"Remind me, why did you pick me and not Sean or Milly?" Hailey asks while she took her seat at the booth across from Jake. She breathed in the fragrance of the milkshake shop, smelling the heavenly fragrances of Strawberry, Vanilla, and all of the savory flavors.

Jake sighed. "Well, I just didn't think that they would be interested... and they're always busy with their significant others, Sean with Daisy and Milly with Elliot...I mean, I don't want to waste two free milkshake coupons on someone who won't actually use them."

"Oh... I see."

"Anyways, what do you want?"

"Hmmm..." Hailey gazes around the shop, looking at the delicious pictures of the milkshakes.

 "I'll have.... strawberry. I've been eating way too much chocolate and vanilla lately." She said, giving a little giggle at the end.

"Yeah, heh. I guess I'll have Strawberry as well..." Jake replied. "Hello, I'm Lia! Welcome to the Shake'n Blend! What can I get you two?" A tall black-haired girl asked.

"We'll just have some strawberry," Jake answered, delivering a friendly smile.

"Your drink will be here in a few minutes!" Lia said, giving Jake a slight wink before she turned and left.

*Hailey's POV*

I sighed. It was hard having a crush on Jake when every single girl and boy who set eyes on him flirted with him. It made me lose courage, but yet it only made me want him more. But who am I tricking...?

All these girls and boys are more charming than me... and why would Jake want to date someone who hated him since middle school?

When I was younger, he was friends with Drew, who bullied me and my stepbrother, Zander, causing us to hate each other. All I wanted was for him to disappear. Now... I want him beneath my skin. My feelings had started to evolve ever since he joined the music club.

It was several weeks after he joined our group and became our friends, he even started to hang out and get along with my friends Sean and Milly, I guess I began to...love him. But I suppose I always have. Whenever I was about to confront him when I was 12, my heart would flutter like a butterfly. I just didn't know what the feeling was...

I began to suspect why Jake never strived to have a girlfriend or boyfriend. It appeared as every girl and guy favored him. Which was absolutely correct... I sighed again, knowing I was just another fangirl... But... it couldn't hurt investigating...right...?

"Jake... why haven't you got a girlfriend or boyfriend yet...?"

Jake's oak brown eyes lit up in surprise, looking up at me with his adorable dumbfounded look on him. "That was sudden Hailey... what brought that up all of a sudden...?"

I shrugged a little, looking away. "Just curious... so many girls and boys want you... can't keep them waiting, right?" I joked, despising what I had just said. Keep them waiting... please... it would hurt me so much to see you with someone else...

Jake moved around in his chair and played with the buttons of his light blue jacket. "I already have my eyes on someone... I'm just frightened that they won't like me back..."

His words were like frost to my heart. He already fancied someone...

I sniffed a bit. Why... why did I have to fall for someone like him...? What was I presuming anyway...? For him to condone me for causing him all that ache in his life? WHY!? Was it because... he despised me...?

"Here you go! Enjoy your date!" A familiar voice said. Lia. She placed one strawberry milkshake down and placed two straws in them.

Wait a second...

Did she say date...?

"Umm... where's the other drink...?" asked Jake.

"Oh, I assumed you were sharing. Since you were a couple and all..."

I could see Jake's cheeks become deep red. Obviously from mortification. I know I shouldn't do this... but even classifying it as a lie would make me feel better.

"Uh... n-no... we're not-"

"Oh yes, thank you!" I said with a smile.

Lia nodded and walked away, this time leaving Jake alone.

" Hailey..." Jake asked, hanging his head down. I could just barely see his face, it was completely red. Wh-why did you... say that..."

"I... just didn't want any trouble... she's busy enough... heh..." Worst. Excuse. Ever. Hailey Austin.

"Oh..."" Besides... it's not a bad thing... friends share stuff..." Including drinks? Great job Hailey...

I took a sip of the drink, letting its delicious berry flavor flow into my mouth.

Jake stares at me as if deciding whether or not to do it.

His gaze softened, finally making a decision, and took a sip of the drink.

I could feel a smile crawl on my lips. It was like an actual date... even though it was fake... it feels so real...

I lifted my head, away from the drink, and so did Jake.

"Kind of absurd right, how a little place like this has elaborate stuff like waiters and menus, you know what I mean?" Jake commented, giggling shortly after.

As soon as he recognizes I wasn't laughing at his silly little comment about the place, he gave me a concerned look.

"Jake..." I murmured.

"Yeah...?"

"Do you hate me...?" I kept back some tears. Something I have always done since I was smaller. Everyone knew me for being a crybaby... but it wasn't that, I am just emotional

"What?! No, of course not! Why would you think that?!"

"Why would I not think that? After all those times when we were younger... why wouldn't you...?"

"We were younger! It's in the past now!!"

"If you didn't hate me then how come you've never acknowledged my love for you?!"

The last words I said were never meant to come out. My cheeks flare furiously. I wish I never said that... I am sorry heart but darn you.

There was a long awkward silence between us. The whole shop seemed to go quiet, like all the attention on us. So quiet that you could hear everyone's breathing.

"I thought you didn't like me..." Jake finally said.I looked up at him, my dark gray eyes welled up with tears.

"Never. I've always liked you... since we were 12..."

"But... boys like Sean and Luke are constantly with you and you just... smile and laugh...!"

"Because girls like Daisy and boys like Drew are regularly all over you! It always pierces my heart!"

"I thought you liked them! I was always so jealous... then people started to talk to me and I thought I could make you jealous and like me!" He gazed down, his oak brown eyes starting to water up as well.

"But you did nothing..."

I could not believe it.

After all these years.

Wondering and hoping, weeping and crying.

Neither of us confessing because we were both frightened of being rejected...

Like how Luke and Zander were....

"It as you... you were the one I had my eyes on..." He murmured, his words causing me to feel all warm and tingly.

"I'm so sorry..."

"You have nothing to apologize for... I should have just asked instead of waiting for you... I wasn't even considering how it could hurt you..."

I didn't realize it, but we were getting closer and closer by the second. Staring into each other's eyes the whole time, his oak brown eyes gazing into my dark grey ones. I could do that forever. 

"I love you..." He murmured into my ear.

"I love you too..."

He ended my sentence by connecting our lips with a delicate, tender, loving kiss. His lips fit mine perfectly, just making the moment even better.

Sadly, we had to breathe again so we broke the kiss.

"I was... saving my first kiss for you..." Jake said, looking me in the eye, his cheeks glowing a  dark red.

Mine was probably worse.

I giggles. "So was I... and it was perfect."

We kissed again and I think we were so lost in the moment that we didn't hear Daisy and Milly cheering us on and Elliot and Sean trying to quiet them down to not ruin the moment. But I really didn't care what they did.

As long as I had Jake Sterling with me.

Everything was perfect.