By lunchtime, Noah had somehow managed to tell half the school that Mia's mom approved of Aiden. Neither Aiden nor Mia understood how he kept getting information. It was honestly impressive. And slightly terrifying. Every time they thought they had a private conversation, Noah somehow knew about it within twenty-four hours.
"You need a hobby."
"I have one."
"Noah."
"You two."
Aiden groaned. Across the table, Sophie nodded.
"He's right."
"Why are you both like this?"
Neither answered. Mostly because neither had a good answer. The rest of the school day passed surprisingly quickly. Classes blurred together. Teachers talked. Students worked. Yet Aiden found it almost impossible to focus. Every time he looked across the room, he found Mia looking at him too. Then both would immediately look away. Which was ridiculous considering they were literally dating. Finally, the last bell rang. Students rushed toward the exits. Teachers packed their things. The school slowly emptied. And for the first time all day, Aiden found himself standing alone with Mia near the lockers. Neither seemed eager to leave. Again. This was becoming a problem. A nice problem. But still a problem.
"So..." Aiden said.
Mia immediately laughed.
"We really need a new word."
"We do."
A brief silence followed. Then Aiden took a breath.
"Mia?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you want to go somewhere after school?"
For the first time all day, Mia looked nervous. Not scared. Just excited.
"A date?"
The word sounded strange. New. Different. Aiden smiled.
"Yeah."
Mia smiled back.
"I'd like that."
For a second, both just stood there smiling. Then Noah appeared. Because of course he did.
"WAIT."
Both groaned immediately.
"NOAH."
"IS THIS A DATE?"
"No."
"It's literally a date."
"Noah."
"I'M SO PROUD."
Aiden seriously considered throwing his backpack at him. An hour later, Aiden found himself waiting outside a small café near the town center. He had arrived ten minutes early. Which was unusual. Very unusual. Normally, Aiden considered being on time an achievement. Today was different. Today mattered. He checked his phone. Then checked it again. Then immediately stopped himself.
"You need to relax."
"I know."
Aiden turned. Mia was standing behind him. Smiling. His brain immediately forgot what he was saying.
"Oh."
Mia laughed.
"What?"
"You look nice."
The second the words left his mouth, Aiden regretted them. Not because they weren't true. Because they sounded way less cool than he'd intended. Mia's smile widened.
"Thank you."
Now she looked happy. Which somehow made him even more nervous. Inside the café, they found a table near the window. The atmosphere was warm and comfortable. Soft music played in the background while people chatted quietly around them. For once, there was no school. No teachers. No Noah. No Sophie. Just them. And honestly? Aiden liked that. A lot. For the next hour, they talked about everything and nothing. Future plans. Favorite movies. Childhood memories. The conversation flowed so naturally that neither noticed how much time had passed. At one point, Mia laughed so hard she nearly spilled her drink.
"Stop."
"You asked."
"I didn't expect that answer."
"That's your fault."
"It really isn't."
Aiden smiled. Then froze. Because Mia was looking at him. Not laughing. Not talking. Just looking at him.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"That's suspicious."
"A little."
She smiled softly. Then looked away. Unfortunately, Aiden's heart refused to calm down afterward. As the evening sun began setting outside, they decided to walk through the nearby park before heading home. The paths were lined with trees, and golden sunlight filtered through the leaves. Families walked nearby. Children played on the grass. Everything felt peaceful. Mia walked beside him quietly for a few moments. Then bumped his shoulder. Aiden looked over.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You definitely did that on purpose."
"Maybe."
"You did."
Mia laughed. The sound immediately made him smile. Again.
"You know," she said, "you smile a lot more now."
Aiden pointed at her.
"You keep saying that."
"Because it's true."
"Maybe it's your fault."
Mia looked suspiciously pleased by that answer. As they reached a small bridge overlooking a pond, both slowed down. The water reflected the orange colors of the setting sun. Neither seemed eager for the date to end. Which made sense. Because neither wanted it to. Finally, Mia looked at him.
"I had fun."
"Me too."
"A lot of fun."
"Same."
For a moment, neither moved. Neither spoke. Then Mia smiled.
"This was a really good first date."
Aiden felt his heart speed up again.
"Yeah."
"It was."
And as they stood together watching the sunset, both found themselves thinking the exact same thing. If the first date was this good... They couldn't wait for the second.