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[Eddie's POV]

I've never felt so comfortable before, except with my mom and sometimes Pops. I glance over at Loren, her soft brown hair spread around her like a lion's mane. The perfect description – a lion tense and ready to pounce, but sweet and gentle when she knows it's safe. And somehow I did that; I managed to make her trust me. I feel a small sense of accomplishment. Absentmindedly reaching for her thin hand, I share my warmth with her. I rub my thumb over each knuckle before rolling over to face her.

Loren has a dreamy smile on her face. Her eyes are shining bright with imagination. I can't help but reach over and brush the few strands of smooth hair out of her face. She turns slightly, a questioning look on her face. I sit up slowly and reach for her. She gets up as well, still somewhat confused.

I motion to my wrist like I would if I was wearing a watch. "It's getting kind of late. We should probably head back now," I say tentatively.

The regret in her voice is clear. "Okay." We pull each other up and pack the picnic basket. She folds the thick blanket and rolls it up before handing it to me with a touch of nervousness. I grin to reassure her and take it in my hands. We stroll back down the hill, free hand in free hand. I open the door and close it for her again, always trying to make her feel as good as possible. We throw the stuff into the backseat and I start driving her back to her house. The ride is peaceful and quiet, not in the least bit awkward. Until we reach the house and climb out of my car.

[Loren's POV]

This night has been perfect. And there's only one thing that could possibly make it better. The mood's right, but I know I shouldn't get my hopes up. Eddie just got out of a relationship and he probably doesn't want to jump straight into another without being sure.

We reach my front door and I turn around with hope written in my heart, my face, and my eyes. But he doesn't seem to notice, or he's just a really good actor.

"I had a really good time tonight." Eddie's voice is deep and sonorous. I nod to show my agreement, not trusting my voice right now. He's looking down at me with those chocolate brown eyes that I love so much. Our eyes meet and time seems to freeze right there. A shadow of doubt flickers across his face before he leans in ever so slightly. My heart thuds to a stop. My body is strangled with tension. I can't move. I can barely breathe.

But his lips don't make the expected path. I feel a soft ruffle in my hair, a light increase in pressure. A small peck on the forehead, like I'm just a friend, a little sister. Not exactly something I want my major crush to think of me as. Especially when I thought we had a chance. Disappointment crashes down in waves. My heart feels like it's been torn out halfway and desperately glued back in. I try my best to smile and back off quickly, blushing furiously. The knob turns and I slip in silently.

[Eddie's POV]

I watch Loren's thin shadow slide through the door. My first chance gone. I don't regret it, though. I don't want to make her feel like she's my only one and accidentally hurt her. I don't want to make a mistake again.

I laugh at myself when I realize what I'm thinking. If I was really worried about her, I wouldn't have asked her out tonight in the first place. I'm being selfish and I know it. I walk back to my car and start it. Looking backwards to see the road, I notice the basket with a partly-unrolled blanket resting on top. The smile that immediately gets pasted on my face doesn't escape me. Loren makes me feel something that I thought could only be a dream. Her loving personality is so much like my mother's was.

My brain pauses for a second when I realize that. I never compared Chloe to Mom. Why not? Because there was no relation, no connection whatsoever. And it never occurred to me that maybe that wasn't such a good sign. I want what my parents had, I really do. But I'm just afraid I won't know it when I get it. Pops always said to just follow my heart and I would be able to tell.

Maybe that's what I need – a good heart-to-heart talk with my dad. I know both of his opinions on Chloe and Loren are very strong, but I just need a little guidance. I need him to tell me what I should do. If in trying to avoid a mistake, I made a bigger one than I thought.

The car glides smoothly down the road, the one solid thing I have in my life right now. I pull to a stop by MK and climb out, yanking the keys from the ignition and stuffing them in my jacket pocket.

I pause by the crowded bar for a second. "Hey Grace, is my dad up in his room?" She hesitates for a millisecond and nods before turning around again. I give her a quick nod back to thank her, even though she probably doesn't see it.

I bound up the steps eagerly, knocking on the cold metal door. A familiar voice invites loudly, "Come on in!"

I open the door to find an empty room. "Over here," the same voice calls from outside. I lope over to the open balcony door and join Pops. The night sky is twinkling with thousands of stars, visible even when surrounded by the colorful city lights. Soft, faded rays from the moon float down like a path of shimmering dust.

"It's a beautiful night, isn't it?" His voice noticeably catches me off guard. "Thinking about something important? Finally need your old man to tell you what to do?" Pops teases me.

I smile guiltily but the confusion in my eyes is clear. We walk back inside and he sits on the couch, motioning for me to join him. I shake my head, aware of my inability to sit still for very long when I'm preoccupied with something.

"It's Loren, isn't it?" I nod in surprise.

"Is it that obvious?"

Pops replies with a small shrug and a twinkle in his eye. "Well, it was a little hard not to notice the grin that hasn't left your face yet."

Caught again, I want to pour my feelings out but hold back for some reason. I choose my words carefully. "She makes me feel like nothing's wrong, like nothing ever could go wrong. But then she says or does something that makes it seem like I'm standing on the very edge of the earth and everything could be lost if I make one wrong move. I can be myself around her, yet I'm still afraid of what she'll think of me."

Pops nods knowingly. "That's what love does." The sentence couldn't be stated any more simply or clearly. But my brain immediately goes into overdrive searching for an excuse. My heart reaches out and calms it.

"I don't know about that." My voice is hesitant and unsure.

"But do you think you could be?"

This makes me stop and really think for a minute. I don't know. "Maybe? Possibly?" The answer is painfully clear to me in another second. "Yes."

I give Pops a hug goodnight and head back to my place.

I settle into the soft sheets and dream about my girl. Loren Tate, a senior from the valley that makes my head and my heart go wild. A goddess of foosball who makes my world spin around.

I will try to keep the characters as true as possible to their personalities on the show. I think that's at least half the reason why the show's so good; it lets us get to know the characters and either love or hate them.

There will finally be a bit of drama in the next chapter.

Please review! - shimmeruponwishes