Misty seemed surprised by Scottie's sudden appearance. Little did she know, he'd been waiting anxiously around the corner for close to an hour hoping she wouldn't bail on him. Up until the day came, he felt confident his plan was infallible, but Misty was a smart girl. She could've found a way to get herself out of their date. She could've made a potion that made her appear deathly ill or erased his memory or turned back time again. Hell, she could've even dug up some dirt on him and held it over his head. Lord knows there was plenty of it.

But she hadn't done any of that. She was right there in front of him, looking as beautiful as ever. Seeing her there had him thinking there might've been a reason why she gave in so easily. A cocky grin spread across his face. Of course, she wanted to come. He was Scottie Freaking Derringer.

His confidence returning, he headed up the stairs to greet her.

"You have no right looking this gorgeous," he said as he reached the top of the stairs. "It's not fair to a man like me."

Scottie could see Misty struggling to keep her eyes from rolling into the back of her head. He was surprised she resisted at all. It wasn't like her. He'd never say it to her face, but sometimes he threw out the most obnoxious thing he could think of, just to see her reaction.

"A man like you?" Misty scoffed. "And what kind of man would that be?"

Scottie cracked a laugh. There was the Misty he knew and loved. Call him a masochist, but he liked it when she called him on his shit. He needed that.

"A weak one," he answered honestly.

Misty crossed her arms and looked him up and down with narrow eyes. Scottie waited patiently for her next comeback. He didn't mind her sizing him up. He knew he looked damn good and he wanted her to get a good look.

"Well, I won't argue with that," Misty muttered.

"See look at that," Scottie said with a mockingly chipper tone. "We're not even 5 minutes in and already we're agreeing on something."

This time, Misty didn't stop herself from rolling her eyes. She let out a huff and let her eyes look anywhere but at him. A moment went by where neither of them said anything. Scottie felt a primal need to push the night along. The last thing he wanted was for her to be bored. A night with Scottie Derringer should be anything but boring.

"Shall we?" Scottie said as he gestured down the hall.

"If you insist," Misty said with a heavy sigh.

Scottie gave her a smile as he was eager to get the evening started. Her lack of enthusiasm only bothered him slightly. She may have been huffing and puffing on the outside, but he had a feeling it was a cover for her true feelings. Somewhere, buried deep inside, was an attraction to him she couldn't deny. By the time the night was over, she'd be his. He was sure of it.

Although, realistically, he wasn't off to a great start. They walked down the hall in uncomfortable silence. Misty made no attempts at making conversation. Her lips were sealed in a grumpy frown, refusing to give him an inch. It was rare that Scottie found himself at a loss for words, but he was struggling to find something to say.

"Do you like Koi?" He blurted, seemingly out of the blue.

The question wasn't totally irrelevant, it tied into his plans for the night, but it wasn't exactly his smoothest conversation starter. Misty didn't know what his plans were, so he could only imagine how random it sounded to her.

Well, they can't all be winners, he thought to himself.

"Do I like Koi?" Misty questioned. Her disdain for the question was palpable.

"Yeah, like the fish," Scottie said.

He supposed he could've backtracked, told her nevermind, and moved on, but he had already committed to the conversation. He didn't want to admit it was a dumb question or show embarrassment. He would confidently stick by what he said, no matter how stupid it was. It was the Derringer way.

"I know what Koi are, I'm not stupid," Misty clapped back. "I just don't know why the hell you'd ask me that."

"It's relevant to our destination."

"What do you mean? Where are we going, a fish market?"

"Koi fish aren't typically eaten. They are highly valued pets known for their intelligence and loyalty," Scottie rattled off. He realized he sounded like a human Wikipedia page, but he didn't care. He liked Koi fish. Sue him. "They can cost upwards of $3,000."

"Who would pay $3,000 for a fish?"

"They're beautiful fish," Scottie said plainly as if that was a perfectly justifiable explanation.

"What is with you and the stupid fish?"

Scottie just smiled, knowing what was in store for her. It was going to blow her mind.

"You'll see."

He led her down the hall a few more steps until they arrived at a glass door. Scottie took a brief pause before opening the door to build suspense. Misty didn't seem the least bit amused, but he went with it anyway.

"Are you ready?" He said with a proud smile.

In response, Misty hit him with a scathing "are you serious?" look and refused to answer. It was clear she didn't care for his silly games.

"Well, are you?" He prompted.

"Yes," she answered sharply and unwillingly.

Satisfied with her answer, Scottie pulled the door open to reveal a stunning Japanese garden overflowing with greenery. Scattered across the landscape were tiny pink petals that had fallen from Cherry Blossom trees. Stone pathways weaved in and out, creating a complex labyrinth that led to twists and turns of a seemingly endless journey. A gentle waterfall trickled down through mossy green rocks and pooled into an impressively sized pond. When they stepped closer, they were greeted with a colorful flurry of orange, black, white, and red fins. They swirled around the pond like a watercolor painting. Koi fish. Hundreds of them.

Scottie knelt down and let his hand dangle in the water. The second his hand was submerged, the fish darted towards him and swarmed his hand. It was almost as if they were excited to see him. Scottie looked down at them and smiled. It wasn't his usual snarky smirk, it was a real, genuine smile filled with warmth and happiness. He was excited to see them too.

Scottie could feel Misty's eyes on him, studying him. He could tell she was curious, but not enough to ask.

"Come here," he said to her with an inviting smile.

Misty stayed back with a grimace on her face. She was either apprehensive, disgusted, or more likely, both. He almost had to laugh. Only Misty could remain so stubbornly crabby surrounded by such beauty.

"No thanks," she said. "I'm not much of a...fish person."

"They don't bite," he said, doing his best to entice her.

It wasn't exactly working. Misty didn't move a muscle. It may have seemed insignificant or even strange, but the Koi fish were an integral part of his plan. They would set the tone for the entire night.

"Please?" Scottie said, giving her his most convincing puppy dog eyes.

It took a little coaxing, but eventually, Misty gave in and joined him at the edge of the water. She tugged at the bottom of her dress impatiently, struggling to position it so she could sit down without ruining it. Scottie watched her with a smile on his face. Not only was it cute, but the extra care she took with the dress proved to him that she liked it.

"Is this seriously your idea of a romantic evening?" She said with annoyance. "Making a girl get all dressed up to touch a fish?"

"There's more to it, I promise," he said with a soft laugh.

Misty sighed then reluctantly looked into the water at the fish. She didn't really want to touch the fish, so she was having a tough time picking one out. The longer she studied the water, the more hypnotizing it became. As the water pulled her in closer, she began to notice something strange. Deep beneath the colorful surface were hoards of eerie black fish that looked like they were struggling to keep themselves afloat. One, in particular, caught her eye. Its body and fins were significantly smaller than the others, almost as if its growth had been stunted, and a deep red ring surrounded its sorrowful eyes.

She felt a powerful draw to it like it was calling out for help. Slowly, Misty went to reach for it. When Scottie realized which one she was going for, panic struck his heart.

"No!" Scottie said urgently and jerked her hand away. Misty's face crinkled in confusion and offense.

"Not that one," he said, making a concentrated effort to make his tone calm and soft to minimize his outburst. "Try this one."

He took her hand and gently brought it towards a more robust, vibrantly colored yellow and orange fish with feathery fins. Misty was still confused, but, to his relief, she allowed him to take the lead.

"Close your eyes," he whispered.

Riding off the serene energy the water emitted, Misty let her eyes droop closed without a fight. Her hand ran over its smooth scales. A warm glow filled her soul. The smell of fresh-cut grass and sunscreen wafted up to her nose. She felt the burn of the summer sun on her back. She saw a young boy with sandy blonde hair, maybe four or five, running down a rolling hill. His hair was slick and matted to his head. Beads of water glistened off him and blades of grass stuck to his bare feet. His swim trunks hung heavily, completely saturated with water. He must've just gone swimming.

Chasing after him was an older girl, who had to be at least 10 or 11. Her long, wavy brown hair floated behind her like a cape. A daisy chain crown bounced up and down on her head as she ran. She wore a flowy, white lace dress that swished around her knees. She looked vaguely familiar, but her face was fuzzy. Misty felt like she knew the girl, but she couldn't quite place her.

The feeling was strange, but it was quickly overshadowed by the shrieks and giggles of the boy. The girl had caught up to him and tackled him to the ground.

"That's not fair!" He whined between giggles. "I was gonna win! You used magic!"

"No, I didn't!" She protested. "What makes you think that?"

"Because, because," he sputtered out as he tried to catch his breath from laughing so hard. "Because you're a girl!"

"You know what, Scottie Derringer," she said playfully and then pinched his chubby baby cheeks. "You're lucky you're so cute."

"Yeah, too bad you aren't," he shot back as he wriggled free.

As soon as he was out of her grasp, he ran off, laughing maniacally.

"Hey, get back here!" She shouted after him.

Just like that, the chase was on again and the two of them disappeared over the hills.

Misty's eyes fluttered open slowly. She blinked a few times, bringing herself back to reality. She pulled her hand out of the water and turned to Scottie. She looked him in the eyes, searching for an explanation.

"What was that?"

Scottie paused for a moment to gather his thoughts and summon the courage to speak his mind. Then he took a deep breath and dove in.

"These aren't just fish, Misty," Scottie explained softly. "They're the keepers of my memories. Every one of them holds a part of me that I don't want to forget. Whenever I'm stressed, I come to them, and they remind me of who I am and where I've been."

"Please," Misty scoffed. "What do you have to be stressed about?"

Scottie fell silent and his heart constricted. He averted his eyes and swallowed the painful lump forming in his throat. He wanted so badly to make her see that he wasn't just some spoiled brat who sat in an ivory tower. He had his struggles like anyone else. He thought if he was vulnerable and open with her, she'd see that. But it didn't seem to make a difference.

He took his hand out of the pond, shook the water off, and stood up. He offered his hand to Misty to help her up, but she refused it and pushed herself up on her own. He tried not to be hurt by it, but he couldn't help how he felt. Misty's comment stirred up a lot of painful memories, and her refusal to take his hand was the icing on the cake.

"Come on," he said somewhat coldly and nodded his head towards a stone path that weaved through the forest of shrubbery. "Let's go eat. I'm sure you're hungry."

Scottie turned on his heel and then disappeared into the brush. Misty followed, but she had trouble keeping up. Scottie sensed that she was lagging behind. At first, he didn't care and didn't intend to wait for her. But then he remembered the night's purpose and thought better of his petty revenge.

Yes, she had hurt him, but he had hurt her too. He had to do better. He might not be the hero in Misty's story, but the least he could do was try not to be the villain. Scottie slowed his pace and turned around to make sure she wasn't lost. She must've been closer behind than he thought. When he turned around, she ran straight into him. Even though she was the one who bumped into him, he was the one to say sorry.

***

So, I decided to do a POV switch! Scottie was a minor character in the first half, but you'll start to see him become more of a key player in the back end of the story (which unfortunately we're coming close too). I thought writing from his POV would add to our understanding of his character, but I'm curious about what you guys think!

How did you like seeing things from Scottie's perspective?

Do you think that Misty likes him too, or is that his ego talking?

What secret struggles do you think he's hiding?

P.S. Just one more reason why it took me so long to write this chapter...