"And then there were two." Connor waggled his eyebrows as he climbed inside my car, now that the twins had been dropped off, a playful grin slapped across his face.
"I take it I'm driving you to school too, then?" I guessed, being met with an enthusiastic nod.
"If you're free?" Connor beamed, "I have a free period first thing, so I won't be late or anything."
"Thanks for settling my mind, I was really worried." I muttered sarcastically, switching on the engine.
Connor rolled his eyes at my sarcasm, but his smile didn't fall. It's strange how my mood doesn't effect his positivity. He reminded me greatly of a Labrador dog. Even the blonde streaked pieces in his hair reminded me of one.
"Did some tight-faced woman invite you to her kid's birthday party, too?" Connor pulled me out of my thoughts, waving the same blue-coloured envelope around.
"Jimmy Wellot's mother." I nodded, shivering at the thought of that cursed-woman.
"I'm guessing we hate her?"
"We? You don't have to hate anything. You haven't even met her properly."
"I can tell you hate her, so I hate her, too." Connor declared, "I've already told those pricks in school to get lost for talking about you."
"I told you you didn't have to do that." I sighed, my heart feeling torn.
"Obviously I do." Connor laughed as if it was obviously the only solution, "Why would I want to be friends with people who bully somebody else for a medical condition, especially when they haven't even given him a chance."
I understood where he was coming from, but I still found it near impossible to believe that somebody would defend me like that, knowing the repercussions of doing so. Andy and Angel had a tie to me, and felt like they had to, but Connor didn't even know me very well. Living like me was incredibly isolating and I felt a heavy feeling settle in my stomach at the thought of Connor feeling the same loneliness. He's such a bubbly and positive person that he seemed untouched by the horrors of life at times. I hadn't known him long, but anyone could sense the bubbliness rolling off of Connor at any given time.
"You must be a social outcast now, then." I grumbled, thinking about how cruel the teens in that school are.
"Who cares? There's not long until school's over, anyway." Connor hummed, "I moved right at the end of the school year, so I wasn't even going to try with friends. Turns out they all suck, anyway."
"You sound like Andy." I chuckled, pulling into a carpark.
"Where are we? Do you not know the way to the sixth form?" Connor frowned, glancing around.
"I do, but I thought we could get breakfast first. Judging from the way you devoured that breakfast bar, you've got room for food."
"You're handsome, observative, and you surprise me with food?" Connor pretended to fan himself, "Take me now!"
"Shut up." I muttered, a light red dusting my cheeks as I switched off the engine.
If he had abandoned any chance of making friends in this town because of me, then I was going to try my darndest to make it worth his while. I don't think I had ever met anybody as genuine as Connor that wasn't part of my immediate family, so maybe having a friend my own age could do me some good too.
"Oh, look, they're hiring." Connor noticed, "They're looking for Sunday staff. Maybe we should get a job here flipping burgers; we could work together."
"I'd rather swim a lap in the grease vats than deal with the high school kids who frequent here." I deadpanned, holding the door open for him.
"That's a fair point." Connor laughed, waiting for me before we walked up to the service counter.
"Pancakes, please. Extra syrup." He beamed, which I rolled my eyes to.
Of course he would want sugar with sugar on top.
I ordered my food and paid for the both of us, since I was firm believer that if you invited the other party then you should pay. Heading towards the shadiest part of the restaurant, we sat down together. It felt strange to be hanging out during the daytime, especially with somebody my own age. I couldn't remember the last time I went out to eat; I was usually too scared of things going wrong, but I wanted to seem normal in front of Connor.
"This actually looks good." Connor grinned, digging into his pancakes eagerly.
"It doesn't look bad." I nodded, taking a bite of my own meal.
"Not where I expected you to take me for our second date, but I get it. They can't all be star-gazing, romantic, late-night escapades. You'll humble me and then hit me with another profound one, right?"
Pausing what I was eating, I looked up at Connor slowly with a bewildered look. Was he being serious? Had I begun to date a guy without even realising that we had been on any dates at all? What the hell. Was I that out of touch?
"Relax, lover boy. I'm kidding. As much as I wish these were dates, I'm not even sure you're into men." Connor's excitement seemed to deflate a little, explaining his joke to me.
"I'm gay. I mean, I am into men." I blurted out without hesitating, that light blush that seemed to always dust my cheeks around Connor returning.
Connor smiled into his pancakes, nodding slightly. We settled into a silence, but I couldn't tell whether it was a good or a bad thing. I hadn't ever dated anyone, so I felt so lost with this whole flirting thing. Was this it? Were either of us flirting? God, this is confusing.
"Ask me out then." Connor finally broke the silence, "You can think of these hang-outs as practice dates."
I nodded, processing what he had just said. We had been practice dating. It sounded strange, but the thought of it filled me with a warm feeling that felt like what I think sunshine on bare skin should feel like. It was then that I noticed Connor was looking right at me expectantly, and my mouth formed an 'o' shape.
"You mean ask right now?" I realised, feeling like an idiot for missing that.
"It's fine, the moment's passed." Connor chuckled, "Start planning our first date and ask me out when you feel ready. Until then, we can just hang."
"Practice." I nodded, taking another bite of food.
Connor chuckled at that, making my heart skip a beat. I didn't realise I was funny. I was trying to down play it, but I was simultaneously freaking out and ecstatic that Connor seemed to like me. It was very unexpected, but whenever I looked at Connor he made me feel... warm, is the only way I can describe it.
"Do you want to go to that party together? If we have to take our siblings anyway, it might help pass the time." Connor suggested, pouring more syrup on top of his half eaten pancakes.
It wasn't hard to act like myself in front of Connor, since his personality was so addictive, but this whole date thing had definitely thrown a curveball. Clearing my throat slightly and sitting up slightly to get out of my own mind, I nodded.
"I feel like you're just trying to bum a ride, but sure." I teased, trying to push thoughts of dates to the back of my mind.
"I do think it's incredibly sexy to watch a man drive me around." Connor shrugged casually, making me choke slightly on my food.
"I'm sorry, what?" I spluttered, trying not to die.
"I like making you nervous." Connor grinned, "It's so easy to fluster you. Occasionally you flirt back, which catches me off guard. It's sexy, though, so I wish you'd do it more often."
I was the one caught off guard, however, by Connor's frankness. I began choking on my food so harshly that I think it concerned Connor, since he began to thump me on the back. I wouldn't tell him, but it only made matters worse as chokes turned to gasps for air.
Reaching desperately for my drink, I gulped down a great deal of it to try and wash away whatever was clogging things up. To my great relief, it worked and I regained control of my respiratory system.
"Oh, thank god." Connor sunk into his seat relieved, "I thought I was going have to tell your scary siblings that I indirectly killed you via flirting."
I coughed out a meagre laugh at that, sipping more of my drink to sooth my throat after the whole ordeal. I didn't know what hurt more, my bruised ego or my raw throat. I felt incredibly unsmooth.
"I think I'm done after that." Connor smiled sheepishly, pushing away his final half a pancake.
"Me too." I nodded, "Sorry."
"Don't say sorry! I shouldn't have near-murdered you."
I winced at the reminder, wishing I could play this off smoothly. Instead, I followed suit as he slipped out of the booth and headed through the restaurant, back into the carpark. Hiding beneath the shade of my hood and cap, we walked together to my car in silence.
The rest of the short journey to his Sixth Form happened in relative silence, but Connor was still beaming. His constant positivity helped me loosen up and forget the awkwardness I was still dwelling on from before. It didn't seem like such a big deal to him, so why should I make it into a big deal?
"Thanks for the lift, Daxxy." Connor winked, slipping out of the car as I drew to a stop outside of the gates.
"I'll see you for the party this weekend?" I asked, pushing my hair out of my face.
"See you then." Connor waved, closing the door behind him.
I watched him saunter off inside the Sixth Form building, a pep to his care free walk. I looked at myself in the mirror above my seat, barely recognising myself with the goofy smile that was plastered across my pale cheeks. A slight tint of pink seemed to suggest I had life in me.
"Daxx, you're learning how to flirt properly from now on. You embarrassment." I whispered to myself in the mirror, the smile still not leaving its newfound spot on my lips.