Antonia looked through her closet thinking of what to wear. "Toni, are you even listening to me?" Jiya was video-calling the girl noticing she was looking at the ceiling. "No, you got a bit boring," she giggled then grabbed the phone. "But yes, this new teacher is rather odd. I'll send you the rubric so you can help me with the assignment." "Alright then. I'll talk to you later. Byeeeee, Toni." She hung up the phone and Antonia looked at her message. Her eyes widened at the message she received.

"No fucking way. I'm not staying. Why'd you wait till now to tell me?" Samuel was currently upset with Frank, his boss. He stood in front of him with his arms crossed displaying an annoyed expression "You said you needed more money. I'm giving doubles on the weekends. Why are you complaining?" The punk had his date with Antonia tonight but didn't feel the need to air out his business. Frank went back to his office to check the calendar for his schedule, took a sip of his energy drink and groaned. "Sam, I'm leaving you in charge and you need to make sure you check inventory today." Frank shifted his eyes and turned his back on him, "Things aren't adding up…" He walked over to the counter and looked at Elizabeth. The boy with white hair glared at him grumbling, he too then went into the office and walked back to the main store. Frank began checking off things on his clipboard adding stickers to a few boxes spread across the store. Samuel walked past him noticing the work that needed to be completed and scoffed. Frank made sure to double check all the boxes to prepare them for tonight. "Sam. Come here for just a sec," he turned to face the office yet there was no response. He went back to check, walked across the store, and made it back to the counter, seeing that Samuel was nowhere to be found. "He literally just left like 10 seconds ago…" Elizabeth explained across the store and Frank put the clipboard on the counter. He ran out of the store and noticed Samuel disappear in the crowded mall. "SAM!" People turned to the man whose face was red, "GET BACK HERE." He stepped back in the store and looked at the girl, "Did you really expect him to stay?" "He's fired." He slammed the door to the officer and music was heard blasting through the walls. Elizabeth giggled and she continued adding Valentine's decorations to the shelves.

Antonia's mother raised her eyebrows, "I told you we already had plans." The girl rolled her eyes and responded, 'We always have plans. Let me not go with you just this once. I can't cancel on Nicole." They walked out the library, Antonia waiting to hear what her final verdict was. "If you don't want to go, then stay here. Tell the doll to come over and you two spend your time here at home. I don't know what the big deal is." She went into her father's office, and he was gathering a suitcase with files stuffed with papers. "Toni? Why aren't you dressed?" Her mother answered for her, "She apparently has better things to do like hang out with her friends." Antonia squinted her eyes and felt betrayed. Her parents had never before tried to stop her from going out. They made sure to encourage her to make friends and be recognized by others. But recently her mother was acting differently towards her. Her father noticed the tension and walked up to the goth. Gently taking her hands, he kissed his daughter's knuckles and smiled, "Antonia darling, we really want you to come to this dinner because we feel like this might be something for your future. Hopefully, you go into politics like me or get into business and be a model like your mother." She glanced at her mother who was displaying a smirk. It was a way for her to take her first step into a bright future. But Antonia had no interest in the matter. She wasn't really thinking about a career yet. Her father looked at her, noticingan oddexpression, "...Is that not what you wanted?... Have you changed your mind about what you want to do when you complete school?" The goth slightly shrugged her shoulders and looked down. "I think I might be finding interest in other things right now." "Well," her mother tilted her head "Think about it really hard. We have more than enough to support you on anything you'd like. But you need to realize that the career you pick need to make enough money as well." Her father twitched his nose at her mother's remark and locked eyes with Antonia. "I'll get you anything you need to be successful. Whether I have to beg or not, you are going to be something big honey. Okay?" He gently kissed her forehead, and she smiled at him. Antonia leaned in to hug her father and slightly giggled, "You can give me some cookies and money now, so I feel better." The girl was then given a couple hundred dollars and had their personal chef make french macaroons to satisfy her craving.

"Wot… But I-I just left work." The girl laughed nervously, afraid of what he was going to say. "They don't want me leaving the house for some reason." There was a moment of silence, then it was almost as if she knew he was smiling, "Toni? …What did you do?" "I totally crashed the car and left the stove on," she replied dryly. He chuckled a bit and she then continued," I didn't do anything to let cha know! I haven't said or done anything crazy to make my mum upset. Ugh… But my father did say it was an opportunity to meet people that could maybe help me find a career. I just don't feel like thinking about my future right now. I mean i can really just get away with doing nothing right now." The boy made a face of disapproval. He stood in line waiting for his order to be called at the food court. "Who cares… But going back to our date, what are we going to do then? We should push it back to tomorrow?" Antonia looked out into the hallway to make sure no one could hear her, "No I don't want to do that to you. You just left work." The boy leaned against the bench next to him, he slightly parted his lips then let out a anxious laugh. He hesitated to make his suggestions, "What… Why'd you laugh," the goth questioned him over the phone as she sensed something was up. He sniffled while rubbing his face. "Well, I could go to your place and see what we could do?" "My parents would go bonkers if they found out I invited a guy over when they left home. I have like seven other people living here." He then grabbed his bag on food and sat down at a table, "Have you ever snuck out of the house? What if you just do that? We can meet somewhere, and it will all be fine." She felt her heart race, "Sam, I want to live a long life, thank you. If my parents come back and see I'm gone, the whole country will be on a search for me." He rolled his eyes at her comment, "They don't have to be gone in order for you to leave." Confused, the girl had sat up by her desk and thought for a moment. "You mean you want me to leave when they come back home?" "Yeah, and make sure you kiss them on the cheek before closing the door." He dipped his french fry in ketchup, "Sam! Don't fool around!" "I'm not love. Look, I'll come get you when I get the chance, okay? Nothing bad will happen. We'll be able to see each other tonight." The girl carefully listened to Samuel as he came up with a plan to help the girl sneak out of her house.

It was about six when the goth heard a knock on the door. Her mother poked her head in and smiled, "We're leaving now darling." She followed her down the stairs and stood by the entrance of the hallway. "We'll be back soon but late. Take care darling and stay indoors. Ask Henry for whatever and you'll get it. Now is Nicole coming over after all?" Antonia didn't know what to say for a moment but shook her head softly saying no. "Okay then that's fine," said her mother, "I love you." The goth kissed her parents goodbye and shut the door. "I can't tell them…" She had zero courage to tell her mother that she was going on a date with Samuel. She knew she would panic if she saw a guy like him come to the stairs and ask to take her out. Just the other day she was judging people across town for living in "slummy" places and was baffled by Antonia's response. She thought it was odd that Antonia was being overly protective of the people affected by those conditions.

In the meantime, the girl was watching movies in her room writing in her journal. She procrastinated doing her homework and looked at the time. "Hmm, its already past ten…" She began to doze off and ended up falling asleep. It was around midnight when her parents came back. Laugher bounced throughout the house, yet not reaching the girl's room. Another movie started on autoplay, and it made no impact on the girl. She was sound asleep until her phone went off a few times. It was the fourth time her phone went off when she began to gain her senses. She paid no attention to who it was and tossed it on the other side of the bed.

BONK

Antonia heard something hit her window. She sat up in her bed, not knowing what it was figuring something small had crashed. She laid back down, startled, as she felt like she was being watched. A low hum was then heard, and she opened her eyes. She remembered Samuel and got up from the bed running toward the window. She opened the curtain to see the boy sitting on the roof of the room next to hers. He grinned at her, Antonia opened the window in shock. A chilly breeze entered her room, in response she immediately hugged herself tight. "What are you doing here? And why are you on my roof?" He leaned back a bit to stay balanced on the roof. "I said I was going to come get you. I was going to find a way to do so." He got up and jumped on the ledge. Antonia panicked and grabbed ahold on his jacket, pulling him closer. "You're going to fall and kill yourself! What the fuck are doing?" "Wow… I don't think I've ever heard you speak in such a tone," he gave her a smirk and tilted his head. He propped one hand to cup his face, "Grab a jacket and come out here." She turned around feeling overwhelmed. The thought that she would just cancel on him last minute and give the excuse that she was tired. That clearly didn't work and as persistent as Samuel was, he doesn't let a friend down. After quickly putting on some leggings under her long dress she pulled her thick jacket over her head and looked at the boy. "You're going to have to carefully listen to me if you don't want to fall." After successfully going down the house from three stories Antonia stomped down. "Oh my god…" she whispered to herself. Samuel still had a tight grip on her waist and suddenly pushed her forward. "Come on."

The two ran across the yard and down the street where the car was parked. Adrenaline rushed through Antonia's body as she had never done anything like this before. She began giggling until they got inside the car. At first she thought what she was wearing was ridiculous until she noticed Samuel's outfit. He took off the brown hefty jacket to reveal a thin black muscle shirt that hugged his body. His black sweatpants were covered in bleach stains and it seemed like he was wearing plaid pajamas bottoms underneath. However, a purple fluffy jacket, a grey nightgown, black leggings ,and beat-up shoes were not something ideal to wear for a date. They drove for about fifteen minutes before reaching the large metal fencing. Antonia stopped her conversation about candy as she noticed they were now in a cemetery. "Sam… what are we doing here?" He smiled and raised his eyebrows, he began to start a sentence but laughed. Once they reached their desired location, he turned off the car and got out. Antonia gripped her tote tightly as Samuel walked over to open the car door for her. He held his hand out and she gazed up, "I'm not getting out until you tell me what we're doing here." "It's a surprise, trust me." She narrowed her eyes, gently placing her hand in his. He led her down the path as Antonia continuously asked questions hoping Samuel would drop hints as to what was going to be discovered. She kept looking back to see if there was anyone else there. The cemetery glistened under the lamp posts. Dew drops reflected the minimal light available making the tombstones sparkle under the crescent moon. The cold breeze wrapped around the two, Antonia's hair danced as the wind blew into her face. It was quiet, leaving their footsteps be the only thing heard at night. She stopped in her tracks as they got to the entrance of a mausoleum, refusing to go in, she made a high-pitched noise when Samuel didn't loosen his grip on her. The girl's eyes bulged out as he grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him, a dimple cut into his cheek as he chuckled trying to get her to feel comfortable. He linked arms with her, and she slightly tugged on his top. "You've got to be mad. There is no way in bloody hell I'm going in there." "Toni, I promise you, nothing bad is going to happen." He looked down at her, making her gaze soften. He loosened his arm, placing his hand on the back of her head. They were now cheek to cheek as he softly reassured the goth, gently place his hand on her back, "Go in first, I'll watch out for any groundskeepers." He turned back to check the place and Antonia opened the door.

A black velvet blanket was spread across the concrete. Displayed was a small white cake, two red glass plates were set up with black metal silverware and matching red glass cups. A plate of little sandwiches covered in a plastic container adorned with toothpicks. A bouquet of purple flowers sat on one side of the blanket waiting to be picked up. She gasped at the sight and slowly inched closer. Small ramekins were filled with cubed cheese, black olives, and pomegranate seeds. A stereo was beside the blanket and Antonia bent down to see what CDs were available. A couple of lanterns were placed on top of the coffins, almost as if they were floating mid-air. Several candles circled around the spread filling the space with a deep smell of cinnamon. Antoniastopped breathingto take in the moment, a heavy creak was then heard. Samuel had closed the door behind him and turned to approach the girl. His eyes widened when he saw the layout and made eye contact with Antonia. She looked up at him as he got closer to her, "You did all of this?" What went through his mind was, "Yeah Seymour, Dominic, and Angel helped me set this up since I didn't know what to do." He sat down on the blanket and tried to play it off, "Are you hungry?" As they ate the little sandwich, the two listened to music talking about how they had been. It seemed like time froze during their moment, Samuel making sure he paced himself, noticing that the girl took her time eating. "You can change the CD if you'd like," he popped a pomegranate seed in his mouth. Her dark blue fingernails traced the empty CD case, looking at the other options. Samuel looked at the girl as she switched out the items. He paid attention to her smooth skin, the way her eyebrows were very thin without makeup, the leftover stains of black eyeliner, and hair down to one side. He found himself in a trance as she played the next CD watching her every move. He felt his face grow warm as she sat closer to him leaning forward. He gently pushed his hair back behind his ear keeping eye contact with her. "You're really beautiful, ya know that?" The girl blushed smiling at him, playing with the toothpick in between her fingers. He extended out his leg and leaned on his knee. "Ya know… you're probably one of the nicest people I've met." His delivery was meant to be delicate but of course his rough accent cut through. "Well, I want to be a person in general… But I want to be a nice person to you in particular because I know not everyone treats you the way I do." He gently rubbed his chin on his knee, feeling the fabric of the sweatpants against his skin, "I can tell." He gently reached out to her and she held his hand, "You're so sweet, Antonia. You really are. I like that you don't contain yourself to what other people say or the fact that you don't try to blend in with your friends. You're so sure of yourself. I don't know many people that are that self-aware and confident." The goth played with his calloused hand, picking at the bumps. "I mean that's a bit of the same reason I like you. Because you don't care what anyone else thinks." She softly batted her lashes at him. "I know… That's why I can't let anyone else have you." The girl grinned and covered her face to hide her reaction. A teardrop then left her eye as she yawned out of exhaustion. "Wow… Am I really boring you then," he gave her a cheeky smile and she lightly chucked. "No, I'm just really tired." She stretched up yawning once again. Samuel took this as a cue to pack things and take her home. "Yeah right. You're done with my shit." She reached out to him and he gently pulled her up so they could clean up the setup.

After a few minute,s they put the items back in the basket that was hidden behind one of the coffins. The boy was then startled when a large spider crawled under the blanket. The girl laughed at his reaction and slowly pulled the item away. The spider froze and the girl thought for a moment about what needed to be done. She used the blanket to sweep the creature out of the building by movements of dragging and covering. Samuel displayed a horrified expression as well as being amazed by what the goth had accomplished. "Why are you looking at me like that?" He let out an awkward laugh watching her dust off the blanket and fold it up. The two then returned to the car and put the items away in the trunk. Antonia pushed the lid down shut and looked at Samuel. His open body language immediately registered to the girl as a call for embrace. She quietly got close to the boy blushing as he cradled her. She hugged him tightly leaning her head against him, feeling her cheek gently brushed against his bicep. His hand ran through her hair as he used the other to rub her back. He found himself putting his head on top of hers and waited for her to let go first. After a long while holding each other in embrace, she moved her head up and trailed her hands up to his chest. They were once again cheek to cheek, Samuel ready waiting for what was going to happen next. "I'm sleepy," she softly murmured, and he held her even tighter. "I'll take you home darling." As much as he didn't want to let her go, he guided her back to the passenger seat and took her home.

It was almost four in the morning when they arrived back in the neighborhood. Theywent back the same path to climb up the metal bars and marble columns that honestly made it effective for her to sneak back in her room. As she pushed the window to slide the screen up, Samuel made sure to keep a lookout for any and all possible bystanders. She began to crawl into the space, then felt Samuel tightly grip the back of her thigh to help push her in. She felt a wave surge over her body and her stomach tingled once she was finally inside her room. She turned around, Samuel jumping on the ledge and gripping the window sill for balance. The boy leaned closer to where there was little space between them. She noticed how close they were and softly put her hands on his shoulders. She stared into his eyes, paying close attention to the red irises that danced around the blue space in the lack of pigment. She was trapped in what one would think was a floating nebula in space. "I'll text you when I get home." "Okay," the goth softly traced the outlining of his collarbone that peaked form his jacket as it fell off his shoulder. She softly played with a strand of his white, "Thank you for the dinner." The punk didn't break his vision off her and softly responded, "No problem." After a light hug, the boy went back to the ground and made his way across the yard. Just before Antonia shut the window, the boy waved goodbye and disappeared around the house. She shut her window closed and sat on the pillows on the edge of the wall. She had a hard time falling asleep from the thoughts that roamed her mind.

IT SNOWED HAHAHA. I live in Texas so this was super awesome. I'm so used to 100 degree weather so this was a nice change. 3

Thank you for all your support! Don't forget to review.