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Chapter Three

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The week came and went, but it didn't feel much like it. Classes were exceptionally boring that week and Neil was both incredibly nervous and excited for his... date? Was it really a date? It sure sounded like one, but he didn't want to jump to conclusions. Neil had zero experience with girls, having grown up in private boys' schools his entire life. His parents-namely, Mr. Perry-didn't want him to be "distracted" by the "opposite sex", instead wanting him to focus on his studies, which he did. Neil studied and studied and barely did anything else other than dream about being in a play-just one play was all he asked for. He knew his dad would kill him if he found out he went on a date with a girl, but what were the odds of him finding out about this? He sneaked away to do things with his friends during the school year all the time. What was one more?

He wore his best sweater and combed through his hair until he felt like he couldn't possibly look any better. Angela was due to pick him up at any moment now, and Neil had once again told his parents that he was staying at Welton for the weekend to study for some "big tests". There were always big tests, it seemed, so it technically wasn't a lie. But he was ahead in all of his classes already. He deserved another break.

Neil made his way outside of the school to wait for Angela. Luckily, students were able to sneak around more easily on the weekends during summer school. For some reason, summer meant security measures weren't taken very seriously. Still, he got a rush of adrenaline from sneaking around when he wasn't supposed to.

It also reminded him of the actual school year, when he and his friends would do things they weren't supposed to do. Finally, there he saw Angela pulling up in what he assumed was her car-or maybe her parents'? He wasn't sure of the Sullivans' financial situation. But anyway, Neil found himself smiling (probably looking like a complete doofus) as he swiftly walked towards where she had parked and moving himself to the passenger seat. He was relieved to see her smiling just as intensely, though somehow it didn't make her look like a doofus. It just made her look beautiful. Somehow that made it worse.

"Hi," she started.

"Hello." The two laughed awkwardly. "Um, I'm sorry I don't have my drivers' license, I-"

"Shh," Angela interrupted. "Don't apologize, good lord. Besides, I like driving. It's fun."

Neil grinned. "So... where are we going?" he decided to ask.

"I was thinking... you know the soda shop on Anderson?"

He shrugged, because no, he didn't know the soda shop on Anderson. Angela laughed. "Wow, they really shelter you in there, don't they?"

"You have no idea," Neil quipped back, but they both knew he was serious.

Angela drove in silence for a while. Neil kept glancing over. He noticed that she kept chewing her lips as if she were nervous. It made him feel better about his own feelings.

"So, what kinds of plays have you been in?" Neil asked.

"I've been in a lot of plays and musicals," Angela explained. "I was Wendy in Peter Pan, actually-and I was Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing. Those are my two favorites. Do you have any Broadway records?"

He shook his head.

"Oh, well I think my favorite is Oklahoma! Do you know that one?"

"I've heard of it." Neil was suddenly embarrassed. She had this endless stream of knowledge and what he assumed was talent in this thing he could only dream about.

"Well I love that show. I want to be in it someday. Maybe if Ridgeway Players do it you can audition with me." She flashed a grin over at him.

"I'm not sure if I can sing," Neil explained. "I mean, I just got into acting recently and all..."

"That's okay. Sorry, I'm just excited to find someone as excited about this stuff as I am." She drove.

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"Are you going to finish your fries?"

Neil laughed.

"Are you hungry or something?"

"How can you tell?" She had already finished her serving and half of a chocolate malt. However, Neil was a teenage boy, so he was already the eating winner by default.

The two were off to a fantastic start, spending the whole evening laughing and talking. And somehow, the initial nervousness had worn off as they spent more time doing all of this laughing and talking. Angela thought Neil was not only the cutest boy she had ever seen, but probably the most genuinely polite and sweet, certainly not like those boys at Ridgeway. And he shared her interests as well. And he was the kind of guy who could laugh with her. He thought she was funny-and in a good way!

"So, I do have to ask-why don't you just audition for a play already?" she finally asked.

Neil let out a huge sigh. "It's my father." She nodded-he had mentioned that previously. "I wanted to audition for summer stock auditions last year but... he said no. And I've asked about it a few other times, and... always the same. He thinks it's a waste of time, and-maybe he's right."

Angela frowned at this. "But you still want to, right?"

Neil nodded. "Yeah... well. I guess it would interfere with my schoolwork. After all, I just have to be a doctor, you know."

Angela stopped sipping her milkshake. "You don't seem like the kind of person who'd want to go into medicine," she replied.

Neil laughed.

"I'm not."

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Soon, it was 9 o'clock and Neil had to be back at Welton. The two sat in Angela's car, just a block away from the building, as not to get caught stalling.

"Um... I had fun tonight," Neil tried with a grin, which in turn made Angela smile.

"I did too," she replied.

Neil didn't know much about dating, but he did know that normally, at the end of a good date, the couple is supposed to kiss. His stomach was twisting in knots at this idea. And he didn't know it, but Angela's was too.

"So... hah-do you want to go out again sometime?"

Angela's grin became even wider. "I would love to, Neil!"

Without even thinking, he leaned forward, across his seat, and planted his lips to hers. He had no idea how to kiss, and neither did Angela, really. But they somehow managed to make it right. It was short, about three seconds tops, because neither one of them knew how long to make it last. But three seconds was enough. When they pulled away, both of them took a moment to stare at one another before bursting into awkward laughter.

"Wow," Neil joked, "first kiss."

"Believe it or not, mine too," Angela replied. That comforted him somehow.

Angela pulled her car in front of Welton Academy.

"So, you'll call me, then? Promise?"

Neil nodded. "I promise I will call you."

She smiled. "I'll be waiting." With that, Neil opened the door and stepped out. They waved at one another and Neil couldn't help but watch as her car pulled further and further away until it was gone. And then, it hit him: He had kissed a girl! Neil had finally kissed a girl. Well, now he had something to brag to the boys about when September hit.

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(A/N: I basically wrote this whole chapter in a rush all in one night because I wanted to get it over with. :x I'm sorry for the insane filler and general boringness but it had to be done eventually, lol. Thanks for reading nonetheless!)