Chapter 11: First Date Jitters

Chapter 11: First Date Jitters

Liam had never been more nervous in his life. He stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the collar of his shirt for the tenth time.

"It's just a casual thing," he muttered to himself. "Not a big deal."

Except it was a big deal.

After the protest, he and Maya had started spending more time together—texting, sitting together at lunch, working on projects. And then, earlier this week, she had casually asked if he wanted to go see a movie with her on Saturday.

Just the two of them.

Was it a date? He didn't know. Ethan had insisted that it was.

"Dude, she asked you out," Ethan had said. "That's, like, textbook dating material."

"But she didn't say it was a date," Liam had argued.

"Because she's probably waiting for you to make the move!"

Liam wasn't sure about that, but either way, his nerves were going into overdrive.

His phone buzzed. A text from Maya.

Maya: I'm here! No rush, just letting you know. :)

Liam took a deep breath and grabbed his jacket before heading outside. Maya was waiting on the sidewalk, wearing a simple sweater and jeans, her hair loose around her shoulders.

"Hey," she greeted, smiling. "You ready?"

Liam nodded, falling into step beside her as they walked toward the theater.

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The movie turned out to be funnier than Liam expected, which helped ease some of his nervousness. A couple of times, he caught Maya glancing at him when he laughed, but he wasn't sure if he was imagining it.

Afterward, they stopped at a nearby café. Maya stirred her iced coffee with a straw, looking thoughtful. "So… serious question. Best movie soundtrack of all time?"

Liam smirked. "That's an impossible question."

"Humor me."

He thought for a moment. "Maybe Almost Famous. It's got some classics."

Maya grinned. "Good answer. I was gonna say Guardians of the Galaxy, but I respect your choice."

They kept talking, conversation flowing naturally. Liam felt more relaxed than he had in days—until he realized they had both fallen into a comfortable silence, and Maya was looking at him expectantly.

Was this the moment? Should he say something? Do something?

Before he could overthink it, Maya reached across the table and gently tapped his hand. "Hey. I had a really good time today."

Liam swallowed. "Me too."

A small smile played on her lips. "Maybe we should do it again sometime?"

He felt his heartbeat speed up, but in a good way. "Yeah. I'd like that."

Maya's smile widened. "Cool."

And just like that, Liam knew—whether or not tonight had started as a date, it definitely felt like one now.