WARNING:
EMOTIONAL CONTENT.
Includes mentions of health scares, cancer, emotional distress.

JACE'S POV.

I am SO excited for today!

My best friend is visiting!

Roman and I have been best friends since we were ten. He moved into one of the houses on our street, and I caught him throwing his football into Mrs Rogers' back garden. She was a nasty old lady. He ended up moving to our school, and as luck would have it, I was tasked with being his buddy and showing him around the school. We just clicked instantly.

We were gutted when we found out we didn't get into the same university.

"Sutton, what is that?", I asked, pointing to a baking dish that she was carrying.

"Apple pie", she replied.

"You can't make him apple pie! He's a growing boy! He's gonna wanna go out for shots and, like, proper food!"

"You and Roman aren't the only people that exist, you know", responded Sutton. "Luka and I are going to teach KJ how to make apple pie, so he needs to taste a lot of it. We're hoping that will improve his cooking skills."

"Is there a psychological reason behind that?"

Sutton shrugged. "To be honest, we're desperate at this point."

"Oh! That reminds me about the time Roman and I had to make a pie for our cooking class in school", said Jace. "We both forgot our ingredients, so we snuck out to the shops at break time. We ran back because it was so late and-"

"Roman dropped the croton of eggs and tripped over them!", finished Tabitha, Luka, KJ and Sutton.

Jace's eyes widened. "What the heck was that?"

"You've told us this story like fifty times", chuckled Tabitha.

"Jace, sorry, have you finished using my phone?", asked Luka.

I nodded. "Yeah, sorry. I left it in my room."

I ran into my room, searching for Luka's phone. After picking it up, I reached over and grabbed my jacket. Old, slightly frayed, white ear phones fell out of one of the pockets. I quickly picked it up, smiling to myself when I saw the 'J' and 'A' I had scribbled on each ear phone, in black marker. Mine and Anvi's late night sofa meet ups had become much more frequent, and our sofa playlist was now very long. It was nice. Just sitting outside with her, sharing a set of ear phones. Anvi preferred listening to music with the right ear phone, so I used the left one.

I still can't believe how close Anvi and I have gotten. I've been trying to forget about the moment we shared, when we got locked in the Baked Potato. I don't even think it was a moment. She didn't seem to acknowledge it, or treat me any differently afterwards. So, it was probably just all in my head.

It's probably for the best. Anvi and I work really well as friends.

I can't wait for Roman to meet her.

Meanwhile, at the Baked Potato, Anvi was on her shift. It was a pretty uneventful shift so far. Bolin took over from Anvi, who had been working at the sandwich bar for most of the shift. Now, she was waiting tables. She approached one of the tables at the back, which had only just become occupied. There was a boy sitting there, and he looked around her age. His skin was a darker brown, with barely any blemishes in sight. His hair was styled into a fade, with the cleanest waves Anvi had ever seen. He was wearing a white shirt, with a red and white checkered shirt over it. His jeans were light blue, and he was wearing deep blue trainers.

"Hello, welcome to the Baked Potato!", greeted Anvi. "What can I get you?"

The boy looked up from his phone, his eyes widening when he saw Anvi. A smile appeared on his face. His eyes travelled down Anvi's body, for just a split second, before they landed back at Anvi's face.

"Hey", he said, his voice smooth and confident. "What's got a pretty girl like you waiting tables?"

"The cost of living, inflation, rent...", replied Anvi, listing off a couple more things. The boy seemed amused, and endeared, by her honesty. His smile was full and bright, matching the bright twinkle that was in his eyes too. "So, what can I get you?"

"How about a date?"

Anvi couldn't hide her surprise. Her mouth flew open, remaining that way for a few seconds, before she closed it. Anvi had been working here for a little while, and she had heard all sorts of things. But she never had a customer flirt with her.

Or atleast, that's what she thought he was doing. She couldn't work out why though.

"Uh...I-I'm working, so I don't know. I-"

"It's all good. I like it when they play hard to get", he interjected, flashing her his dazzling smile again. "I've got all the time in the world for a beautiful girl like you."

Anvi's eyes widened. "B-beautiful? Me?"

The boy nodded. "You're so fine."

Anvi felt her face get hotter. She smiled softly, a nervous chuckle escaping her lips as she looked down.

"Um... thanks."

"I'm only here for a little while, but I'd love to take you out somewhere, and actually get to know you more."

Wait. Was he... asking our girl out on a date?

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my-

"Anvi! Little help over here please?", called out Bolin. He was juggling several sandwich orders from the same old lady, who seemed to believe she would do a better job at making the sandwiches than Bolin would.

"Coming!", she called out, quickly turning back to the boy. "Uh, sorry, what did you want to order?"

"A slice of chocolate cake, a jam donut and a hot chocolate please", he replied.

Anvi smiled.
"On it."

◆◆◆

"Quick, help me with the snacks! He's gonna be here any minute!"

Jace was running to and from the kitchen, grabbing every bowl of snacks he had assembled.

"Someone's excited", teased Tabitha.

"I know right", said Sutton. "I heard him giggling in excitement earlier", she revealed, making Tabitha laugh.

"Hey! You would too if your best friend came to visit!", exclaimed Jace.

KJ walked over to him, taking the bowl of popcorn from his hands. "Here, let me help. I feel like you're gonna slip and fall or something."

"I'll help too", offered Luka.

"What are we supposed to do?", asked Sutton.

"Make yourselves look presentable?"

Sutton scoffed, and Tabitha's mouth dropped into an 'o'.

"B*tch? The héll you mean, 'make ourselves look presentable'?", questioned Sutton.

"Sorry, didn't mean that", said Jace. "You guys look great. I just meant make sure you're finished and everything."

There was a knock at the door, which startled everyone. Well, it wasn't really the knock that shocked them. It was the jump and high pitched scream from Jace that did it. KJ left to answer the door, while Jace double checked with Sutton that he looked ok.

"Jace, where you at, bro?", called out his best friend, a big grin on his face as he walked into the flat.

"Roman!", yelled Jace, running into his outstretched arms. "Bro, your trim's looking fresh!"

Roman kissed his teeth. "My trim's always fresh."

"Hi, Roman", smiled Sutton, giving him a quick wave.

Roman smiled warmly when he saw Sutton. "What's up, Sunny?"

He opened his arms up, his smile getting even brighter when she hugged him back. He gently rubbed her back. Aside from Jace, Sutton was Roman's favourite Mercer. He spent so much time with them, that he eventually ended up seeing Sutton as his own sister.

"Is Reese still styling your hair?", she asked.

Roman nodded. "Of course. Who styles your hair cos Aunt Tamzyn's been looking at your insta pics and she wants to see your hair lady."

"I'll text you her details."

"Hey", said Tabitha, feeling a little awkward just standing around. "I'm Tabitha."

Roman's smile faltered when he heard her name. He looked her up and down, his expression unreadable. After a few seconds, he nodded.

"You weren't kidding when you said she was cute", said Roman, surprising Tabitha.

"Uh, I didn't say that now!", clarified Jace. "N-Not that you aren't, I just–"

"I get it", interjected Tabitha, turning back to Roman. "Funny, Jace never mentioned how cute you were either."

Roman smirked, his big smile encouraging the one on Tabitha's face to brighten. After not getting Finn's number, Tabitha began to call into question her wooing abilities. She thought there was some sort of spark between them when they last spoke, but he didn't stay to give her his number, so maybe she was imagining it.

"I'd never go for a friend's ex, but I gotta admit, I'm rethinking my rule right now", said Roman.

Tabitha laughed, running a hand through her hair and softly biting her bottom lip. She must've been sending the signals she wanted to, because Sutton just stared at her, in awe of her subtle flirting powers.

"Anyway...", said Jace, keen to change the subject. "... how's your mum?"

"She's good, man", replied Roman. "She got promoted last week."

"Finally!", exclaimed Jace. "I was wondering when her boss would see sense. That's awesome news."

"Speaking of awesome news... I met this girl."

Jace smirked, before laughing loudly and clasping his hands together. "Classic Roman!", he beamed, holding his hand out to high five him, their hands sliding off each other's and forming fists, which they then bumped together. "You don't waste time, do you?"

Luka raised an eyebrow, confused at what this seemingly inside knowledge meant. Sutton noticed this and leaned closer to him, lowering her voice a little. "Ro's a total ladies man."

"Did you get her number?", asked Jace.

Roman shook his head. "Not yet, but I definitely plan on seeing her again so I can get her number, and arrange a date."

Jace's eyes widened. "A date? So soon? Wow, she must have really caught your eye."

"Aw, bro, you should've seen her."

"If you're that interested, you better make sure you get her number before you head back", said Jace. "A friend invited us to a party today, so maybe you'll see her there?"

Roman opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, the front door opened. Anvi stepped inside, quickly locking the door behind her.

"Hey, my shift finished earlier than expected. I couldn't bring anything back but Bolin said he'll bring over some of the donuts that are left out when he finishes his shift."

"Anvi, guess who's here?", asked Jace.

Anvi chuckled, slowly turning around. "Let me guess, is it the best friend you keep talking ab-"

Anvi's eyes locked with Roman's. A gasp escaped her lips, while Roman's eyes widened.

"You", they said in unison.

◆◆◆

The girls were in Sutton's room, getting ready for the party. Sutton's hair was parted down the middle and tied into a sleek ponytail. She was wearing a lilac crop top with black jeans and white pumps. Her lips were coated in plum lipstick, and a lilac glitter was applied to her base eye shadow. She borrowed Tabitha's brand new hoop earrings, which she still hadn't worn yet.

Tabitha's brown hair was crimped. She was wearing a black halter top, with an emerald green, sequin covered jacket over it. She opted for black leggings and black boots to finish off the outfit. Anvi helped her add a pop of colour to her makeup, by covering her eyelids in green eyeshadow and glitter.

"So, what's the deal with you and Roman?", asked Tabitha.

"There's no deal", replied Anvi.

"Oh come on! He was practically drooling over you earlier", said Tabitha.

"I don't know, I guess he was flirting with me when he came to the Baked Potato earlier? I'm not really sure."

"Oh, he definitely was", said Sutton. "I've been around Roman enough to know when he likes someone. Flirting and trying to get a date straight away? It's classic Roman."

"Wait, really?", questioned Anvi, her bottom lip sticking out a little as she started to frown. "So he's like that with all girls."

Sutton quickly shook her head.
"No, no! Look, he's a charmer. A player. A womaniser. Whatever the word is. But he's also a very genuine person. When he sees beauty, he can't help but talk about it."

"And he's not wrong to see beauty in you", said Tabitha, with Sutton nodding in agreement.

"So, if he asks you out, are you going to say yes?", asked Sutton.

"I-I don't know! I don't even know him."

"Yeah but if you get to know him at the party... you might really hit it off", said Tabitha.

Anvi looked down, feeling a little embarrassed. She never had any close friends to talk about boys with. The only crush she had openly discussed with a friend was Declan, and that was back when she and Anu were friends. Even then, she didn't go into detail about her crush on him.

"Ok, ok, we'll drop it if you're uncomfortable", said Sutton.

"Yeah", agreed Tabitha. "But just... don't close yourself off. He'd be lucky to go out with you."

A short while later, the group arrived at the party. The host of the party was a guy in his final year of uni, who just so happened to be doing the same course as Jace. Apparently, he held the best parties. This year, he held it at the local youth centre. There were giant speakers near the stage area, Whitney Houston's 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody' blaring from them. There were blue lights everywhere, and the refreshments table was full. Mini donuts, cupcakes, pizza, drinks-alcoholic and non-alcoholic, adorned it.

"I wanna dance with somebody", sung Luka, his right foot tapping against the floor.

Grinning, Sutton took his hands in hers. "Come on then!", she exclaimed, dragging Luka towards a more spacious area.

"Wanna check out the snacks?", Tabitha asked KJ.

"Sure."

Anvi and Jace smiled at their friends as they left. Jace stepped closer to Anvi, nerves unexpectedly bubbling away in his stomach.

"Hey, you look really nice", he said.

Anvi furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What?", she questioned, tapping her ear to indicate she couldn't hear him very well.

Jace took another step towards Anvi, leaning closer to her ear. His face ever so slightly brushed against the side of hers.
"I said you look-"

"Jace! Anvi!", called out Roman. He danced towards them, grinning as he held two cups in his hand.

"Hey", said Jace. "Aw, nice one bro", he said, holding his hand out to take one of the cups.

"Oh, sorry bro", replied Roman. "I got this for Anvi. Do you want me to get you one?"

Jace's smile melted away. He quickly shook his head. "No, it's cool. I was heading there anyway." He glanced at Anvi again, a small smile appearing on his face. "I'll come find you later, yeah?"

Anvi nodded, smiling as Jace walked away. She turned back to Roman, who was now only a couple of inches away from her. "Uh, is it alcoholic?", she asked, pointing to the drink.

Roman shook his head. "Nah. I'm not a big alcohol drinker. I can get you an acoholic one if you like?"

Anvi shook her head. "No, this is perfect. Thanks."

Roman smiled as Anvi took the cup from him, her fingers touching his. Roman's eyes soaked in every inch of Anvi's body, before looking up to meet her eyes.

"Dàmn. You look so hot."

Anvi was wearing a red crop top with black jeans. The top clung to her body a little more than she was used to, because she had borrowed it from Tabitha, but it actually made her feel quite confident. Her hair was styled by Sutton, into two French braids that ran along the top of her head, leading into two space buns. She wanted to match Tabitha and Sutton, so she did red eyeshadow with glitter on top. She opted for a bold red lip. She finished off the look with her trustee black boots.

"Thanks", said Anvi, letting out a quiet giggle.

Roman chuckled. "You're proper shy, aren't you?"

"Maybe a bit."

"Is that just, in general?", he asked, his gaze turning to her lips for a second.
"Or is it because of me?"

Anvi felt her face heat up. She wasn't used to this kind of attention at all. She wasn't sure if her shyness came from this being a new experience for her, or if a part of her was starting to feel something for Roman. She did find him attractive, but there wasn't really very much else to go off just yet.

"So, what are you studying at uni?", he asked.

"Paramedic science", she replied.

"Oh, really? You know, I'm not sure if I'd really trust you to do that job."

"Why?"

"My heart would skip too many beats any time you came to help", he replied.

Anvi laughed, covering her mouth quickly when she realised how loud the laugh was. She shook her head.
"I'm sorry, but that's so cheesy."

Roman laughed. "Yeah, not gonna lie, I cringed when I said that. But hey, a little bit of cheese never hurt no one."

"But too much cheese leads to high cholesterol, so I'd watch that if I were you", she said, making Roman chuckle.

"Aw right, so you got jokes then? That's cool. I like a girl who I can have a laugh with."

Anvi smiled.

"Do you like that in a guy? Or are you, like, super picky?"

"I mean, define picky", said Anvi. "Because what you call picky could just be me having standards."

"Fair point", said Roman. "Alright then, what were your exes like?"

"I don't have any."

Roman's eyes widened. "F*ck off! No way a girl like you hasn't been snatched up by a guy yet."

"It's true", said Anvi. "Uh, what do you mean 'a girl like me'?"

"You're funny, beautiful and real", he replied. "What guy wouldn't want a girl like that?"

Anvi smiled, looking down once again. "That's uh... that's nice of you to say."

Roman shrugged. "It's just the truth."

Anvi smiled. "So, what do you study at uni?"

"Sports science", he said. "I wanna get into coaching, or be a personal trainer."

"Which sport would you want to coach?", asked Anvi.

"Football", he answered. "Jace and I used to play football all the time growing up. As soon as the bell rang at the end of school, we'd race to his and play in his back garden."

Anvi smiled. "That's cute. Jace has been talking a lot about how close you two are."

Roman nodded. "He's always had my back. I got into a lot of trouble as a kid, but Jace always stood by me. You literally won't find a more real guy than him. I'm really lucky he's my friend."

Anvi felt her heart flutter. Hearing him being so open about his love for Jace made Anvi start to like him more. She loved it when people were real. When they weren't trying to be a certain way. Before, Roman felt like the player Sutton described him as. But now, Anvi was starting to see what Sutton meant about Roman being very genuine.

Meanwhile, Jace was at the snack table, but his mind was most definitely not on the snacks. He watched as Roman inched even closer to Anvi, a weird feeling building up in his chest when he saw her laughing at something Roman said.

"Jace, hold the plate more firmly", said Tabitha, who was putting different food items onto the plate that she had asked Jace to hold.

"Sorry."

Tabitha followed his gaze to Roman and Anvi. "Ah, I get it. You're jealous that your best friend is spending all his time with Anvi, and not you."

"Huh? Oh. Yeah. Sure."

Tabitha patted Jace's shoulder.

"If it bothers you that much, talk to him after the party. But right now, let Anvi have her moment."

"Her moment?"

Tabitha nodded. "She doesn't get guys flirting with her often, which makes zero sense, by the way. This could be really good for her confidence. And who knows? If they date-"

"Date?", interjected Jace.

"Who wants to play Spin the Bottle?", called out a party-goer.

A small group of around six people, including the roommates and Roman, had formed a circle. The aim of the game was simple. Each person would take it in turns to spin the bottle, and whoever it landed on, would be the person they had to either kiss or choose to partake in a truth or dare of some sort. Originally, it was just supposed to be a kiss, but Sutton suggested the option of doing a truth or dare instead.

"Jace, it's your turn", said one of the other boys.

Jace spun the bottle and watched as it turned. As the bottle reached Anvi, Jace found himself holding his breath, the nerves rising in his stomach again. At the last second, it passed Anvi, landing on a girl Jace had never seen before. She seemed quite shy, but as soon as she locked eyes with him, she startled to crawl towards him. Smiling softly, Jace leaned closer and lightly pecked her lips.

"What kind of a kiss is that?", asked Roman.

"Probably for the best", said Tabitha. "He was eating garlic bites before."

"Ok, moving on...", said Sutton. "... Roman, you spin it now."

Jace appeared to be even more nervous for Roman's spin. He kept hoping and hoping that it wouldn't land on-

"Anvi, it's you!", exclaimed Sutton.

Roman smirked. "It's you and me, baby."

Anvi chuckled. Roman shuffled closer to her, and Anvi's nerves started to reach an all time high. Was she going to have her first kiss here? With a circle of people staring at her? Did she want that? Did she even want to kiss Roman at all? What if she was a terrible kisser? What if her lips were chapped? What if she somehow embarrassed herself?

Roman's lips were an inch away from hers. She could smell the fruity drink he had earlier. He gently caressed her cheek, sending a tingling sensation across her body. Before he could connect their lips, Anvi placed a finger to his.

"Hey. Atleast take me out first."

The roommates couldn't believe what just came out of Anvi's mouth. Sutton and Tabitha looked at each other, while KJ and Luka's mouths hung open. For Jace, the unusual, uneasy feeling returned, gradually rising up until it caught in his throat, making him want to scream.

Anvi couldn't even believe what she had just said. It was a moment of bravery. Or recklessness. Or maybe even both. She was really, really hoping it would pay off.

Roman grinned. "I'd love to."

◆◆◆

The next day, the roommates were eating breakfast. Roman stayed in Jace's room, but instead of it feeling like their old sleepovers, there was an air of awkwardness that surrounded them now. Jace barely spoke to Roman, except in blunt sentences. Roman chalked it up to Jace being exhausted from the party.

"Breakfast is ready!", called out KJ.

KJ had made scrambled eggs for everyone-a safe choice. He also toasted several pieces of bread, and warmed up a big bowl of baked beans to pour over them. He brought out the little cereal containers Sutton had filled-after seeing many TikToks about them.

"KJ! This looks amazing!", beamed Sutton.

"Our boy is learning!", gushed Luka.

"Well I mean, you did make me practice cooking with eggs a lot", said KJ.
"Uh, Anvi, I put cereal and oat milk out, as a vegan option."

Anvi smiled. "Aww, thanks KJ."

"Ok, how is it that you even look cute with bed hair?", questioned Roman, earning a nervous giggle from Anvi.

Sutton and Tabitha grinned at each other. This was still a shock to them, not because they didn't think Anvi deserved this treatment, but because she was such a shy and reserved person. The pair couldn't help but be happy for their friend though.

At the table, Roman whispered something into Anvi's ear. Their close contact made Jace's skin burn, but he couldn't figure out why.

"Roman, pass the toast", said Jace, in an angrier tone that he wanted to display.

"Oh, my bad. Were you asking for a while?", asked Roman, reaching over and sliding the plate of toast closer to Jace.

"So, what's everyone's plans for today?", asked Tabitha.

"I'm going to go and get some ice cream with Cassie later", said KJ.

"Last week, Jay found this really cool Crazy Golf place, so we're going to check it out in a bit", replied Sutton.

"Is it cool if I tag along?", asked Luka. "It sounds fun!"

"Of course!", smiled Sutton.

"Well, Anvi and I have our date later", said Roman, a smile forming on his lips when he locked eyes with Anvi.

"What? But I thought we could hang out today", said Jace. "I mean, you are here for me."

"Jace!", exclaimed Sutton. "You can't hog Roman."

Anvi shook her head. "No, it's fine. I don't want to get in the way of your plans."

Jace's face softened at Anvi's response. At the first sign of a possible inconvenience for others, Anvi put her own plans on hold. Jace felt like a hypocrite. He did want her to cancel the date, but putting herself first was something he had constantly been telling her to do.

"You're not getting in the way", said Roman. "Jace and I still have all of today to hang out. Our date isn't until seven."

"Just don't tire yourself, Ro", said Sutton. "Jace has been planning so many things."

"Oh yeah, a tour of the uni was one place, right?", reminded Luka. "And that skate park where those dancers meet up-"

"Alright, alright!", exclaimed Jace. "Don't tell him everything."

"Aw man, today's gonna be sick!", beamed Roman, shoving a forkful of scrambled egg into his mouth.

Later that day, Jace took Roman to the local mini football pitch attached to a much smaller park than the one they usually go to. The metal fencing around it was dark green, and there were two nets on each end of the pitch. There were a couple of young children in the park, but Jace and Roman were the only ones occupying the football pitch.

"Your uni is so much bigger than mine", said Roman. "And everyone seems a lot friendlier. Like uh, that Jay guy who was meeting Sutton and Luka. He was cool."

Jace nodded. "Yeah, he's nice."

"He's proper into Sutton, you know that right?"

Jace's eyes widened, and he shook his head. "No way."

"You sure? It's his loss if he ain't. She's a stunner."

"You know that's my sister you're talking about, right?"

Roman chuckled. "Calm down. She's like a sister to me."

"You do know that makes it weirder right."

Roman laughed again, shaking his head. "Right well, another reason you don't have to worry is that I'm into Anvi."

Jace froze, his body tense up a little. Roman was doing keepy-uppies with the football. He kicked the ball to Jace, who just let it hit his foot.

"Uh, Roman? Anvi, she uh... she's not like most of the girls you've been with."

"What do you mean?"

"You usually go for the, like, experienced girls. Ones that are used to dating and stuff. Anvi... this is all new to her."

Roman nodded. "That's alright. We'll just take it easy."

"But you're leaving tomorrow morning! It's not like you can do a long distance relationship with her."

Roman furrowed his eyebrows. "Why not?"

Jace scoffed. "Oh, come on Roman! We both know that when your girl isn't with you for a while, your mind wanders."

Roman frowned. "Ouch. That's harsh, bro. That's what I used to be like. Man, you know I've changed!"

Jace noticed how sad his best friend looked. It was true. Roman had matured a lot. Their final year of college made him realise that, without Jace by his side, he wouldn't have anyone to pull him out of his mess. So, he decided to grow up a bit.

"You know, when I said I was coming here, I was so excited to show you how much I've grown", said Roman, turning to walk away.

Jace frowned. He quickly reached out and grabbed Roman's arm. "Roman, wait. I-I'm sorry man."

"What's up with you, Jace?", he asked. "Don't think I haven't noticed you acting weird since I got here."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"You were fine when I first got here, then you barely talked to me at the party. You've were fine when you showed me around, but now you're being weird."

"I really don't know what you're talking about", lied Jace. "I'm sorry if I was weird. Maybe I'm just, like, trying to make sure my new friends don't feel left out either, you know?"

"JJ, I get that", said Roman. "And if you want us to hang out as a whole group, we can. I'm not trying to keep you all to myself. I just... I miss you, that's all."

Jace felt like the biggest jerk ever. He had been so excited to see Roman. How was it possible that he could feel like he was on Cloud 9 one minute, then rock bottom the next? Why was this thing between Roman and Anvi getting to him so much? He didn't want to have all these angry, annoyed feelings towards Roman.

Meanwhile, Anvi was in Sutton's room. Sutton and Tabitha were helping her get ready for her date. They planned to go to the cinema, so the girls wanted to choose a casual outfit for her, but not too casual. They wanted all eyes to be on Anvi.

"How are you feeling about your first date?", asked Sutton.

"A little nervous", admitted Anvi. "What do I do if he tries to kiss me?"

"Kiss him back?", suggested Tabitha. "Only if you want to though."

"He almost kissed you at the party", reminded Sutton. "Did you want him to?"

Anvi shrugged. "I-I don't know. Probably not. I wouldn't want my first kiss to be part of a party game."

"I hear that", said Tabitha. "I've had many kisses at parties, so I don't really care any more, but this is your first kiss."

"Where did you have your first kiss?", asked Anvi.

"By an ice cream van outside the boy's house", replied Tabitha. "It was awkward. But we just didn't put too much pressure on it."

"Mine was in the library near my house", replied Sutton. "I had been really worried about an upcoming test, and Tyler was comforting me. We had our first kiss there. His lips were way too cold for some reason, and I sort of, tensed up. But, it was still perfect... because it was with him."

When her story came to a close, Sutton realised just how much she had divulged. Over the past few weeks, her opinion on Tyler had slowly changed, and she found herself remembering why she fell for him in the first place.

"I'd like to have a first kiss like that", said Anvi. "Not something perfect, just, something that feels right."

Tabitha smiled. "Hey, that could be with Roman."

"But don't worry if it's not", added Sutton. "Just do what feels comfortable."

"And if he tries any weird sh*t, text me and I'll be there as quick as I can", said Tabitha. She liked to joke about her overprotectiveness, but it was clear that she was still very serious.

"I'm sure it won't come to that", said Sutton, putting a gold necklace on Anvi.

Anvi turned to look at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a burnt orange wrap dress, with a slightly low cut neckline. Her gold necklace was shaped into a heart. Her mother gifted it to her years ago. She was wearing her black boots. Her raven hair was in its natural, perfectly defined curls. Sutton created very small braids out of the front pieces of her hair, tying each braid in a golden thread. For her makeup; dark brows, light brown eyeshadow with a touch of orange glitter. Black eyeliner to create cat eyes. She had a brown lip pencil on, rose lip gloss coating her lips.

"Wow...", gasped Anvi.

"Is that a good wow?", asked Sutton.

"You made me look beautiful", replied Anvi.

Sutton smiled softly. "It wasn't hard."

There was a knock at the door, which Tabitha went to answer. KJ came in, his eyes widening a little when he saw Anvi.

"Anvi! Wow, uh, you look... different."

"Good different, or bad different?", asked Anvi.

"Good", he replied."But you always look good. A-Anyway, I, uh, I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute?"

Anvi nodded. "Sure, let's step outside."

Once they were outside, KJ turned to face Anvi.

"I... I just wanted to see how you were."

"Oh! I'm good."

"I meant about the date", said KJ. "You were really supportive, and helpful, when I had my first date with Cassie. I know this is new to you too. I just... I just wanted you to know that I'm here."

Anvi smiled. "Aww, KJ..."

"This sort of thing, I know it's new for us. But, you're going to have the best time. Just remember... have fun, and don't push yourself to do anything you're not ready to do."

Touched by KJ's care, Anvi pulled him into a hug. He hugged her back instantly. A few months prior, his hands would've remained awkwardly by his side, but now, they seemed to be right at home wrapped around her.

◆◆◆

"So, you and Anvi are good friends, right?", asked Roman. "What sort of movies is she into?"

"Uh... anything, I guess", said Jace. "As long as it's not horror. She hates horror movies."

"Oh, dàmn. Those are always good date movies", said Roman. "Maybe I could test it out? If she gets scared or anything, I can put my arm around her."

Jace shook his head. "No. Don't do that."

"Alright, fine. Know any good places to go after?"

"After?", questioned Jace. "I thought you were just taking her on one date."

"Well yeah, but like, if she doesn't want the night to end there... what are some good spots we could go to?"

Jace looked horrified. "What, to like, sleep with her?"

"What? No! I meant, like, ice cream shops or cafés", replied Roman. "You really think I'd get with her on the same night?"

Jace shrugged. "It's happened before."

"Well, not any more. I wanna wait atleast until, like, the second date", replied Roman.

"Right."

Roman frowned. "See, there you go again! Giving dead replies. Seriously man, what's up?"

"Nothing!"

Roman stepped closer to him, giving him a little shove. "Don't lie to me!"

"I'm not lying!", yelled Jace, forcefully pushing him back.

Unaware of his own strength, he pushed too hard, making Roman fall to the ground.

"Roman!", he called out. He held a hand out, but Roman just grabbed his legs, dragging him down with him.

The pair wriggled around on the floor, grappling with each other. Roman was always the stronger one, so it was assumed that he'd gain the upper hand, but Jace's anger had finally reached boiling point, so he was fighting just as hard.

"Why you... treating me... like sh*t?", asked Roman. "I thought... we were brothers!"

"Why couldn't you have just... stopped being... flirty and sh*t for... once?"

"What the hèll... does that... have to do with anything?", questioned Roman, reaching out. He managed to grab Jace's jacket. He pulled at it, something slipping out of his pocket and ending up in Roman's hand. He swiped it away, but it caught Jace's attention.

When Jace stopped fighting, Roman looked at what he was staring at. His white ear phones, marked 'J' and 'A', were sprawled out on the ground.

"J and A..."

Jace hurried to sit up, grabbing the ear phones. He gently rubbed his thumb against the one marked 'A', a look of forlorn on his face.

"Jace... what's going on?"

All of Jace's frustration reached past the point of him wanting to physically fight. Warm tears spilled from his eyes. He quickly wiped at them, letting out a loud groan.

"Cr*p!"

Roman's face softened. "Jace? Bro... what's wrong?"

"I think I like Anvi. And I have no idea what to do."

◆◆◆

Still reeling from Jace's revelation, Roman froze. During this time, a panicked Jace started pacing around. He actually said it. Ever since they got locked in the Baked Potato together, Jace had been thinking about what he actually felt towards Anvi. He tried to push his supposed feelings down, but now, they were out in the open.

"Ok... there's gotta be something I'm missing here", said Roman.

Jace threw his arms up in frustration.

"I don't know what to tell you!"

"But, you like Anvi?", he questioned. "How did I not know this?"

"I only really realised recently", admitted Jace. "At first, we were not friends. She really didn't like me. But, we got to know each other and... now, we're closer than ever."

"Why did you let me ask her out then?", asked Roman.

"Well it's not like I could just tell you what to do, is it? How would I even explain why?"

"Jace, I'm your best friend. You should be able to tell me anything."

Jace's face softened. "I-I... I guess I didn't want it to be real."

Roman's eyebrows furrowed. "What? Why not?"

"Anvi's become such a good friend. I don't want my feelings to make things awkward between us. I'm just... I'm really scared of losing her."

Jace looked down at the ground. After Anvi's health scare, the thought of actually losing her suddenly became so real. He loved talking to her. Hearing how her day went. Talking about each other's dreams. Listening to music with her. He didn't care what they were doing-he just liked that he got to do it with her.

Roman put a hand on Jace's shoulder. He wrestled with his own feelings, but subtly shook his head and moved so that he was fully facing Jace.

"I'll step back", he said, doing his best to hold back his sadness.

"What?"

Roman sighed. "You obviously really like Anvi. So, I'll step back and won't pursue things with her."

"No, Roman... why would you do that?"

"Because, Jace, you're my brother. And I would never, ever do anything to intentionally make you uncomfortable or sad. I love you too much for that, bro."

Jace felt a weight lift off his shoulders. The knot in his stomach, the burning pain in his chest that made him feel like he couldn't breath, didn't feel as strong anymore. But he felt a twinge of guilt.

"Roman, I don't know what to s-"

"Don't think you can just take the easy way out, and not tell her how you feel though", interjected Roman. "If you really like her that much, you should tell her, bro."

"I don't know..."

"If you don't, someone else will", said Roman.

◆◆◆

JACE'S POV.

After speaking to Roman, I spent the rest of the evening just walking around. I popped into the Baked Potato for a bit, to keep Bolin company on his break. Instead of going back to the flat, I decided to go to the sofa spot, where Anvi and I often had our 2AM conversations.

I stopped in my tracks, when I noticed Anvi sitting on the sofa, in her usual spot. The sun had already disappeared, and it had gotten quite dark. The nearby street-lamp shone down on her, making her glow. She looked beautiful. I always thought so. But, after seeing her all dressed up, I realised how excited she must've been for the date.

"Anvi?"

She looked at me, a twinkle returning to her eyes, and her sad expression slowly melting away. She smiled softly at me, although the smile did not stay on her face for long.

"Jace. I didn't know you'd be coming here."

"I could say the same for you", I said, making my way over to the sofa. I sat down beside her, turning my body so that was facing her. "I thought you'd be hanging out with Roman and the others."

Anvi frowned. "We uh... we actually didn't go on our date, so that would be uncomfortable."

My eyes widened. I knew Roman said he'd step back, but I didn't expect him to actually cancel the date.

"He cancelled?"

"He stood me up, actually", she revealed. "Oh, I'm sorry Jace. I know he's your best friend. I don't want to talk badly about him."

I shook my head. "No, it's... it's ok", was all I could say.

Anvi sighed, shaking her head. "Anyway, what are you doing here?"

"Uh, I just wanted to clear my head."

Anvi's eyebrows knitted together in worry, her nose scrunching up a little as she looked at me. Oh gosh, why does she have to be so cute?

"Is everything ok?"

I nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Everything's fine. I was just having one of those days."

"Oh, I see. Guess we're in the same boat there then. Jace, tell me, did I look pathetic and awkward when I was all excited for the date?"

"No, no of course you didn't", I replied, frowning when she sighed. "You... you were really looking forward to the date, huh?"

Anvi paused for a moment, before nodding. "Honestly? Yeah. When I thought I had cancer, I was terrified. I had all these regrets and all these things I wanted to accomplish. I guess, now that I found out I don't have it... I want to actually start living, you know? I want to experience everything, be more confident and out there, if that makes sense."

I felt a pang of guilt in my chest. I never thought about how much this date would have meant to her. It sounds stupid now, but I didn't realise how much her health scare would impact her mindset now.

"Well, I think you look beautiful."

I'm not sure why I said that. I wasn't really sure what I should say. Guilt, sadness, and admittedly a tiny bit of jealousy, were overwhelming me.

Anvi just smiled at me, her big, enchanting brown eyes lighting up as they looked at me. She gently nudged my shoulder, a giggle escaping her lips.

"Thanks, Jace."

Her sweet smile turned into a grin, and she held her hand out to me. "Wanna listen to some music?"

I nodded, before getting the ear phones out and untangling them. I handed Anvi hers, popping mine into my own ear. 'In Your Universe' by BANNERS started playing-a song Anvi recently requested to be added to the playlist.

I glanced at Anvi's hand that rested on her leg-so close to mine. As the song played, I resisted the urge to reach for her hand. I glanced over at her. Her eyes were closed, and the sweetest smile lingered on her face, as she got lost in the music. I smiled softly at her.

I closed my eyes, listening intently to the lyrics.

"Oh, darling, if I could just hold you, I'd give it all to just know you
Leave it behind in a second as long as you're there
I don't care, just wanna be

Somewhere, somewhere, somewhere
In your universe, in your universe
Just wanna be somewhere, somewhere, somewhere
In your universe, in your universe."

Anvi rested her head against my shoulder, making me open my eyes. Smiling, I closed them again, feeling so at home next to her.

______

Hi.

Ok so, for the scene where Anvi walks into the flat and she and Roman see each other, there was supposed to be a little interaction after that. It wasn't supposed to end so abruptly. I have no idea what happened to that part though. I checked today and couldn't find it, and I'm just really confused. I can't quite figure out how to add to that, and losing the writing frustrated me a bit, so I just left it like that. That's why it seems like it cuts to a different part so randomly. I'm sorry about that.

We met Jace's best friend Roman! What do you think of him? And what do you think about him and Anvi?

We had so many good friendship moments in this chapter-the girls helping Anvi get ready and just supporting her in general, KJ offering support to Anvi, Sutton and Luka praising KJ for his growing culinary skills and more. I just love these characters so much, and they really feel like a family to me.

Jace has now actually, properly come to terms with his feelings for Anvi. Will he do anything about it though? What are your thoughts on them two?

What's your favourite ship, or potential ship so far and why?

What are your thoughts on this chapter?

LeMystical-Puffle

ruesbennett

niallhoranslovebot

esIutxo