"Wait, so you've literally never had a hot dog?" Lilly demanded.

Jules, hand still clutching his original dog with extra sauerkraut, shook his head and laughed. "They have it in England, but I'm homeschooled. Homeschooled kids don't really get the chance to go out and have a hot dog or even McDonalds."

Before Lilly and I got simultaneously scream vulgarities at the cruelty these poor children face, Jules held up his hands. "Don't worry, yes, I've had a cheeseburger before."

I know, homeschooled British kid tries American food for the first time cliché. But really, that cliché is totally true.

We were having a little picnic at a quiet corner of Copley Park, under the shade of some thick foliage and resting on a comfy picnic mat, enjoying some very healthy, delicious snacks.

It was totally a scene from a movie.

Okay, so, by quiet I mean there wasn't anyone trampling on us, despite being pretty crowded. And, you, know, by thick foliage I mean a single pretty tiny (Lilly had deemed it 'cute') tree. And by comfy picnic mat I mean a scratchy brown cloth some other family had left behind. And by healthy, delicious snacks, I guess you could say I mean hot dogs bought from hot dog stand a few yards away.

Fine, it wasn't like a movie.

Still, the day was going surprisingly well. Jules was most certainly not a serial killer, as Oliver had speculated, and he and Lilly got along well. And he looked fantastic in those perfectly fitting jeans and purple top. I happened to keep looking up to notice him staring at me with this small smile, and he would hurriedly turn back to Lilly, who was forever chattering on, but the smile would stay. And he looked great in that outfit. And Lilly kept sneakily giving me the 'he is so cute' thumbs up. And did I mention he looked adorable in those jeans?

"Bec?"

My gaze shot up to see both Jules and Lilly staring at me expectantly. Seeing my blank expression, they both laughed.

I flushed, turning away. "Sorry, sorry," I mumbled, grinning. "I blanked out. What did you say?"

Jules grinned. "I asked you what university you were planning on applying to," he repeated, blowing a tiny lock of hair out of his eyes.

I froze. "Oh," I blurted. "I haven't really decided yet. Maybe Boston Uni, but I really want to get into University of Bristol, or Imperial College in the UK. You know, escape for a few years. We start next year."

Before Jules could reply, Lilly interjected, "Oh yeah, are you in university, Jules?"

Jules grinned from ear to ear. "Actually, I'll be starting in September. I was accepted into Bristol."

Lilly and I froze, and a slow flush crept its way across my cheeks. Lilly glanced at me, eyes wide and mouth open, and I got the message – OMG, you two are totally on the same page! It's a sign that you should be together!

I replied with a quick look that read – Shut up, we're just friends! – before calmly smiling at Jules, although my heart was about to hammer its way out of my chest.

Jules eyes were bright and his lip curled. "Maybe I'll see you there?"

I stuck my tongue out playfully at him. "Or maybe not!" I teased. "Now that I know you'll be going too…" I said in singsong.

My phone suddenly buzzed in my pocket, and I glanced at it to see a new message pop up from Lilly, of all people.

You two are totally flirting, it read.

I glared at Lilly, who was stifling laughter as she discreetly slid her own phone into her bag.

I cleared my throat and took a quick look at my watch before sighing. "Oh god, it's almost five. Oliver and I have our science project to work on, and Mom wants me to babysit Baz tonight while she goes out with Aunt Glenda." Regretfully, I ended, "We'd better go."

Jules's eyes twinkled. "Baz?"

Lilly grinned mischievously. "Bec's so Simon crazy she nicknamed her baby cousin Baz. His actual name is Sebastian."

"My Aunt Glenda and her baby are visiting, and obviously, since my siblings are conveniently otherwise engaged, I'm stuck babysitting," I explained, beginning to gather my things.

"You have a lot of siblings?" Jules asked, playing with a piece of frayed purple thread he'd ripped from his shirt.

I shrugged. "Only two others – Angie and Josh."

Lilly giggled. "Angie's short for Evangeline."

I laughed. "My mom tried to give us all posh names. Evangeline, Rebecca and Joshua. Quite the trio, eh?"

"Your sister obviously got the worst of the lot."

I shrugged. "Yeah, she pretends she's named Angelina instead and that's why we call her Angie."

Jules smiled again, and his eyes twinkled. "I wish I had a little sibling. Could have saved me tons of embarrassing, exhausting publicity to have the cute younger kid be in the spotlight."

Lilly snorted, and tossed her head despite there being no hair for her to flip. Today, she was protesting mass hunting in Africa, and was wearing a rather loud leopard print dress and had pinned little round red badges to the front of her dress and tied red ribbons around her arms to look like bullet holes. She'd even pulled on an adorable dark brown beanie with cat ears over her bronze-haired pixie cut wig, her usual stark red locks tucked up in the wig.

I have a pretty awesome best friend.

"… and trust me, you will totally regret that," Lilly was saying. "Having kid siblings is horrible."

Jules shrugged, obviously not wavering in his desire to have siblings, before running a hand through his already messy curls from back to front, making it spike.

I sipped at a bottle of water.

"Well, thanks for giving me a little taste of the US, today," Jules said. "Not everyone gets to hang out with two gorgeous girls for a day, eh?"

Lilly snickered and rolled her eyes. "I'm hardly gorgeous," she replied modestly before winking. "You're just blinded by my awesome makeup, hair and fashion sense. That, even I admit, is amaze-tastic."

Jules drawled in response, "Mmm… Maybe I didn't mean you!" He trilled, laughing.

I choked on my drink.

Excuse me.

Stop.

Just stop the hell up.

Did Jules just call me gorgeous?

As I tried to process this information, Lilly and Jules both chortled at my flushed cheeks and red earlobes.

I rolled my eyes and got to my feet, reminding myself that Jules and I were just friends.

Jules and Lilly both scrambled up after me, faces red from giggling.

Jules smacked his forehead. "I forgot to bring those posters!" His voice was apologetic, but his enormous grin totally read accidentally-on-purpose. "I guess I'll have to give it you next time, right?"

I grinned back at him. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, Julian Fool-ian." I nodded at him. "Next time."

God, his eyes were so blue.

Jules gave an awkward wave. "Bye, Bec-a-Deck."

Lilly giggled. I rolled my eyes and retorted, "Jules's-a-tool."

"Becca-boogie."

"Jule-mule."

"Rebecca-from-Kentucka."

I burst out laughing. "Do you mean Kentucky? That totally did not work!"

Lilly was watching us with bright eyes. I knew I'd have an earful about it later.

Jules shot back with a grin, "Shame you stopped the game. I had a really good one next."

I snorted. "What, Bec-reads-a-book?"

"Maybe…"

I sighed and waved back at him. Lilly just stuck her tongue out and grinned. "We gotta go. See you later."

Jules nodded, starting the other way. "Later, you two."

As we walked away, Jules threw a shout over his shoulder.

"It was going to be Bec-Tic-Tec, actually!"

I burst out laughing.