"I'm gonna screw this whole thing up." I said to Peyton but mostly to myself. I stare back at myself in the mirror. I wore a simple dress with some floral printing on it and wedged heels that weren't actually breaking my ankles. I even straightened my hair for once.

As I scan myself again I feel a little out of place just like I had the first time I wore that red dress. I'd rather wear black jeans and a sweatshirt but I am trying my best to actually seem appealing to Zach.

Not that I should care, I just do.

"What's wrong?" Peyton says. "I know that face."

I turn to look at her laying across my bed. "Nothing." I smile forgetting everything that just occurred in my brain. My phone vibrates in my hands and it reads under Zach's name "omw".

I grab my jacket and my bag and hoist it over my shoulder. "Alex!" My mother shouts from downstairs. "Someone's waiting here for you."

"That must be Zach." I said to Peyton.

"Go have fun and don't worry Ash and I will be on speed dial if you need anything." She smiles pulling me into a gentle hug.

We both walk downstairs and I stop in my place looking toward the entrance of my house. I furrow my eyebrows surprised to see Gavin standing in the doorway. My mother is sitting on the couch with a glass of wine in hand waving at me.

"What are you doing here?" I say grabbing his arm and pulling him toward the porch. "This isn't the time."

"I'm not here to ruin your first date loser." He rolls his eyes at me like he's annoyed.

"I've been on plenty of dates." I point my finger up at him. "And I am not a loser."

"Whatever you say."

I shake my head looking down at my phone again to see if I've gotten anymore texts. Nope.

"What do you want?" I exasperate.

Gavin stuffs his hands into his pockets staring down at me like he's ready to destroy me. I had a feeling he wasn't gonna actually let me enjoy this date tonight. But I patiently wait for him to speak and he just never does.

"You look- decent." He finally says changing his direction toward the road where a truck pulls up. Finally.

"Thanks I guess." I said. "I really have to go." As I walk past him I could have sworn he said something under his breath but it was unrecognizable.

"Hey." Zach says appearing from around his truck. He's wearing a black button up shirt and it looks so good on him. His hair is also slightly let messier and combed instead and he pulls it off very well. "You look amazing."

I smile shyly at him. "Thanks you don't look to bad yourself." I tease, no that's enough. Don't even speak Alex. I try to block out Gavin's obnoxious laughs coming from my porch as he watches this very awkward encounter.

"Hey Gavin." Zach waves to him and Gavin simply nods his head at him. I can even see Peyton peeking through the curtains in the window.

Zach pulls open the door for me and I hop inside so we can quickly leave. "I made reservations at a restaurant downtown I hope that's not too bad."

I shake my head. "No sounds great." He starts up the engine and I can't help but look back at Gavin who's already making his way back to his house. What could he have possibly needed to tell me? Whatever it was it needed to wait. For now I needed to focus on the date.

We arrive to the restaurant and head inside to be greeted by a hostess who leads us to a table for two. I'd never been here before, it looked nice though. We both sit down across from one another before ordering are drinks. Zach seems as nervous as I am if that's even possible.

He starts off by telling me a little bit more about himself and it's hard to keep things private with myself. I couldn't tell him anything, at least not now. I learned his favorite food was spaghetti and that I hated this whole date thing.

Who even came up with dates? They obviously didn't get nervous or as sweaty, but really cmon?

*buzz* *buzz*

Great. I take a sip of my water and listen as Zach tells me about his football scholarship. I nod my head and don't say much because I'm afraid I'll just say something stupid.

I spit out my drink which lands directly on Zach that I rush to get a napkin I accidentally tip over his drink and it falls right onto his lap. A part of me just wanted to run and never talk to him again and then there was that other part of me that just sat there slowly taking everything in.

"I'm so sorry." I said getting up from my seat. I look around worried I'd catch Gavin lurking in one of the booths.

"It's fine." He says patting down his jeans. "Really."

"This is all my fault." I said covering my face with my hands.

"Alex it's fine." He smiles at me getting up from his seat now. "I'm just gonna wash off in the bathroom real quick and I'll take you home."

I nodded feeling a little relieved because I'd finally be able to go home. I sit back in the booth and lay my head down until I hear someone slide into the seat in front of me. My eyes peer up to Gavin's green eyes and the worst part of it all was that he wasn't alone.

"What the hell are you guys doing here?" I almost shout until I realize this was a public restaurant and I've already caused quite the commotion.

"French fries my favorite." Gavin says trying to pick at my plate but I quickly slap his hand away. "Answer me."

"Carver and I were just hanging out and we thought, Zach takes every one of his dates here so why not see how humiliating this can get and sure enough-" Gavin grins. "It was worth it."

Everyone one of his dates? It seemed to loop in my head. So maybe I wasn't the only girl he's ever taken here, that didn't mean anything.

"Does he usually take them home after a date?" I asked.

Gavin shrugs taking my cup of water before drinking the rest of it. "I mean sometimes unless he wants to take them to Shadow Lake."

"Shadow Lake? What's Shadow Lake?" I ask.

"Have you been living under a rock?" Carver asks looking at me with suspicion.

"You could say that." Gavin replies.

I kick him under the table.

"It's a place people usually go to fuck." Wow he says it so casually. I guess sex just didn't mean as much as it did before. Now it's well, nothing special. "You know what that means right?"

I kick him once more smiling at him. "Zach's going to be back any minute now so I suggest you leave and go find someone else's night to ruin." I sneered.

"Okay just don't say I didn't worn you." He leans in a bit closer as he stands up. "I bet you haven't even made him wear that fucking hand sanitizer like you make me?" He whispers to me.

"Actually I brought some wipes." I say lowly, okay maybe I was a loser. "Goodbye Gavin."

He taps the table with his fingers and finally turns around. I shouldn't listen to anything that moron has to say. I didn't trust him and I didn't care.

"Ready?" Zach says grabbing his jacket from his seat. I nod my head and get up. I can already see Gavin's red mustang in the parking lot as we exit and I don't think Zach has noticed they were spying on us.

Now I felt uncomfortable.

"I had another place in mind, it's this lake just off of town."

Okay so maybe he wasn't lying.

"I really should be heading home." I say. "My mom wanted me back before ten thirty."

Zach nods his head and turns on the ignition. "It's cool, maybe next time."

"Next time?" I added, there's that word vomit.

"Yeah, if you want there to be a next time."

I nod my head. "Sure."