Even Lovers Drown

"Your nerd is showing," Sage stated.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Blake said.

Her actions hardly radiated nerd. She was more like an eager puppy, who wasn't quite ready to let her owner leave for work in the morning. And the actions of puppies were cute and adorable. They made women coo in delight. Nerds did not. Blake learned in high school, and, though she was becoming far more sensitive, she was no longer a nerd. She was like a puppy. A puppy.

Puppies did not make panties drop.

Hayden grabbed Hunter's hand in a dramatic fashion, not alarming his twin in the least, and held it to his chest. Seeming to read his mind, Hunter gazed at him with sappy doe-eyes, mimicking Blake's adoration of Saylor in a more than obvious fashion.

Incestuous jackasses.

"You have to let go now," Hayden declared, voice like that of a soap opera star.

"Uh, uh, uh, sorry," Hunter mumbled and tore his hand from his sibling's hold, pressing it to his own chest.

In almost choreographed movements, the twins looked away from each other, identical mock-pained expressions on their faces. They held the pose for a beat, then relaxed, normal bored and smiling expressions returning to the respective twin.

"Remember now?" Hayden asked.

"I didn't do that," Blake said.

Clearly, they had a very different interpretation of what happened. Looks of pain did not flit across her face, nor Saylor's. A pink flush of embarrassment may have graced Blake's cheeks, but pain had not existed upon her face and hadn't coursed through her veins. For what reason would it have? She held Saylor's hand too long, fantastic. They're date had yet to be cancelled as a result. Blake had no reason to feel a smidgeon of pain. And Saylor's laugh, the gorgeous chime that managed to repeat in her head, held no inkling of anything less than amusement.

"You did stutter," Sage pointed out.

"Liar," Blake retaliated.

"You totally did," Hayden said.

She glared at him, willing his smiling mouth to sew shut. His input was unnecessary. All that would come from his comments was fuel for teasing, and she knew the band members would run with what they could take. For the sake of their entertainment, good natured jabs were meant for laughs more so than tools for wounding Blake's ego.

But Blake had the upper hand, her date with Saylor still a hidden card. Their joking words meant nothing as long as that was true.

"Does that mean you like her like her?" Hunter asked.

"Blake has a crush," Hayden sang.

"You guys are such middle schoolers," Reese said.

Finally, someone with sense to spot the immaturity of their fellow band mates. Though Blake had heard similar comments made by jocks in high school. Their taunting voices would follow her no matter how hard she tried to distance herself from what was. But she was where she was because of them, had pushed herself out of her old habits for the sake of becoming something better. She became a bit like them in her sexual behaviors, something she wasn't so proud of anymore, but she was changing again, Saylor's affection enough a push to get her where she wanted to be. A role model and a lover. She wouldn't let high school affect her now.

"No, middle school would be me telling Saylor in the most childish fashion I can muster," Hayden paused, "which I am going to threaten to do for blackmail purposes."

"Too bad she already knows," Blake said.

The information hadn't been explicitly stated, but Saylor had to know. Blake wouldn't waste her time asking her on a date if she didn't like her enough to do so. She was trying to get to know her, to get her to like her, going out of her way to do things she had never done before. Saylor had to see Blake liked her.

"Damn it," Hayden mumbled.

"Let me guess, she read your diary," Hunter said.

Blake rolled her eyes, but decided it best not to comment on Hunter's statement. She didn't have a diary, hadn't had one since elementary school when some kid took hers from her locker in fifth grade and read it out loud in the cafeteria. The entry detailing her crush on a fellow volleyball player marked the start of her days shunned and teased by her peers.

Having that conversation wouldn't be half as gratifying as boasting about her date.

"I asked her out. She said 'yes.'" Blake said, shrugging her shoulders.

Shock raided her friends' vocal cords, leaving them speechless. Silence filled the bus, and her friends stared, eyes wide, mouths agape. A smile pulled on Blake's lips, the reaction of the band members amusing. Clearly, her ability to snag Saylor was underestimated.

She couldn't blame them. Saylor declined her offers enough times to make her doubt herself. But she had her now, and that was all that mattered.

"No way," Hayden said, breaking the silence.

"This is a joke, right?" Hunter asked.

"Afraid not," Blake said.

"That's great, Blake," Reese gushed.

Genuine happiness colored his voice and shone from his face. For her success. She was getting a chance with the woman that made her want to be better, and Reese understood what she was feeling, the elation over the acceptance of a simple date invitation. He had been in her shoes once.

"Great?" Hayden asked, pouting. "What are we supposed to tease her about now?"

"We'll find plenty once they're a couple," Hunter said.

The sureness in Hunter's voice hadn't been missed by Blake. "Once they're a couple." An oddly positive statement coming from the naturally negative twin that managed to warm Blake to the core. He had faith they would become something more. Judging by Hayden's decided nod, he too found reason to believe a deeper relationship would form between Blake and Saylor and was already formulating remarks. Reese had some hope for her, wanted her to succeed for the sake of her finding happiness. And Sage's silence was hardly a sign of doubt or anger. Blake's longtime friend sported a proud smile, the emotion stretching to her green eyes and filling them with a rarely seen light. Despite the stupid comments each had made, they were expecting her to get the one girl she desired most. Their support was reassuring.

She would make tonight the best damn date Saylor had ever had.

***

Excited chatter of fans seeped through the doors of the venue. Soon, the doors would swing open and fans would flood in, bombarding the standing-room-only venue floor, attacking the merch table and concession stands. Their loud voices would fill the venue. Chants and screams would ring high in their moment of exhilaration, long before the show was to start. They would drink, eat, shop, and act as rude as possible, though they hadn't been provoked.

The tiny merch table, manned by only Saylor and Davy for the time being, was almost armed and ready. A few more folded shirts and beach-themed decorations and the table would be finished. The absence of their teenage coworkers hadn't upset Saylor and Davy's flow of work. They were on schedule, would be just fine till the pair returned right before doors open. Since Saylor was getting time off during the show for a date, Davy only thought it fair to let the girls miss setup.

He just didn't tell them why they were getting time off, sent them on their way to frolic with the opener's drummer, knowing they would want to stick around for the sake of gossiping if they knew.

"So," Davy started, placing a pair of floaties on the display board, "Letting Blake stand in touching distance, holding her hand, going on a date with her." He looked at Saylor, eyes shining with amusement. "Something happen last night that I don't want to know about?"

Saylor rolled her eyes, folding another band tee-shirt. The first thing he had said since they began their rushed work on the table and he was insinuating her nightly activities had revolved around inappropriate things with Blake.

"I slept on the couch," Saylor said and placed the shirt on its pile.

Davy nodded and looked back at the display, searching for minor details to tweak. "Good to know my sister is still a virginal queen."

Eyebrows drawn, Saylor stared at her brother and grabbed a tee-shirt from her small pile of unfolded shirts. "I'm considered a virginal queen till I have sex with Blake?"

"As far as I know, you've never been touched by a woman in your life." He glanced at her. "Keep it that way."

Saylor laughed. He was going to overlook his attempt to get her to sleep with Blake and her three year relationship in order to remain blissfully unaware. Granted, he was probably doing it to erase Katie from his mind, remake his mental timeline of Saylor's life. But Saylor found humor in his "big brother" act.

"So, you don't want me to tell you if your friend touches me? Because I'm sure you'll be one of the first people she'll tell," Saylor said.

The comment shattered Davy's well-trained attention. He turned away from the display, wide, green eyes on Saylor. "Are you considering having sex with Blake?"

"I'm just asking," Saylor said, a nonchalant shrug accenting the statement.

Davy's lips parted, his eyes widened further. Laughter threatened to burst from Saylor's lips. This was fun, picking at her brother. She hadn't intended to give him the idea that she was thinking about taking things further with Blake. They were going on date, nothing more. Unless, Saylor enjoyed being with Blake, then maybe more. But not such a severe leap.

"What the hell happened between the two of you last night?" Davy asked.

"I had a nightmare. Blake helped me through it."

"How sweet," Davy said. He crossed his arms and leaned against the table, smirk twisting his lips. "I told you so."

She knew that was coming. She was going on a date with his close friend, the one he had been pushing on her since nearly the start of tour. And he had been right. Giving Blake a chance was making her feel better, comfortable, like she could get over Katie.

"I don't want to hear it," Saylor said.

"Your first born will be named after me. It's only fair."

Saylor laughed. "Are you crediting yourself for this?"

"As I do with everything good in your life." His eyes caught on something over her shoulder, distracting him from the conversation. He slipped his phone from his pocket and glanced at the display, then looked at Saylor. "Go get pretty for your date, the doors are about to open."

"Sarah and Jenny—"

"Are coming," Davy said, gesturing over Saylor's shoulder.

Saylor glanced in the direction. The nearly identical teens were walking towards the table, laughing and talking rapidly to one another. Backup for the long battle of merch selling was arriving. Davy would be fine without her for a little while. She looked at Davy again, smiling.

"Okay, I'll see you after," she said.

"I want full details," Davy returned.

"You wanted me to stay a virginal queen in your mind, remember?"

"You get your mind out of the gutter or I'm forcing you to become a nun."