Where There's Light | ✔

31. Study Date

Nolan wore new pants when he picked me later that evening. I knew that because he left the tag on the back. I swear he blushed a little as he yanked it off. When he turned his back I double checked to make sure all my tags were gone.

I was shocked that, instead of the motorcycle, he picked me up in the minivan. It was the better choice, though. My mom definitely wouldn't have let me leave the house if he had. She was barely willing to let me leave with him at all, saying I looked too cute if all we were doing was a school project.

"It's just you and your parents, right?" I asked as he pulled out of my driveway.

"Yeah."

"Then why the minivan?"

"My mom used to have a dog walking business. She used to load them up in here and take them to the dog park," he explained, glancing over at me. "Is the studying starting now?"

"No. Not yet," I said, leaning back in the seat. "We'll start the questions once we're...where are we going exactly?" We were in an area unfamiliar to me. Here I thought I've seen every inch of Bellcreek.

"The creek."

"Bellcreek has an actual creek?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "It's dried up, though. It only resembles a creek if it floods."

Nolan made a quick stop at a pizza place before we made it to the alleged creek. He backed into a spot that over looked dried up ditch. There was a small playground and picnic area off to one side and restrooms on the other. There were a few scrawny trees and patches of grass. Mostly it was just dirt and litter.

Despite the less than aesthetic surroundings the view of the sky was amazing. The blue faded into yellow then orange. It was gorgeous.

Nolan grabbed the pizza and exited the car. I followed him to the back where he propped open the trunk door, revealing the blankets and pillows. It made the trunk look like a very comfortable fort. A very intimate, almost romantic fort.

"Is it too much?" He sounded unsure. If his hands weren't gripping the pizza box I'm sure they'd be in his hair. "I figured since we're being forced into small talk we should at least be comfortable. And earlier, when you mentioned the three months thing, I thought I'd—" he let out a sigh, shoulders slumping. "I don't know. Just thought it'd be nicer."

He was rambling and embarrassed and completely adorable. "I like it." I smiled. His pink stained cheeks pushed up as he did the same.

We got comfortable among the blankets and sheets, a large pepperoni and sausage pizza between us, as we watched the sky morph into an inky blue.

Two slices of pizza in and neither of us had said anything other than pass the napkins. I was the first to break the silence.

"So...do we just start listing off our likes and dislikes?" I asked taking a sip of my soda.

Nolan wiped his mouth with a napkin before answering. "I like pizza." He picked up another slice picking off and eating the pepperoni and sausage. Because that's what he did. He picked off the toppings before eating the rest of the pizza. It was weird, but cute.

Why was everything he did suddenly cute?

"This is awkward, right?" I asked, unable to keep the thought to myself any longer. "Like, first date awkward."

He reached over the back seat and pulled out a six pack of Mike's hard lemonade. "I knew this would come in handy."

"Didn't know you drank hard lemonade," I said, picking one up. I'd never had one. Hopefully it tasted better than beer or vodka or that wine Bee loved so much. "I thought you liked the stronger stuff."