Requested by for a different book a long time ago. Again, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE HELP ❤️❤️❤️

--

School has just ended and my best friend Sheila and I were on our way home. She was talking about something but started to get close to the ice cream shop and I could only think of one thing. Looking over at Sheila, I pouted. "I want ice cream," I whined.

She rolled her eyes. "You want ice cream or the boy who serves it?" She teased, cocking an eyebrows and smirking as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Blushing, I smiled innocently. "Both?" I answered cheekily. She laughed as I gave myself away, biting my lip and winking at her.

Shaking her head incredulously, she handed me five dollars. "Go get em' Tiger."

I snagged the money from her hand, having asked because I left my wallet at home this morning in my rush to get to school on time. I grinned like a small child on Christmas, making a mental note to pay her back another time. I walked backwards. "The ice cream or the boy?" I joked.

"Both," she mocked, scrunching her nose. I laughed and we exchanged waves of farewell before I turned and booked it to the ice cream shop. My face was still light up in an excited grin when I reached the doors. I smoothed my clothes and hair and pulled the door open, slipping inside and looking around. It was maybe half a second before my eyes immediately landed on Tommy, the boy I'd been talking to Sheila about before. He was working today.

Not like I already knew that because I totally didn't see him walk out of his house which was totally not across the street from mine while I totally wasn't reading a book on my porch...

Oops?

Walking slowly, I played cool and casual as I walked up to the counter. "Could I g-get v-v-vanilla pleas-se?" I stuttered. Smooth. Very smooth.

He smiled, looking up from what he was doing and approaching me as I walked up. "Vanilla. Come right up." He scooped and I payed and then I sat in a seat at a table in a corner in shame.

Seriously, I'm pathetic.

As I wallowed, glaring miserably at my wonderfully delicious ice cream, I heard some shuffling and I looked up at the clock to see it was half passed, which meant that Tommy was on his break. Ah well. Might as well try again tomorr- I mean, might as well get ice cream another day... Oh screw it you know what I mean.

Someone sat down across from me and surprised, I looked over. My eyes went wide as I saw Tommy there, smiling at me. "Sorry to startle you," he apologized, noticing my reaction. He pointed to my cone. "Enjoying your ice cream?"

Blushing deeply I'm sure, I smiled shyly. "Yeah. You scoop ice cream really well...." I mentally face palmed. You scoop ice cream really well? SHUT UP! PLEASE! MERCY! UNCLE!

His eyes twinkling with amusement, he chuckled. "You're cute." Then his eyes went wide. "Like in a funny, sorta awkward, adorable puppy kind of way. Cause you have big eyes and they... Sparkle." He looked down, blushing.

A laugh bubbled up and I noted that we were both red and silly in the moment. Hm... "Think we're both a bit flustered, eh?" I whispered.

He looked up at me through his eyelashes, biting his lip a second. "It is a bit hot in here, no?" He joked.

Stifling another laugh, I bit my lip as well, holding it a second before I spoke again. "Quite. Would you like to go out? Ou-outside that is. To... To cool off."

He was smiling so wide it looked like it hurt as much as my own grin did and it comforted me that we were both a mess. "Yeah. Maybe we could catch lunch or something while we're out," Tommy continued, his sentence dragging slowly, trying to imply without saying it.

My stomach flipped and though I previously thought it impossible, I smiled a little more. "It's a date." My smile faltered. "I mean- a date. As in a planned - thing - let's just go." He laughed, nodded, and we both stood. He offered me his arm and I hooked my hands in the cook of his elbow. Then we left the ice cream parlor. I dropped his arm as we left, both of us blushing horribly.

"So if this was a date..." Tommy began. I looked over at him, too shy to speak and too awkward to trust myself to not say something stupid if I did. "Would that... Would that be okay? You and me? Going out on a... Date...?" He looked over at me, tilting his head, his eyes hopeful.

Nervous energy rising and bubbling over, I nodded slowly. "Yeah... As - as long as it was okay with you..."

His eyes went wide and his hands began moving rapidly as he spoke. "I mean it is!" He rushed, nodding enthusiastically. Then he seemed to realize how enthusiastic he was and tried to play cool. "Yeah. I mean, totally. Why wouldn't it be?"

I laughed once more. "You're cute," I joked, referencing him from earlier.

He hummed, fiddling with his fingers before he took my hand. My eyes went wide but I interlaced our fingers, responding to his unspoken question. He looked at his feet. "Well," he prompted, looking back up again. "I have a lot to keep up with."

My heart stopped as I felt the effects of him flirting with me, my stomach twisting and my heart racing, stumbling, missing beats and trying to find its proper time again. I was speechless and he was gorgeous and somehow this whole thing had worked out that we were both awkward so that he didn't mind it - he understood it. And he was into me. Oh my gosh he was into me.

I'd seen him around school countless times but this was real and he was actually here, holding my hand and grinning and looking at me with the same dorky enthusiasm I looked at him with. My head was floating as my brain tried to wrap around this reality.

Man, I loved ice cream.