Larissa felt a little nervous when she got into the passenger seat of Adam's silver B.M.W. She'd known the guy for less then twenty four hours, but then he was Nicky's friend so she trusted him. Guy, Connie, Charlie and Linda, stood in the parking lot for a while longer however arguing over taking Guy's van, Connie 68 V.W. Bug or Charlie's beat up Ford escort.

"If my dad found out I was going out on a car date, he'd flip." Rissa broke the uncomfortable silence as the headed the exit of the student parking lot.
"Why how old are you?" Adam crinkled his handsome brow.
"15, you?"
"18."
"Oh, I'm like jail bait does that bother you?"
"Age is just a number."
"Good point."
Adam chuckled quietly at the expression on Larissa's face as she looked around the inside of his car. It was immaculately clean.
"So…"
"Hey Adam did you mean what you said earlier, about me looking great?"
"Of course, I don't lie." He pulled into the street and headed to the center of town "Why no one ever told you that you look great before?"
"Lots of people have, you're just the first person that didn't seem to mean it."
"I did, mean it that is." He clicked his blinker and pulled into the theater parking lot, slipping into the first available spot
"You're not to fund of me are you?"
"I don't know you Larissa. All I know is you're beautiful and you hate math, your dads a contractor and you ice skate."
"I don't skate."
"What are you talking about, I saw you."
"Well I know how to skate, but I don't do it often. Only when I'm stressed or lonely." Rissa pretty face was gloomy for a second, but she swiftly forced a smile hoping Adam wouldn't notice.

He had though and he began to realize that she really was a nice person, just a little depressed with the tendency to say the wrong thing at the wrong time.
"I get it." He told her, hockey did the same thing for him, if he was down about any little thing having that stick in his hand, being on that ice, the trouble just melted away.

"So what are we going to see?" Larissa applied a thin layer or watermelon lip gloss
"Some Josh Hartnett movie. I think the only good film he ever made was "O". "
"You didn't enjoy 40 days and 40 nights? I thought all guys loved it."
"I'm not like most guys."
"So I've noticed."
"How's that?"
"We've been sitting in your car for ten minutes and you haven't groped me."
Adam laughed in a soft deep voice
"I'm sorry, would you like that?"
"No, but you could like hold me hand or something."
"Larissa, I'm not sure… never mind. Let's go in there are my friends."
Banks walked around the front of the car to let Rissa out and led her into the cinema.

"Hi I'm Connie and this is Linda. That's my fiancé Guy (after dating for 8 years he finally got around to pop the question) and the other guy's Charlie." They had never been introduced, so as the boys stood at the candy counter Connie extended her hand
"Actually, we met at your practice today." Linda stated
"Oh that's cool."
"Rissa did you want butter on your pop corn?" Adam called
"It doesn't matter." She answered
"So how long have you known Banks?" Connie prodded
"About 8 hours." Larissa looked at her watch
"He's a great guy, a bit of a prep, but we got over it, so can you."

MEANWHILE

"Damn Banksie you're supposed to know these things. Like I already know Linda wants no butter, a diet cola and sour patch kids." Charlie teased
"And Connie's an extra butter, orange soda and snow caps kind of girl." Guy piped in
"I know she likes root beer." Adam handed the snack worker his visa card
"That's a start." Guy and Charlie both agreed

Adam felt extremely uncomfortable during the movie. For the entire beginning of it Charlie and Linda were playing tonsil hockey, Guy and Connie for the ending half. He felt Larissa's hand brush his as she reached over to sneak another of his twizzlers. She'd been doing it all night, thinking he wouldn't notice
"Do you wanna go some where and talk after this movie?" He whispered just above her ear, her silky dark auburn hair tickling his nose.
"Sure." She whispered back prier to biting into a twizzler.

"So do you want to go get an ice cream?" The movie was over and Banks's car was turning aimlessly down the Minnesota streets
Larissa giggled
"How can you think of food after all the junk we just had?"
"¾ of the popcorn wound up on the floor and you stole most of my twizzlers." He declared matter of factly
"I did not." She pouted again applying more gloss
"What does that taste like?"
"Water melon, wanna try it?"
"Sure."
Larissa leaned her head closer, thinking he'd kiss her. Adam's eyes scanned to make sure there was no oncoming traffic, when the coast was clear he turned to her and rubbed his finger over her mouth then sucked the lip gloss off it.
"Mmm not bad."
"That was not what I had in mind." She scowled
"You wanted me to kiss you didn't you?"
"Duh."
"I'm sorry again Larissa, not really in the dating mind set right now."
"Because of Nicole?"
"Yes."
"That's alright, I didn't think you liked me anyway." Rissa's face fell "Nicky's a lucky girl."
"No, I like you Larissa, I really do. It's just…" His voice trailed off
"I'm not Nicole, I get it." She looked down at her hands
Adam thought he may have saw a single tear trickle down her cheek. He realized how sensitive she was and that he'd hurt her feelings
"Can we start out as friends?" His hand snuck from the steering wheel and over toward hers that were folded in her lap. Taking it he noticed how soft her skin was.
"That'd be great." Larissa studied his profile in the moonlight. Adam Banks was a doll.
"So did you want to get back to school?"
"Freshmen curfew is in fifteen minutes, I have to. Maybe we can get that ice cream some other time?"
"Deal."
And so the date ended Adam walked her to her room and gave her a gentle kiss on her cheek, in spite of the awkward glances from Nicky was watching them from the doorway to their room.