That Dating Thing
Shane kept a firm grip on Blake's arm, holding the other boy still as he rang the Hanson's doorbell. "Dude, for the last time, you are not backing out of this."
"This is the stupidest thing I've ever done." Blake moaned. "Can't we just cancel and say I'm sick or something?"
Shane turned, his stare suddenly intense. "Dude, friend or not, if you break Tori's heart, I'll break *you*."
Blake stilled, looking guiltily at the ground.
Shane sighed, turning back to the front door. Was dating really supposed to be like this? He'd thought *he* was worried. Blake brought freaking out to new levels.
He'd spent most of the day holed up in Kelly's office, trying to sort out the nightmare she claimed was her accounting books. Not even a full hour in he'd made a desperate phone call to Cam, pleading for the other to help him find a computer for Storm Chargers the next day. After wrangling the agreement out of him, he'd been forced to take some drastic measures in filing her books. Measures involving a trashcan, a highlighter, and a *lot* of soda.
He'd actually remembered the date later that morning, and had warned Kelly ahead of time when he'd need to leave. An hour was probably a little excessive, but that ensured he'd have fifty minutes extra in case something came up. Which, inevitably it did.
It had started with Dustin's phone call, apparently whispered from a phone booth at the mall. He warned that Tori was majorly freaking out, control issues and all. Then he'd told him where they were going-thank you, Blake -and asked if he could grab Blake and meet them at Tori's. He'd agreed, and hung up pondering if he'd need fifteen minutes.
That was when Blake came in, pleading for his help. It seemed Tori wasn't the only one freaking out about this. He'd ended up having to leave *two hours* early, not that he entirely minded escaping the nightmare office. He was dragged over to Blake and Hunter's, and begged to help chose the right outfit. He'd irritably pointed out that dating Dustin did not make him a fashion expert, and told him to ask his brother. That led into a minor scuffle between the three of them, as Hunter had come home just in time to overhear them. The fight was ended by Blake catching sight of himself in a mirror, letting out a rather girlish yelp, and racing for the bathroom to shower and fix his hair for half an hour while he and Hunter watched TV. Blake emerged to drag them in for more debate over his clothes, until Hunter finally grabbed an outfit and told him to put it on before he put it on for him. This time when he came back out, he panicked over whether or not he should bring Tori flowers. So Shane dragged him down the street to a florist, helped him pick out a nice bouquet, and dumped him off for Hunter to lecture on proper etiquette while he ran over to his own apartment with just enough time to shower, find clean clothes without holes in them, and comb his hair. He returned for Blake, only to have him panic *again* on their way to Tori's. So now he was trying not to kill his teammate or wrinkle his clothes and waiting for someone to open the friggin' door.
Tori answered, giving them both a brilliant smile. He had to blink; he'd never seen her so fancy before. Her dress was powder blue with short puffy sleeves and a high waist. Her father would love the idea that it only came to her mid-thigh. Her hair was piled on her head in curls, and...was she wearing make-up? Maybe this dating thing wasn't such a good idea. People seemed to totally transform over it.
"You look like a girl."
Okay, so it wasn't the smartest thing he could have said, but it was what came out. Tori gave him a murderous stare, and he knew he'd be paying for it later. Most likely in bruises.
Thankfully, Blake broke in with an awed "You look beautiful." There was a pause, and he abruptly thrust out the flowers. "Uh, here!"
She took them with another radiant smile. "Thank you."
Shane was wondering absently if he was even right about those blue daisy-looking things being her favorite flower when Dustin appeared behind her. Tori wasn't the only one who'd been transformed. Dustin was wearing unwrinkled brown slacks and a light yellow shirt, for once buttoned all the way up with no signs of another shirt underneath. And were those shiny shoes on his feet? His hair had been combed, with some signs of an attempt to tame the curls. Tori should have known better; nothing short of cement would make them stay.
"I'll put these in water." Dustin volunteered. Not that the pair noticed, too busy staring at each other. He re-emerged, quickly closing the door behind them. "Dude, we'd better get going. Your dad just got home."
That snapped Tori out of her trance. She grabbed Blake's arm, pulling him toward her van. "Come on."
Shane slowed enough to walk beside Dustin. "So was your afternoon as interesting as mine?"
Dustin gave him a look of long-suffering. "Dude, she tried to gel my hair. I smell like fruit salad."
He couldn't resist leaning over to sniff his hair, laughing at the whiff of melon as he was lightly shoved away. He glanced back him. "Oh, hey. Am I supposed to tell you you look nice?"
Dustin shrugged. "I dunno. Thanks? You do too."
He flashed him a grin. "Shotgun!"
"Dude, like no fair!"
Maybe this date thing wouldn't be as bad as he thought after all.
Shane kept a firm grip on Blake's arm, holding the other boy still as he rang the Hanson's doorbell. "Dude, for the last time, you are not backing out of this."
"This is the stupidest thing I've ever done." Blake moaned. "Can't we just cancel and say I'm sick or something?"
Shane turned, his stare suddenly intense. "Dude, friend or not, if you break Tori's heart, I'll break *you*."
Blake stilled, looking guiltily at the ground.
Shane sighed, turning back to the front door. Was dating really supposed to be like this? He'd thought *he* was worried. Blake brought freaking out to new levels.
He'd spent most of the day holed up in Kelly's office, trying to sort out the nightmare she claimed was her accounting books. Not even a full hour in he'd made a desperate phone call to Cam, pleading for the other to help him find a computer for Storm Chargers the next day. After wrangling the agreement out of him, he'd been forced to take some drastic measures in filing her books. Measures involving a trashcan, a highlighter, and a *lot* of soda.
He'd actually remembered the date later that morning, and had warned Kelly ahead of time when he'd need to leave. An hour was probably a little excessive, but that ensured he'd have fifty minutes extra in case something came up. Which, inevitably it did.
It had started with Dustin's phone call, apparently whispered from a phone booth at the mall. He warned that Tori was majorly freaking out, control issues and all. Then he'd told him where they were going-thank you, Blake -and asked if he could grab Blake and meet them at Tori's. He'd agreed, and hung up pondering if he'd need fifteen minutes.
That was when Blake came in, pleading for his help. It seemed Tori wasn't the only one freaking out about this. He'd ended up having to leave *two hours* early, not that he entirely minded escaping the nightmare office. He was dragged over to Blake and Hunter's, and begged to help chose the right outfit. He'd irritably pointed out that dating Dustin did not make him a fashion expert, and told him to ask his brother. That led into a minor scuffle between the three of them, as Hunter had come home just in time to overhear them. The fight was ended by Blake catching sight of himself in a mirror, letting out a rather girlish yelp, and racing for the bathroom to shower and fix his hair for half an hour while he and Hunter watched TV. Blake emerged to drag them in for more debate over his clothes, until Hunter finally grabbed an outfit and told him to put it on before he put it on for him. This time when he came back out, he panicked over whether or not he should bring Tori flowers. So Shane dragged him down the street to a florist, helped him pick out a nice bouquet, and dumped him off for Hunter to lecture on proper etiquette while he ran over to his own apartment with just enough time to shower, find clean clothes without holes in them, and comb his hair. He returned for Blake, only to have him panic *again* on their way to Tori's. So now he was trying not to kill his teammate or wrinkle his clothes and waiting for someone to open the friggin' door.
Tori answered, giving them both a brilliant smile. He had to blink; he'd never seen her so fancy before. Her dress was powder blue with short puffy sleeves and a high waist. Her father would love the idea that it only came to her mid-thigh. Her hair was piled on her head in curls, and...was she wearing make-up? Maybe this dating thing wasn't such a good idea. People seemed to totally transform over it.
"You look like a girl."
Okay, so it wasn't the smartest thing he could have said, but it was what came out. Tori gave him a murderous stare, and he knew he'd be paying for it later. Most likely in bruises.
Thankfully, Blake broke in with an awed "You look beautiful." There was a pause, and he abruptly thrust out the flowers. "Uh, here!"
She took them with another radiant smile. "Thank you."
Shane was wondering absently if he was even right about those blue daisy-looking things being her favorite flower when Dustin appeared behind her. Tori wasn't the only one who'd been transformed. Dustin was wearing unwrinkled brown slacks and a light yellow shirt, for once buttoned all the way up with no signs of another shirt underneath. And were those shiny shoes on his feet? His hair had been combed, with some signs of an attempt to tame the curls. Tori should have known better; nothing short of cement would make them stay.
"I'll put these in water." Dustin volunteered. Not that the pair noticed, too busy staring at each other. He re-emerged, quickly closing the door behind them. "Dude, we'd better get going. Your dad just got home."
That snapped Tori out of her trance. She grabbed Blake's arm, pulling him toward her van. "Come on."
Shane slowed enough to walk beside Dustin. "So was your afternoon as interesting as mine?"
Dustin gave him a look of long-suffering. "Dude, she tried to gel my hair. I smell like fruit salad."
He couldn't resist leaning over to sniff his hair, laughing at the whiff of melon as he was lightly shoved away. He glanced back him. "Oh, hey. Am I supposed to tell you you look nice?"
Dustin shrugged. "I dunno. Thanks? You do too."
He flashed him a grin. "Shotgun!"
"Dude, like no fair!"
Maybe this date thing wouldn't be as bad as he thought after all.