Text Message for Astor from Bennett

[Bennett Durnham]

"Oh good, that makes me feel much better." Bennett did feel much better but obviously not because of that piece of news. At least the awkwardness was gone. Hopefully. Astor was talking more now. That's always a plus. If the girl could talk, Bennett didn't have to. Much better that way. He couldn't help but smile when Astor mentioned her uncle hoping she was a tomboy. He was absolutely glad she wasn't. Well, even if she was, Bennett would still like her.

Bennett listened as Astor spoke about her dad and her mural. "I'm sure the paint would look amazing on the dress. You could work it." Bennett grinned. He was a walking fashion disaster and paint would work miracles on him. Not that he thought Astor needed a miracle. Far from it. She could literally wear a plastic bag and she'd still look pretty.

"Nah, I'm good with unemployment. It's pretty sweet." Her offer to work at the diner was laughed at good naturedly. "I can't even walk properly on my own two feet, I doubt skates would improve that." He chuckled. "No, I really don't want free-" Bennett stopped talking when Astor mentioned Cammie and the view he had talked about before. Busted. "Uh...Cammie? No! She's way older than me I couldn't...the view, I was really talking about the 50's theme thing. I like...uh," he gave Astor an awkward chuckle.

Glad for the change of subject, Bennett rubbed his shoulder where she poked him and chuckled. "I told you so." He shrugged. When she put herself down like that, Bennett felt horrible. There are too many people in this world who have no reason to boast about themselves but do and then there are people who deserve to be praised but aren't. Astor definitely belonged in the latter group yet she keeps insulting herself. It was kind of sad in a way and Bennett didn't want her to do that to herself.

"Astor, there's no such thing as a huge nerd." He said seriously. "There is however a huge dork which I am. And you are nowhere near as awesome as me so...don't try and steal my title. Thank you," It was meant to lighten the mood and he hoped she'd take the hint. He followed where she pointed and soon they were seated and Bennett looked down at his menu.

"I am definitely not familiar with any of these. Do you mind ordering for me?" He asked, looking up at Astor with a lopsided grin.

[Astor Young]

Astor just sort of nodded at Bennett's responses. She did not think that paint would look very good on a dress but judging by what he was wearing he didn't exactly seem like a fashion expert, not that she should talk given what she was wearing.

"Oh, that's too bad because serving food in roller skates is loads of fun," Astor said in a sarcastic tone. She tilted her head slightly to the side trying to figure out how his expression changes so drastically when she brought up Cammie. Okay...well she sort of believed him, he seemed kind of appalled that she'd asked actually, but she still wasn't sure about the whole fifties thing. There was something off about it but Astor couldn't put her finger on why. "Okay..." she said, not really sure how else to respond.

She couldn't help but laugh over the whole huge nerd verses huge dork thing. It did make her feel a bit better. Maybe she just had to accept that she was a nerd and just continue to hang out with other nerds. Sure, there was still that part of her that wished she could be one of those popular kids, but wasn't it more fun to just hang around with someone like Bennett who she could more or less be more herself around? "Yeah, I think you're right," she chirped, "you're a way bigger dork that me, you win, hand down!" she teased. She was laughing so it was clear that her words weren't meant to be mean.

They headed inside the sushi place and were seated at a small person table in the back. Astor glanced over the menu already having an idea of what she'd want when Bennett asked her to help him. "You have had sushi before though, right?" she said. "If you don't like it...we could still go somewhere else," she offered, feeling a little bad that she'd picked something that he probably wouldn't like. She should have known, considering he came to the diner and had burgers, fries, and milkshakes every day. She hope he at least was aware that most of it was raw.

"I was going to get some yellowtail sushimi but if you're not used to it you might want to get something that's cooked...or like I said we could go somewhere else," she offered once more, still feeling sort of bad for seemingly dragging him to sushi when he probably didn't like it.

[Bennett Durnham]

Laughing at Astor's sarcastic remark, he didn't comment further on it. He probably wouldn't like it any more than she seemed to so there was no reason he should comment on it. When she looked at him weirdly as he tried to deny the thing about Cammie, he hoped she wouldn't figure out the real 'view' he had talked about. Til now, he truly regretted ever saying those words. It was weird how she immediately thought of Cammie thought. Well, really it was either Cammie, Astor or the cook and obviously it couldn't be the cook. That would just be silly.

Bennett patted himself in the back when Astor finally laughed and looked as if she was finally at ease. The dork vs nerd thing actually worked! It had been a long shot but at least now Astor was all smiles again. Just the way Bennett liked it. "Aha, yeah I've had sushi before. I actually like most of the raw things but why don't you pick for us. I think you know better than I do at least." He gave her a wide grin before taking a sip of their complimentary hot green tea.

When Astor started to offer going somewhere else, Bennett's hand shot out and patted hers, squeezing it lightly without even thinking it. "Hey," his voice was gentle and his smile warm. "I honestly don't mind sushi. Really." And he really didn't. It wasn't his favourite food since he liked burgers and steaks more but it wasn't like he was completely turned off by sushi.

Once he realised his hand had lingered on hers for far too long, Bennett pulled it back and this time he was the one who apologised. "You don't have cooties I was just...not appropriate to hold hands...I mean...eh ignore me. And change subject! So what clubs are you going to join this year?"

[Astor Young]

"Oh okay...I tend to prefer the sushimi or sushi to the rolls but most people like the rolls better and they're cheaper," she began, "We could split..." she stopped speaking as he placed his hand on her's.

Astor sort of froze. The whole time he was talking it was hard for her to concentrate. It was such a strange thing...one she hadn't really expected. But the warmth of his hand on her own had somehow flipped some sort of switch in her or something. She wasn't sure what it was...but there was something going on with her. Did she like Bennett? When she'd invited him out she'd been hoping to make a friend...she hadn't thought about it more than that, but now that his hand was on her's....what? What did that mean and why was it affecting her?

Astor still hadn't said anything when he pulled his hand away and started rambling something sort of incoherent.... She could feel hear rising through her body, seemingly settling over her cheeks in a distinct pink hue. And then to make matters worse, Gregory chose that moment to come over to them.

Sort of like Bennett was a regular at the diner, Astor was sort of a regular at the sushi place. She didn't go every day or anything but she went at least once a week with her dad, at least enough that some of the staff knew the pair and all of them probably at least recognized them. "Hi, Astor," Gregory said brightly, he was a tall flamboyantly gay man, who Astor was pretty sure had a crush on her father even though her father always brushed this thought off when Astor suggested it. "Where's your dad today, although I see that you found a suitable companion to join you today," he said, still smiling.

Astor's blush deepened, "Yeah, this is Bennett...he's a friend from school...um this is Gregory..."

The older man smiled, "Well, its nice to meet you. Hopefully, we'll start seeing you around here as much as Astor over here," he went on, "anyway what can I get you kids?" he asked, looking down at the table expectantly, unaware of the awkwardness he'd just walked in on.

"Just water for now," Astor said, "I think we need another few minutes on the sushi."

"You got it," Gregory said waiting for Bennett's drink order before heading off. Astor glanced down at the menu once he was gone, still feeling a bit flustered after the whole hand holding thing. "Yeah...I come here a lot with my dad..." she said trailing off, "um rolls then or just sushi pieces?" she asked, glancing up from her menu. As her eyes met his, her lips curled into a small smile although she wasn't really sure why.

[Bennett Durnham]

Not noticing Astor's blush, he was glad for Gregory's appearance. They were quite friendly with each other and Bennett randomly realised that while he was a meat kind of guy, Astor was a fish kind of girl. Not that he knew anything about her eating disorder but he thought the difference between the two of them could totally work. Of course, he was as usual getting ahead of himself. Who knew how long this acquaintance would last even?

Astor introducing him as a friend from school for some reason brought an ache to his heart which Bennett thought was completely ludicrous. They were friends from school. Sure, he wanted more than that but Astor didn't know that. Nor did she have to. They were friends and that was that. He shouldn't get all Achy Breaky Heart in his mind. It was creepy.

"I'll have a soda if you have any." Bennett forced a smile at Gregory before turning his attention to Astor who explained that she did come here a lot. He just nodded and gave her a smile. Her question about sushi had him shrugging with a little chuckle. "I'm fine with either. But I do like the uh...salmon sashimi. And also the soft shell crab um...what's the Japanese name for it...err..." Bennett tried to remember the actual name for the roll.

He genuinely laughed at how poor his memory was until it clicked in his brain. "Temaki! That's what it's called." He chuckled. "I don't mind paying if you want." He offered. A gentleman always paid, right?

[Astor Young]

"Okay, cool," Astor managed to say when he mentioned what he liked. "Do you want them to yourself or she we just order a bunch to share?" she asked. She usually shared stuff with her dad but who knew what Bennett preferred. Her head was still sort of spinning with confusion and it was hard to actually concentrate of ordering.

What was going on? What had been with that hand holding? She was still trying to decipher these things when he offered to pay. Astor could feel her heart rate speeding up as it occurred to her that she might be on a date. She'd never been on a date before. In middle school she'd been awkward. All the kids she'd went to school with had known her since she was a little kid and just knew her as a shy girl. No one asked her out on dates and most people hadn't even talked to her except to tease her.

She of course had no idea what Bennett was thinking. She hadn't even considered that he might want to go on a date with her. Did that mean she'd asked him out? Did he think that...because that was sort of mortifying. The guy was supposed to ask the girl out. Okay...maybe that was a bit traditional, but still, Astor liked it that way. And the whole thing with the view...he couldn't have meant... Was it possible that he came to the diner to see her? Had she really been so oblivious? Or maybe she was reading too much into it now. She was probably being vain. He was probably just offering to pay because he was a nice guy and probably thought she was poor cause she worked all the time...

"Whatever, we can figure it out once we get the bill," she said vaguely, trying to play it cool, but there was a nervous tone to her voice. Astor wasn't always so good with hiding her feelings.

Luckily, Gregory came back, delivering their drinks. It was at this time that Astor ordered for them, ordering the things Bennett liked as well as two things she liked, although she was so on edge that she might be on a date she was now kind of afraid to eat in front of Bennett. What if she ate too much and he was repulsed by it or something. Now that this could be a date the pressure was on and Astor wasn't sure how she was supposed to act.

With their order in hand, Gregory headed away and Astor gave Bennett a nervous smile. "So what do you usually do other than going to the diner?" she asked. The question was forced and less natural than her earlier conversation. Why did a date verses hanging out with friends complicate things. She wished she just knew either way if it was a date or not...at least then she could somewhat relax and act accordingly. She was so stressed out over it all she'd hardly even considered whether she wanted it to be a date or not.