“If I pay you, will you please pretend to be my friend, just this week?”

“What?”

“Just this week.”

“Do I know you?”

“I don’t think so, but my name is Adam.”

“Wait. We don’t know eachother but you want me to be your friend?”

“All friends begin as strangers, right?”

“I mean, I guess, but we’re in a coffee shop, and we’re not friends.”

“You could just say no.”

“No, sorry.”

“Well, that’s not fair though. At least give me a chance.”

“A chance for what?”

“To be your friend. To make you want to be my friend for the week.”

“I don’t think so. I think I’ll leave.”

“I see you here all the time. You can go, but if you change your mind, I’ll be here, too.”

“If I pay you, will you please pretend to be my friend, just this week?” Brayden had no idea who this girl was. He hasn't seen her around before. He took a minute to think about what this girl has just asked.

“How much are we talking here?” Brayden asked. He was captain of the football team, and he wasn't about to end his social life over a couple of dollars. Twenty dollars.” She answered. His eyes instantly lit up. “Deal.” Brayden agreed. “Now, what was your name?” He asked. “Oh sorry. It’s Hailey.” Hailey answered. Brayden noticed that Hailey was looking down at her shoes, avoiding eye contact. At this moment, he couldn't help but wonder why this girl was paying people to be her friend.

“Cool, so this starts tomorrow?” Brayden asked. “Yes, but can I get your phone number?” Hailey asked. Brayden nodded then pulled out his phone and read out his phone number. “Thanks,” Hailey muttered, then turned around quickly and left. Brayden thought it was weird that she quickly left, but he didn’t think much of it.

That night, Hailey texted Brayden, letting him know about the things she expected. Brayden replied with a simple “Ok.” and then turned off his phone for the night. The next morning, Brayden met Hailey at the gate. He had already let his friends know, so they weren't surprised when he didn't meet them at their usual spot.

At lunch, Brayden sat with Hailey, and surprisingly, he had a good time. Hailey was a very interesting person, and he wondered why she had no friends. She told him about how she could speak four languages, that she could hold a handstand for one and a half minutes, and that her favorite kind of chocolate was dark chocolate. After lunch, he was excited to see her after school, and he actually looked forward to hanging out with her every day.

The end of the week came quickly, and Brayden didn’t feel ready for the week to be over. All day, he was looking for Hailey, to talk to her, but she was nowhere to be seen. At the end of the day, Brayden finally saw her. “Hailey! Wait!” She turned around, looking sad. “The week is over now Brayden, you don’t have to pretend to like me.” Then she walked out of the school. Brayden just stood there, looking like a fool.

Brayden had really enjoyed spending time with Hailey, and he wasn’t ready for it to end. Luckily, he had a plan. He packed up his things and got into his car, ready to go. He wasn’t going straight home like he usually would, instead, he went to the store. He picked up some flowers, a poster board, a pack of markers, and some dark chocolate. He checked out at the store and then headed home.

Brayden spent about an hour at home until he got back into his car. Brayden had driven Hailey home a couple of times, so he knew where she lived. He pulled into her driveway, with the poster, flowers, and chocolate in hand. Brayden knocked on the door, and Hailey answered. “Brayden? What are you doing here? I told you, the week is over. Whats with all this stuff?”

“Well, I had a great time with you this week, and the truth is, I like you. Will you please be my girlfriend?” Brayden asked, holding up the sign. You could tell in his voice that he was nervous. “Oh my gosh, yes! I would love to be your girlfriend!” Hailey squealed, jumping into Brayden’s arms.

“Here is your twenty back. I don't need it. I already have you, and that is worth more than any amount of money.” Brayden said, handing her a twenty-dollar bill, along with all of his other stuff.

Ever since that day, Hailey and Brayden have been inseparable, and to this day, they are still together.

“If I pay you, will you pretend to be my friend, just this week?” It was that girl. He’d seen her around the school every once in a while. Always alone, always with that hint of sadness in her eyes.

She was smaller than everyone else, and at first he’d thought she was one of those prodigies, moved up multiple grades for their brain power. He knew now that she wasn’t a genious—not like that at least—but there was something else different about her. She had straight brunette hair that reached to her hips, and wide doe eyes. Those eyes seemed to take in everything, and they may have looked cute to others, but they unsettled him.

He tried to act as if he wasn’t surprised she was coming to him, but he really was. He was usually approached to fix something or hack something for a 20. Not be somebody’s friend for a week.

“How much?” He asked, as he always did when he was approached. It was a way for him to know how desperate the other person was.

She pulled a wadded up 5 from her skirt pocket. Her freckled cheeks turned bright red, and she looked down, ashamed.

“I only have enough for a week. I assumed it would be a dollar a day. A week is all I can afford right now.” She held out the money to him, trying to flatten it on her leg, holding it up for him.

Her eyes may have freaked him out a bit, but he could tell she was genuine and she seemed like a good kid.

He pushed her hand down, “You don’t have to pay me to be your friend. For this, it’s enough to ask.” He smiled at her, and she pocketed her money, responding with a tiny smile of her own.

She wiped her nose, “Thank you. I haven’t met someone as nice as you in a while.”

(I couldn’t make my mind up so here’s 2) ——————————————

“If I pay you, will you please pretend to be my friend, just this week?”, I type and delete.

I stopped hanging in groups of three when I realised it was two friends and just me, you see.

Two seats with just me beneath.

Two spaces on the street, and just me behind the scenes.

Oh, to be one of two,

Rather than one of three,

Or, in fact, just me.

——————————————

“If I pay you, will you please pretend to be my friend, just this week”?

The melody of our friendship, once a song so unique,

Now lost to time, some would call antique.

On me, you could always depend.

My arms and heart, to you, I will always extend.

What is the price of a fleeting friend?

I’ve paid in heartache and solitude.

I sorely miss those days of me and you,

Once side by side, now worlds apart.

You’ll always have a piece of my heart.

“If I pay you”, a tearful plea, to stay, if even only briefly, with me.

I glanced at the guy sitting across from me, nervously fidgeting with his fingers. “If I pay you, will you please pretend to be my friend, just this week?” he asked, his eyes filled with a mix of desperation and loneliness.

I raised an eyebrow, thinking it was some weird joke. “You serious?” I replied, sipping on my soda.

He nodded, his gaze fixed on the tabletop. “I’ve never had any friends, and I just want to experience what it’s like. I’ll pay you, of course. I’m not expecting anything for free.”

I considered it for a moment, intrigued by the unusual request. “Alright, let’s see what you’ve got,” I said with a smirk, not fully grasping the weight of his loneliness.

Little did I know, that week was about to be a rollercoaster of emotions.

We went to movies, grabbed fast food, and shared laughs. He talked about his dreams and fears, and I played along, pretending to be the best buddy he never had.

The money? Honestly, I forgot about it after the first day.

We had this routine – breakfast at the diner, afternoon walks in the park, and late-night gaming sessions. It felt oddly natural, like we’d been friends forever. He was a good guy, just a bit socially awkward, and I found myself genuinely enjoying his company.

As the week went on, he started opening up more. “You know, I’ve never done this before. Just hung out with someone. It’s weird, but I like it,” he confessed one evening, his eyes searching mine for reassurance.

I chuckled, patting him on the back. “Well, welcome to the world of friendship, my dude.”

But then, just when I was getting used to our newfound camaraderie, he dropped the bomb. “I have something to tell you,” he said, his voice shaky. We were at our usual spot in the park, surrounded by the sounds of rustling leaves and distant laughter.

I nodded, expecting another quirky revelation about his life. “Shoot.”

He took a deep breath. “This is my last week, you know. I’ve been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and I wanted to experience friendship before...” He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

My heart sank, and I felt a lump forming in my throat. The truth hit me like a freight train. The laughs, the shared moments – they were all part of his final wish. He paid me not for a fake friendship but for a genuine connection in his last days.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I hugged him tightly. “W-why didn’t you tell me earlier?!” I whispered, feeling a mixture of anger, sadness, and regret.

He smiled weakly. “I wanted it to be real. I wanted to feel alive, even if it was just for a week.”

The remaining days turned bittersweet as we navigated through the heartbreak of an inevitable farewell. The world suddenly felt too real, and the taste of our shared laughter turned into a bitter reminder of the limited time we had.

In the end, he left with a grateful smile, and I was left with memories of a friendship that felt genuine, even if it had started with a desperate plea and a pocketful of cash.

As Mila entered the room, an uneasy sensation settled in her gut. Elliot’s smile seemed forceful, lacking the usual warmth that reached his eyes.

We can’t talk anymore, we just broke up.” Mila felt her body tense up, her jaw clenching with a mix of surprise and discomfort.

Elliot whispers, “Nobody knows we’ve broken up yet though.”

Stunned, Mila stammered, “What are you tr”

”If I pay you, will you pretend to be my friend, just this week?” Elliot’s voice faltered, his eyes avoiding hers, an unmistakable desperation underlining his words.

Elliot’s whispered revelation froze Mila mid-sentence, her mind struggling to process the words. Confusion mingled with the sting of their recent breakup, leaving her speechless. Why would he suggest such a thing?

Mila’s breath caught in her throat, the air thick with tension. A whirlwind of emotions churned within her- hurt, anger, and an odd sense of pity for Elliot’s vulnerability. She fought to compose herself, her body rigid as she wrestled with conflicting impulses to lash out.

The room, once vibrant with chatter and laughter, now echoed with the deafening silence of their unspoken turmoil. The weight of Elliot’s words hung heavy as if the walls were eavesdropping.

“If I pay you, will you please pretend to be my friend, just this week?”

Caleb blinks twice, confused of what the girl he barely knew just asked him. Was her name Sarah? Sari? Oh yes, Serafina.

“This is ridiculous” Caleb mutters mostly to himself, swinging his book bag over his shoulder.

He swiftly turns to leave, before she grabs onto his wrist.

“Caleb Grant, right? I know you need the money. Your on scholarship.”

“For now” Caleb interrupts. If they choose to kick him out for his ongoing…conflicts, then there’s nothing he can do.

“Yes anyways” Serafina continues. “You need the money, and I’ve got more than I need. What I need is a friend. A friend that will make sure, well in short, will make sure nobody messes with me.” She gulps, trying not to look Caleb in the eye.

“This is very embarrassing and a little degrading so please just tell me if you’ll do me the favor?” Serafina puts her hands together, practically begging Caleb.

“And why may I ask, do you need nobody to ‘mess with you’. And what part do I play in this plan?” Caleb asks, squinting his eyes. He can’t seem to figure her out. What possibly can she gain from being friends with the misfit that has one too many rumors blown out of proportion circulating the school.

Serafina nervously takes a step forward, and in the least offensive way she can, she explains, “people think things of you…NOT that’s they are true. I’m not one to make assumptions. But anyway, if I get the guy that was ‘rumored’ to run an underground poker ring as my friend, the kids in this school would maybe leave me alone.” Her voice cracks at the end, and Caleb stares at the bruise on her wrists.

She notices his gaze, and places them in front of his face. “This is what happens for calling the hockey jerks Fairy baby’s” she says matter of factly.

That gets a laugh from Caleb, replacing the pitying look he had before.

“I’m not agreeing for you” he says.

Serafina grins, jumping in her place.

“But your agreeing?”

He rolls his eyes, and says “it’s only a week. I need whatever money I can get. And having a scary poker ring mobster or whatever other rumor there is about me person on your side, I think it would do us both some good.”

Serafina grins ear to ear, trying to contain her excitement.

“How much do you want?”

He raises his brows, but quickly scrambles his brain for an amount.

“A hundred” he says.

That causes Serafina to looked shocked but she follow it up by remarking, “A hundred thousand is a lot for your friendship. Any chances we can bargain a little lower?”

She thought I meant a hundred thousand he thinks to himself. What is wrong with her?

“No, no, no.” He exclaims. “Like a hundred bucks, that’s all I really need-“

She cuts him of by slamming an envelope to his chest.

“This is my family’s guilt money for not showing up for my birthday. 5 grand in there, and no debating it. I feel icky with that money anyway. Like they could by me there love…”

The bright Serafina full of energy now looks dull and sad. Her lips from a frown, and her shoulders hunch forward.

“This is too-“

“Much?” she interrupts. “I could just go to an actual criminal and offer them double.”

Caleb grins a little, and whispers “what makes you think I’m not an actual criminal.”

He quirks his eyebrows, but she leans toward and whispers back, “I know a criminal when I see one. And you, Caleb Grant, are nothing more than a petty hooligan.”

Who is this girl he wonders? One second she’s a shy girl kids mess with, the next she’s reading him like a magazine.

“Fine” he says stuffing the money into his pocket.

“So do we have a deal?“ Serafina asks, extending his hand.

Caleb smiles, firmly shaking her hand.

“Yes we do Serafina D’lear. Official count me as your best friend body guard for the week.”

That earns a chuckle from Serafina, and she gains a little bit of hope she’ll enjoy the last year of high school without the bully’s and petty comments. At home though, was a separate issue she had to fix.

And though Caleb tried denying it to himself, he was exited to have a friend to.

“If i pay you, will you please pretend to be m-“ There goes another one.
…silence….even more silence…

 “Okay.. don’t lose motivation.”
 <Ooh another person who
                               fits the criteria!>
 “Why are you looking at me      
                                  like that kid?..”

  “Listen don’t walk away please, your the only one that’s stopped!   

“O..kay?”

          “Just hear me o-“

              “Speak before i *do* 

walk away kid.” Long , …. long ….pause…..

     “ And i mean *n o w* girl, 
         before you lose yo’ chance.”
                                     <Oakkay she’s          
                                         a *bit* scary, 
           but let’s go for it!! >>>

                   “If i pay you, 

will you please be my friend?“

“I -

“ - ANDBEFORE*you say no,
it’ll be just for this week , and ONLY for this week though!” Please please, pleasee let this work. i crossed my fingers …
For the love of paradise and my devi-
I suddenly feel me getting vigorously shook
\distorted muffled..something?\

“O- y - H - llo- di - …..Hhh- y-          
            -k..d??-h-  gibberish  -lo? 
     <When i finally snapped back 
 from dissociation…->
            
  “Oh my- HHHEEEYYYY    
                                 KIIIIDDDDDD?”

“Huh- yeah what- huh?-“

               “Are you alright kid? The 
                      hell is wrong with you? 

Now kid. Seriously. Answer my question. You can’t ask me one then proceed not answer mine.”

“Oh i’m sorry i have a condition, but what was your question?”

    “Why?” …silence.              Uh…..jeez … I feared this happening.

“I- well, Evan said i can’t be friends with a girl and not try to date her. I am just trying to prove my point and get maybe.. ….my ex back.” “If we fall in love with each other. You going to just say bye to me
and hi to her? Because I am not —-Im not really f-cking with that one homes. That’s green , how much you paying though beerbottle?” Oh paradise and my device, how does she know my middle
names Bo’Telle?! BY THE WAY! It’s pronounced [BO-TELL] not bottle.
“Fifty bucks, but i don’t know how many times you’ll have to kiss me so if you want me to rai-“

   “Fifties fine , starting now? As in *now now*?”
 
               “Mm..Yup, exactly.

That a problem?” Please say no. <She grabbed my hand and said>

“So, which way you headed, girlfriend?”

(Her emphasis was a little cute not going to lie.)

{skims schedule… long silence included…..}

            “Where is it??-
                   There. I found it, let

me seee here…opposite of you, Im going this way” <I pointed behind me>, “My class is in ;
^EHALL, at least that’s what my schedule says.” She turned around and pulled me towards my class. “Well, don’t want to be late do you girlfriend?”

  “Oh- Yeah, no, yeah.” 

She literally just caught me staring at her. What have i gotten myself into, my ex is going to flip.

sh-t. 
                        

Well,

                 looks like i’m in for a ride. Definitely not mad though hehe.
   
                        :the end:

(FORNOW)

Michael was walking down the lane and he bumped into a stranger that looked familiar. It turned out that the stranger was Scott an old school friend, they were having lovely chats. They got talking and Michael said to Scott “ If I pay you, will you please pretend to be my friend, just this week?”. Scott thought this was very weird as he gave Michael a concerned look, Michael said “ let me explain it to you, basically I am being bullied in school. The boys in my class are not nice to me because they think I am a loner and have no friends. We were friends years ago and I thought to ask you because I need this favour right now before I go into school”. Michael took a photo with Scott to prove to the bullies that he does have a friend.

The young man sat alone in the large bustling plaza, reading away on his phone by the fountain. Every day, he would walk downtown, take a seat next to the fountain, and read. He had done so for months. In truth, the habit had started as a naive attempt at finding someone to talk to. “The odds of finding someone are zero if I’m in my home all day.” He had thought. His hopes of finding someone just by sitting out in public had died a month ago. Now he simply enjoyed the walk, the sun, and the change of scenery.

“Excuse me?” A voice said, startling him. A woman stood tall beside him, her head tilted as she tried to glance at his phone. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” She was a cute girl, tall with tanned skin and long black hair. Her smile was almost infectious with a single tooth jutting out slightly further than the rest, biting her lip as she grinned. She had what some would consider a baby face with rounded cheeks, he thought it suited her well. Her eyes were a light brown, almost orange.

“No, no it’s okay. I’ll move so you can have this spot. It’s a nice spot.” He pushed himself up with one hand, slipping his phone into his sweater pocket with the other. The man was a half foot shorter than her, with hair dyed black, his blond roots threatening to retake over. His hair wrapped around the left side of his neck in a ponytail, the last time he had it fully cut being over a decade ago. His eyes were a dim lavender hiding a plain brown behind them, his favourite colour of contacts. In truth, he considered himself to be increasingly plain, so he often took measures to change how he looked in what ways he could.

“No please, sit.“ she said, bending slightly to look at his eyes. He averted his gaze to the other side. “Purple? Son of a…” She sighed through a closed mouth.

“Purple…?” He asked

“Your eyes, I bet they’d be red or abnormally blue, but my coworker guessed purple. So, now I’m out $20.” She stood straight again, shaking her head slightly. “Anyway, I’ll—“

“You bet on my eye colour? Why?” He stood up and pretended to stretch his legs, before actually stretching his legs.

“Well, and I don’t mean any offence, you do your makeup better than my friend does, and you dye and take proper care of your very long hair, we just assumed you wore coloured contacts too. Anyway, I gotta get back to work. And pay my friend. See you around.” She began to walk away.

“Wait, do you read many books?” He asked as he took two steps toward her.

“No, I’ve never been a reader, why?” She glanced around, seemingly impatient.

“Well… Would you like to go to this book club with me tomorrow night?” He knew it was a stupid question even before he said the words aloud.

“Hah, can’t say the idea interests me much, but…” She pivoted and walked to the specialty cake shop where another woman was waiting. He exhaled a deep and defeated breath. ‘Way to look like an idiot.’ He thought to remove his contacts right there, and throw them into the fountain. Instead, he merely sat down again. An hour passed without once looking at his phone, just staring at the water shooting into the air. He took a deep breath, stood up, and walked to the cake shop. Inside, the woman was manning the register as she finished up with a customer. Once the customer was gone, he walked up to her and slapped his hand down on the counter. Beneath it was a $50 bill.

“If I pay you, will you please pretend to be my friend, just this week?” Pathetic, pitiful, worthless. Loathing took over his thoughts. Not even he could believe he said such a thing. She heard, her coworker behind her heard, the customer leaving probably heard. ‘Today is the last day I will ever come to this plaza.’ Silence filled the air as his face reddened. It must have been at least 30 degrees all around him.

“Sure, a fifty now and then again next Friday sound fair?” She placed her hand on the bill, her fingers grazing his. He looked up, shock visible all over his face. Her coworker had a hand covering her face as she suppressed laughter.

“I- Really? You don’t… never mind, yeah that sounds fair. But why next Friday? It’s Thursday today.” His voice rose with excitement, shaming him further.

“You want someone to go to that book club with you, yeah? And they hold it every Friday, so I’ll give you an extra day, to make two of the meetings. You’re gonna have to tell me all about the book, though, cause I’m not gonna read it.” She smiled at him again, like she had the first moment she spoke to him. “I’m Chella, by the by. And the jerk behind me is Kiara. What about you?” She motioned to her friend who was now failing to stifle audible laughter, slinking off to the kitchen.

“I’m Daemon, can I pick you up at 1 tomorrow?” He asked, still shook.

“Mhm. Kiara can take over for an hour or two ‘til we’re done. See you then, Daemon.” His name on her lips took him by surprise. ‘She’s just doing it for the cash…’ ‘She won’t even talk to you in between the meetings.’ ‘But why go through the effort just for $100?’ He headed home for the day.

That night, he failed to commit to any reading or sleep. His mind was abuzz, full of bees trapped in a maze. He switched back and forth as he tried to convince his doubts and self-loathing that maybe someone wanted to be his friend, or maybe more. But in the end, his doubts won. He went over every scenario, each one worse than the last. After hours of overthinking and self-pity, he fell asleep.

He awoke with tears staining his eyes and pillow. It was that dream again, the one that stuck with him ever since he was a young teen. Whether it was a friend, family member, or an acquaintance he had spoken to once, they would always shout and scream at him. He would be doing a simple task for them, or just minding his own business, and they would berate, put down, and anger him to the point of tears. This time, it was his mother. The dreams had stuck with him in the waking world, becoming deeply associated with those that appeared in them, much to his displeasure.

Daemon forced himself out of bed, preparing for the day. Showered, hair tied down his back, with nails and face touched up, he moved to his closet. He slipped into a black dress shirt and dark blue jeans. He thought too late that he might be overdressed for a simple book club meeting. The walk to the plaza was nerve-racking. ‘It’s going to be a cruel joke.’ ‘She won’t show up.’ ‘Why would she lie, she works at the store and would see you every day. Don’t be stupid.’ Before he knew it, he was standing in front of the fountain. ‘Do I wait here?’ ‘If I go into the store, will they laugh at me?’ ‘If I wait here—‘

“Hey! Ready to head over?” He turned to see Chella clad in a dark blue jean jacket over white top with a long black skirt. Her hair was tied up in a bun, and her eyes had wings of eyeliner. Despite her rather casual attire, Daemon suddenly felt underdressed.

“Yeah, I’m ready if you are.” The two walked side by side to the book store. ‘Say something, you idiot.’ ‘She’s already bored and we aren’t even there yet.’ Breaking his train of doubt, Chella spoke up and asked about the book they would be reading. Daemon described the book to her, switching between several tangents about other books he liked in the same genre. After ten minutes of rambling, they arrived.

“Hello! Are you two here for the book club meeting? First time or have you been before?” A lady at the front desk asked. She led them to the corner near the back of the store, where couches, armchairs, cushions, and ottomans sat in a rectangular formation near a window. In the centre, several of the same book laid upon a table. The book was titled ‘A Love Most Foul’. A romance with promises of murder mystery thrown in. The two took a seat next to each other on a small couch up against the window. As more people joined, drinks were passed around. Coffee, water, iced tea, and various juices, with lunch soon to come. Relatively quiet at first, the group picked up quickly, talking amongst each other about the book, favourite authors, and discourse about TV and movie adaptations. By the time it was over, two hours had passed.

“That was—“

“Boring, I know. I’m really sorry I brought you to that after you expressly told me you had little interest. You don’t have to go next week.” They walked away from the store, back to the fountain.

“No, not at all! It was fun, even the quieter nerds were smiling, talking, and laughing.” She nudged his arm with her elbow, chuckling. ‘She’s just pretending for the money.’ He reminded himself, careful to not get too hopeful. “But I gotta know, why not just go yourself? You clearly fit in, why pay a stranger?”

“I… I was just nervous to go alone, is all.” He knew it was sad, and only a half-truth. But it was better than an outright lie.

“Mm. I get it.”

“I guess I’ll pick you up at the same time next week then?” A tinge of disappointment crept into his voice.

“What? You think I would put any effort into my appearance for a book club full of you dweebs just to go back to slave over cakes? No no. Let’s go for a walk, and then grab dinner. I know a great place, expensive too.” She pulled him by the arm. He had no idea what to say.

The restaurant was packed, with chandeliers tinting the room a dim orange. Servers brought bottles of expensive alcohol and silver platters of fine dining to tables all around them.

“I think I’ll have…” Chella ordered the lasagna with a salad for a side, recommending Daemon try the baked halibut. She ordered a small bottle of wine for the two to share, and a cheesecake for dessert after the meal. While they waited for the food to arrive, Daemon’s mind raced with nothing of importance. ‘Say something, say something, say something.’ He repeated, unable to find a conversation worth bringing up.

“This place is… so expensive.” He said.

“Well you are paying for it, after all, and you wouldn’t stoop to anything less, yeah?.” She said, laughing as she finished speaking

“I- Wait, I am?” He shuffled in his seat. He didn’t want to let on just how broke he was.

Chella slid a $50 bill onto the table. “Yep, and you can use the other fifty for the rest, and a nice tip to boot.” She smiled her toothy smile.

“But that was for—“

“My ‘friendship’? Please, that was just your excuse to ask. And besides, the day I bring Kiara to a place this fancy is the day I eat my pet turtle.” She said, accompanied by a chortle.

“So that would mean this is…” He trailed off.

“A first date. And don’t stress yourself, it’s been amazing so far. You’ve shared your deepest interest with me, brought me somewhere fun, and now you’re paying for an expensive dinner. All without knowing it’s been a date!” He straightened his back and stared at her, shocked. ‘How-‘ ‘Why-‘ ‘What do I…’ She placed her hand on his. “Don’t worry, I like the quiet. Everyone around me never shuts up. Me included. So relax a little. I could share with you a dozen first date stories, all infinitely worse than this.”

Their food finally arrived. In between bites, Daemon regaled her with various stories he had read over the years, and she in kind told him all about her friends, terrible dates, and various pets. After dessert, they went for a walk before heading to Chella’s apartment building.

“I’ll see you at the fountain tomorrow? Feel free to give me some company at the store, once you’ve read your fill for the day.” She said, holding his hand in hers.

“Yeah, for sure… So does this mean you’ll stick around for more than just this week? Or—“ She laughed through her nose before bringing him in for a kiss.

“You think too much.” She said, lowering his hand. “See you tomorrow!”

He stood outside the building for a few minutes, stunned. ‘Maybe I deserve this feeling, just this once.’