. "That's a good thing. And no, I'm not going to take you to the hills, murder you, and bury your body in a shallow grave. It's not one of those mysteries," he says. I laugh.

"I know. I trust you," I say. He smiles. "That's all I need to hear, Sophia. If you say you trust me, then I don't have to worry. That's all I need. Your trust and I'm down," he says. "It's that important to you?" I ask. He nods.

"In my opinion, trust is the most crucial part of a relationship. If you don't establish that trust in your partner, then the relationship won't work. You have to trust them that they won't do anything stupid, like cheating on you or end up getting you killed. If you trust them, then your relationship should be fairly okay. And for me, earning your trust and you earning mine is the most important part of the relationship. I know you have trust issues sometimes, Sophia. But knowing that you trust me really does mean a lot. And I'm not lying," he says smoothly.

"I guess I got my trust broken so many times by Victoria and other people that I'm afraid to let anyone gain it again. I'm afraid of getting it broken again," I say. He sighs. "I get that. I mean, I also have some pretty bad issues. But knowing that we trust each other is kind of a start. And it's a really good one too," he says.

Before I can respond, he enters the parking lot of a local park. Ray turns off the ignition and he looks at me with an apologetic look on his face. "If you're thinking that this is not romantic and super basic, I've got more things to come. So it's not all-," he says, but before I let him ramble even further, I press a finger to his lips, silencing him. "I love it, Ray. The best things in life are the simple ones," I say.

He smiles. He takes my hand and he kisses it. "What did I do to deserve you, Sophia? Just what?" he asks. "Probably something that was way too holy. But let me tell you this. If you think love is a walk in the park, as you signify, then think again," I say. Ray laughs.

"Ah, Sophia. Always the one to make puns even in moments like these. And no, I know love isn't a walk in the park, unlike basketball," he says. "Easy for you to say. You're a natural, Ray. You were on the varsity basketball team last year. You did so well," I say. Ray opens my car door.

"Well, I wouldn't have done it without you by my side. I still can't believe that you made it to all my games," he says as he takes my hand and helps me get out of the car. "I still can't believe you got me free tickets. That was epic," I say. He closes the car door and locks it. "Anything for my girl," he says, and smiles. "So are we going to have dinner here, watching the sunset?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "No. But I know how much we both love nature. So, I thought we could just take a walk and enjoy the beautiful nature," he says. I smile. "That is so adorable. Thank you," I say. He holds out his hand. "Shall we?" he asks. I take his hand, and we start to walk around the park. We just enjoy the nature around us, talking occasionally.

We kind of just live in the moment. It feels so casual, but so romantic at the same time. Ray makes things so easy for me. It's like a weight is lifted off of my shoulders whenever he is around me. It's like I don't have to worry about anything when he's around. He always finds ways to just let me live my life and not worry about anything that is to come our way.

Eventually, we stop at a spot in the park. It's a spot where the trees frame the distance, but you can still see the fields and the sunset. "Sophia, come here," Ray says. I walk over to where Ray is, and in the distance is the most beautiful thing ever. You can see an amazing view of the lake in the park. There are trees surrounding us, giving us the perfect amount of shade.

The sun is setting, and the colors in the sky are beautiful. Shades of orange, pink, and yellow illuminate the sky as the sun is setting. It looks like a scene out of a painting. I inhale sharply out of awe. I hear Ray walk up to me. He puts his hands on my shoulders. "What do you think, Sophia?" he asks.

I lean back slightly, resting my back on Ray's chest. "It's gorgeous, Ray," I say. "When I thought of sunsets, I thought of you," he says calmly. "Why? Because we're both beautiful?" I ask. I can feel him smile.

"That is true. And you add the color whenever things are  dull. Whenever I'm upset, all I have to do is think of you, and everything is fine. It's just like a sunset. Whenever the sky looks dull and the sun sets, it adds all the color and the liveliness. You're just like that, Sophia," he says. I smile.

Tears actually start to form in my eyes. "Is it really like that?" I ask. "I mean every word, belle," he says. I turn around slightly. "Belle?" I ask. I can feel him smile. "It means beautiful in French. It's exactly what you are," he says. "I may be belle, but you are far from a beast," I say.

"I love that. Thank you, Sophia," he says. I sigh. "Why do you have to be so sweet?" I ask. Ray wraps his arms around me. "Why do you have to be such a blessing?" he asks as he holds me tight. I don't say anything. I just let him hug me close to his chest and watch the sunset.

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Oh don't mind me. I'm just squealing in the background as this is one of the cutest, and by far one of my favorite, chapters that I have written. What do you think Ray has planned for the rest of this night ahead? Let me know your opinion in the comments section.

Hello, my dears! How are you all? Were you expecting me to document Ray and Sophia's first date? I know it says part 1 in the title, and I'm sorry. But this chapter was even longer than "Joyeaux Noel! I Suck at French." That one is over 4000 words. This one is over 5000 words. So I had to split this one into two parts. But, like always, I'll update the second part on Wednesday. I keep my promises.

On a completely unrelated note, my birthday is this Tuesday. I'm so excited. So, happy birthday to me, I guess. EARLY birthday. *throws the confetti in the air*. What zodiac sign are you guys? Just curious.

Also, as much of a sappy romantic I am, I actually didn't come up with this date idea. My best friend nikkivi07 was the one who gave me the idea of Sophia's outfit and the date idea.

The funny thing is, she's not a romantic person at all. She doesn't like to admit that she likes romance, so she jokes that she was barfing while texting me the idea.

Her words: "I was like this while texting you. 'So then they should *blegh* and then they should go to *blegh* and then they should do *bleeeeeggggggghhhhhh*.' " Yep, I wish I was lying.

That's pretty much it. I hope you guys liked this chapter!

Please vote/comment/follow/share/message if you like my work! See you on Wednesday with the second part of the chapter! Have a great week!

Love you guys,

S.V.T.S