Two weeks later
Emilia was laying on her bed with her copy of 'Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes', when Charlie called up the stairs for her. She marked her place and slid off the bed. Her feet padded softly against the wooden floors as she walked from her room to the entrance hall.
Mike was standing by the door with Charlie hovering in the corner. "What are you doing here?" Emilia asked, covering her stomach.
"I uh. . . I came to see if you wanted to go on a real date with me. So, would you?" He asked nervously.
Emilia smiled.
"What did you have in mind?" She asked. While they'd been together most of Mike's High School career, their dates had always been small and spontaneous. Like the beach, a meal at the diner, or even watching movies at his house. They'd only been together for six months.
"A movie and lunch in Port Angeles, with a trip to the aquarium. . . on Saturday." Mike said.
Emilia pondered it for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, that sounds fun." She could've swore she saw Charlie roll his eyes from the other side of the room.
She did. He couldn't believe his fifteen year old niece was gonna go on a date with Mike — the same guy who could barely comb his hair.
"Yeah, cool. Cool. I'll uh, pick you up at 10 on Saturday morning." He said.
"I'll be ready, just call me when you leave the house."
A few minutes later Mike left the house, after assuring everyone that his dad would be there, and Emilia turned to Charlie.
"I know you don't really approve of me dating anyone, but maybe try to hide it a little better?" She joked lightly, heading into the kitchen to start on dinner.
"I can't do that. I like the kid, I really do, but you're like my other daughter, Em. You're also both almost sixteen and I don't want him to hurt you. Boys are dumb at this age." Charlie said, sitting at the table.
"I know they are, but they'll grow up eventually."
"You can't know for sure... I know grown men with the mentality of a 5-year-old. Highschool boys aren't that much better."
Emilia laughed as she grabbed out a package of chicken. "You're not wrong."
—
Saturday rolled around faster than Emilia anticipated. Her alarm went off at 7:30 and she was ready by 9:50. She spent most of the time procrastinating, but she managed to get shit done.
Mike and his dad pulled into the driveway at 10:04 am and she went out to the truck.
"Mornin' Squirt." Emilia smiled as they began pulling out of the driveway. "Good mornin' Jolly." She said to the man in the driver's seat.
They met when she was young, she couldn't yet say Johnny, so she called him Jolly. She had always been called Squirt because she was short compared to the boy's when she was six. On the rare occasion she would call him Santa because of his beer belly and graying beard.
It became a running thing between them and neither had the intention of it stopping any time soon.
The ride to Port Angeles consisted of listening to the radio and talking about potential life after High School. Some part of Emilia's mind believed she'd be with Mike forever and was planning their wedding.
The other part was scared of a large commitment like marriage.
Of course they hadn't been together long, but they'd been friends since she moved to Forks. Emilia truly believed he could be the one. Secretly, Mr and Mrs Newton were hoping they'd last.
First they went to the movies where Mr. Newton sat a few rows behind them. Sticking close without being overbearing.
Next was lunch near the pier. The three ate together, and despite it being a date, Mr. Newton's presence made the whole thing less awkward.
Their final stop of the day was the marine life center where they got experience they wouldn't have had in school. Emilia especially enjoyed the touch tanks and the gift shop. She got a little stuffed octopus and named it Percy.
Why? Because she could.
The teenagers were tired on the ride back, which resulted in sleepy goodbyes when the time came. Along with the promise of calling the next day.
Emilia and Charlie got home within minutes of each other and the man could tell his niece was tired. He'd talk to her in the morning about how the day went.
Even if he didn't like her dating, he still cared enough to ask. Charlie allowed her to rest as he warmed up some leftover dinner from the previous night.
Emilia slept soundly under her comforter, cuddled up to Percy.