Chapter 4
Monday night felt nothing like a Monday.
After school, I got home and headed straight for the shower. If I was going on a date at five, I wanted to feel clean and put together — even if it was just a casual movie night. It was only 3 p.m., so I had time.
A few minutes later, I stepped out of the shower, wrapped myself in a towel, and hurried into my room. I shut the door behind me and changed into something cute but relaxed — nothing too fancy, nothing that screamed trying too hard. Just… me.
Dad was still at work, but I could hear Jasmine’s voice in the hallway, talking on the phone with someone I didn’t recognize. When I opened my bedroom door, she spotted me immediately.
She muted her call. “Hey! You’re looking all cute… going somewhere later?”
“Yeah,” I said, trying not to smile too hard. “I’m going on a date with Chase — the guy I met on Saturday.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Oh, how fun! But… how are you getting there?”
I froze. I hadn’t thought about that.
“Are you busy around five?” I asked.
“After five, yeah — I have to get to work. Why?”
“I was wondering if you could drop me off at the theater. I told him I’d meet him there at five.”
She softened. “I can do that. I’ll drop you off at 4:55. And please text or call me if you need anything.”
“Thank you,” I said, relieved. “I will.”
She unmuted her call and went back to chatting, and I flopped onto the couch to relax. Time passed faster than I expected. When I checked my phone again, it was already 4:15.
I texted Chase:
Me: Hey, I can’t wait to see you tonight! You’re still coming, right?
A few minutes later:
Chase: Hey! I’m on my way now — it’ll take a bit to get there. I can’t wait to see you again. I’ve been waiting all day. And yes, of course I’m coming — I planned it, didn’t I?
I grinned so hard it hurt.
From across the house, Jasmine called, “Lola, are you ready?”
“I’m ready whenever you are!”
She came out of Dad’s room, grabbed her keys and phone, and we headed out. I texted Chase again:
Me: I’m close by — I’ll be there shortly.
As Jasmine pulled out of the driveway, she glanced at me. “How are you feeling?”
“Nervous,” I admitted. “But I’ll be okay. You might even get to meet him for a second.”
“Don’t worry,” she said. “Everything will be fine. And yeah, I’d like to put a face to the name.”
“You’re right,” I said, mostly to convince myself.
When we pulled up to the theater, my phone buzzed.
Chase: I’m here. Where are you?
I rolled down the window and yelled, “Chase!”
He turned, spotted me, and walked over with that soft smile that made my stomach flip.
“Hey, beautiful,” he said. Then he nodded toward Jasmine. “Who’s this?”
“Chase, this is my older sister, Jasmine. Jasmine, this is Chase.”
“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Jasmine said. “She hasn’t stopped talking about you.”
He laughed, glancing at me. “Is that so? It’s nice to meet you too.”
I unbuckled my seatbelt and grabbed my things. Chase opened the door for me, and I stepped out. Jasmine leaned over the console.
“You guys have fun. Lola, text me if you need anything — I’ll respond when I can.”
“I will,” I promised.
She drove off, and Chase turned to me.
“She seems nice.”
“She is,” I said. “I’m lucky to have her.”
He smiled. “By the way… you look beautiful tonight.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks. I tried to hide it. Failed.
“Thank you,” I said. “You look good too.”
He took my hand. “So… what do you want to see?”
We walked toward the ticket stand, scanning the movie board.
“Jumanji?” I suggested.
“That works for me.”
He let go of my hand long enough to buy the tickets — paying for both of us before I could even reach for my wallet. He handed me mine, and we headed inside.
The lobby smelled like popcorn and butter — the best kind of nostalgia. We grabbed snacks and drinks, then made our way to the ticket taker, who pointed us toward the right theater.
We walked down the long hallway, the carpet soft under our feet, until we reached the room. After a moment of indecision, we chose seats in the center toward the back — the perfect spot.
We settled in, popcorn between us, and drinks in the cup holders. The trailers played, and we whispered little comments back and forth, laughing quietly.
Ten minutes later, the lights dimmed, the screen brightened, and the movie began.
We whispered here and there, sharing laughs during the funniest scenes. At some point, I leaned my head onto his shoulder. He noticed immediately and wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closer.
Inside, my thoughts spun.
We’re falling for each other. Is this too fast? Am I okay? I don’t want to ruin this. Calm down, Lola. Just breathe.
Chase glanced at me. “Are you okay? You seem like something’s bothering you.”
“I’m okay,” I whispered. “Don’t worry about it.”
“You sure?”
“I’m sure. I don’t want to ruin our date.”
He leaned closer. “Whatever it is, it won’t ruin anything. I promise.”
I hesitated, then shook my head. “It’s nothing big. We can talk about it another time.”
“As long as, you’re sure.”
I nodded, and he squeezed my shoulder gently.
When the movie ended, the lights came on and people started filing out. We stretched, tossed our trash, and walked into the cool evening air.
“I had a really good time,” he said. “I hoped you did too.”
“I did,” I said. “Perfect Monday night.”
He stopped walking and turned to me, eyes warm and nervous.
“I don’t know how much longer I can wait to make this official,” he said. “Even though this was our first date… I’m just going to ask.”
My heart froze.
“Lola,” he said softly, “will you be my girlfriend?”
For a moment, everything inside me tangled — the cautious part, the hopeful part, the part that had been buzzing since Saturday.
“Yes,” I said, smiling. “I’d love to be your girlfriend.”
His face lit up, and he leaned in to kiss my cheek. My whole body melted.
“You have no idea how much I wanted this,” I told him. “I felt an instant spark with you.”
“Really?” He said. “I wanted you to be mine too. I didn’t want to rush anything, but… I couldn’t wait any longer.”
“I didn’t want to rush either,” I said. “But I’m happy we made it official.”
We took a selfie together — him holding my phone, both of us smiling under the theater lights.
I texted Jasmine to pick me up.
Jasmine: On my way. I’ll tell my boss it’s a family emergency. Five minutes.
Chase stayed with me until she arrived. She waved from the window.
“You guys have fun,” she said. “Lola, text me if you need anything.”
“I will.”
Chase squeezed my hand. “Goodnight, beautiful.”
Jasmine dropped me off quickly — she had to rush back to work — and I headed inside. I kicked off my shoes, shrugged off my jacket, and collapsed onto the couch.
I texted Chase:
Me: Just got home. Tonight was magical. I had so much fun.
Chase: I had a good night too, babe. Don’t forget to send me that photo of us.
Me: Sending it now.
I sent the selfie, then added:
Me: I’ll be thinking about you when I fall asleep tonight.
Chase: I will too.
A few minutes later, Jasmine texted:
Jasmine: Working late — won’t be home until midnight. Dad knows. Tomorrow, I want to hear everything.
Me: No worries. I’ll see you tomorrow and tell you everything.
I changed into pajamas, plugged in my phone, and sent one last message saying I was heading to bed.
Then I crawled under the covers, closed my eyes, and let the night settle around me — warm, sweet, and full of him.