"I really don't know about this, Jessica," Devon whimpered as her fingernails dug into the cover of the book she'd brought along for moral support (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling, which was her favorite of the series). "So much could go wrong."

"It could," Jessica shrugged. "That doesn't mean it will." The two girls were getting ready for the date at Jessica's house and there could not have been more butterflies in Devon's stomach. "Now, I'm not going to dress up much. I don't want to attract any attention away from you. This is gonna work, Devon. I promise. Are you going to wear any makeup?"

Devon shook her head.

"I've already tried that. It doesn't feel right to me."

"I get that," Jessica smiled. "Makeup isn't for all people. What are you planning to wear?"

"Uh…This, I guess," Devon shrugged. She motioned to her maroon sweater, black jacket, jeans, and boots. "I've never been on a date before. Is this okay?"

"If it's you, it's okay," Jessica grinned. "I think you look great. Just maybe lose the jacket. You might be a little warm. Hm. Y'know, come to think of it, it would probably be kind of creepy to see you in a dress or skirt. For as long as I've known you, you've always worn pants. So that's probably the best thing to wear. First dates are all about first impressions. And you don't want to give a guy the wrong impression about what you're really like."

"Thanks, Jessica," Devon sighed as she stripped off her jacket and tossed it on Jessica's bed. "I don't know what I'd do if you hadn't decided to help me. This means a lot. I know you're only doing it to get Sigmund off your back, but…"

"Listen up, girl," Jessica said seriously, "I'm not just doing this to get rid of him. I'm doing it because you deserve to be happy. And if being with Sigmund is what's going to make you happy, then I'm going to help you catch his eye. Now we have to finish getting ready. He'll be here soon to pick us up."

Devon's stomach squirmed and she skimmed chapter five in her book.

When the doorbell rang, though, she felt strangely calm. Slowly, Devon reached behind her head and pulled her hair into a ponytail, determined that this time she would be noticed. Following Jessica into the living room and then to the front door, Devon pulled herself back into her cool shell.

"Hallo, mein libeling," Sigmund smiled as the door opened on him. "I'm so glad that you finally decided to dump Kyle the Constipator and date me instead." His eyes fell on Devon and for a second he was surprised. "Oh…Hallo, Devon," he spluttered. "I haven't seen you in simply ages. You look…" He paused and stared at both the girls. "You both look…beautiful. But, Jessica, darling, why is Devon here? I thought you and I were going on a date."

"Oh, she just wanted to come along to talk. Y'know, old times and such."

"Well…okay," Sigmund said slowly as if trying to put two and two together. But he eventually gave up and offered his arm out to Jessica.

But Jessica gave Devon a surreptitious wink and dashed out the door, pretending not to see Sigmund's gentlemanly offer. Sigmund blinked after her, his arm still outstretched. When he looked back at Devon, his spine straightened and his elbow jutted out a bit farther.

Devon couldn't tell if Sigmund was simply afraid of looking like a fool by dropping his arm. But, she simply linked her arm around his and rested her fingertips on his wrist. It was cool and smooth like a pebble by a stream.

If she had thought about it, her heart would've started to race at the idea of having her arm entwined with his. But she was shielded by her cool exterior. And it appeared that Sigmund was under a similar cover. He didn't have any expression and stared straight ahead at Jessica as she lounged against the black limousine they were taking to the date.

"Shall we go?" he asked as he opened the door for Devon and Jessica. Jessica leapt into the car and settled in while Devon climbed in a little more slowly. She felt a little awkward, like Sigmund was staring at her.

When she settled and buckled up, the car lurched forward, causing Sigmund to tumble into Devon's lap.

If she had thought about it, her brain would have frozen in terror and her legs would have stiffened. But, since she was under that cool exterior, she simply took Sigmund's hand and helped him up.

"First step's a doozie," she quietly chuckled.

Sigmund stared at Devon for a few seconds before chuckling too and getting into his seat.

"Ja. Indeed."

The first few minutes of the drive were silent, but eventually Devon broke the silence by beginning a conversation.

"So, Sigmund, where is your next stop on your tour?"

"Oh…" Sigmund seemed to be yanked out of his thoughts. He blinked for a moment before answering. "Well, I'm going to France. Paris, actually."

"I've always wanted to go to Paris," Devon sighed airily. "I'd totally want to visit all the landmarks. Ever since I read The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo, I've been enchanted by the mythology of the city."

"Intriguing. So, Jessica, what made you decide to go on a date with me?"

Devon quieted down for a little bit, letting Sigmund and Jessica get into a conversation. She waited until Jessica looked like she was about to crawl out of her skin before butting back in.

"It looks like we're here at the restaurant," she smirked coolly. "Care to pile out? I'm starving."