SPOILER FOR THE MOVIE "FIVE FEET APART" ALERT!!

As it turns out, Symphony isn't exactly thrilled that I've invited all of my new friends to accompany us to the movie theater. My bad.

"Lillian." She hisses, her thin fingers latching onto my arm, "I thought this was going to be a best friends' date. Not a invite whoever you want date."

I sigh, looking ahead at Sam, Winter, and Dakota paying for their tickets. The guys don't look too thrilled about the movie choice but every time Sam looks over at Winter excitedly he always manages a nod and a smile. "I just thought that since I had to ditch them for lunch, it would be the right thing to do. Plus I know you'll love them and then you'll thank me later for having them come."

"I highly doubt that those words will come from my lips but I forgive you nonetheless. It's not your fault that you were born so unavoidably good." She mumbles with crossed arms.

"I am good, aren't I?" I bat my lashes at her before laughing as she shoves me away with a reluctant smile.

"Just promise that I get to sit next to you so I can lean over and make comments about how cute Cole Sprouse is."

"I promise." I wink, linking my arm through hers and pulling her towards our theater.

"Are you as excited for this movie as I am?" Dakota comes to stand on my other side with a sarcastic smile.

I look up at him, ignoring the waft of cologne enveloping me, "I'm probably even less psyched for this than you are if that's even possible."

"Well we can sit next to each other and complain about the cheesy parts, okay?" He grins.

"Fine." I agree with a chuckle, "But Sym will be on my other side arguing the opposed so I guess I'll be in the middle and argue neutral."

"As long as you accidentally reach into the popcorn at the same time as me, I'll be happy." He says quietly with a teasing tone, earning a slight glare from me and a little gasp from an eavesdropping Symphony.

He jogs ahead of us to make sure Winter and Sam don't sit in a dark spot of the theater by themselves and coincidentally miss the entire film. As soon as he's out of earshot, Symphony elbows me in the side.

"Ow. What the heck, Sym." I whine.

"He totally has the hots for you!" She squeals happily, "I'll be your wingman...or I guess wing-woman."

"No no no." I stop her, forcing her to a halt, "You will do nothing to provoke or encourage his antics, do you understand me?" I hold up a finger as if I'm speaking to a child, her eyes crossing slightly to stare at it.

"We're going to miss the previews. Come on." She grabs my hand, jerking me along with her and I struggle against it.

"Symphony!" I whisper-yell as we step through the door, the lights dark and the large screen already playing a preview for a new movie.

Once we're seated, Symphony immediately says that she forgot to pee and shuffles out of the theater.

"Didn't she just go to the restroom?" Dakota asks me, popping an M&M into hit mouth.

"Uh..." I pretend to think about this, "I don't remember."

"You went with her." He laughs, looking over at me, the light from the projector on the white screen shining on the left side of his face, making his teeth appear whiter than they really are.

"Oh...right." I chuckle, "I forgot."

"Sure." He nods with a teasing squint and a small smile before shaking his head and turning back to the previews.

I sit there with my hands folded in my lap, looking around for Symphony every five seconds. Seeing as Dakota was unsuccessful in getting his sister and her boyfriend to sit near us, we are pretty much very alone.

Thankfully, once the movie actually begins, she coincidentally appears and makes her way up to her seat on my right.

"Where were you?" I hiss.

She shrugs, "I told you, I had to pee."

"For eight minutes?" I deadpan, earning Dakota's attention. I feel his head move in our direction but he says nothing.

She presses her lips together, "I had to poop, okay?"

I narrow my eyes at the obviously fake excuse considering I'm well aware of her fear of public restrooms. "Seriously? You're going to try that?"

"Hey now." Dakota nudges me, "When you gotta go you gotta go, am I right Symphony? No judgment here."

"You are so right, Dakota, thank you." She grins at me triumphantly.

I roll my eyes, sinking down in my seat with my arms crossed over my chest. As I sulk, the movie begins. I mumble in annoyance at the immediate innuendo made in the beginning and Dakota chuckles, shaking his head at me.

Halfway through the movie, I push myself to sit up straight, now very invested in the plot. Dakota leans over, tapping my shoulder. I lean in so he can whisper into my ear, "How much do you want to bet that the best friend dies?"

"No way." I say sadly, reaching into his tub of popcorn and shoving it into my mouth.

"Someone has to die and I doubt it'll be either of them." He tells me quietly, reaching into the tub.

"Well if he lives then you owe me a milkshake." I tell him.

"And if he dies, you owe me a day." He tells me with a sly smile.

"A day?" I whisper, "What's that supposed to mean?"

He pauses, looking over at me. "It means that you have to spend a whole day with me and I get to choose what we do."

I consider this, peaking over at Symphony to make sure she's not paying any attention to our conversation before setting my eyes on him once again, "Deal."

✰✰✰

"Do you have anything you'd like to say to me?" Dakota smirks as he stands up, grabbing his light washed denim jacket from the back of his seat, offering me his hand.

I refuse it, standing up on my own and shoving my hands into the front pocket of my white hoodie, "I guess you were right."

"You guess?" He raises a brow, standing in front of me, blocking the isle. I look back to ask Symphony for help but she's already gone, walking down the isle to exit the other way with Sam and Winter.

"You get your day with me so don't push it, Dakota." I shove his chest but he doesn't budge.

"Just admit that I'm completely right and you were wrong and then you can go." Dakota tells me stubbornly as people exit the theater all around us.

I glare at him, turning on my heel and marching the other way. "Lillian, come on. I'm just joking." He laughs as he follows me and I roll my eyes to myself. If there's anything I hate with a passion, it's being wrong.

Once we're outside, I can't seem to spot the rest of our group. I can't even remember where Symphony parked her car which is concerning. Pulling out my phone, I dial her number and press it to my ear. Her machine immediately picks up and I groan, texting her and letting her know the situation.

"Can I help a damsel in distress?" Dakota breathes as he catches up to me, shoving his arm into the openings of his jacket, fixing it over his baby blue Tommy Hilfiger t shirt.

"Symphony isn't answering her phone and I don't know where she's parked. I don't see her car anywhere." I sigh, shoving my phone into the waistband of my black leggings.

Dakota's eyebrows furrow as he looks around with squinted eyes. "I don't see Winter's car. I'll call Sam." He pulls out his phone just as I turn away, looking closely at all of the cars parked in the lit up space before us. The dark night sky makes it more difficult to scan the area.

I try to call her again but have no more luck than before. Looking behind me, I see Dakota's eyes on me with a spark of amusement in his eyes but I also spot confusion in the expression he gives me.

Approaching him, I try to hear what's being said on the other end but it's too quiet. I watch until he tells Sam that he'll take me home and hangs up.

"What do you mean you'll take me home? Where's Symphony?" I ask him, feeling completely lost.

Dakota chuckles, looking down at his shoes as he shoves the phone into the pocket of his ripped black jeans. "Uh...so, as it turns out, Sam says that Symphony told her that you said you're riding with me and then she left. So Sam and Winter didn't think anything of it and just...left I guess."

"What the heck!" I exclaim, shoving my fingers through my hair in frustration.

Dakota steps forward and places a hand on my shoulder, "Lillian, it's fine. I would be more than happy to take you home. I mean, you literally live two minutes from me so it's not a big deal." He tells me calmly.

I blow heavy air through my cheeks, relaxing my shoulders, "I know it's just - Symphony. She can be so impulsive and she always thinks she knows what's best for me."

"And she thinks that what's best for you is to leave you stranded at the movies?" Dakota chuckles.

I give him a flat look, taking in his teasing green eyes and wild blonde hair. "No." I mumble, "She thinks that leaving me stranded here with you is what's best for me."

"Well that's just absurd." He scoffs, giving me a dramatized wink, "I mean it's just absolutely preposterous." He winks again, making me laugh.

"Shut up." I shoving him away, pushing away the small giddy feeling in my stomach as I smile.

"Hey." He stops, grabbing my arm. I stop, looking up at him expectantly, "I really want to tell you something."

"What?" My tone drops to a serious octave.

"I think this is the perfect time to get a milkshake. After all, I do feel bad for beating you so horribly at our bet." Dakota gives me a crooked grin and I give him my usual glare.

"I will say yes to the milkshake but you're definitely paying for that comment." I hold up a finger.

"Why wouldn't I pay? The gentleman always pays on a date." His arm is thrown over my shoulder.

I shove it off and step away, my cheeks red. "This is not a date." I insist.

Dakota presses a button on his keys and I spot the lights of his Jeep a few steps away. "We'll see about that."

"Dakota." I say, "It's not a date."

"Just shut up and get in the Jeep." He laughs, opening the door for me.

"You put the doors on?" I ask, realizing that's what was making it looks so different.

"I checked the forecast. I couldn't have you getting rained on." He shrugs, shutting the door.

"But you didn't know that you were taking me home." I shout through the door.

He looks at me through the tinted glass with a small grin, "I hoped." With that, he walks around the vehicle and opens the driver's side door, hopping inside.

Buckling myself in, I breathe in the smell of his Wrangler, enjoying the coziness of having the doors on. "I like it like this." I tell him.

His head moves in my direction as he starts the vehicle, a smile on his lips as he looks at me. "Then they stay on."

"Seriously?" I laugh.

He shrugs, "If you like it and it makes you happy, yeah of course. It's not really a big deal."

I watch him as we pull out of the parking lot, his brows furrowed as he focuses and the light outside focusing on different parts of his face. He catches me watching him and gives me an odd look before chuckling and shaking his head.

"Are we actually getting milkshakes right now?" I ask him.

Dakota scoffs, "Of course we are, Lillian."

"Okay. Geez, no need to get sassy." I mumble.

"There're always a need to get sassy." He says before we both fall silent. I sigh at his stupid attitude, laying my head against the window.

As we pull into the diner, Dakota grins at me excitedly. "Let us go."

"Okay we shall." I mimic his monotone words before opening the door and stepping onto the sidewalk.

Dakota surges forward and grasps the handle and pulls the glass door open, the smell of french fries wafting over me.

"Can we get fries too?" I ask him with a cheeky grin, choosing not to mention the fact that I've already had french fries and milkshakes this afternoon with Amelia.

He looks at me with a grimace as I walk past him. "What? Why?"

"So we can dip them into our shakes." I whisper as we walk into the quiet diner, the only sound accompanying our footsteps being the low hum of the jukebox in the corner.

"Right." He nods, "How could I forget."

"Can we sit by the window?" I ask, sliding into a booth before he can answer.

"Can't say no to that." He replies, sliding in beside me, our backs against the window.

My head leans against the glass behind me, letting out a relaxed breath. Dakota remains silent next to me as he texts someone on his phone. His forearm rubs against mine and I look over at him with a quizzical brow. "Do you really need to sit so close?" I ask him.

He looks up from his phone with a flat expression, pressing the send button and locking the device, laying it on its face on the table. "Do you really need to overthink everything so much?"

"Where is this coming from?" I release a small laugh to lighten the question.

He looks like he's about to say something, his lips parted, when a waitress stops in front of us with a small notepad, "Hi, my name is Clarisse and I'll be your server for tonight. Can I start you off with something to drink?"

"Um," I start, clearing my throat and looking over at Dakota, feeling my chest squeeze as I try to tell myself I have no idea what he means.

"Well just take two medium vanilla shakes with a large fry please." Dakota says politely with a slightly sad expression.

My heart fills with guilt. Dakota has never been anything but kind and generous to me. Nothing but respectful and lighthearted. And yet I give him nothing but mixed signals and an outstretched arm to keep him a bay. But, like I said, how am I to know if all of what he says is simply jokes and fun to him?

"Alright, I'll have that right out for you." She smiles at the two of us before turning her back.

Looking over at Dakota, I call out, "Wait." She stops in her tracks, looking at me with an expectant expression.

"Yes?"

"Uh..." I look back to him, my eyes locking on his green focused gaze. He's right. I can't overthink forever, "Can you make that one large vanilla shake instead? With two straws?"

The waitresses smile widens to a knowing grin as she nods, making the changes to her notepad, "Yes of course. Do you still want the fries?"

"Definitely." I nod once before giving her one last smile as she walks away.

I keep my eyes down at my intertwined hands in my lap, feeling unsure. Dakota shifts beside me, nudging me with his elbow lightly, "What was that about?" His tone comes out more serious than I would expect from him.

"I'm sorry." I say meekly, trying to convey into those two words that I've come to the realization that I've been extremely insensitive.

He pauses, studying my face as if he's trying to decipher some sort of enigma. "Well..." He begins, "I think I'm going to just say I forgive you and just try to ignore the fact that I have no clue what you're apologizing for." He says to me.

I laugh, appreciating his choice to not get into it. "Thank you."

"But I do need to ask you one thing." He leans in as if we're sharing a secret.

"What?" I whisper back with a controlled smile, the scent his cologne getting stronger and stronger.

"You do realize that sharing a milkshake with me is like inadvertently kissing me, right?" He asks me lowly, his white teeth appearing as his lips spread.

I can't help but laugh, for the first time allowing myself to feel the leap in my stomach as I watch him smile at me. "That definitely wasn't my intention."

"You know..." He whispers, his face only a few inches away from mine but still remaining at a comfortable distance, "I don't exactly believe you."

"Believe what you may, Dakota." I reply smartly as he throws his arm behind me alongside the back of the booths seat to brace himself.

"I will." He responds, "Anyway, Sam texted me and you'll never guess where her and Winter are."

"Where?" I ask him, not even bothering to question the fact that he hasn't moved away. I don't mind though. It almost feels like we're in our own little space and it feels comforting in a way.

"At your friend's house watching freaking Princess Diaries of all things. Poor Winter." He shakes his head.

"I like that movie."

"That's what I meant, it's fantastic." He corrects himself, "Anyway, I just thought that was a little odd since Symphony didn't seem too thrilled about us being there tonight."

"She was..." I try and think of a good word, "a little hesitant. That's all."

"Oh really? She wasn't jealous at all?" He chuckles.

"Fine, she was jealous." I admit with a low laugh, "But don't tell her I told you."

I feel his fingers grasp a strand of my hair behind me subtly and pretend not to notice. "Your secret is safe with me. Along with the fact that you're all over me and ordered one shake instead of two. Let it be known that I was respectful and ordered one for each of us. I am many things but disrespectful is not one of them. Maybe eager but that's hardly the same thing." He jokes with a dry expression as I roll my eyes.

"Yeah because I'm definitely all over you." I deadpan sarcastically.

"You are." He scoffs, "Look at you, giving me those eyes and that...look." He gestures to my face with his index finger.

"What look?" I ask him defensively.

"The you're so handsome please share a milkshake with me look. It's the most readable of expressions after all." He banters lightly, making me laugh.

"You're such a dork."

"You didn't deny it." He grins with an expectant brow raised.

"You're not as charming as you think, you know." I tell him lowly as if this is a secret.

He leans in with a mischievous glint in his eye, "Yet here you are." His fingers tug on my hair slightly as he plays with the end and I become conscious of his arm behind me laid comfortably.

"Yet here I am." I echo with a small reluctant smile, "In my defense, there was ice cream offered."

"Ah yes." He chuckles, "Ice cream. Works every time. I'll keep that in mind."

"Not any ice cream." I remind him, "Just milkshakes."

"Don't tell me you were serious about that not liking dairy thing. Do you actually use almond milk?" He asks me in disgust, referring to our previous conversation in the elevator.

"Yes and stop hating on it." I defend, "It's actually really good."

"Yeah okay just keep lying to yourself, Lillian." He sighs, pulling his arm away and leaning back as the waitress approached with our order.

"Large shake and large fry?"

"That's us." Dakota says curtly, pulling the shake towards us and grasping the plate of fries.

"Will you need anything else?" Clarisse asks us politely.

"No I think that's it." I smile, "Thank you."

"Of course." She looks between the two of us, "Enjoy."

As she walks away, I watch Dakota pluck one of the straws up and rip the paper covering off swiftly. "Alright let's do this. Are you sure you wouldn't rather just share one straw?" He winks.

I roll my eyes, "Shut up."

"Never."

"Didn't think so."