Monday morning rolled around. Noelle sat quietly with her family at the breakfast table. Margo sat down next to her and immediately took notice of the quarter-sized bruise on Noelle's neck and almost choked on her cheerios. Margo started to couch frantically.

Lydia looked up from her breakfast of oatmeal and fruit, "Margo, are you okay?" She asked with concern. Margo nodded and took a sip of orange juice. Jason looked from his breakfast of toast and cereal and noticed that same purple-ish bruise against her neck.

"Noe, what happened to your neck?" Jason gestured to his own neck for reference. Noelle's eyes widened and slapped her hand on her neck and blushed. She picked up her nearly empty cereal bowl and placed it in the sink quickly.

"I gotta head out." Noelle said as she hugged Lydia and kissed her dad on the cheek and ruffled the boys' hair (which they didn't necessarily enjoy) and hugged Margo. She walked outside of her front door and locked it. Walking down her driveway she started to walk on the side walk. However, she failed to notice the gargantuan truck with an even larger boy sitting inside waiting for her. She sped walked as the truck slowly crept beside her. He rolled down the window slowly.

Carson woke up early that morning before the sun and the first thought in his head was a petite girl with unruly coils and glasses. This feeling was unfamiliar and he didn't know what to do about it. One thing for sure was that he had to talk to her about it--whatever it takes. While getting ready in his lavish bathroom, he practiced his speech in the mirror.

"...Noelle, I don't regret what happened..." He said as he looked into his stone reflection with a toothbrush and damp hair. He finished getting dressed and hopped into his truck. He knew he had to talk about this kiss and explain to her that...he kinda really liked it a lot more than he should. He had to tell her that she made him nervous but, in a good way. There was just too much to explain to her. He pulled into her driveway and waited for her to emerge from her front door. Not too long after he got there, she emerged from her front door and walked right past his humming truck. He rolled his window down.

"Noelle!" He said as he made she to keep his eyes on the road. Nothing, she kept walking like she didn't even hear him. He didn't want to do this but, he knew he had to...

He laid his hand on the horn and pressed down firmly. A frightening honk resounded in her small quiet neighborhood and scared Noelle half to death. She faced his truck angrily and said, "Jesus H. Christ, Carson, what!"

"Can I give you a ride, Babe?" Carson flex his tans arms and sent her a smolder. Noelle shook her head.

"No, thanks. I'm fine walking." She continued to walk.

"Come on, Noe, get in. It's gonna rain." Noelle frown and looked up and saw full, dark clouds hanging above her head. "Shoot." She said quietly to herself.

"Just this once, Carson." She said as she hopped into his truck and set her backpack between her legs. There was a tangible silence between them as Carson drove to the end of her neighborhood. His large palms were becoming clammy and this silent ride was making him feel anxious. He looked her over while her eyes were glued to the window beside her. He noticed the quarter-sized bruised on the side of her neck and couldn't help but smirk.

Coming up on their high school, Carson drove straight past it. Noelle's eyes widened as their school was getting smaller and smaller in his rear-view mirror. "Carson! Turn back!"

"Actually...I thought we could play hooky today." He shrugged and smiled.

"That is not up for you to decide. If you turn back now, we won't be late!" She wrung her hands nervously.

"Don't get your panties in a twist, we're just having fun. It's our god-given right."

"No, Carson. If I skip, I'm gonna get a 'god-given right' ass-whooping."

"I'm sure you'll be fine, Noe. We're just having fun today, you deserve it." He said as he kept his eyes on the road. Noelle knew fighting against this was redundant so she sat back and turned on the radio. It was a Kali Uchis song that Noelle liked, she closed her eyes and started to dance in her seat

"...I don't wanna be a cigarette..." She sang out loud. Her curls bounced freely as she danced. Carson couldn't help but smile and laugh at her.

***

Their first destination was a roller-rink. Noelle furrowed her eyebrows when she read Joe's Dojo and Roller-rink.

Carson hopped out the truck and so did Noelle. "Why are we at a roller-rink?"

"To have fun, duh." He said as he placed his hand on the small of her back. "I saw skating was a good idea for a first date on Tumblr or whatever."

"Wait, this is a date?" Noelle looked up in shock and stopped walking.

"Uh...yeah," He said as he scratched behind his neck and looked down at the gravel of the parking lot.

"Uh, Carson, I don't think that's a good idea." Noelle said softly as she backed away from him a bit.

"I'm gonna be honest...I can't stop thinking about that kiss we had on Saturday. You make me feel nervous in the best way, if that even makes fucking sense." He chuckled to himself. "I really like you and I kinda don't know what to do about this. So, just spend the day with me. I want to persuade you that I'm more than just some meat-head on the football team who is terrible at Bio." He laughed again to lighten the mood as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "...I don't regret anything that happened on Saturday in the slightest..." He hit her with that melting gaze and she thought she would turn into a liquid.

Noelle opened her mouth but, her words were still catching up to the rest of her body."...Okay..." She said softly. "We can finish this date thing or whatever but, I'm still your tutor though." Carson let out a breath and wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead lovingly and then her cheek. She pushed him away playfully, "Don't get carried away, this is our first date, so keep that shit at bay."

When they walked into the rink and rented their skates. The rink was practically empty but that made sense because it was a Monday morning. Carson tied his skates first and then helped Noelle tie her skates and helped her off the bench. To which they wobbled and tripped their way to the smooth gym tile. When they first got on the rink, Noelle wanted to hold on to the wall.

To which, Carson pulled her off and held both of her hands, "Carson, I swear to God, I'm gonna fall!"

"You're not gonna fall, trust me." Carson laughed as she wobbled and teetered on her skates. She held on tightly to his warm hands. They were steady for a while, slow but steady. Until she suddenly slipped and fell on top of him--knocking the wind out of him. She laughed and rested her head on his chest. He couldn't help a smile from forming on his face too as he laid on the gym-style tiles of the rink. His hand grazed her wild curls as she looked up at him with her honey eyes. She smiled at him.

"What?" She asked. He leaned down and kissed her lips softly and pulled away.

"Nothing, I just wanted to do that." He said softly as she felt herself blush. She pulled herself off of him and crawled to the neighboring wall and helped herself up. Carson got up too and dusted himself off. "Let's do another lap around." Carson suggested as he offered both of his hands. Noelle held both of them as Carson skated backwards. "What one thing about Noelle Cartwright that not everyone knows?"

"How much time ya got?" She giggled.

"All the time in the world for you." He said seductively. This romantic side of Carson was something that Noelle needed to get used to.

"Shut up." She smiled as her face heated up. She looked down at her feet and tried to concentrate on not falling.

"Okay, okay. Let's start with basics: what's your favorite color?"

"Purple." She answered. "What's yours?"

"Blue."

"What's your type?" Carson frowned at this question.

"I don't really have one." Noelle rolled her eyes.

"Everyone has a type. Think about all the girls you've dated or whatever and what's some things they have in common?"

Carson thought about it long and hard, "I guess...they all had pretty fit bodies--athletic for the most part. Nice eyes, nice smile. My type isn't solid. I like who I like I guess." He shrugged.

"What about you, Noe? You got a type?" Carson asked.

"Never really thought about it." She shrugged. "But, if I were to have a type, I'd say tall, dark and handsome. Maybe like Idris Elba." She giggled to herself.

"Idris is a fine motherfucker, I'll give you that." Carson laughed while guiding her around the rink slowly. "I got a deep question for you." Carson said, "Have you ever dated outside your race before?"

"Uh, no. Granted I've never really dated anyone." She said trying while trying to stop wobbling.

"Would you ever?"

She shrugged, "Never gave it much thought. I mean I have nothing against interracial relationships--hell my step-family is Korean and I love them to bits. But, I haven't really thought about it for myself."

"Is that a 'yes?'" He raised an eyebrow and smiled down at her.

"Yes." She said as she looked up at him

"Would you date me?" Carson looked down seriously at her.

She hesitated for a second and shifted her eyes to a neighboring wall before flicking her eyes back to him. She looked at him--really looked at him. She saw a beautiful person with such intelligence and passion. She knew that if she dated him, it wasn't going to end well--she could just feel it in the pit of her stomach. Something bad was going to happen. They were too different to cohesively be together. And not to mention that she was still technically his tutor even though she broke so many rules.

And maybe it was the lighting and the way his shaggy hair almost covered his eyes. Or maybe it's the way she could feel herself have a heart-attack every time he touches or kisses her. Maybe it's the fresh pine smell that radiates from his skin and she just wants to wrap herself in him and never let go. She knew she should say 'no.' This boy was dangerous beyond comprehension. He had demons that he struggled with and she knew that those demons weren't going anywhere anytime soon. And she had her own trauma she had to make sense of. She took his shoulder into her hands and held them firmly.

"Yes."