(Side note, this takes place after Chloe's funeral.)


"What do you think?" I asked Evan, fixing my collar and turning to face him. I waited for the scrutiny, but all I could see were wide eyes on his end.

Evan arched an eyebrow, "A tux? On a first date?" Evan deadpanned. "This place better be worth-"

"I'm taking her to The Two Whales," I blurted out, my cheeks reddening in embarrassment. Evan pressed his lips together in an attempt to hold in a laugh, but he failed miserably. "I like The Two Whales, okay? Why are you still laughing?" I stammered, my cheeks and neck reddening uncontrollably at this point.

Evan cleared his throat, walking over to me and pulling off my blazer. "It's fine that you want to take her to the Two Whales, man. It's just. I thought this was a casual date?"

I blinked at him, turning around to look at myself in the mirror. "Fuck," I muttered.

"Hey," Evan said, clapping my shoulder. "Theo, you'll be fine. Just.."

"Lose the tux?" I suggested.

"Lose the tux," Evan said in agreement.

I sucked in a deep breath and undid my bowtie, unbuttoning my white shirt and tossing it on the bed. "What should I wear then, Mr. Zoolander?" I grinned at Evan, averting his eyes when I saw the faint notion of a blush on his cheeks. The smile on my face fell when I remembered that Evan was, in fact, gay and that what I was doing was low-key teasing him. "Right, sorry," I mumbled, grabbing the nearest shirt I could find.

"It's fine, just. Keep it casual, Theo," Evan said, clearing his throat, "Have you got any baseball shirts lying around?"

I sucked in my bottom lip, heading to my wardrobe and grabbing my Dodgers shirt. "Better?" I asked as I held the shirt against my chest.

Evan looked into the mirror at me, grinning, "Much, much better. Lose the trousers, throw some jeans on, and bam! You're ready to go. Don't even fucking think about going anywhere near your disgusting khakis."

I snorted, giving him a small smile in thanks. "So, Caleb, huh?" I stated.

"I haven't told him," Evan said matter-of-factly. "He'll think I'm a.." Evan heaved out a sigh, "..faggot.. for liking guys."

I sighed, clearing my throat. "As annoying as Caleb can sometimes be, he would never stoop that low. Besides, he's bi, so why would he?"

Evan's eyes widened, a glint of relief in his eyes, "H-he is?" Evan stammered.

I smirked, nudging his shoulder as I walked him towards my room door. "Don't be afraid to ask him out. Caleb's as single as a Pringle."

"Pringles come in tall cans filled with other Pringles," Evan muttered. This was one of the first times I'd ever seen Evan Harris's confidence waver, so seeing him flustered was a rare occasion I'd want to remember for a while.

I snorted, pointing towards Caleb in the corridor, talking to Sam. Evan's face paled significantly when he saw Caleb, so I gave his back a light push to go forward. "Caleb may not be a Prince Charming, but if he's the type of guy you'd want to date, go for it, E."

After stumbling forward for a second, Evan shot a glare at me, turning around to face me. "He's part of the fucking Vortex Club," he hissed.

"So?" I said. "I am, too. I'm nothing like most of the people in it. Caleb's just a little... misguided. Talk to him; you'll see."

Evan groaned, my quiet laugh being the last thing he had heard before I shut my dorm room door. I listened to the jingle of my text tone on my bed, so I walked towards my phone, smiling when I saw that it was Kate.

'Hey, theo :)'

I grinned, typing up a reply.

'heyya, kate c:'

Kate started typing.

'where should we meet?"

The insides of my stomach always turned to jelly every time I spoke to Kate. I pressed my lips together as I replied.

'i'll pick you up in front of your dorm xo.'

My cheeks reddened when I realized I'd just sent her a hug and a kiss. My heart practically jumped out of my chest when I saw her response.

'okay, see you in a bit xx.'

Christ, I was fucking smitten.

After putting on a tiny amount of cologne - only noticeable up close - I opened the door leading to the corridor. I double checked whether I had my phone, car keys and wallet on me before heading towards the girls' dormitory.

I took a deep breath, heading out with a hammering heartbeat and clammy hands.

Calm vibes, Jones. It's just lunch with Kate; that's it.

I nodded, confident that the voice in my head would promote laid-back vibes. I'd never been more wrong.

HOLY FUCK, LUNCH WITH KATE.

I took a breath; arms crossed over my chest in an attempt to calm my erratic heartbeat. I rocked on my heels as I waited for Kate outside her dorm room, a couple of girls walking past me. A flash of purple caught my eye; Alyssa was walking right towards me. "Hi, Alyssa," I began with a smile.

Be cool, Theo.

Alyssa wiggled her eyebrows at me suggestively; with a hand on her hip, the other holding onto a novel as always, Alyssa said, "It's super sweet of you to be taking her out on a date, Theo."

"Thank you, Alyssa," I grinned, flattered that she was being nice to me.

Alyssa gave me a look, eyes narrowed. "You cut me off," she deadpanned. Alyssa took note of my now pale face, so she laughed, "I was kidding. Take care of her; otherwise, I'll kick you in the balls so hard, they'll go right through your esophagus and come out of your mouth."

"Is that even scientifically possible?" I squeaked, shoving both my hands in my pockets at this point.

Alyssa paused, thinking it over. "Luckily for you, it isn't; but if you do hurt her, I'll make sure of it."

I gulped, terrified of how protective Alyssa was of Kate.

Kate's dorm room opened, an adorable looking Kate stepping foot outside. "Hi," Kate smiled.

Praise the Lord above for the angel that was my crush.

"Hi," I breathed out, cheeks reddened at how, well, beautiful she looked, as always. She wore her usual blazer and golden crucifix, but underneath, she wore a white sundress, the little ruffles flowing beneath her waist. "You look beautiful," I told her, my cheeks aching from smiling so much.

Kate bit the corner of her lip, holding back another smile. Kate's hands held onto her purse, shutting the door as we made our way to the exit. As I held the door open for Kate, I looked back at Alyssa, her two pointer fingers aimed at her eyes, then mine. "I've got my eye on you," she mouthed. I swallowed hard, ready to shut the girls' dorm exit, but not before catching Dana and Max winking at me from their doors. I rolled my eyes, shutting the door behind me.

"Your cologne smells nice," Kate said with a laugh. I cleared my throat, trying to hide the blush on my neck and cheeks. "You're cute when you blush," she giggled, poking my cheek as we made our way to the parking lot.

I opened her door, pulling out the bouquet of tulips I'd bought in advance. "I hope this isn't too cliché of me, Kate," I stuttered.

"It's cute, so you shouldn't worry too much about it," she replied with a grin. "Besides, you're living proof that men with chivalry still exist in this world, so be glad."

"Why, thank you, m'lady," I said with a bow, shutting her door and heading for the driver's seat.


A/N: That's a wrap, folks!

Thanks for reading OASNAS!