Author's Note: I apologize for taking to long to update. It is partially because things have been a little crazy for me, but mostly because I asked somebody close to me to read my stories and they began with this one. Their negative feedback made me a little reluctant and self-conscious about certain aspects of this story, particularly the amount of sexual experience some of the characters have given their ages. Hopefully, some of what I have written, both here as well as in future chapters will help to rectify the situation. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you seem to have been enjoying past chapters and I am so, so incredibly grateful to every single person who reviews. As always, longer Author's Note at the end.

To Those Who Reviewed:

Amber, I know, and I am sorry.

Guest from 5/21/13,

Who exactly is Larry?

Simone, that you for reviewing.

Jessie, I am glad. I hope this makes your day as well.

Thank you so much for your kind, flattering, and detailed feedback. I really appreciate it. As far as AnnaBeth is concerned, she actually did ask in the car when she got in, but Zoe shrugged it off saying it was a long story or complicated or something to that effect, and then they just sort of got caught up in the night. AnnaBeth knew this wasn't exactly a real date, and she didn't want to be rude, but it was still kind of a date, and eventually, she was bound to ask again and not let it be shrugged off, as she did. Neither of them knows him very well; Taylor is very accommodating in her personality, as is AnnaBeth sometimes, as we have seen with Lemon. Plus, Wade is charming, so that helps him defuse things. I have been thinking about writing Jonah in at some point, but I haven't decided yet. Did he grow up in Bluebell? Do they ever say? Personally, Dash kind of bugs me, but I respect your opinion. We probably will see him; he is a pretty big staple in the town. I could maybe see Addy or Jonah behind a bar to make some extra money or something, but I get what you mean. Oh, I'm glad. Yeah, crushes are so adorable, especially when people are all in denial, but even if they aren't. Well, we'll see. Maybe at some point, but I think it is a little early for that kind of confrontation. Thank you. That's sort of what I was going for. You are welcome. I look forward to that.

Chapter Sixteen

When they walked into the bar/diner/hang-out, the first thing Zoe noticed was how sticky it was; her heels kept sticking to the floors. She followed the others over to the bar, trying not to lose her footing. There were a lot of people here, of all ages. And the place smelled. The air was filled with an odor that was a cross between beer and grease. Zoe's instinct was to cringe, shudder, or scrunch her nose up in disgust, but she did not want to be rude or offensive, and she definitely did not want to make things more awkward with Jesse. Some people have a knack for always saying the right thing. With her, it was the opposite; she always seemed to say the wrong thing.

They found a booth over in a corner, which was lucky, because the table to booth ratio was in favor of the tables. Jesse let Zoe squeeze in first, and then settled in next to her. Wade waited for the girls to get in, but after AnnaBeth got settled, Taylor seemed to be waiting for him to sit in the middle again. He sighed, but obliged. Zoe didn't know what his deal was. He seemed annoyed, or frustrated. What was that about? Things with AnnaBeth and Taylor may have been awkward, but it had been resolved rather quickly, considering. Besides, him and Taylor seemed to be getting on great. She kind of loved that she could take the credit for that. She had been right, after all. AnnaBeth seemed nice, but Wade was clearly having more fun with Taylor.

"What can I get you?" a tall waitress with a thick accent asked.

Zoe perused the menu. Everything was fried. Everything! How was that possible?

"Do you need a minute?"

Zoe almost said yes when she realized how thirsty she was, "Um, can we just order drinks to start?" she asked, directing the question half at the waitress and half at Jesse.

"No problem." The waitress said. Jesse gave Zoe a subtle, encouraging nod.

"In that case, can I have a water bottle?"

"We only have tap."

Yeah. I was afraid of that. Zoe was disappointed, but she didn't want to come off as a brat, "Listen," Jesse said, "This is a first date, and I'm really tryin' to impress this impressive girl next to me. Is there any chance you could track down a bottle of water for us, help me make a good impression."

"That is so sweet." The waitress said, smiling. "Well, I actually have a couple in the back. I bring my own because, I don't really trust the tap either. Don't tell the boss though."

Jesse smiled, "Great. Thank you."

"I'll be right back." She said before swiveling around and heading for the bar area.

"She forgot to take the rest of our orders." Zoe heard Wade grumble, but she wasn't really paying attention. She was focusing on Jesse, "You didn't have to do that."

"I told you. I want you to have everything you want tonight."

Zoe blushed.

"Awww." AnnaBeth said, a gooey look on her face. Wade rolled his eyes.

The waitress returned with a water bottle.

"Thanks." Jesse said.

She smiled at him, "And it's on the house. What can I say, I'm a romantic."

"Any chance the rest of us can order, or are you only goin' to notice the happy couple?"

The girl turned to Wade, "You're cranky." When she saw him, she turned her head to the side thoughtfully, "You look familiar."

Oh no, Zoe thought, please don't have her be one of Wade's conquests or something. Things were going so well with him and Taylor.

After a minute, the waitress's eyes widened, "Wait, are you Wade Kinsella?" She asked, excited.

Wade scratched the back of his neck, "Um, depends who's askin'."

"I saw you and your band when you played a few times over the summer, and then again when you guys played that New Years Eve party at Bobby Thomas's house. You were amazing."

Wade smiled proudly, "Why thank you." Zoe tried not to roll her eyes at the cockiness in his tone.

"I've been wantin' to meet you for a while. Well, my whole band has actually."

"You have a band?" Wade asked, surprised.

"Well, it's mostly me and some guys doin' background stuff. They ain't the best, but beggars can't be choosers. My mama kicked me out when I dropped out of high school to pursue my singin' career so, with this job and tryin' to make rent, I don't exactly have the time or prestige to go huntin' for the perfect band." Wade nodded, understandingly, "So, you think maybe we could jam sometime?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah, sure, maybe."

The girl wrote something down on one of the order slips, ripped it off, and handed it to Wade. "That's my number. And my address. If you call a couple of times and I don't pick up, it may be safer to come over. I do my best with the phone bill, but a waitress only makes so much, ya know?" Wade nodded, "Or, you know, you could just wait around 'til I get off work. My shift ends in a couple hours." She said flirtatiously. Zoe's eyes widened. Couldn't she see Wade was on a date? Okay, dates. So, maybe it wasn't so obvious, but still.

Zoe took a moment to examine this overly friendly waitress. In addition to being tall, she was fairly tan, and had dirty blonde hair with purple and blue streaks. She looked a little older than them, but not by much. Zoe guessed she was around sixteen or seventeen. She was wearing those purposely ripped jeans. That look was so lame, Zoe thought. What was cool about ripped clothes? The girl's shirt was tight, but at least if covered her breasts. Unfortunately, your eyes still went there because of the nametag she was wearing right on her left boob. Zoe squinted at it; Lily Anne. She had two names; how attention starved Dixie Chick was that?

"Um, I'm kind booked solid tonight, but maybe sometime this week."

Lily Anne nodded enthusiastically, "Sounds great." She said, smiling at Wade. The whole thing was a disgusting display; it made Zoe want to gag. And neither AnnaBeth nor Taylor were doing anything about it.

"Um, could we maybe order now?" Zoe asked, trying to get the waitresses attention.

"Sure."

"Okay, well, I'll have the soup of the day," she figured they couldn't fry soup. Well, she hoped they couldn't. "Aren't you going to write down my order?" Zoe asked testily.

Lily Anne nodded, picking up the pen and scratching something down on the pad. Her eyes were still on Wade, "Um, don't you think you should look at what you're writing?" Zoe said, starting to get agitated.

The waitress turned to her, looking offended, "Excuse me?"

"Well, I'd just hate to order the soup of the day and have you come back with a fried chicken platter."

"I happen to be an excellent waitress." She said, defensively, "I heard what you said, and I wrote it down, and it is perfectly legible."

"I'll take a soda." AnnaBeth said, trying to relieve the tension, "I'm parched."

"Then I'd go with water." Zoe said, "Soda, not unlike alcohol, actually dehydrates you. It's good for taste or a buzz, but if you're actually thirsty, water's your best bet."

AnnaBeth nodded, "All right. Water then."

"Same," Taylor added.

"If you both want bottles-"

"I'm good with tap." AnnaBeth said. Taylor nodded in agreement.

"I'll have a water too." Jesse said, causing Wade to roll his eyes.

"Well, I hope nobody minds, but I'd kind of like a soda. No need to follow the pack, right?" Lily Anne giggled. This time, Zoe made no attempt to suppress her eye roll. "So, uh, Pepsi?"

"So, that's three waters, one Pepsi, and a soup of the day? Ya'll want anything else."

Zoe rolled her eyes again. Of course they wanted something else. She was the only one who had ordered actual food. This girl was really starting to get on her nerves.

"How about chicken fingers for the tables?" Jesse said. Everybody continued to place their orders, and Lily Anne wrote them down between flirtatious smiles at Wade. This girl was something else. Zoe was tempted to just request another waitress.

"Wade, a minute?" Zoe asked rhetorically before grabbing his sleeve and pulling him off to the side.

"Ow, hey, what the hell are you doin'?"

"What are you doing? Don't you like Taylor?"

"What?"

"Taylor? Your date?"

"Technically, she's only one of my dates, and she's not even the one I asked, and this isn't even a real-"

"Not the point."

"I didn't know there was a point, other than, you know, wrinklin' my shirt."

Zoe rolled her eyes again, "It's bad enough that you are here with both Taylor AND AnnaBeth, which we were lucky to dodge a bullet about earlier, now you have to flirt with a yet another girl right in front of her?"

"What girl?"

"The slutty waitress?"

"Ooh, Zoe Hart shows her true catty colors. Little jealous are we?"

"Ew, don't be ridiculous. Besides, I'm here with Jesse."

"Yeah, except he's over there, and you're over here talkin' to me." She hit him, "When did you get so violent?"

"I go to all this trouble to help you with Taylor-"

"Which, again, I never asked you to do. You just want it to work so you can prove you were right."

"So, what, you want to tell me you aren't enjoying yourself? That you're not having a good time with Taylor?" Wade didn't answer, "I thought so. So quit it with the flirting, will you."

"We were talkin' music."

"Please, she was practically undressing you with her eyes."

"Well I can't help that. I'm hot."

"What you are is conceded and infuriating! God, I try to do a nice thing for you, and you-"

"No you weren't. I mean, maybe at first, but now, it's all about proving a point, proving that the girl you picked out is better than the one I picked out, and don't forget, you're the only reason I'm here in the first place."

"Just quit it with the flirting."

"Shouldn't you be getting back to your date?"

"Um, what just happened?" AnnaBeth asked as she watched Zoe pull Wade over to the side.

Jesse shrugged, "I guess she wanted to talk to him privately."

"Well, that's a little rude." AnnaBeth said, "She didn't even excuse herself. Isn't she supposed to be here with you?"

Jesse nodded, "It's no big deal."

"I gotta say, you are more understandin' than I would be. As it is, bein' on a date with Wade and Taylor, I'm not exactly thrilled with the situation. No offense."

"None taken." Taylor said, "I'm gonna hit the rest room."

After Taylor left, it was just AnnaBeth and Jesse, who turned their attention to Zoe and Wade. There was angry gesturing, Wade said something, and then Zoe hit him, "Ouch. What do you figure he did to deserve that?"

Jesse shrugged, "Knowin' my brother, it could be anything."

AnnaBeth giggled, "It's times like these I wish I could read lips."

"Well, we could make up our own dialogue. It would be more fun."

AnnaBeth thought for a moment, "Okay. Well, she is clearly mad that he ordered a Pepsi, when she made a big deal about water, so she is sayin' 'don't you know how unhealthy those things are?' "

Jesse chuckled, "Yeah, and now he's sayin' somethin' cocky about what great shape he is in."

"Now she's sayin' that he's not in great shape at all, he just thinks he is."

"Well, that would explain why he's gettin' so mad now."

AnnaBeth chuckled, "Ya know, I think this is the first fun conversation I've had since we got to the theater. Everythin' tonight's been all drama and fightin'."

Jesse shrugged, "Well, I guess that's what happens when a guy brings two dates. And I know that's what happens when those two are around each other. Trust me on that."

"Then maybe they should go out." AnnaBeth said, eyeing the two.

Before Jesse could respond, Zoe and Wade reappeared at the table, "Hey. Sorry."

"That's quite all right."

"Really Jess, you're girl goes off to talk to another guy, and you're just cool with it?" Wade said, his tone mocking. Zoe elbowed him in the chest. He winced, and Jesse and AnnaBeth exchanged a look. AnnaBeth bit her lip to suppress a chuckle.

"It wasn't like that. I was just trying to prevent him from being an ass."

"Well, better men than you have tried, but I wish you the best of luck with that endeavor."

Zoe smiled, "So, where's Taylor?"

"She went to the restroom." AnnaBeth said, "Actually, I think I'll do the same. Excuse me."

"I really am sorry about all of this." Zoe said, feeling lame, "This really isn't how I pictured this night going."

"Oh yeah?" Jesse asked, "Well, then, what were you picturin'? I'll see what I can do."

"Oh, no, I didn't mean … you've been, amazing. This has been, you have been so sweet, and you have gone above and beyond everything I could have imagined. I just don't think I've really been the best date."

Jesse shook his head, "Well, if that's true, then I should have more, not best dates, because I'm havin' a great time."

Zoe smiled gratefully, "Really?" Jesse nodded.

"Hey." Taylor said as she sat down.

"Hey." Wade said.

"I just passed AnnaBeth on my way out. She said things had taken a very interesting turn."

"Well, I don't know what that's about." Wade said, shrugging, "Not that it has exactly been an uninteresting night so far."

Taylor smiled. The slutty waitress returned to take their orders, but Zoe decided she was going to just tune her out this time. It was Wade's date, or dates, and his life, and if he wanted to screw it up, fine. She was going to focus on her date.

"Seriously?" Zoe asked, listening to Jesse's story with wrapped attention. Ever since she had decided to leave Wade to deal with his own train wreck, things seemed to have taken a turn for the better. She wasn't loving the food, but that was okay. Tonight wasn't really about the food. Tonight was about her and a cute guy, and she felt like it was actually going well, surprisingly enough. Sure, she still felt like a total spaz; she wasn't sure if she was being witty, or funny, if she was talking too much, or not enough. However, she was sure that she was having a good time. She figured that was a good sign. After all, if she was having fun, that probably meant he was too, right?

She did wish she had somebody here to help her dissect things, like if Jesse seemed to be enjoying himself or if he seemed into her. Maybe she should have just doubled with Lemon. After all, the George thing was just a crush. She didn't really know him, and it didn't really mean anything. But having Lemon there would have been really useful right now. She supposed she could ask Taylor, who seemed nice, but she didn't want to distract Taylor from Wade. Besides, she was in no rush to broadcast her insecurities.

Wade was supposed to help her, but not only would pulling him off to the side look weird, as she knew from earlier that night, but she wasn't sure he was qualified to help. He probably hadn't been watching every little exchange, and even if he had been, what were the odds he could decipher Jesse's actions towards her. Sure, they were brothers, but he had said they weren't that close, and Wade was a guy. How perceptive could he be about this sort of thing? This was a definitely girl talk sort of thing.

But that was not an option.

"Zoe?"

Her head shot up, "What?" Jesse looked at her curiously and she blushed. Had she really zoned out on a date because she was trying to dissect the subtext of said date? "Sorry. What were you saying? I guess I kind of spaced." Should she have said that? Should she have lied?

Jesse chuckled. He seemed to do that a lot. Every time she was certain she had come off in the worst possible way he would just chuckle and it would defuse everything. She liked that. It was a nice chuckle too, deep and strong.

"I asked if you'd ever played darts?"

"Darts?" she asked, confused.

"Yeah, you know," he nodded his head in the direction of a dartboard in the corner.

Zoe shrugged as she spun her fork through her sweet corn absentmindedly, "Not really, no."

"You want to? I could show you."

Zoe smiled, "I think I could handle it on my own. It's just throwing a dart at a board. Aim, strength, and coordination; all qualities I have. I could wipe the floor with you easy."

"Big words for a girl who hasn't played before."

"What can I say; I know my strengths." She said, shrugging. Then, she lifted herself up using her elbows and headed off.

"Where you headed?" Jesse asked.

"Where do you think? To prove my big words are true." Okay, so that sounded kind of awkward, but it didn't seem as bad as she would have thought an hour ago. She was starting to feel a bit more comfortable, and Jesse was smiling that big toothy smile of his at her. Wow, he had really white teeth. He got up to join her.

"Where ya'll goin'?"

Zoe looked at Wade, surprised. She would have figured that he would be so caught up in his date at this point that he wouldn't notice them getting up.

"We're just going to play darts." She said, shrugging.

Wade smiled. "In that case, we'll stay here. I got no desire to be near you when sharp, pointy objects are involved."

"You got a desire to be near her otherwise?" AnnaBeth quipped. She caught Jesse's gaze and the two exchanged a smile. Wade shot Jesse a death glare, which just caused Jesse to smile wider.

"Am I missing something?" Zoe asked.

AnnaBeth shrugged, "Oh, just a fifth wheel tryin' to entertain herself. If ya'll'll excuse me, I think I'm gonna put somethin' dancy on the jukebox." AnnaBeth got up and headed for the jukebox. Jukebox? Wow, that's retro, Zoe thought.

"Dancin'. That looks fun." Jesse said.

"Hey, Mister, don't get distracted. I believe I was told I would have the opportunity to kick your butt at darts."

"Okay, well, how about we dance after. In fact, stakes, winner picks song and loser and pays for it."

Zoe nodded, "Sounds fair." Her and Jesse headed off to the dartboard.

She was good, but he couldn't say he was surprised. Zoe was the type of girl who would not jump into a situation she didn't think she could win. He had seen her skills in tackle, and judging by what she said about her dad and how she had been planning to cut people up since she was nine, he figured she would be skilled at a game that required such precision.

She seemed to be having a good time, a fact that he had mixed feelings about. After all, he didn't want her to be miserable. She deserved a good time, and tonight was clearly very important to her. Still, seeing her look at his brother like that…

He had been watching all night, keeping an eye on her incase she got stuck. She still seemed a little nervous, but not as much as when the night started; as the night had progressed, he noticed her getting more and more comfortable. Also, her competitive streak seemed to help boost her confidence.

Now they were over in the corner throwing darts, and it was harder to sneak glances. Plus, he didn't want to insult Taylor. She hadn't done anything wrong, and he was enjoying her company. In fact, he was surprised at how much. He felt bad about AnnaBeth, who was off dancing by herself, but she seemed to be enjoying herself as she moved around the dance floor. That Lily Anne girl from before had come back a few times, and he had talked to her a little, but mostly, he had focused on Taylor, Zoe, and Jesse.

Taylor was cool. She was open-minded, and she didn't judge or listen to gossip. She wasn't all mushy like some girls, and she had a good sense of humor. Under different circumstances, he could see them talking for hours. Tonight, however, he had to keep an eye on Zoe and Jesse, both because he said he would, and because as much as he wished he could just tune them out and not care, it wasn't really possible.

Zoe was dominating the game, but Jesse seemed to be having fun. He was making a thing about it, getting competitive, but he hardly seemed annoyed. They seemed to be getting on fine. Wade couldn't watch any more. He needed a distraction.

"Hey, you wanna dance?" He asked.

Taylor looked at him surprised. He realized that, since he had been distracted, it was entirely possible she was in the middle of a sentence, making his statement seem totally out of the blue, not to mention a little rude. Awkward.

"I mean, I like talkin' to you, but I'm startin' to fade a little, and I could use a little physical exertion." Wade winced. Normally, that would have been an innuendo, but this time it actually wasn't. Double awkward. "I didn't mean that how it sounded."

She just nodded, giving him the benefit of the doubt, which was nice. He didn't get that much. Wade had been the Casanova of his grade for the past year and a half, and the only other girl to give him the benefit of the doubt since he developed that reputation was Betty Breeland, and she didn't even live in Bluebell. Of course, in retrospect, that was probably a good thing. With what she knew about him, Betty Breeland living in Bluebell might get complicated.

Wade led Taylor onto the dance floor, using ever ounce of his willpower to keep his eyes on her. It was a fast song, which made sense because AnnaBeth had been picking songs on the jukebox, and she was dancing alone. Wade wasn't the world's best dancer, but then, what guy was?

Taylor laughed playfully at his attempts and he joined in, enjoying her merriment. She had a nice laugh. It was the kind where you can tell somebody is really enjoying themselves, and they are not laughing for anyone's benefit but their own. She seemed comfortable with who she was; she wasn't afraid to look or act silly in public.

Before he knew it, the song was over. Hey, time flies, right?

The next song to come on was slower. Wade preferred slow dances. He figured most guys probably did. After all, all you really had to do was sway back and forth. Plus, you got to hold the girl real close, which was always a plus.

Taylor inched closer to Wade, and he found himself getting surprisingly nervous. His palms were sweating a little. Maybe Zoe was right. Maybe he did still like Taylor. Of course, the second he thought that, he started thinking of Zoe. He glanced over at the dartboard. Yep, they were still there, talking and laughing and smiling. Wade cringed at the sight and turned his attention back to Taylor.

"You cool with a slow dance?" He didn't really know why he was asking. It just felt sort of like he should, somehow.

Taylor nodded, and Wade felt a grin spread across his face. He stepped closer to Taylor and put his hands on her waist. She, in turn, put her arms around his neck, and they started swaying.

Wade could smell the citrus from her shampoo. It was nice, and he let himself breathe it in for a second. He wouldn't breathe it in any longer than that though; the last thing he wanted was to get caught sniffing a girl's hair. He had already had a near miss with Zoe when they were looking through her boxes. He wasn't going there again.

"Ha! I win! Mean's I get to pick the song on the jukebox." Zoe said triumphantly.

"Beginners luck." Jesse said with a shrug.

"Beginners nothing. I kick ass at this game, admit it."

"How do you know I didn't let you win?" he asked, smirking.

Zoe just scoffed, "You wouldn't."

His smirk became a smile, "You're right. I wouldn't. Congratulations Miss Hart." Zoe smiled. She was having a lot more fun than she thought she would. Maybe it was the rush of competition, but she wasn't so nervous anymore. "So, what'll it be?" Jesse asked, motioning to the jukebox.

"Well, I have to see the choices first, don't I?" The two headed over and Zoe started scrolling. "Ooh!" Zoe said, jumping up excited.

Jesse chuckled, "I take it you found something?"

She nodded and pointed, "I believe the deal was winner picks, loser pays."

Jesse nodded, "And I always honor my agreements." Zoe chuckled. Jesse put a coin in the slot and pressed the number Zoe indicated. "We gotta wait for this song to finish up, but I don't think any other songs are on hold so, it should come on next."

Zoe nodded, scanning the dance floor, "Oh, look." she said, pointing, "Wade's dancing with Taylor."

Jesse looked where she indicated and nodded, "So he is."

"I am not a bad matchmaker if I do say so myself."

Jesse smiled, "Yeah, you know, they actually look good together."

"You sound surprised." Zoe said curiously. Jesse just shrugged. Then, the music changed. Zoe grinned at the familiar chords.

"I believe they're playin' your song Miss Hart." Jesse said, offering her his hand.

She chuckled again, "That was so cheesy."

"Yeah, but, I think it's workin' for me."

Zoe nodded, smiling shyly as she let him maneuver her onto the dance floor. She was so glad the song she picked wasn't slow. She was finding her footing and the confidence to be herself, but Jesse holding her close as they swayed would send her back to nerves and panic. Not that it was, like, techno or anything.

Of course, neither she nor Jesse were world-class dancers, but both seemed to hold their own, and they were able to laugh it off if they stumbled. And there was some contact. He spun her a few times, and it made her hand tingle, which she had to admit, she didn't hate.

As the song wrapped up, Taylor and Wade started to disentangle. She looked up at him, and he found that his breath caught when their eyes met. She smiled sweetly at him, and he returned it.

The song changed, causing Wade's head to shoot up.

"Everything okay?" Taylor asked.

Wade nodded as he scanned the dance floor with his eyes. He had heard their deal: winner picks the song, and from what he had seen, Zoe had been quite the dart player. Besides, who else would pick this song? It was too much of a coincidence.

As he looked for the two of them, he found his head filling with her off-key accompaniment. She had said she loved the song before her poor attempt at singing. He smiled a little at the memory. A small part of him wondered if she had thought of that car ride when she picked the song. Probably not though. After all, she loved the song; she probably already had a bunch of associations with it.

Finally, he found them. They weren't standing all that close, but they weren't exactly keeping their distance either. She was smiling and giggling and having an all around gay time.

"Wade?"

"Hm?" his head snapped back around and he remembered Taylor, "Oh, sorry. It's just that this song makes me think of somethin'."

"Somethin' bad?" she asked. He could hear the concern in her voice, and he had to admit, he was touched.

"Nope. Just somethin'."

She nodded, "All right, well, if it's okay, I think I'll sit the next one out. I'm cravin' some nachos." She started heading for the bar.

"Wait!" she turned, "You go sit down at the booth. I'll order 'em, bring 'em to you."

She smiled, "You don't have to-"

"It's okay. I mean, it's the gentlemanly thing to do, right?"

"You got me there. I guess I'll see you at the table."

"I'm going to get a water." Zoe said after the song ended, "I'll be back."

Jesse nodded and watched her head to the counter. He smirked when he saw that Wade was there as well. Timing is a funny thing.

"Havin' a good time?" He heard somebody behind him ask. He turned to see AnnaBeth.

"More or less." He said with a shrug, "You?"

"Well, for a fifth wheel on a double date, not bad." He liked how she said it. She wasn't complaining. If anything, the comment was made in good humor.

"Well, one of the other wheels is off refuelin'." He said, pointing over at Zoe, "Mind helpin' me stay balanced for this next dance 'til she gets back?"

AnnaBeth chuckled and nodded.

Zoe approached the bar. It was pretty dirty, but that was in keeping with the theme of the restaurant. After a minute of unheard excuse me's' she finally got the attention of one of the bartenders. "Water please." She said. The guy nodded and turned around.

"What, you don't gotta make sure it comes in some fancy bottle?"

Zoe turned at his voice, "What are you doing here?"

"Taylor wanted nachos." He said, motioning to the table, "By the way, nice song choice."

"How did you -?"

"It's not exactly a popular song around here."

"Well, it was popular enough to be on the jukebox." She countered.

"Touché." Wade said, smirking, "So, uh, how's it goin'? With Jesse, I mean?"

"Fine." Zoe said.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. That is, I think it is. Why, do you think -?

"Whoa, whoa, relax. I wasn't tryin' to make you freak or anythin'. I was just curious."

"Oh." Zoe said, relieved. "Well, like I said, I think its going well."

Wade nodded, "Hey, can I ask you somethin'?" Zoe nodded, "What is it you see in my brother?"

"Whoa, personal."

"It's just a question." Wade said, shrugging, "I just don't get it, you know. What's so great about the guy?"

Zoe chuckled, "Well, of course you don't get it, Wade. You're his brother."

"And …?"

"One order of nachos!" somebody called.

"Well, that's me. See ya back there."

Zoe nodded. Not the best service, she thought. Sure, Wade was here first, but how long does it take to get a water?

The night was wrapping up nicely. Wade was surprised by how well the whole thing went. Jesse hadn't tried to kiss Zoe, so he hadn't had to watch that, AnnaBeth and Taylor had not tried to kill each other when they found out about the abnormality of the evening, and, best of all, he had had a good time with Taylor. Turns out Zoe was right, not that he would ever tell her that.

When the bill came, Taylor insisted on paying her share, and hey, Wade wasn't going to argue. Jesse insisted on covering Zoe, and, of course, Wade had to cover AnnaBeth, but in the end, it didn't add up to too much. Yeah, Earl would have to put in an extra hour or two this week, but it was kind of worth it.

They all scrunched back into the car and headed home.

"So, I guess we'll drop Zoe and Taylor off and-"

"Nu-uh. We gotta drop AnnaBeth off first." Wade said hastily.

"Why's that?"

"'Cause its already 10:20, and if AnnaBeth isn't home by 10:30, her father's gonna skin me alive."

Jesse chuckled, "Well, we wouldn't want that." The girls were talking and giggling in the back. Wade closed his eyes and tried to tune them out. "All right, well, looks like you're hide is safe, if just barely." Jesse said as he pulled into AnnaBeth's driveway. Wade got out of the car and went around back to open the door for AnnaBeth.

"Listen," Wade started after they were out of earshot, "I, um, I'm sorry again for the whole Taylor thing. I know it was kind of, well, really weird."

AnnaBeth chuckled, "Its okay. I'm over it."

"You are?"

"Yeah. I mean, its not like this is a real date. If it was, my father wouldn't have the chance to skin you alive; I'd beat him to it."

Wade chuckled, "Good to know."

They reached her door, which her father flung open before AnnaBeth could even get her keys out. Wade inched away as fast and inconspicuously as he possibly could.

Zoe tapped her foot nervously on the floor of the car. They were almost at her house, and Zoe had seen enough movies to know what could come next. Jesse would walk her to her door of course. He was a gentleman, well, gentleboy or whatever, and that was the proper, polite thing to do. After that, she didn't know. Would he try to kiss her? Maybe. Did she want him to? And what would it mean if he didn't try? Would it mean he didn't like her? Would letting him kiss her on the first date make her a tramp? Would not kissing him make her a prude? What if he tried, and she did it wrong? She had no clue how to do it; she had never been kissed before. Was she ready for that? Did she want this to be the night she got her first kiss? Did she want it to be with Jesse?

"Hey, percussion section, we're here." Zoe looked up and glared at Wade. Her nervous tapping was none of his business.

Jesse came around the side to help her out. He opened her door, and offered his hand, which she took. She enjoyed the familiar tingly feeling his touch gave her. Keeping her hand in his, he guided her to the front of the house.

"I had a good time tonight." He said.

She nodded, "Me too. I like darts." God. How lame was that?

Jesse smiled, "Yeah, maybe you should go pro."

She chuckled awkwardly, not sure what to do in that moment.

"So, uh, I'll, um, I'll see you at school?" she tried.

Jesse nodded, "Yes you will." Is he going to ask me out again? "Goodnight Zoe Hart."

"Goodnight Jesse." She said, trying to sound confident. They stood there for a minute, and she waited for him to make some sort of move. When he didn't, she turned to the door. He turned away and walked off. A little after she was inside, she heard the sound of the car's engine.

Wade had dropped Jesse back at home before he dropped Taylor off. His logic was that their house was on the way to hers, so it would be dumb to pass without either of them getting out, but they couldn't both get out because somebody had to take Taylor home, and if it was going to be one of them, it should be the guy she came with. In reality, Wade just wanted to get as far away from his brother as he could; Jesse was trying his last nerve.

He had made Jesse park a little ways away so Taylor couldn't see where they lived. Jesse didn't protest. Maybe he was ashamed of where they lived too.

They drove up to her house, Wade nervously drumming his fingers on the dashboard. He wasn't exactly sure what to do. He wasn't date-guy. He didn't usually drop girls off.

"So," he said, turning his head to face her. Taylor had switched to the front after they dropped Jesse off. "Uh, this is it I guess. I mean, this is where you live, right?"

She nodded, "Yep. This is where I live."

"Its nice," Wade offered awkwardly as he glanced out his window at the house, "Big. And white."

She nodded, "Yeah." They were both quiet for a minute. Then, Taylor spoke up, "So, I had fun."

"Me too." Wade said quickly.

"We should do it again sometimes. Maybe see a movie you actually like."

Wade chuckled, "Yeah. Yeah that'd be fun."

Taylor unbuckled and Wade unlocked her door for her. Then, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He was a little stunned, to say the least.

"Goodnight Wade." She said, before pushing open the door and heading for the house.

Wade smiled a goofy sort of smile. He was glad that he'd decided to drop Jesse off first. It took him a moment to get his head on straight, but he did, and he turned the car around and headed home.

The house was dark when Zoe got home. She went upstairs to check The Master Bedroom. The door was unlocked, and the room, while dark enough for Harley to be sleeping in his bed, was completely empty.

Zoe went downstairs, picked up the phone, and called Harley's work number.

"Hello." She heard his gruff yet kind southern voice say.

"Harley? Hi, it's Zoe."

"Zoe." She could hear the smile in his voice as he said her name, "I'm glad you called. Did you have a good time with your friends?"

"Yeah, it was … it was fun." She said vaguely.

"Well, obviously, I'm not home yet. I doubt I will be tonight. Don't worry though, I'm just working here, and I'll be back in time for breakfast tomorrow."

"Is George going to be okay?" Zoe asked, concerned.

"Zoe, you know I can't tell you that."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Did you eat?"

"Yeah, we went to that bar with the weird name." She said. Quickly, she added, "Oh, we didn't drink."

"Well, if you're still hungry, you can fix yourself something. Do you know how to cook?"

"Not really." Zoe replied, embarrassed.

"Well, there's some ham and cheese in the fridge if you want to make a sandwich."

"Okay. Thanks."

"Goodnight."

After they hung up, Zoe decided to take a shower. It was a good way to relax, and Zoe really wanted to shut her mind up right now.

Jesse was already asleep by the time Wade got home, which he was thankful for. He headed for the kitchen and took out a box of Captain Crunch. Settling with his bowl in front of the television, he reflected on his night. It had definitely gone better than expected. This thing with Taylor was new, and he hadn't seen it coming, but he definitely liked it. And maybe it could help him kick this crazy Zoe crush.

He flicked through the channels. Friends, pass, Rugrats, pass. There never seemed to be anything on these days. Looking down at his empty bowl, Wade realized he wasn't really in the mood to watch television anyway. He had way too much energy; the unexpected positive turn his night took had given him a sort of high. Placing the bowl in the sink, Wade grabbed his jacket and headed for the door.

He was still trying to figure out what he wanted to do. He had called Lemon, who was always good for a crazy idea, but nobody had picked up. Maybe he'd go down to the pond. He could skip rocks or go for a swim. There had to be something he could come up with that would make him less jittery.

"Wade?"

He turned at her voice, surprised, "Zoe?" He asked, approaching her. He could by her face that she hadn't expected to see him either. "What're you doing out here?"

She shrugged, "Just taking a walk, trying to clear my head."

She was wearing a shlumpy sweater and jeans, "Dressed like that? I know it's night, but still, don't you think it's a little hot out for a sweater?"

She shrugged again, "I didn't notice." She said. Her voice was a little sad. He wanted to pretend he didn't notice, to just wave and walk away, but he knew he couldn't.

"You okay?"

She looked up at him. "Hm?"

"It's just, you seem kind of, you know, sad." He said awkwardly.

"I'm fine." She said in a voice that implied the opposite.

Well, if she was going to give him an out, he was going to take it. He shrugged and started to walk away.

"What does it mean if a guy doesn't kiss a girl on the first date?"

He turned, surprised, "That's what you're all put out about?"

"I'm not 'put out.' " Zoe said hostily, "I was just wondering."

Wade rolled his eyes, "Uh-huh. Sure you were." She glared at him, but it lacked the strength her glares usually did. She clearly was 'put out,' whether she would admit it or not. Wade decided to take pity on her, "All I meant was, its nothin' to freak out about. Sometimes a guy is tryin' to be a gentleman, wants to wait the proper amount of time so he doesn't freak the girl out." Zoe nodded, "Or, ya know, he could be scared she wouldn't reciprocate. Believe it or not, guys get nervous about that stuff too."

She gave a halfhearted smile, "Okay, sure, but Jesse's a senior, and I'm a freshman. I don't see him worrying about rejection. At least, not from me. He has to know I like him; I mean, I act like a total spaz around him." Wade didn't say anything, "You could disagree you know."

"I know." Wade said, causing Zoe to scoff. Wade chuckled, "Look, I can't read my brother's mind, but whatever reason he had not to go for it, it wasn't cause there's somethin' wrong with you."

Zoe nodded, "Yeah. I know. You're probably right. I just …"

"You wanted him to." Wade said, finishing her sentence and trying to ignore the knot in his stomach.

"I think so."

Wade nodded understandingly, "I get it. First kisses are a big deal."

"I never said it was my first-"

"Zoe, come on." She sighed, relenting. "You know," Wade said, walking closer to her, "I'd be more than happy to help you get it out of the way if that's what you want."

"Whoa there cowboy." She said, pushing him back. He smirked at her discomfort, "You know, being friends with you is making me seriously consider investing in some pepper spray."

Wade cleared his throat awkwardly, "Um, friends?"

"You know what I mean." Zoe said dismissively.

"No, actually, I don't."

Zoe sighed, "Well, I don't know, I guess … yeah, friend." Wade smiled, "But only on a trial basis."

He laughed. "Wanna seal it with a kiss?"

"You're incorrigible." Zoe said, smiling in spite of herself. She knew he was joking this time. "Hey, can I ask you a question?" Wade nodded, "What was yours like?"

"What was my what like?"

"Your first kiss. Do you remember it?"

Wade thought for a moment, then nodded. Sure, he remembered. It hadn't been anything special, but he remembered.

"Do you remember who she was?"

Wade shrugged, "Some cheerleader."

"That's it?" Zoe asked, putting her hands on her hips. He could see the judgment in her eyes, just incase he missed it in her voice, "Some cheerleader?"

"What do you want me to say?" Wade asked exasperated, "It wasn't a big deal. It was just some girl I barely knew. I don't even remember her name. In fact, I don't think I ever even knew her name."

Zoe scoffed, "You're a pig."

"Why? Cause I didn't wait for the perfect moment with the perfect person?"

"You're fifteen! I think you could have waited a little longer."

Wade shook his head, trying to keep his temper. He hated how Zoe Hart got under his skin; he hated how she could make him ashamed of himself.

"How's it any of your business?"

"Because, we just established that we're friends, and as a friend I …" Zoe stopped.

"You what?"

Zoe shook her head, "I don't know. I guess I just think it's kind of sad." She took a seat on the sidewalk.

Wade went over and sat beside her. "Look, I know first kisses seem like this big deal to stress about, but they really aren't."

"Yeah. Easy for you to say; you've already had yours."

Wade chuckled, "Yeah, but it won't be like yours. You're smarter 'an I was." He was quiet for a minute, "Look, Zoe, a lot of the time, when I do stuff like first kisses, its just to get it out of the way. But you, when you kiss somebody for the first time, its gonna mean somethin'. Sometimes I wish I could turn back the clock and have mine back, because, let's face it, I am way beyond first kisses." Zoe chuckled, "You are gonna wait for the right guy and the right moment, and you're gonna be able to look back with no regrets."

She looked at him, "You have regrets?"

He nodded, "Sometimes. I mean, come on, like you said, I'm fifteen, and I already lost my virginity. Sure, its cool and somethin' to be proud of in the locker room but, and I'd never admit this to anybody else, so if you tell you are dead, but at the end of the day, I think I know some stuff I'm too young to know." She smiled at him kindly, and he looked down, embarrassed, "Yeah, I got regrets. And I'm sure I'll have a million more by the time I graduate. And it's kind of good, because regrets mean takin' chances and livin' your life. Still, there's some stuff you'd rather not look back on with regrets." He stood up, stretching, and let out a yawn. The high he had been running on from the 'date' had basically worn off, and Wade found himself getting tired. "Trust me Zoe, you're time will come."

She stood too, "You going to head home?" She asked.

He nodded, "I can walk you back first if you like."

Zoe shook her head, "Thanks, but I think I'm going to walk around for a little bit."

The next morning, Wade was surprised by how early he awoke. The sun was barely up, which was saying something, because the sun rose pretty early in Bluebell. He was too exhausted to get up, but he couldn't seem to fall asleep either, so he just laid there for a while, thinking about last night.

He remembered the stuff he had said to Zoe. It was funny; before last night, he didn't even know some of that stuff. Sure, he knew the facts, but the whole regret thing wasn't something he had ever known about himself until he said it last night. Okay, sure, subconsciously, but he didn't really like to think about his past or his choices. After all, it wasn't as though he could change them. What good was regret?

As he layer there he couldn't help but wonder how his life had gotten here. What choices had he made that led to him being the lothario of the freshman class? How had he become the guy who could laugh off first kisses because, hey, he'd gone so much farther, right? When did he become this person? He starred at the ceiling and let his mind wander, scanning his past, looking for answers.

Author's Note: Hi. So, first off, how many people guessed it was Lily Anne before Zoe read her nametag? Just curious.

I hadn't been sure about bringing her, but I could kind of see her as a waitress; the whole struggling artist thing and what not. Also, I wanted to try and squeeze as many of your suggestions in as possible. And, it was fun.

Originally, I was going to try and breakup the scenes with checking in on George and Lemon, but I really think it read better this way.

There are some references in this chapter that will be expanded on next chapter; I wrote that next chapter before I finished this one actually.

The end of this chapter is meant to set up for the next chapter, which is a little different than everything so far because it is basically all in flashback form. I should have it up soon, and I hope you like it.

One small request, if you are going to review, which is always appreciated, if you could review this chapter before reading the next one. I know I am posting them closely together, but I would just like to know what you think of this chapter without your feedback being influenced by the next chapter. Of course, you are free to do what you want. This is just a small request for those who do not mind. Thank you.

I am anxious to hear your thoughts, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Have a nice day.