EXTRA CHAPTER SEVEN
( ! the date ! )

"OH, COME ON, Annie!" Simon pleaded, walking besides the girl who was speed-walking down the hallway away from him as fast as she could. "No, Simon! It's not going to happen."

Simon frowned. "But why not? We've already kissed why can't we give it a try?" Annie shook her head. "No! Everything is perfect just the way it is, I don't want it ruined."

Simon sighed. "But it's obviously not perfect! And nothing would be ruined, it would be so much better. Look, I want to give it a try." Annie tried to quicken her pace again but Simon was just as quickly matching her pace again. "Look, I'm sorry but no! I don't want anything to change."

"It's already changed! Everything changed after that night." Simon responded. Annie took a deep breath in. "Then fuck that night. Because I liked how things were going and I really don't want this right now."

"What's so horrible about one date?" Simon questioned, trying to get Annie to actually look at him. She had been avoiding eye contact ever since he first asked her, but he wasn't giving up. "Because if it's horrible it'll be all awkward between us and I don't think I can handle that! And if—"

"And if it goes great?" Simon finished for her, his tone questioning for her to finish the statement on her own. Annie sighed and stopped walking, pulling Simon to a stop as well. "And if it goes great then I don't know what will happen. And honestly, I'm not too fond of either of those options."

Her frown deepened. "I don't want to end up like my mom, Simon. She's the most depressing person I know. And you know what made her that way?" Simon let out a breath. "Your dads death, Annie."

Annie shook her head. "No. Loving, caring, trying things like dates. She never would have got attached if she didn't let herself get attacked. I'm not making the same mistake." She went to walk off, but Simon grabbed her hand. "One chance. If it goes horrible, we forget it and go back to normal. And if it goes great, we figure it out."

Annie stared down at their hands. Simon had moved his hand to link with hers. She almost threw up on the spot because they fit perfectly together. It was like all of her fears were coming true. Even giving being with Simon a chance was going against everything she ever believed in.

He was her best friend. She hated that the universe did this to him. Because she wasn't the type that could be loved. It was work and no one had ever stayed through the hard times before. Everyone always left and that doesn't leave a very openly loving person behind.

Sure, somewhere deep down inside Annie there'd be that young girl thinking of falling in love and being happy, but that little girl had been buried far down and Annie didn't even remember her.

Who she did remember was the girl who couldn't sleep over the sound of her mother's wails. The girl who insisted she didn't care her father had died because not caring was easier than wishing.

Annie sighed. "I'll think about it." She removed his hand from hers and hurried down the hall.

All Simon did was smile because that was an improvement.

ANNIE COULDN'T BELIEVE she had said yes. He had pestered her so much that she agreed to one date. And while Simon was ecstatic, Annie just wanted life to go back to normal.

She laid on her bed, pillow over her face, allowing herself to groan in annoyance at herself. Kate laughed a bit from a chair before standing up. "You could always cancel."

Annie moved the pillow off her face, sitting up and giving Kate a look. "That's a little harsh even for me." Kate nodded slightly, she was right. Annie hadn't been the nicest person to many people but she'd never been able to be too harsh towards any of her friends.

"Well then stop abusing your pillow and let's get you ready." Kate smiled. Annie glared at her. "You know what I liked you better when you were saying things that would stop me from going."

Now it was Kates turn to give Annie a look. She walked around next to her best friend and with one quick motion, pushed Annie off her bed.

Annie gasped, now on the ground. "You bitch!" Kate just laughed, reaching her hands out for Annie to grab onto. Annie didn't know how Kate hadn't thought about what she did next, but she took the chance and pulled Kate down on the ground as well.

Both girls broke out in laughter over the moment only they'd find amusing. Annie was happy for the quick distraction. She didn't want to think about breaking Simons heart like she inevitably would.

It just wasn't in her to be able to love in that kind of way. To love so fearlessly and effortlessly. Fuck, she often scared herself with the fact that she never felt truly sad over never meeting her father.

She just knew that growing up how she did it was impossible to see love as anything besides a burden.

Kate gave her a look. "Come on. The sooner you start getting ready the sooner you can come home." Annie nodded, it would all be over soon... and she might just loose one of her best friends in the process.

ANNIE FELT LIKE a dick. Because while Simon smiled from across from her, all she could think about was how she was going to shoot him down. He planned this amazing evening and all she could think to do was leave.

He had been amazing all night. He was a gentleman and was kind, but conversation didn't flow as it usually did. There was this awkward tension that hung over the two of them and it made Annie sick.

The worst part was that while she continued to tell herself that it would never work, as the night went on and Simon sat across from her with that adorable smile, a small part of her began to wonder.

Because after a little bit the conversation grew normal and that awkward tension disappeared completely. Annie at one point had even forgotten it was meant to be a date, just enjoying her time with him.

And that was fucking scary.

She was having a good time. A really good time and that was not apart of the plan. "And then the—" Simon laughed, unable to even finish his sentence. "And then the fucking chocolate milk!" Annie finished, laughing as well.

People around the two gave them strange looks as they laughed over the memory. It was a fancier place and no one had expected two high school kids to come in and yell profanities. But they were having fun and neither really cared what a bunch of random people thought of them.

Simon smiled, letting out a content sigh. "I'm having a really good time." Annie nodded her head. "Um, yeah. Me too." Simons smile grew, because even if it took a few more dates he knew one day he'd have her. All he had to do was be patient.

So that's what he did, and when the night came to a close and the two walked back to Annies house, Simon continued to be patient.

And as that same time went on, Annie let that little seed of hope that maybe she could be different from her own mother grow. The seed that told her she could be happy.

So when they walked and Simons hand brushed against Annies, she didn't pull away. She just kept her hand down at her side swinging. It wasn't much, but for her it was a game changer.

She wasn't ready. She didn't think she'd ever be ready. But, Annie wouldn't be too mad if the person who helped her out was Simon. Anything could happen.

Annie smiled as they reached her front porch, hands digging into her pockets. "I— um... tonight was a lot more enjoyable than I thought it would be." Simon smiled, rocking back and forth on his feet. "I'm glad." He took in a breath. "Annie, I uh, I hope we can do this again sometime. I really did have a good time."

Annie bit the inside of her cheek, letting out a deep breath. "Simon—" He cut her off. "I'm sorry, it's just... why do you try to push away everything that could be good for you? I care about you a shit tone and I know you care about me too... so why won't you just let yourself be happy?"

Annie frowned, she knew the answer but not how to answer the question. "Um, honestly I don't know how to answer that. I think— I think when you grow up only seeing any type of love crash and burn it's hard to picture it going any other way."

"So just let it play out." Simon responded like it was nothing. Annie furrowed her brows. "It's not that easy." Simon smiled, grabbing her hands and pulling them out from her pockets. "But it is! Just let yourself go with it and if it crashes and burns you can say I told you so until we die. But if it keeps going good, I'll never speak of this conversation again."

Annie stood there for a moment, hands intertwined with his as she decided which way she'd choose to head towards. She had two choices and one seemed so much better than the other, and so, Annie nodded. "Okay, let's give this a try."

"Really?" Simon smiled wide. Annie nodded. "Yeah, let's, let's see where this goes."

AUTHORS NOTE!
oh hey hi why did this literally take me forever geez. uhhh last time I updated was september that's insane a lot has happened since then. I got a bad knee injury and have been working on coming back from it since but wow can't believe I've finally updated again.

I've missed this story a lot so I hope you guys have missed it too!

also I made an edit for it today and I love it so...
https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdCG41tP/

check it out! I love you muah muah