Folks, I never cared much about dating and relationships.

Even before I became this ice-manipulating superhero in tight spandex, my main focus was getting good grades and staying out of Drake and Jorge's way at all costs. I never had anyone to be sweet on or anyone to be sweet on me. And even if I wanted to, I wouldn't allow myself to be wooed over easily or seduced into anyone's bed or mine.

I was bred to be a Southern boy with his principles aligning with his ideals.

So imagine my surprise when I came home from classes (and joining Memphis and Neptune in dealing with a mad scientist who had a nasty breakdown after being dumped) and I saw my parents fawning over another giant bouquet of red and yellow roses as well as a plush stuffed bear that had a white envelope addressed to me. "What's all this?" I asked confusedly as I joined my parents in the living room.

"You got another courting gift," Dad replied, giving me a cheesy grin. "And an invitation."

"To where?"

Mom smiled as she took the envelope that the stuffed bear held and gave it to me. "Read it and you'll find out," she told me.

I sighed as I gingerly took the envelope and opened it to find a card that boasted of fancy calligraphy.

To the ice-wielding boy who holds my heart, the card read.
You are cordially invited to a romantic picnic-themed dinner.
I have left you a nice outfit to wear.
Meet me at the gazebo at the town park.
Tonight at seven.
Big kisses,
You know who.

"Well, well," Mom purred after I sat down the card on the table. "Skylar, your night is going to be one that you'll remember. You're very lucky to have Jorge and Drake coming for your heart and soul."

"Well, I wouldn't go that far," I remarked. "I just dealt with a very obnoxious Greenlee Sammons as her family and I tried to make peace with her. She's not going to let things go unless I defect from the Alliance and break things off with the guys completely."

Dad gave me a firm stare. "Well, that's not going to happen," he told me. "You already know that you'll become a pariah if you break the contract and go with her demands."

"I told her that, but she doesn't care. In her eyes, Drake and Jorge are Greenlee's destined soulmates, and she wants no one else to have them. And if I know better, she's going to come after me even after she's given restraining orders."

"I'll talk to Mr. and Mrs. Sammons personally," Mom promised. "Right now, you need to get your homework done and then get ready for your date. You're going to have a marvelous night that you'll never forget, young man. I guarantee it."

Easy for her to say. She doesn't have a vindictive ex-cheerleader to deal with.

************

After finishing my homework (and being called to help out with a suicidal man), I was dressed in Perry Ellis pastels (thanks to Velocity dropping the outfit off at my place) and arrived at the gazebo in Tatnall Plaza Park where Drake was waiting for me with a table set for two, complete with a picnic basket and candles. "You look so amazing," he said as he helped me up the steps and led me to my seat.

"I can say the same for you," I replied, keeping my voice calm while images of him taking me on the table were in my head). "And I take it that you're my date for tonight."

"That I am. Jorge's not too happy about it but vowed to make his date with you more amazing than mine. Still, we're both lucky to have you as our sidekick. Maybe you'll see that we can be good to you."

I inhaled deeply. "Well, I'm not the type to be wooed over easily," I said as I watched him set up the food: pasta salad, chicken wraps, bottles of Dr. Pepper (the official beverage of Texas), and mixed-berry salad. "If you or Jorge wanna own my heart, you have to prove yourselves worthy."

Drake gave me a cat-eating grin. "We intend to," he vowed as he took his seat before me. "So, Skylar. Let me get to know the real you. You're like a painting in progress when I look at you. You have some color and lines, but  I want to know the textures and hidden cracks as well as the undertones. I want to dive inside your mind and uncover your innermost secrets."

"Really, now?" I asked, taking a bite of my chicken wrap. "Do tell."

For the next hour, Drake and I enjoyed our meals as we talked about his family life and how he became Blue Crush. Turns out, he and Jorge were the next-to-last recruits when they joined the summer before high school began. Before being a superpowered stud, he was an average kid who was hit with the first stages of cancer in his liver and his family was struggling with medical bills. When he joined, his life went a one-eighty from counting down to his final days and his family living from paycheck to paycheck to being immortal (as are Jorge, myself, and the other members of the Alliance) and his family living in a nice home that's a block from mine. He wanted to continue being a superhero but he also wanted to be a musician since he was also a guitar player.

And speaking of music, I was treated to a small concert as he played one of my favorite songs by Alicia Keys. "Like You'll Never See Me Again." He even sang the lyrics himself! "So baby when you hold me, hold me like it's the last time. Baby when you kiss me, kiss me like you'll never see me again," he sang as he went into the chorus. "Baby when you touch me, touch me like it's the last time. Baby when you love me, love me like you'll never see me again."

I was awestruck as he continued to play into the final bars of the song, vocalizing as he dove into his charismatic riffs of the guitar before finishing with a Latin-esque flourish. "Beautiful," I breathed, clapping my hands. "That was so amazing."

Drake smiled, his teeth white and eyes lit in joy. "Nothing but the best for you," he replied as he sat his guitar down. "I don't know if you'll choose either me or Jorge, never mind that we both want you. But Skylar, I am hopelessly in love with you and I want to prove to you that I can be good for you. Greenlee Sammons can never imagine what Drake and I can give you. If you can give me a chance, I can show you the way to greatness and we can be the perfect pair as a superhero and his sidekick... as well as boyfriends and future husbands."

All I could do was nod, not knowing what to say.

All too soon, it was time to head home since we both had a curfew (even as superheroes) as the leftovers were packed away, and Drake himself drove me home, where my parents were waiting for me. In a gentlemanly fashion, he escorted me up the path to my house and presented me to Mom and Dad. "See you tomorrow, Skylar," he said, kissing my hand. "Think about what I said, okay?"

"O-of course," I replied, my face flushed with fever.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Mom squealed in delight and clapped her hands before she and Dad led me inside. "Tell us everything," she demanded.

I sighed, knowing that it was going to be a long night. And I know that Rhea and Shandra will want details as well.

Cumulative word count so far: 10,600 words (halfway near 20k words! Yay!).

And the girls will want the details, folks! Not only that, Jorge will make his move with his own date with Skylar in the next chapter! You already know that things are going to be more interesting, so get ready for a wild time!

Media: "Like You'll Never See Me Again" by Alicia Keys. Dedicating this out to DomiSotto and waronajolomba.

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