WITHIN A COUPLE OF DAYS, Alexander Choi finally grew the balls to do the inevitable; the moment he was waiting for; the moment that he was scared to even mention.

It felt weird to imagine in his brain. Potentially going out on a date with someone you used to despise was strange to Alexander. If he had some sort of crystal ball a year prior to that day to predict the future, he wouldn't have believed what was about to happen. But things may change, and it is completely okay. That is what Alexander Choi has come to realize.

Even if he wore a bulky sweater, the Korean boy felt goosebumps crawl across the surface of his skin. It suddenly didn't matter that he'd be able to go home for the day because his last class period was over. Frankly, it didn't excite him at the moment. He felt a large weight compress against his chest as he got up from his chair, rushing up towards Inez afterwards before she could escape the classroom.

It wasn't a now or never situation, it really wasn't. But to Alexander, it sure felt like it.

"Inez, hey," Alexander mustered a weak smile as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "How are you?"

The girl smiled as she adjusted her freshly-done box braids, which went all the way down to her hips. "Hi, I'm doing great. You?"

"Just fine," the Korean boy mused as he removed one of his hands from his pocket to brush it through his shaggy, brunette hair. "You do like ice cream, right?"

"Yes, of course. Ice cream is so delicious," Inez raved as she licked her lips at the thought of the frozen treat. "What's your favorite ice cream flavor?"

Alexander hummed with a grin. "Cookie dough."

"Looks like our favorites are similar," Inez acknowledged. "Cookie dough is alright for me, but my favorite is cookies and cream. I love the way it melts in your mouth . . . and the cookies are delicious just like Oreos."

"Yeah, true. Cookies and cream is definitely one of my top flavors," Alexander teased as he shrugged his shoulders. "But cookie dough is still the winner for me."

Inez mused with a smile. "Eh, yeah, it's still good. But all of this ice cream talk is making me want it so bad."

"Well . . . I was thinking . . ." the brunette haired boy said as he placed his hand on the back of his neck. His chest began to compress more and more, as if an elephant was sitting right on top of him. Boy, it was not pleasant. And frankly, there was only one way to get rid of the feeling. He'd have to get what he wanted to say out of the way. "Are you free this Saturday?"

"Uh-huh," the girl with the braids nodded as she raised her eyebrow slightly. "But I'm confused. What does this have to do with me wanting ice cream?"

"Do you wanna go out to Bruster's to grab some ice cream with me this weekend?" the Korean boy blurted out all at once.

Breathe, Alexander. Wait for her answer before you start to freak out.

"Uh, yeah, of course," Inez chirped with a smile. "Is this like . . . a date or something?"

"That's exactly what I'm aiming for," Alexander sighed in relief. His chest began to decompress. It felt like the so-called elephant that was sitting on his chest was getting off, which felt great. It was one heck of a relief to feel no weight on his shoulders.

"In that case, I can't wait," Inez grinned with a wide smile. "But what time on Saturday?"

"How about at three o'clock?" The brunette-haired boy offered as they rounded a corner, which will eventually lead into a busy main stairwell. "We can meet up at Bruster's, the one near the Walmart close by."

"Okay, that sounds perfect," the girl with the braids remarked with a chirp.

"Glad to hear it, Nezzie," Alexander raved.

Inez shook her head from side to side. "Don't call me Nezzie."

"Come on, just this once?" The Korean boy nagged. "It's cute on you."

"You've got jokes," Inez rolled her eyes playfully as she gestured to a stairwell, which many other students flew into. "I have to catch the bus, so I'll see you soon."

Alexander waved her goodbye as he watched the girl disappear into a mob of other students who were also squashed together in the broad space of the stairs. As he turned around to head the opposite direction to the student parking lot, he couldn't help but think about his first date and everything in between.

It was completely unknown how it would turn out. But Alexander Choi knew one thing for sure: Worrying about it would only make things worse.

Time will tell.

"You're going out?" Inez Archer's mother, Gabrielle, questioned as she slipped on her black sneakers at the foot of the house's stairwell. It was an unusually bright Saturday afternoon, two forty-nine to be exact, and Inez was waiting on her ride so she could get to Bruster's faster.

It was eleven minutes before her date, but who's counting? All that mattered was she got there on time, which she wasn't quite on-track for. A few hours prior, she received an incoming Instagram direct message from Alexander, who reminded her that the date would be at three. Now, she was down to the last minutes before the new hour, so she'd need to get passed her mother so she could leave the house. 

If only that were easier said than done. 

"Yeah, I'm going to get ice cream," Inez mused as she opened a compact mirror, which came directly from her purse. Her braids still looked new, and her baby hairs were completely laid in a swirl design — not one hair sticking up, she hoped. Her make-up was also done a little, and her outfit supported the look completely. She wore a plain white T-shirt, which was covered by a light off-white street coat. To match, she wore black jeans with tall brown, leather boots, which matched the two buttons of her coat.

"You look a little too nice to just be getting some ice cream, Nez," Gabrielle interrogated as she grabbed her insulated lunch tote. "What's going on?"

"Okay, I'm going to hang out with Alexander, the boy I told you all about," Inez admitted as she tucked her compact mirror into her purse.

The girl's mother gave her a look, one of her eyebrows raised as she planted her hands on her hips. 

"I know what you're thinking, but it's just a little date. We're going to get ice cream at Bruster's like normal people," the girl reasoned with a plea. "I'll be back soon."

"Okay, but you're very lucky your father decided to visit your aunt for the day," Gabrielle nodded her head as she held the front door open. "You know how much he worries — he'd have a lot of questions."

"I guess I got lucky for the time being," Inez mused before she heard her phone ping from her small, white handbag. She rummaged it out to check her notifications, which showed a text from Jolien, who was finally here to pick her up. "My ride's almost here."

"Who's driving you?" Gabrielle questioned as she gestured to her daughter to step out the house to the front door so she could lock the door with her house keys.

"Mom, there's nothing to worry about," Inez reasoned. "It's just Jolien."

"I didn't know that she even had a car," Gabrielle mused as she placed her house keys inside of her lunchbox. "But anyway, I'll be at the hospital. Stay safe, my love. I love you."

"I love you, too, Mom," Inez remarked as she watched her mother disappear into her royal blue Nissan Altima. Within a few moments, Gabrielle pulled out of her driveway to make her journey out of the neighborhood to the medical center she worked at.

In a matter of seconds, another car swung by, which was a shiny, black Mazda car, parking at the curbside of the house in front of the single mailbox. The driver's window rolled down to reveal Jolien, who was waving one of her hands in the air to gesture Inez in. She took a quick glance at her phone to check the time. It was two fifty-four in the afternoon, six minutes until she was supposed to be at Bruster's for her date.

If anything, she was already running late. Sometimes, she didn't mind being late to events, but this was special to her.

It wasn't because she'd be getting to taste the goodness of whatever ice cream flavor she'd get or because she'd get out of the house. It was because she would be on an actual, casual date with Alexander Choi. Her first date, in fact. She wanted everything to be just right, and so far, things were already looking upside down.

Her appearance, however, was still on-point, to her luck.

"Oh, Nez, you look so gorgeous," Jolien remarked as her mouth dropped wide open. "And this is just for a casual date. Imagine how you'd look for a formal one."

"It took me forever to get this look together. It would probably take a little longer to put a formal outfit together alone," Inez mused as she fastened her seatbelt. "But thank you for giving me a ride."

"Anything for you," Jolien smiled as she pulled the car into the driveway so she could turn around to head out of the neighborhood. "I managed to get my brother to let me borrow his car, so without this, I probably wouldn't be able to drop you off. But enough about that — how do you think the date is going to go?"

"Honestly, I'm hoping for the best," Inez remarked as she popped a breath mint into her mouth. "I hope it'll be fun and all."

"As you should," Jolien clapped her hands before she placed them back on the wheel. "Tell me how everything goes, but make sure you enjoy yourself."

"I will, I promise," Inez smiled as she looked out the window. The ride to Bruster's was about three minutes long without traffic. Alongside the large shopping center that was close to the ice cream shop, it was extremely convenient for the community nearby, especially in Inez's case, where it didn't take long to get to the vast shopping plaza. Jolien dropped off the girl at the parking lot, which directly led her to the shop, where there was a short line of people waiting for ice cream.

Bruster's Real Ice Cream is an outdoor ice cream shop, located in many eastern states of the United States. It was a great place to order a wide variety of ice cream and relax afterwards. The shop was small, so only employees could go inside to prepare all sweetened, cold treats. A bright, freshly painted red roof covered the two order windows, providing shade from any possible heat. Around the establishment were a few red benches, alongside red tables with large backyard umbrellas to match. Overall, the shop was cute and lively — a great core for any possible casual hangouts.

Inez Archer joined Alexander Choi, who was seated on a bench. The bright sun from above radiated on him, which was quite unusual for a winter day, but soon, the season will come to an end, so it all made perfect sense. As he looked up from his cell phone, his mouth couldn't help but drop open as he kept his eyes on the girl, even as he shoved his phone into his pocket.

She looked so appealing, which caused Alexander's eyes to glimmer as he felt his hands attach themselves to the rim of the outdoor table behind him. "Hey, you look beautiful," he said without a stutter. "As always."

"Aw, stop it," Inez teased as she felt her entire face warm up from the cute compliment. "You actually look really nice yourself."

The Korean boy wore a dark blue polar sweater with tan, khaki jeans. To top it off, he wore simple black sneakers, and his hair was brushed accordingly, rather than being all over the place like it usually was. Either way, he looked good.

"Shall we get some ice cream, madam?" Alexander offered in a wannabe British accent.

"Yes, we shall," Inez mimicked the accent, but feminine-like. Side by side, the pair walked joined the small line in front of one of the ordering windows. "So, how are you?"

"I'm doing great, especially since you're here, Nezzie," the Korean boy nodded with a genuine smile, looking the girl directly into her dark brown eyes.

"Thanks, but you really don't have to call me that," Inez chuckled. "Call me Inez like everyone else does."

"It's really cute on you, though," Alexander smiled. "Plus, I like being a little different."

The girl with the braids teased while her nicely primped eyelashes fluttered. "And what do you mean by that? You're being so cute again, are you?"

"What can I say? I like having a separate nickname for you," the Korean boy admitted as his eyebrows flew up and down.

"You've got jokes."

"I'm serious, though," Alexander reasoned as he stepped up in line. The individuals in front of them had their ice cream, so it was their turn. "Serious as a heart attack, maybe even more."

The ordering window was clear, which gave a view of the few workers inside the shop, scooping and preparing ice cream and slushies. Overhead was the store's vast menu, which was filled with various choices to order. Once one of the employees was prepared, the window slid open to the side, which revealed a young woman, who wore a bright red hat with the company's logo and a collared T-shirt to match.

"Hey, what can I get started for you guys?" The woman mustered a big smile as she clasped her hands together.

Alexander took a look at Inez, hinting for her to say what she wanted first as he continued to look at the menu. "I'll have a small cup of your blue ice, one scoop," the girl said without hesitation.

"Okay," the store clerk chirped as she typed the information into a tablet placed on the counter inside before she turned to the Korean boy. "And for you, sir?"

Alexander cleared his throat, still looking up at the menu overhead. "I'll take a waffle bowl with vanilla ice cream and caramel syrup."

"Awesome, that'll be nine dollars and seventy-nine cents," the woman chirped as she glimpsed at her tablet.

Inez began to rummage through her handbag to see if she could find extra cash lying around in her wallet. Before she could pull out a few bills, Alexander held one of his hands, the other in his pocket. "I'll pay for it."

"No, no, it's okay. I can," Inez reasoned as she flashed the money towards him.

"I insist, Nezzie," the Korean boy said as he fished out a ten-dollar bill, handing it towards the store woman afterwards.

The store clerk accepted the bill and opened a cashier, the "cha ching" sound ringing in the pair's ears. Within a few moments, she handed Alexander a few coins as change and a small receipt, which he shoved into his pocket. The store woman closed the ordering window shut as she could be seen heading to the back of the kitchen to prepare both of the pair's sweet treats.

"No cookies and cream ice cream today?" The Korean boy chuckled as he leaned on the small, cherry red board in front of the ordering window.

"Nope," Inez chirped. "Cookies and cream is good and all, but too much of a good thing isn't that good. Plus, I really love Bruster's blue ice. It tastes delicious."

"I like the way you think," Alexander acknowledged with a genuine smile. "I can't tell you how many times I've gotten tired of eating a food I like just because I ate it too much."

"It happens to the best of us," the girl laughed. "But really, there's no bad intentions. Sometimes, when a food that's liked is eaten too much, it does make sense to get tired of it."

"I guess you can say that," the brunette-haired boy shrugged. "But what food do you think you'd survive on forever?"

"Lasagna, definitely," Inez said in an instant.

"Good choice," Alexander nodded his head reasonably. Within that moment, the store clerk opened back up the ordering window and placed a few napkins and both of the orders of ice cream one by one on the red board drilled into the wall in front of the window. They looked mouthwatering. It didn't matter if it was the cold season of winter or that the weather was slightly warm. Ice cream was always delicious, regardless of the situation.

"Here you go," the store clerk chirped with a smile. "Enjoy your ice cream."

"Thank you," the pair said in sync as they grabbed their individual sweet treats. Alexander motioned Inez to a bench, which was highly exposed to the sun above. During a miracle warm winter day like this, a little fun in the sun wouldn't hurt one bit. On the cherry red bench, they sat together side by side, not leaving too much space in between them.

Inez dipped her crimson red spoon into her blue ice, scooping a small bit before it made its way to her mouth. The blue raspberry goodness of the ice cream melted in her mouth, which eventually traveled down to her throat. Blue-flavored ice cream was always tasty — heck, just about anything that was blue-flavored is luscious.

Alexander, in the meantime, seemed to be enjoying his waffle bowl based on the way he was licking his spoon throughout each bite of ice cream. He tasted all the goodness of the vanilla tasty treat within it, all of the sweetness melting into his mouth. On the cone, it was dressed in sticky, light brown caramel syrup, which was neatly drizzled through the scoop of the tasty treat.

Even though the ice cream was tempting to take another out of, Alexander put down his cone bowl, which was shielded by a small, plastic container on his lap. "Eating ice cream in the middle of winter is so ideal."

"It really is," Inez nodded her head in agreement. "Since it's winter, it's high-demand so it's more expensive, but buying it is always worth it. It's perfect for any occasion, good or bad."

"True, but this occasion . . . it's a good one," the Korean boy mused.

"I agree," the girl nodded curtly. "You know, you're so—"

A loud shriek of obnoxious cries sounded from ahead. Inez's head shot up as she spotted the commotion. A little girl, probably four or five-years-old was bawling her eyes out. In her hand, she held a small ice cream cone. Instead of having a scoop or two of ice cream, there was none to be seen. The scoop squashed onto the hard, concrete ground below them, gradually melting away in the burning sun above. The little girl's cries grew louder as her father tried to console her by constantly rubbing her back. 

Clearly, it wasn't working.

"I want more ice cream!" The little girl shrieked as she stamped her foot against the hard ground.

"Fallon, I don't have any more money on me to get you a new one," her father reasoned as he planted his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "I'm really sorry." 

"But I want my ice cream!" The little girl, Fallon, exclaimed as she sobbed more and more.

Inez could feel her heart ache as she watched the little cry more and more for her ice cream. As a kid, her ice cream has never fallen off of her cone, but it must've been a heartbreaking feeling to experience. So, without hesitation, she pulled out a five-dollar bill from her purse and began to get up from the bench to approach the girl.

"Where are you going?" Alexander questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Inez mused; her head tilted towards her date as she walked to the little girl. "You'll see." As soon as she approached the little girl, she crouched down a bit, so she matched her height a bit. The girl had caramel skin, hazel eyes, and natural curls, alongside a casual pink dress. "Hi, my name is Inez. I see that your ice cream has fallen, but I can buy you a new one, as long as it's okay with your dad."

"Really?" The little girl sniffed as she rubbed her nose. "Can she buy me a new ice cream, Daddy? Please?"

"She can if she's willing to, Fallon," the girl's father said before she turned to the teenager. "Thank you so much for this. You don't know how much this means to my daughter."

"No need to thank me," Inez cooed as she handed Fallon the dollar bill. "Enjoy your ice cream."

"Thank you," Fallon muttered with a smile before she held out her arms to hug the girl.

"You're most welcome," Inez said before the little girl let go of the hug. She walked back to Alexander, whose mouth dropped open with an impression. Inez may have been amazing, but she was highly generous as well.

"You're so amazing," Alexander admired with a gush. "You turned the girl's frown upside down. That's so caring of you — and it's one of the things I like about you."

"I just like doing what's right," Inez smiled as she scooped her spoon into her blue ice to take another bite. "I love seeing smiles on children's faces. It breaks my heart to see them suffering, and sad . . . which is sort of why I volunteer at the hospital. I love seeing them happy."

"I really like that about you," the Korean boy mused as he faced her. "It's not every day you find a girl who's good at literally everything."

"You're exaggerating now. Why do you have to be the sweetest?" the girl gushes as she feels a weird sensation inside of her stomach. She felt joyful, like she wanted to leap in the air in excitement, but she also felt butterflies in her stomach, which gave off a lovesick feeling. Nonetheless, she felt like she was at home.

"You think this is sweet? I'll show you sweet," Alexander hummed as his eyes sparkled. He leaned in closer and closer as his eyes fluttered shut. Inez felt hers do the same as her lips met his for a soft, tender kiss. She felt warmth surround her heart as the Korean boy took a few strands of her braids to primp them behind her ear with one hand. Inez could taste the sweetness of vanilla ice cream on his lips as he gradually let go. His eyes shone in the natural light from miles and miles above as he looked straight into the girl's eyes. "You're so amazing."

"So are you."

"But you carry," Alexander mustered a small smile. "I feel so . . . safe around you because I . . . I like you, Nezzie, I really do."

Inez could feel her heart beat against her chest like crazy as her mouth gaped open. "You do?"

"It's more than that," the Korean boy admitted as he rubbed his hand against the back of his neck. "I love you."

The girl's heart began to beat even faster as her brain tried its best to comprehend the three magic words. The butterflies in her stomach flew even faster, and her joy grew bigger. She knew exactly what she was going to say.

"I love you, too," Inez admitted truthfully. "I really do, Alexander."

"It feels weird to say, considering how we met, but I've grown to love you a lot, Inez," the brunette-haired boy declared. "You make me feel safe inside. It's like I want you . . . to be mine, Nezzie. I want to spend my life with you." 

The girl felt her entire face heat up like flames. She was thankful her skin was so brown to the point where the boy couldn't see her blush. But she had to admit, what the Korean boy just said was extremely sweet, like her ice cream that was now beginning to melt. "That sums up the way I feel about you too. I can't deny it anymore." 

Alexander wrapped his arm around the girl, his waffle cone in one hand, while the other gently stroked the girl's arm. "You're the music to my ears, Nezzie. It's like you've thrown me off-beat completely." 

Inez felt her heart melt at the cheesy, yet corny pick-up line, but she gushed. "You know that little nickname of yours is growing on me. I think . . . I'm starting to like it for once."

The nickname, Nezzie, really was growing on her. It didn't make her stomach churn like it used to. Instead, it gave extremely different sensations. The nickname made her feel safe, loved, and cherished by the person that gave her those feelings. It was like she didn't mind it from him anymore.

"I told you it was cute," Alexander smiled genuinely.

"I like it when you call me Nezzie." 

a/n: okay, this is the longest chapter i've wrote for this story. do y'all prefer longer or shorter chapters? 

i love the dynamics between Inez and Alexander now. they are SO cute 💗