3

I was sitting in AP English, finishing a handout to pass time as I waited for the bell to ring-signalling class to start.

"Eliza."

I didn't bother looking up as Preslie called out my name in a sing-song voice. She hopped into the desk beside mine. "It has been three days since Dallas asked you-and you have refused to talk about it. You haven't said a word about it."

I continued jotting down answers on my paper. "Have you also been timing how many seconds it's been since Black Sabbath broke up?"

Preslie rolled her eyes at my remark. She leaned over, hovering over me to catch my attention. "I just want some details!"

"You were right there when it happened. You know the story as well as I do." It was almost amusing how much Preslie was highlighting this. At least one of us was excited about the ordeal I had put myself in.

Preslie groaned. "At least tell me what the plan for tonight is."

"What is the plan for tonight?" I asked, still looking at my papers with a playful smirk on my face. If she was going to irritate me with questions that I had no care for, then I could mess with her head enough for her to let the topic go.

"Eliza!" She practically screeched, almost standing up. "Come on-aren't you two going on a date tonight?"

I sighed. I took a minute to just stare at my paper before placing my pencil down really slowly. I turned to look at her for the first time since she entered the classroom. "I don't know, Pres. We're going to drink coffee, maybe smoothies, maybe read-and if we have time we may try to find some sturdy cooking pots."

She blinked. Then, she stared at me in confusion. "You're going to read?"

I laughed and turned back to face the front of the classroom. "It is not a date. I agreed so I can find out what he is up to."

"But-"

Before Preslie had the chance to further pester me, the bell rang. I sent a thank you to any higher power out there, grateful that the teacher had walked in and started his lesson.

-

At the end of the day, I was walking to my car when a body abruptly swerved in front of me. I jolted to a stop.

"What the hell?"

Dallas cocked his head to the side, grinning down at me. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Home. Maybe to find Poland." I tried to walk past him but he stepped in front of me, not giving me room to walk past him.

"I don't think so. You owe me coffee-or smoothies or water or-whatever." His face twisted with confusion.

Good. At least some of my messing-with-minds had an affect.

"Right. I completely forgot!" My voice dripping with sarcasm, I smiled a wide smile.

Dallas rolled his eyes. "Then you're ready to go now?"

I sucked in a breath distastefully. I was so close to getting out of this.

Although, I had put myself in this situation so I had no right to complain.

Dallas smirked at me as he headed to his car. I followed him. What choice did I have? He was quick to swerve in front of me, holding open the passenger side door for me to get in.

Chivalry isn't dead. How comforting.

Please note my sarcasm.

"Does Bean Bar Café sound good?" Dallas looked at me for a moment before starting the car.

"Sure." I looked out the window.

I could feel his eyes on me before he started to back out of the parking lot and drive.

A moment later, he pressed the button to turn on his music. 'Our Song' by Taylor Swift blasted through the car.

My eyebrow quirked as I turned to look at him.

His cheeks tinged crimson as he quickly lowered the volume and changed the song. "That-that is my little sister's music." He rubbed the back of his neck, forcing a cough.

Although the music taste was-interesting and unexpected to say the least, I was more attentive to the first genuine expression I had seen on Dallas's face. Though he was embarrassed, it was something other than his stupid smirk.

He switched to the radio and Drake came on.

"I'm not one to judge music taste. To each their own." I looked out the window to hide my grin.

"What a relief," he grumbled sarcastically.

I looked at him again. "What's wrong with throwback T-Swift?" I smirked. "Don't be ashamed, Dallas. It's-" I paused. "Fascinating." I reiterated the same word he used to describe me.

Dallas shot me a mocking-look. "Ha-ha. You should consider stand-up comedy."

"Funny," I mused. "Rachel suggested the same thing a few days ago." I looked back out the window, knowing very well that Dallas was now glaring at me.

"It would be fantastic to not be akin with someone like Rachel."

"Noted."

A short car ride later, we finally arrived the Bean Bar-a local coffee shop that everyone in this small town would spend quite a bit of time at. You would always see a familiar face in there.

This was not my idea of a joyful afternoon.

I loosened my uniform's tie, getting out of the car. Dallas opened the door to the coffee shop for me. "This isn't a date. No need for chivalry."

Dallas walked in behind me, smirking again. "I could have sworn this was a date. Pardon my mistake."

I ignored his comment, taking a seat in an empty booth. I scanned the menu-because I was unsure on what else to do. I practically knew the menu by heart, having lived in this town my whole life.

I looked up when Dallas hadn't spoken after a minute. He leaned back, sitting across from me. He was watching me thoughtfully.

I placed the menu down, staring back at him. "Why are we here?"

"To talk, communicate, get to know each other-maybe, read a book."

Do the muscles in his face every get tired from smirking so much?

"The reading joke has gotten old." I spoke blandly.

Dallas ignored the comment. "Smoothie?"

I didn't reply. I waited a moment until a waiter came over. His name was Benji, he was a younger student at our school. "Hey Eliza," Benji smiled at me before awkwardly glancing at Dallas. "Dallas. What can I get you guys?"

I smiled up at Benji. "Just a coffee."

"Make that two." Dallas only looked at me as he spoke, hardly acknowledging Benji's existence.

Benji nodded and left us.

"You're a coffee girl."

I looked down at my hands, chipping off some nail polish. "Good observation, detective." Benji returned with the coffees, leaving within a blink. "Why are we here?"

Dallas mixed some sugar into his coffee. "I thought we had already gone over this."

"Please, do refresh my memory." I smiled sweetly. Feigned sweetness, actually.

Dallas licked his lips. "What colour dress do you plan on wearing to the ball?"

My eyes narrowed. "Why?"

I hadn't been planning to go to the ball so a dress was the last thing that had been on mind-I didn't have an answer to his question.

"I need to get a matching tie, don't I?" He lifted an eyebrow. "We are dates-after all."

I frowned at that. A part of me regrets agreeing to this. Was proving a point really worth it? However, the other part of me was glad to have shut River up. There couldn't have been a better way to do it.

Dallas's eyes squinted. He saw the look on my face. His face fell straight. "What is it? You are the one who said yes."

"I agreed for my own benefit, not because it's you. Don't get cocky."

Dallas sipped on his coffee, slowly. He kept watching me. "What are those benefits, exactly?"

I leaned forwards, folding my hands together. "Why don't you tell me why you asked me, first. We've never even had a real conversation before."

"That is false," Dallas smirked. "Don't you remember the time you yelled at me for making out with Cindy-Gibson, I think it is-on your locker. Or-or the time we got into an argument during PE."

My eyes narrowed onto him. I don't know if he thinks he's being charming. "You were standing in the middle of the track when the rest of us were trying to get our laps done. Of course I was going to yell at you."

I shook my head, staring down at my steaming cup of coffee.

This felt-just weird and not entirely comfortable. I didn't want to be here.

"I was not-in the way." He smiled coyly.

"Yes, you were. However, I am not going to argue with you over this."

"Tell me why you agreed to go to the ball with me."

"Why?"

Dallas shrugged lightly. "I'm curious." His eyes gleamed with mischief. I couldn't help but wonder what he was getting at-what his endgame was.

"You tell me why you asked me in the first place-and maybe I'll dig up an answer for you too." Yet again, I feigned a sickly sweet smile.

Dallas exhaled dramatically. "You-you're the girl who doesn't do the whole dances, dates, dresses, heels. To everyone's surprise you said yes to me. I don't mind the extra notoriety and talk around the school."

Seriously? He wanted to be the topic of conversation on the gossip mill?

I stared at him, bewildered.

"Not to mention," he continued. "You were intent on never saying yes to me. I was proving to my friends that you would never say no to being my date. How could you?" He smirked his cocky and bumptious smirk that I wanted to dearly slap right off his face.

I blinked. "So, essentially I'm your-tampon?"

His ego was astounding.

"Tampon?"

"Yes."

Dallas blinked, his eyebrows pulling together. "I don't know if that's a very fitting simile."

"You're using me for your own-publicity, to be the buzz around the school." My eyes squinted. "You use me-as your date, to help you gain whatever. Then, once the whole ball catastrophe is over with, you throw me away like a tampon-or napkin."

"Napkin." He paused for a moment and thought about my comparison. "That's a little less ghastly."

"That's all you get out of my thorough revelation?" I looked at Dallas like he was insane because frankly, I found him extremely confusing and fluky.

"It was a very profound analysis." He nodded curtly, his smirk radiating through me.

"So I'm correct? I'm your tampon?" I used the first reference instead of the latter to irritate him.

His face scrunched. He shrugged unsurely. "If that is what you would like to be-sure. Now it's your turn-why did you agree? You seemed intent that you would say no to me faster than a roadrunner."

Dallas leaned his chin down on the palm of his hand. He peered at me, almost with delight.

I sipped on my coffee. "You must know how aggravating River is. She wouldn't shut up about-her belief that I cannot obtain a man. What better way to piss her off than to steal the guy she's in-love with?"

"That she is madly in-love with?-or that you're madly in-love with?" Dallas quirked en eyebrow. His eyes glinted with arrogance.

I leaned back in the booth, heaving out a heavy breath. "If you're trying to set the world record for largest ego, you've already gotten there-no need to continue."

Dallas only laughed.

"That's it then? We go to the ball together and then-"

"Then we go back to our lives?" He suggested, sounding just as unsure as I did.

I nodded firmly. "No need to continue spending unnecessary time with each other. The Snow Ball-then you're back to your life and I'm back to mine."

Separate.

Everything about us, our lives, our social circles-they were like two opposing nations.

"Whatever you say." He grinned nonchalantly.

I stared at him. "Since everything seems to be covered, I suppose I can take my leave."

"I'm still drinking my coffee." He responded easily.

"Did you know there's this fascinating invention called a to-go cup?" I widened my eyes and feigned surprise.

"Yes, I'm quite aware but I'm comfortable right here." He pointed to the table, sinking further back into the leather booth seats.

I could leave.

However, my car was at the school and I needed him to drive me back to retrieve it.

It was too long a walk-it would take me at least forty minutes.

I stared down at my cup of coffee that was looking less appealing now. I didn't want to sit here, in forced company and forced conversation. What does one even talk to someone like Dallas about? Football? Parties? Gossip?

"You're not very good at carrying on conversations." He carped aloofly.

"No?"

He gave me an unamused look."Talking to you is like talking to a broken record of comebacks and sarcastic comments."

"I prefer witty comments, not sarcastic." I remarked dully.

"My point proven." He looked less amused with me, yet still fascinated at the same time.

What could possibly be fascinating? I couldn't possibly make myself any more-irritating, frankly.

"You also don't ever smile."

To that, I plastered on a smile. "What is this then?"

"That is not genuine." He pointed, his head cocking to the side.

I refrained from rolling my eyes. I was sleepy. I wanted to go home and take a nap. "How will the world continue to spin?"

"Maybe we could place the earth on a record player." He grinned cheekily.

I quirked an eyebrow. "Will you help find one big enough?"

"Of course," he scoffed. "I may also have something else that's big enough." Then he smirked again. I was starting to grow annoyed by the sight of that stupid smirk.

I took a few seconds before responding. "It must've been impossible to make it through the day without making a sexual innuendo."

He shrugged lightly. "I don't mind a challenge, Liz."

I shook my head, downing the last of my coffee before standing up. "I am leaving now. I'll wait outside-for two minutes before finding another ride." I dropped a few bills on the table-since this was not a date.

"It was a joke, Eliza." He spoke before I could walk away.

I glanced at him. "I have better things to tend to on a Friday night."

With a quick smile-a forced one, I left.