Fool Everyone

I tried focusing on working as much as I could, but my head kept going a mile a minute. I had a date with Nicholas Santino in a few hours. Hell it had seemed like a century since I was asked on a date at all! I was so excited I could hardly contain myself.

As it turns out, neither could Debby. A few hours into the show, I saw Justin dragging her towards my merch table. "ALLIE HALVORSEN WHY DID YOU NOT TELL ME?!" his voice rang out. I looked at him innocently.

"Tell you what?"
"Tell me what don't give me that! You have a DATE tonight?!"

I glared at Debby who grinned and shrugged at me. "Sorry! I'm so excited for you it just kinda slipped out!" I rolled my eyes and turned back to Justin.
"Yes, Richards, I have a date tonight. Is that so impossible?"
"No of course not! Hell, I'm surprised it took you this long to find somebody to take a pretty little thing like you out! Who's the lucky guy?"

I looked at him in surprised. "Debby didn't tell you?"
She shook her head. "Nope. I figured you'd wanna see his reaction. As do I!"

I smiled sweetly at him. "Well I guess you'll just have to wait until he picks me up, won't you!"

Justin continued to complain to me about not telling him who I was going out with for the remainder of the night. Even while he was on stage, he would make eye contact with me and simply mouth the word "WHO?!" to me, confusing everyone in the audience. I was able to give it right back to him, since he kept looking down distractedly at some girl photographing from the audience. It seemed as if he had a little bit of a crush forming too.

Finally, the show ended and Justin rushed over to see who the mystery man was. His mouth dropped to the floor when Nick tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I was ready to go. Then the ridiculing started up.

"YOUR MYSTERY DATE IS NICK?! HOW LONG HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN BANGING IN THE BACK OF THE VAN?! THE SEXUAL TENSION MUST BE INSANE WHAT IS THAT EVEN LIKE?! GET IT MAN I RESPECT YOUR TASTE and balls to date your friend's sister cuz lord knows I don-"
"Justin! Don't you have some poor girl to go woo or something?!" Nick said as his face turned pink. God, that boy is adorable when he blushes.

A grin broke out on Justin's face. "I do...did you see that photographer? Man, I need to find her and ask what her name is...she's so pretty.." he trailed off love-stricken.
Debby chimed in. "The one with long brown hair? I think I stood next to her at the bar. She said her name was Donia."

And with that, Justin was off, asking everyone if they knew where Donia was. Nick and I took that as our cue to leave, so we said goodbye to Debby and walked away from the venue.

My heart was beating out of my chest. I hadn't been this nervous around someone in such a long time. Nick was obviously anxious too. He kept his hands in his pockets as he led me down the street, looking up every now and then as if to say something, but always stayed silent and looked back at the road.

We finally arrived at a diner and sat down at a corner table. Nick blushed a little and mumbled, "sorry it's not all that fancy...there isn't a lot open this late. I wish we could've gone somewhere nicer..."
I smiled at him and giggled. "It's fine, Nick. I don't care where we eat. I'm excited to be hanging out with you that's all." He beamed and instantly loosened up. The funny, confident Nick was suddenly back. And while shy and nervous Nick was adorable, it was this outgoing Nick that I had grown to love.

We talked about everything and anything that popped in our heads. From breakfast for dinner needing to be a universal option to innuendos about whipped cream, we were laughing nonstop and causing the entire place to look at us. But we didn't really care. We were having a great time being around each other and finally looking at each other like human beings as opposed to mortal enemies or make-out partner. It was the best first date I had ever been on.

After insisting that he pay, Nick and I started the walk back to the van. He turned off of the road we were on, claiming to "know a long-cut so the night won't end so fast." It was a lame attempt at being romantic, but I appreciated the gesture anyways. We came across a big open field with a great view of the sky. I pulled him over the fence and we laid on the grass stargazing.

After a few minutes of silently looking at the constellations, I glanced over and saw him staring at me. "What is it?" I asked him.
He grinned. "Nothing, it's just I really love how you look in the moonlight."
I rolled my eyes and tried to hide a smile as the butterflies in my stomach went wild. "That was so corny Nicholas, dear god."
Shrugging, he replied "it may be corny, but it's true...I've had a really great night with you."

I rolled onto my side to face him. "Yeah...I really did too...it's been a wonderful date" I said with a giggle.
"...well since you brought up the d word...are we technically dating now?" he asked nervously.
I smiled widely at him. "I guess we are...and that means you get to call me your girlfriend. Are you prepared for that?"
"I would absolutely love to call you my girlfriend" he said slowly as his hand brushed my face.

Just as he was about to kiss me, we heard a gunshot go off. We sat up, terrified. An old man stood in a doorway looking onto the field with a rifle pointing upwards.
"IF Y'ALL HOOLIGANS ARE FORNICATIN' ON MY LAWN, I'LL BLAST YA INTA KINGDOM COME!"

Nick grabbed my hand and we ran off as fast as we could, terrified but laughing hysterically. Redneck country is a dangerous place to fall in love, but damn was it fun.