Date

"So… how did it go? Tell me everything." Eve smiled, sitting down on the bench in the girls locker room whilst they got ready for the football game that was going on soon.

"It was nice." AJ smiled to herself, tying her laces. For some reason, she wanted to keep things private. She felt like she had to protect the relationship she had with Punk, because it already meant so much to her. Having someone who understood her frustrations, who she could talk to but also listen to. It was so rare and she didn't want to jinx anything.

"Just nice?" Eve asked.

"Really nice." AJ nodded, "We just chatted." She shrugged, tying her other laces.

"And anything else?" Eve smiled.

"We had a kiss." AJ smiled. She was still thinking about that kiss. Every night she would lie awake in bed thinking about it.

"Was it good?" Eve nodded.

"Yeah." AJ nodded with a smile, "I think he's came here tonight with Jamie. But… my parents are here so…" She shook her head, "They don't like him."

"You introduced him to them on your first date?" Eve questioned.

"No." AJ scoffed, "They saw him out the window when he walked me home." AJ said, "They're just so judgemental. And so strict." AJ sighed tiredly as Eve nodded, "I feel like I can't live my life at all with them around. Everything has to be lie. If I'm going out, and it's not with you, I have to make something up. I'm tired of living like that. I'm almost eighteen." She shook her head.

"Maybe they're just protective." Eve shrugged, not really knowing what else to say. She knew how AJ's parents were. It wasn't normal at all the way they treated her.

"No, they're not. They aren't parents to me. They never show any affection or praise. It's just the same things over and over again." AJ sighed.

"I'm sorry." Eve frowned, placing her hand on AJ's arm, "I know you don't get on with them."

"It's fine. It doesn't get me down. I've been so used to it." AJ shook her head, "I'm gonna do what I want regardless. They can't stop me." AJ shrugged as Eve smiled.

"Good." Eve nodded, "C'mon, let's get this over with." She nodded, jumping up from the bench as AJ followed.

Punk had tagged along with his new friends to the football game. Anything to get out of his house for a few hours. He was actually beginning to enjoy different school events, unlike his last school. He felt like he really had a clean start and a chance to start over again.

He couldn't take his eyes from AJ, watching as she cheered and danced so freely without a care in the world. Her energy and fun spirit lifted his own. It made him smile and feel good.

"So Phil." Jamie massaged Punk's shoulders from behind as Punk nodded, "What happened on the date?" He asked as everyone crowded around.

"Nothing." Punk laughed. He wouldn't share anything because he felt that was breaking AJ's trust already.

"Nothing happened?" Jamie shook his head, "What was the point in the date then?"

"To get to know her, Jamie." Punk said, "I'm not just in it for one thing." He reminded them.

"You're such a rare breed." Chuck shook his head as Punk scoffed, "Seriously, this is why all the girls dig in."

"Fuck that." Jamie scoffed, "If I'm just in it to get my dick wet, I'm not spending time getting to know anyone." He rolled his eyes.

"Well I'm not just in it for that." Punk said.

"I'm just surprised you won her over more than big Tom. Even I find him attractive." He admitted as they turned to him, "What? Look at how big he is." He said as Punk looked over at Tom who was on the field.

"Looks like he's got no personality." Punk shrugged, "Girls like to laugh, which… I'm surprised you guys don't get more chances. Just one look at your faces make me laugh." He said as they all made noises.

"Oh, you got the jokes tonight." Jamie laughed as Punk nodded, "Well are you seeing her again?" He asked.

"Yeah, hopefully. I'm gonna talk to her once the game is finished." Punk nodded.

"Can you ask her if Eve is interested in me?" Jamie nodded as Punk turned to him.

"What?" Punk shook his head.

"She gives mixed signals." Jamie shrugged.

"Ask her yourself." Punk chuckled, turning back around, looking over at AJ and smiling.

Once the game had finished, Punk had quickly ran down the bleachers and onto the field, pulling AJ aside before she headed back through to the changing rooms.

"Oh, hey." AJ smiled, "You came." She said happily.

"Yeah, just to see you." He nodded as AJ smiled, "It's a pain not being able to call you, I know." He said.

"No, it's… it's actually nice. It means when I see you I get excited." She said, not actually meaning to say that out loud, rolling her eyes a little as Punk smiled.

"Well I just wanted to know if you wanted to hang out again some time?" Punk asked.

"Yeah, of course I would." AJ smiled. She was hoping he would approach her with another question like that. She preferred spending time with him on her own. At school it was nice to share small conversation and smiles, but she really wanted to have him to herself for a night again.

"You got any favourite spots? Other than Frank's." Punk smiled.

"I uh… no, I don't really go out that often." AJ laughed a little.

"Really?" Punk shook his head. He was sure she was pretty much out all of the time, but he supposed that was wrong of him to assume.

"Really." AJ nodded, "Why don't we chill at your place?" She shrugged as Punk looked at her, looking down at the ground, his heart going rapid as he realised there was no way he could take her home to his house.

"Uh… we have builders in." Punk shook his head, "It's not really a great time." He said.

"Oh, ok." AJ nodded, "I don't think I'll be able to get any more money from my parents." AJ laughed, "So do you mind if we just do something priceless?" She laughed a little as he shook his head right away. He was relieved he wouldn't have to beg Bob for more money.

"Of course not." Punk said, "I tell you what, leave it to me, I'll pick you up tomorrow night at 7." He nodded as she smiled.

"Ok." AJ nodded with a smile, "I'll see you then." She nodded, running off into the changing rooms as Punk watched her with a smile.

"Where are we actually going? You still haven't told me." AJ smiled, walking down the street with Punk the next night after he had picked her up.

"It's a surprise." Punk shrugged as AJ smiled, looking up at him. Being out with him, she felt like she could just be herself and that would be enough. She always felt so much pressure to be liked, to stand out from the crowd, to be that popular girl that everyone liked. But with him, she just wanted to relax and be who she wanted to be and that was the best thing in the world.

They walked a little further whilst AJ tried to guess where they were going, when they finally arrived at the beach front.

"Oh, now I see." AJ nodded, "I would have worn my bikini if I knew we were coming here." She teased as Punk laughed a little.

"I mean… we can go back." He teased as AJ smiled to him, "I just thought it was… out of the way." He said as AJ nodded and smiled.

"It's nice." She smiled, extending her hand over to his and taking it in hers sweetly as they headed onto the beach.

Punk had brought a few blankets and some snacks, of course from the help of Bob. It was peaceful and quiet with no one around, and it was the perfect place to have to themselves.

"Are we even allowed down here?" AJ laughed a little, sitting on the blanket as he nodded.

"Sure we are." Punk assumed as AJ just smiled.

"I never come to the beach." AJ realised, "I can't remember the last time I was here." She admitted.

"It's nice to come down here and think." Punk nodded as she folded her legs in a basket.

"Think about… anything in particular?" AJ asked him.

"Life. What's going on in it." Punk nodded, "The usual stuff." He shrugged as AJ nodded. She'd come to know that he was a very closed person. He didn't give much of anything away, but she felt like if she really got to know him, she'd start to unfold those layers.

"I normally do that at like 3am in bed." AJ nodded, "Just staring at the ceiling." She said as he nodded, "I mean there's so much pressure." She shook her head, "To… To be the best at school, to finish school even, to go to college and do something productive. It feels like we're all just trying to be accepted. Desperately." She shook her head, "Why can't we just be ourselves and… that be enough." She sighed, looking on at the ocean crashing back and forth.

"You can." Punk nodded, "You shouldn't have to worry about other people's opinions or… trying to be accepted. Just be you." He said, "Someone will love you for that." He said as she smiled. She hoped he was right.

They spent the entire night at the beach talking about everything. They covered all bases because they had a certain level of trust that they knew it would be ok to talk about anything. He made her laugh until her stomach got sore, and he made her feel happy.

"Your brother sounds like a crazy person." AJ laughed after Punk telling her a funny story about him.

"Yeah, he's nuts." Punk nodded to himself, "You should meet him sometime."

"I'd like that." AJ nodded, "What about your parents? What do they do?" She asked him casually. He hated when the conversation went onto family. He didn't have nice things to say about his parents. He never would. But he didn't feel like he could tell the truth to her.

"Yeah, they're alright." Punk nodded.

"I mean, what do they do?" AJ laughed a little.

"Dad is an electrician. Mom doesn't work." He said briefly.

"You told me they were both busy workers?" AJ smiled a little as Punk looked at her.

"Yeah, she used to." Punk nodded, "Home health aid." He said as AJ nodded, "But she's not been working as much recently." He covered himself as AJ nodded, "What about yours?" He asked, quickly trying to change the subject from his parents of all things.

"My dad is a manager in retail. My mom works in a jewellers across town." She nodded, "I always look forward to Christmas because they're both always working like… mega hours, because it's retail, and it means I see a lot less of them." She nodded to herself as Punk looked at her. If he didn't know any better, she seemed just as enthusiastic about her parents as he was about his.

"You get any free stuff from the jewellers?" He asked her.

"No, are you kidding?" AJ laughed a little, "If anything is free my mom just takes it." She shrugged as Punk nodded.

"Well you were good at the game yesterday. To be honest, I don't really like football but I came to see you." He shrugged as AJ smiled.

"You didn't have to do that." AJ said.

"I wanted to." Punk nodded, "You look happy when you're there."

"I am for the most part." AJ nodded, "I do it with my friends, it's exciting, I don't mind people looking at me… I just start thinking about… what they might think of me." She shrugged, "Last year there was a rumour that went around school that I had… slept with the entire football team." She shook her head, "And to clarify, I didn't." She made clear, "But I knew they just thought that because of who I hung out with, being on the cheer squad… it's like easy targeting, easy to assume." AJ said, "But that's not who I am." She made clear.

"I wouldn't believe high schools rumours anyway. No matter what they are or who they're about." Punk said, "Apparently at my last school I was dealing heroine in the toilets, according to some people." He said.

"Yeah, I heard that one." AJ nodded.

"I wasn't, by the way." He smiled as AJ nodded.

"I figured." AJ smiled, "It just gets annoying after a while." She shrugged.

"You shouldn't let it get to you." Punk said as AJ nodded, "I don't think of you as some popular kid who everyone likes. I just… I see you for you. Yourself. Who you are as a person." He nodded as she smiled to him.

"Thank you." AJ nodded, shuffling over closer to him, leaning over and pressing her lips against his softly. Being seen as herself, for who she was, it was all she really wanted. She hated putting on a front and with him, she didn't have to. She felt like she could be comfortable in her own skin around him.

Punk caressed her neck as the kiss deepened a little further than the few nights before. There was a lot more desire shown and he couldn't help but love everything about kissing her.

She eventually straddling his hips, shifting her leg over him and sitting on his lap to get a more straight forward access to his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck, feeling the kiss get hot and heavy.

He then felt her touch him through the crotch of his jeans, smiling into the kiss. He knew she was keen and it only interested him further.

"You wanna do this here?" Punk asked her as she continued to touch him and kiss him.

"Why not?" AJ gasped, feeling him kiss her neck. She'd been with a boy before but even just being in his arms, she didn't feel like she was with a boy, but more so a man who knew what she wanted and knew how to take care of her. She really did want him, and she could certainly feel that he wanted her.

They suddenly had to break away however as a bright torch was shone in their faces. AJ quickly got off of him and fixed herself, noticing it was a police officer walking down the beach.

"Oh, God." AJ groaned.

"What are you kids doing here at this time of night?" The cop asked, shining the torch at them, noticing Punk's face, "Phil Brooks, why am I not surprised?" He shook his head whilst AJ looked on with confusion.

"We'll leave." Punk said briefly.

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea." The cop nodded smugly as Punk stood up whilst AJ quickly folded the blankets up, "This is normally a different type of scene from the ones we're used to." He said.

"Yeah, ok man. We're leaving." Punk nodded to the cop, noticing AJ was picking up on everything he was saying.

"Good. Get out of here." The cop nodded as Punk and AJ left the beach and headed back up to the main sidewalk.

"How did that officer know your name?" AJ asked him as Punk just shook his head.

"He's uh… just a family friend." Punk nodded, taking her hand as AJ nodded slowly, looking up at him. She wondered if those layers he had were a little worrying, "Come on, I'll walk you home."