(A/N: Hey guys, I've returned! I'm not completely over it but I do feel better. Thanks for caring. :D Danni doesn't get hit by a bus! LOL. R&R~)
"Wear the red shirt, Carlos. It can be dressy or casual."
Carlos rolled his eyes at James Diamond, who had taken it upon himself to pick out Carlos's outfit for the evening. Mrs. Knight, along with Kendall, nodded, agreeing.
"Guys, I'm just hanging out with her. It means nothing." Though Carlos said this, he surely didn't feel this way. He was going to be hanging out with Danni, tonight. He wondered if she was thinking the same thing.
Katie appeared then, with her laptop. She had a determined look on her face.
"I'm gonna prep you on Danni," she said to Carlos, sizing him up. "This date better go well."
"It's not a date!" He said again.
"Danni's favorite color is purple, she's stated that her favorite types of dates are 'ones that are unusual, different then the typical dinner and a movie.' She's a romantic, and she said she'd love it if a guy took her to a carnival, to play mini golf, laser tag, etcetera…"
"Katie, it's not a date! We're hanging out."
"Katie tells me that Danni loves reading, too, so if she talks about books, tell her that your favorites are 1800-1900 romances. She'll be impressed," Logan advised.
"I'm not gonna lie!" He argued.
"Give her chocolate," Katie said. "Danni loves chocolate."
"Oooh, bring a present!" Mrs. Knight said. "She'll think that's sweet."
"Compliment her shoes!"
"Tell her that her hair looks good!"
"Pay for the food!"
"Let her wear your jacket if she gets cold!"
"Give her-"
"GUYS!" Carlos yelled. All talking stopped. "I appreciate you trying to help, but I'll be fine." He grabbed the clothes he was going to wear and slammed the door to the bathroom.
Danni heard her doorbell ring.
She finished up in her bathroom mirror, giving her hair one last fluff. She'd dressed in a floral print Material Girl dress with brown boots from Urban Outfitter's. Her hair was straight, and for the night, she took the stars off of her face. Her scent was Vera Wang's Princess, and she grabbed her black purse off of her table.
"I'm going out, mom!" She called.
"Alright, call if you need me," her mother called back. She frowned but continued to answer the door anyway.
"Hey, Danni, you ready?" Carlos asked. Danni nodded.
"Should I meet your mom or something?" Carlos continued. She shook her head, smiling brightly.
"Mom's not here. C'mon, let's go." She closed the door behind her, rubbing her lips together to make sure her lip gloss was evenly spread. (A/N: Danni has some issues with her mother that will be revealed later.)
Danni and Carlos got into Carlos's car.
"Sweet car," she said, running her head over the seats. "I love the color. Candy apple red?"
"You got it," Carlos grinned. "Where do you want to go?"
"Um, it doesn't matter. You pick."
"Alright," Carlos agreed.
After a minute or so, Danni asked, "Where are we going?"
Carlos said, "It's a surprise."
Go karting.
Carlos had taken her to a go karting track.
And she loved it.
She hadn't been go karting in years, since before she moved to L.A., even. It was nice.
"Go karting! This is sick." The track was at a sort of mini-amusement park-it had all of the same rides and games, minus roller coasters. It was small, so they didn't have to deal with a bunch of people, and it was fun. It was perfect.
"I thought you might like this," he said. "We're gonna race other people. Think we'll come in first?"
"Oh, totally!" She pumped a fist in the air.
After Carlos and Danni had paid (well, after Carlos paid-he refused to let her pay, which she found sweet. He passed the first test) they settled into a yellow go kart, with Carlos in the driver seat, and Danni in the passenger's.
"I get to drive next," Danni said, smiling up at Carlos. "Okay?"
"No problem."
The flag to begin racing was waved and Carlos and Danni zoomed off. They were in the lead, and Danni laughed. Carlos snickered.
"Tell me about yourself."
She laughed. "What can I tell you? I told you stuff at the dance already. I'm actually a pretty boring person."
Carlos begged to differ.
"Why don't you tell me about you?"
Carlos frowned as another couple passed them, then whooped when they overtook them. He thought. "I know you know that me and the guys were a hockey team. Well, James wanted to audition to be a singer and he didn't get picked, actually. Kendall started singing about what a turd Gustavo-our boss-was, and he wanted to pick Kendall! But Kendall refused to go without us, and…here we are!"
"Kendall seriously sang about him being a turd? That's funny, and kinda ironic," she smiled.
Carlos and Danni kept talking-and Carlos won the first race. Danni drove the second time around-and ended up crashing into the wall. But she had been totally cool about it, laughing super hard, earning glares from other couples. Danni hadn't minded and neither did Carlos. He'd joined her in laughing.
Carlos would say that the "not-a-date-but-okay-yeah,-a-date" went well.
It was strange. Carlos and Danni had a lot in common. Both only children, both had only one parent involved in their lives, both loved the same cars, music, movies, and food.
They'd stopped for pizza at a place Danni had suggested, called Go Roma. The both even like their pizza the same way, for the most part-pepperoni, pan-except Danni liked extra sauce, and Carlos liked extra cheese.
Now Carlos was driving Danni home. He'd had a great time.
Danni's house pulled into view.
"So, it's time for me to go…"
Carlos felt his palms begin to sweat.
"Yeah," he said.
She looked at him. "I'll talk to you later, 'kay?"
"Sure," Carlos agreed.
Danni stared down at her feet for a moment. "Alright, bye, Carlos." She got out and started walking, when she turned and went back to the driver's side window. Carlos rolled it down.
"Carlos?"
"Yeah, Danni?"
She leaned in and kissed him. The same electric feeling buzzed through them again, and she pulled away, and winked at him. "I had a really great time."
