8 The Date?

Alex let out a sigh as she put another outfit on her bed. So far, she had tried over 8 outfits, and she likes none of them. Her sister, Haley, was lying down on her bed, paying no attention to the struggles Alex was going through. "Hey, can you at least help me?"

"I'm sorry, what?", Haley asked, without looking up from her phone.

"I asked you which outfit looks best", Alex said, crossing her arms in anger.

"Oh yeah", Haley replied, still not looking up, "All of your outfits are atrocious".

"So then what am I meant to wear?", Alex asked.

"I forgot but why are you asking me for tips on your outfits?", Haley questioned.

"Gah", Alex groaned, "I sort of have a date, but I don't know what to wear".

"Oh yeah, the date", Haley said, before snapping her eyes from her phone to Alex, "Wait. Did you just say date?"

"I said sort of", Alex responded, "I don't know if it's a date or not".

"Oh my God! My dorky little sister actually got a date", Haley squealed while rushing to Alex and rubbing her cheeks on Alex's.

Alex pushed Haley off her and said, "Get off. I'm not a panda or koala".

"Whatever", Haley muttered, "Give me a few seconds. I've got to call Gloria and Uncle Mitch".

"No!", Alex shouted.

"Shush you", Haley said while raising her hand in a stop gesture, "This is your first date so I'm going to need their advice for what you should wear"

"Fine", Alex grumbled.

[Time Skip]

The doorbell was rung and Haley immediately rushed out of her room and opened the door. She was met with the sight of Gloria and Mitch at the door, both of whom had looks of excitement on their faces.

"Is it true?", Gloria asked.

"Does Alex have a date?", Mitch whispered.

"Yeah", Haley answered, "I looked through her messages and you'll never guess what he used as an excuse to ask her out".

""What?"", Gloria and Mitch eagerly questioned.

"Alex told him of how you and Mom fought last week at Grandpa Jay's. He bet that you would make her do something embarrassing like jump in the pool", Haley said, "And if he was correct, Alex would have to go to the cinema with him".

"OMG", Mitch muttered in a high-pitched voice, "That is so romantic".

"He's smooth", Gloria responded.

"I know right", Haley stated, "When Alex asked him whether it was a date or not, do you know how he replied?"

""How?"", they both asked at the same time.

"His exact words were 'Maybe? Maybe not? Who knows?' with a shrugging shoulders emoji", Hakey answered.

"He's setting a safety net for himself", Gloria said as soon as she heard Haley's words.

"What do you mean?", Haley questioned.

"He's set himself in such a way that if things go well, it'll seem like a date. If things don't go as well as he hopes, then Alex will think it wasn't a date", Mitch answered.

"Exactly", Gloria said, while clapping.

"Woah", Haley muttered, "That's so well thought out".

"That's good though", Mitch mentioned, "It means he's put a lot of thought into this".

"Ooooh", Gloria giggled, "I'm so curious about what they'll do on their date"

Mitch thought about it for a few seconds before snapping his fingers, "I know what we can do"

"What?", Haley questioned.

"Why don't we follow them on their date?", Mitch declared.

"Like stalkers?", Gloria asked.

"Stalk is such a bad word", Mitch muttered, "I prefer the term adult supervision".

"But I'm not an adult", Haley complained.

"Shush", Gloria said while putting a finger in front of Haley's mouth to prevent her from talking.

"Okay", Mitch said, calming everyone down, "We need to sort out Alex's outfit first".

Gloria, Mitch and Haley made their way upstairs to Haley and Alex's room. As soon as they entered, they were met with the sight of Alex dejectedly lying down with swathes of clothing sprawled on her bed and the floor, with some even on her. Alex let out a sigh as she blankly gazed up at the white ceiling.

"Alex honey", Gloria began, "Do you need help?"

Alex groaned out a "Yes", as Mitch walked over to her

"Don't worry", Mitch said, attempting to soothe Alex, "By the time we're done, Zephyr will be speechless for words".

"Really?", Alex asked, hope evident in her tone.

[Blake Residence]

[Blake POV]

I let out a groan as set down another outfit on my bed. Good God, why do I have soo many bloody blazers? Did the previous Zephyr not have a sense of fashion? Like, where the hell are the hoodies? There weren't any normal jackets in my wardrobe, and only three pairs of jeans, one black, one grey and one navy. In contrast, I had over 10 pairs of trousers, each a different colour.

"Zephyr!", shouted my dad as he walked up to my room, "What the hell did you do to the room? Why is it so messy?", he asked while looking at the pile of clothes on my bed, my nightstand, the floor, the wardrobe floor, and even on the bookshelf.

"I've got a date but I don't know what to wear", I said, "I even searched Google, but there was nothing useful on there".

I was about to continue complaining when I heard some snickering behind me. Swivelling on my heels, I turned around to look at my dad who was struggling to hold in his laughs.

"What the hell Dad?", I asked, "You're meant to be helping me, not laughing your arse off like some 5-year-old".

It took him a few minutes, but he managed to reign in his laughter, and snickered, "Sorry. It's just so funny seeing you so stressed. You're normally so composed".

I let out a groan, "Get lost. At this rate, Google will be more helpful to me than you will".

"Okay okay okay", he said, raising his arms in surrender, "Before I begin. Is she hot?"

I let out another groan at his words, "Dad, you met her the other day. How the hell did you forget already?"

"Wait. You're going on a date with Alex?", he asked, "As in cute little Alex?"

"Yes", I muttered.

"Oh God!", he screamed before laughing again, "Why did I expect anything else? Of course a bookworm like you would date another bookworm"

"Hey", I shouted, indignantly, "We're not bookworms. We both play sports. I do football and swimming while she does lacrosse and plays the cello"

He didn't react to my words and continued laughing. Fortunately, the door to my room was opened as Desiree entered and saw my dad laughing while on the floor. "What's happening?", she asked.

"H-he's go-going on a-a date wit-with Alex", my dad replied while laughing in between.

"Ooooh", Desiree said while clapping and running over to me, "Tell me everything".

I couldn't help but sigh at her words, "I don't have time. I've got a date in just over an hour".

"Ah", Desiree gasped, "We need to get you ready. Matt get up and find your son clothes that are more appropriate for a date".

Hearing her words, my dad stopped laughing and stood up, "Sure sure. Give me a minute or two".

[Time Skip]

As the golden sun hung high in the sky it cast its warm rays across the landscape. The azure canopy above was free of any clouds, stretching endlessly as if painted with the finest strokes of a celestial artist. The air carried a gentle breeze, caressing one's skin with a whisper of summer's touch. The fragrant aroma of blossoms filled the air, infusing every breath with a delightful sweetness.

In a bustling city, nestled amidst the concrete and steel, lay a verdant oasis known as Cheviot Park. Spread across a small plot of land, the park beckoned visitors with its lush greenery and captivating scenery. On this particular day, the park thrived with life as people from all walks of life sought solace and respite within its borders.

Underneath a brilliant sky, the park was a tapestry of vibrant colours and bustling activity. Towering trees lined the pathways, their branches outstretched like protective arms, providing shade and sanctuary for those seeking refuge from the sun's warm embrace. Leaves rustled gently, creating a soothing melody that blended with the distant hum of city sounds, creating a unique symphony of tranquillity and urban rhythm.

Families strolled along the winding pathways, their laughter and chatter filling the air. Children skipped and ran, their boundless energy finding release in the wide-open spaces. Dogs frolicked joyfully, chasing after balls and wagging their tails in pure delight. The atmosphere was alive with the sounds of life, each voice adding to the vibrant tapestry of the park's ambience.

Beneath the shade of a grand oak tree, a handsome boy sat under a bench, taking a look at his watch in 30-second intervals. The boy was dressed in a periwinkle polo t-shirt with a white chain around his neck. He sported dark navy jeans with white sneakers. His onyx hair was swept to the right and framed his beautiful sapphire eyes.

"Zephyr!", a voice interrupted the thoughts of the boy. Turning to look at the source, he was met with the sight of a 5ft 1 girl walking towards him. She sported a short-sleeved black t-shirt with a knee-length black skirt. She had a black bracelet in her hand and had her jet-black hair let down. Her eyes, two orbs of brown topaz, were framed by her small black glasses.

Without realising, both the boy and girl had been staring at each other for a few minutes without realising. Snapping out of their trance at the same time, the boy, Zephyr, complimented the girl, "Alex, you look beautiful".

Alex blushed as soon as she heard his words, but managed to control herself enough to say, "Thanks. You look handsome too". Zephyr looked away when hearing her words, but you could easily make out how his cheeks became red.

Coughing, Zephyr said, "We should go. Otherwise, we'll be late for our movie".

As Alex and Zephyr walked, away, they were unaware of the people following them.

"Did you record that Mitchell", Gloria asked.

"Of course. Caught them in HD", Mitch replied.

"I didn't know Alex could act so cute", Haley muttered while they continued following Zephyr and Alex.

[A few feet away]

"Did you see the way he blushed?", Desiree whispered to Matt.

"Of course. I even took a picture", Matt replied.

"Why was Zephy's face red?", a little blonde girl, around 7-8 years old, asked.

Desiree lifted the girl into her arms and gently tapped her nose, "That's because Zephyr likes the girl next to him".

"What do you mean?", the girl cutely asked.

"You'll find out when you're older", Matt answered. At his words, the girl pouted, crossed her arms and looked away from Matt.

[With Alex and Zephyr]

Zephyr led Alex into the cinema hall with both of them having drinks and popcorn in their arms. They sat down in the middle row and at the centre, having a good view of the screen but not being so close that they had to look up and hurt their necks.

The film they were watching was called Knowing which was a mystery action thriller and somewhat interesting. As they were watching the film, Alex and Zephyr were being recorded or having pictures taken of them by Gloria, Mitch, Haley, Matt and Desiree who sat a few rows behind them. Despite how dark the theatre was, it didn't stop the group.

While watching the film, Zephyr and Alex accidentally touched each other. From accidentally touching each other's hands when grabbing some popcorn to their knees accidentally hitting each other. All of this was unnoticed by the group stalking them, who paid too much attention to trying to film them.

[Time Skip]

As Alex and Zephyr exited the auditorium, they both had a smile on their faces. While the film was good, they were both more happy with the fact that they got to do what they wanted while watching the film. While it may have seemed accidental, much of the physical contact they shared while watching the film was intentional.

As soon as they exited the cinema, they looked up at the sky which was dyed a hue of fiery amber. As they walked home, Alex and Zephyr walked close to each other, far closer than they had on their way to the cinema, with their shoulders occasionally brushing against each other.

When they arrived in front of the Dunphy residence, Alex looked at Zephyr with a smile and said, "I had a lot of fun today".

Zephyr smiled in return, "I did too".

"Maybe, maybe we could do this again some other time?", Alex nervously asked.

"Of course", he replied, "I'd be disappointed if we didn't"

As they walked to her door, Alex asked, "Hey. Was that meant to be a date?"

At her words, Zephyr smirked, "I'll leave that up to your imagination".

Opening the door, Alex stepped inside. Just as Zephyr was about to turn around and leave, for the briefest second, he felt something soft on his cheek before hearing the slam of a door. Freezing up, his thoughts raced in his mind before a heartwarming smile appeared on his face.

(AN: I have no idea what a first date between 13-year-olds would be like so I went with a classic.)