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Tina woke up that morning practically buzzing with excitement.
She woke up earlier than normal so she could take extra time doing her hair and even apply a little makeup. Normally she wasn't a fan of how it felt on her face, but she could deal with it for today.
Because today, her and Jimmy Jr. were finally going on a romantic Valentine's day date!
She had made sure to make these plans with him well in advance, knowing her boyfriend wasn't always the best with sticking to these types of things. But she brought it up every so often leading up to today to make sure he remembered and kept it free for her.
And he actually had! She texted him about it last night just in case and he confirmed with a thumbs up emoji. She knew if she made it this clear how important these plans were that he'd come through and she was so excited!
They had kinda dated on and off over the past few years but this was the first year they were officially boyfriend and girlfriend! Despite this however they still had yet to have a date that really felt special to her. She tried leaving a lot of that behind her once they became official but she couldn't help the fact that she was a hopeless romantic sometimes, so she was really looking forward to the proper romantic date she's always wanted.
Her expectations for romance had changed a lot since she was 13. She was still a dreamer, still daydreamed of chivalrous acts and nice asses, but she learned to keep her expectations lower after a while when it came to her boyfriend. He wasn't always the best at planning dates after all.
She was sure today would be different though! And said as much while eating breakfast with her family.
"Wait, why are you meeting at the Wharf in February? Won't that be, y'know, cold? And generally not fun in the slightest?" Her father asked as he served them pancakes. He had gotten more creative over the years and this time instead of just a heart, he had made Linda's face out of pancakes and toppings. Which her mother loved immensely by all the cooing and picture taking she was doing.
“Well yeah but they’re having a special valentine’s day event happening this year, and the game’s are half off so it’s easier to get prizes.”
“Ok..but then why meet at the Wharf? He’s across the street can’t he just meet you here?”
“He’s with his mom until this afternoon, that’s why we’re not meeting up until 4.”
“Ah… I still think he should meet you here."
Tina rolled her eyes, "C'mon dad it's fine, the Wharf is practically right down the block. Plus it's more romantic to meet there instead of at our houses like usual."
"But-"
Thankfully her mom cut him off, "Oh just let it be Bobby, she'll be fine. She's a big girl now!" She turned to smile brightly at her daughter, "We're right down the road so you head on back here if you need us sweetie."
Grateful, Tina smiled widely at her. "Thanks mom."
"Tina if you're not meeting until 4, why are you dressed like he's coming by in 2 minutes?" Louise piped up in-between bites of pancakes.
Her cheeks went a little pink,"...I might’ve gotten a little too excited…"
"Awwwwwww!" Linda got up so she could properly hug her, "Look at my baby all excited for her date! I think you look lovely sweetheart."
"Just don't forget to touch it up before you go or you'll look like a hot mess!" Gene said around a mouthful of pancakes.
"Gene."
"What? I'm the only one in this family who knows about makeup, are YOU going to give her tips Dad?"
"Uh...no."
"That's what I thought!" He shoveled the rest of his food in his mouth before dramatically pushing himself out of his chair.
"Come sister! There's much to do!" He grabbed Tina's arm and practically dragged her out of her seat, but she didn't mind. She loved makeover times with Gene.
They spent most of the afternoon just goofing around. Bob had given Tina the whole day off for her date and Gene didn't have to help out until later, so the two of them cycled between outfits and then eventually fell down a hole of watching makeup story time videos until around 2 pm.
It was around then Gene took Louise's place in the restaurant and she came upstairs to keep Tina from going overboard before she left. It was a good system they had come up with not too long ago.
"Tina for God's sake Valentine's day is literally only good for getting discounted chocolate the day after stop freaking out about this."
Tina swapped out her barrett for the 3rd time, "Yeah well this is special to me Louise, we've been dating since the beginning of the school year and we've barely gone on any actually nice dates. I really want this to go well."
She caught her sister's eyes in the mirror but the way she had her eyebrows scrunched together as her mouth pressed itself into a fine line made her stomach turn with unease so she quickly refocused her attention on whether or not she should wear her hair up.
She ended up deciding against it in favor of a hat with a little fuzz ball on top so her ears would be covered. Pulling it on her head when 3:45 came around, she said a quick goodbye to her family before rushing out the door towards the pier.
It was 3:50 by the time she got there so she still had some time to wait but she didn't mind, she was much more afraid of being late and missing him because of it so she figured it didn't matter much. What's a bit of cold when it comes to seeing your boyfriend anyway?
______________________________________
"Tina girl! Is that you?" Tina hadn't been standing there long when a thickly accented voice called out to her, and a smile made its way onto her face almost immediately once she heard it.
"Oh, hey Zeke. What're you doing here?" She asked politely but felt a little stupid for doing so, He was at the Wharf on Valentine's day, he probably has a date like she does-
"Just hangin with my cousins." He gestures behind him with his head and when Tina leaned over she saw 3 older guys next to a rusty truck. They all nodded at her. She nodded back.
"Dave's got a daughter who has a ballet recital later today and the idiot hasn't gotten her anything so we decided to stop by so he could win her something quick before it starts. She loves the prizes down here."
"Aww, that's so sweet."
"Not really, he's shit at these games so he brought us to help him win."
"That..makes the gesture maybe a little less sweet, but at least he's determined?"
Zeke let out a quick laugh, "That's a good way of lookin' at it I guess."
Then he paused for a bit, taking in her appearance. "Anyway, what's got ya here and all dressed up for? Lookin' good by the way."
He winked playfully, and Tina was surprised by how happy the comment made her. Zeke was never one to shy away from compliments and this definitely wasn't the first time he's complimented her specifically either, but she already felt giddy today and he only amplified the feeling.
She pinched the fabric of her coat to do somewhat of a mock curtsy, "Thank you, and to answer your question I'm waiting for Jimmy Jr. We have a date planned today and he's supposed to be here soon."
"Oh yeah, yer big valentine’s date. I remember you tellin' the girls about it a couple of time." He knocked the front of his boot against hers and shot her a smirk. "Excited?"
Still holding onto her coat, she ended up fisting the fabric in her enthusiasm as she beamed up at him. "Very, this'll finally be a proper date between the two of us."
Zeke's smile grew softer before he started scanning the area, when he looked back at her though the corner of his mouth was downturned and his face scrunched up in concern.
"I don't entirely love the idea of you waiting all on your lonesome out here in the cold." He kicked at some slush on the sidewalk. "Want me to stay with ya?"
Now, while Tina and Zeke were a lot closer than they had been when they were younger, she still was admittedly a little hesitant to wait with the usual main competition she had for Jimmy Jr.'s attention. However, she also knew Zeke better now, and she knew he knew how excited she was for this date. She didn't really have to worry about him crashing it.
It was one of perks of actually being friends with Zeke now instead of one-sidedly seeing him as a rival all the time. Turns out all she had to do now was ask.
Most of the time she didn't even have to do that, if she merely mentioned it to him Zeke would make an active effort not to crash their dates nowadays. It didn't always stop Jimmy Jr. from seeking the other boy out though, that was something neither of them could control.
Tina was glad Zeke was already accustomed to how long it took her to think things through sometimes because he was still standing next to her with a patient smile when she finally answered him.
"Yeah, I wouldn't mind the company, I guess."
Zeke lit up beside her. His enjoyment of her company always managed to perplex her but you'd never hear her say she hated it.
"Alright! Lemme just tell the guys, I'll be right back!"
Tina smiled a little as she watched him bound away, but it slid off pretty fast when she checked her phone for any updates.
Nothing.
That's ok though! She had to remind herself that she came 10 minutes early and it's only been around 8, Jimmy Jr. wasn't the most punctual in the first place, so she knows better than to actually expect him to arrive exactly on time.
She was considering texting him but ultimately decided against it as Zeke came running back. She had company for now anyway, no use annoying her boyfriend for no good reason. He confirmed they were meeting up, there was nothing to worry about.
"Good news T! After a little begging my cousin gave me the keys to his truck and said as long as we don't joyride it, we can at least sit in it while we wait."
Relieved, Tina leaned around him to wave her thanks to his cousins. They all gave her different lopsided grins and a thumbs up, which only made Tina's heart feel warmer. They were definitely Zeke's family.
She turned back to him, "Thanks, that sounds way better than making you just stand around out here with me."
"C'mon T-bird, y'know I would've anyway."
Actually she didn't know that, but he spoke with such a kindhearted honesty that she couldn't help but believe his words. So she kept her mouth shut and just smiled in response as they approached the truck.
Zeke opened the side door to help her climb inside. It was a little cluttered, but not too bad, and because his cousins were driving it before it was already kind of warm.
"Oh hold on a sec." Instead of moving to the driver's side, Zeke leaned in her space a bit to reach behind her seat and grabbed a small throw blanket that was laying in the back seat to offer it to her.
"It's kinda scratchy but it's clean if you want some extra warmth."
Tina accepted it gladly, "Thanks Zeke." Then she schooled her expression into one as mock serious as possible. "Now get in the car before all the heat escapes."
Zeke threw the blanket over her head with a laugh, "Yes Ma'am!"
By the time she successfully escaped her temporary blanket prison Zeke had already circled around the car and climbed into the driver's seat. She glared at him as best she could for messing up her hat and hair but she had a feeling it wasn't doing her much good when she caught the smile on her face in the truck's side mirror.
She rolled her eyes, "Just turn the truck on already."
"Hey that takes time, I gotta get to know it first-"
Tina smacked his arm with a flat look and Zeke, clearly unaffected, just barked out a loud laugh in response and turned the key. Once the truck grumbled to life they started sifting through whatever CD's were left in there before ultimately turning on the radio instead.
The two just sat together for a moment and they watched the few people walking around the Wharf. The place had been decently decorated for the occasion, and Tina belatedly wondered if Felix trying to get back together with Fanny recently had anything to do with it. She wouldn't put it past them.
There was no sign of Jimmy Jr. yet but it was only 7 minutes past their meet up time. Knowing her boyfriend it could still be another 15 or so before he finally arrived so Tina tried not to think about it.
Almost as if he could sense her need for a distraction, Zeke poked her shoulder and pointed at a man in his maybe 40's, absolutely BOOKING IT down the street.
"Hey, whatcha think is going on with that guy?"
"Hmm?" She watched the stranger until he ran out of sight "umm, I don't know? I've.. never met him before."
Zeke chuckled and shook his head, "I wasn't expectin' you to T, just make something up! Like, why d'you think he's running like that?"
"Oh ok..maybe he's, uhhh, running home. because… his house is on fire, and he has to save his pet frog."
Zeke nodded along as she spoke, "I bet his pet frog's name is Rodney and he wears little scarves just because!"
Tina smiled at the image, "I like that, Rodney the frog. He's a distinguished gentleman. "
"Who's about to die in a fire I guess if…" he glanced at her and it took her a second to realize what he was looking for.
"Uhh, Francis."
"If Francis doesn't get home in time to save him."
"He does." Tina decided, nodding to herself. "Nothing bad can ever happen to Rodney the imaginary frog who wears scarves."
Zeke beamed back at her, "Hell yeah! Go save that frog Francis!"
They laughed a bit before settling down and continued their people watching. Oddly enough Tina thought this was a pretty fun way to hang out with a friend, and this time she's the one who found someone to point out.
"What about those two?" She asked, gesturing to a pair of women in maybe their late 20's, they walked down the street like normal but every once in a while they'd whisper something to each other, and their reactions to the whispering changed from surprise, to happiness, to deadpan stares and then always circling back around to happiness again. They seemed pretty close.
"I'd say, they've finally figured out they're both spies, but they're already in love with each other so they're planning how they're gonna run away together."
Tina hummed in agreement, "Their names are…Diane, and, uhh…Sasha. They want to get new identities and move to Australia to adopt."
"Boy or girl?"
"Boy." Tina looked over at Zeke, "This time you pick the name."
"Hmm…how bout Xander then!"
Things went on like that for a while, the two of them creating random stories for people they'll never see again. They got more in depth with some than with others, but it was overall really fun. In fact, before Tina even knew it, by the time she happened to glance at the clock again she found that a half hour had passed, and it threw her into a panic.
Cutting off her made up story about an old man who she decided lost his lover to the depths of the sea, Tina quickly grabbed at her phone. She'd feel awful if Jimmy had texted her while she was distracted, but when she opened her phone to find no new messages at all somehow that felt even worse.
She still hesitated to text him. She didn't want to be that girlfriend, but at this point she was a little worried so she sent a short "Hey we still on for tonight?" Text and waited for a reply.
……
And waited….
She felt herself wanting to squirm under Zeke's not-so-subtle glances out of the corner of his eye. He was clearly just concerned as she had just dropped their previous conversation to stare at her phone, but she didn't really know how to handle Jimmy Jr. problems around Zeke.
"Everything ok T-bird?" Startled, she jolted a little when he asked her that, and tried to give him a confident smile that said 'everything is fine!'
It definitely didn't work when he winced at whatever face she made instead.
“It's fine,” she scrambled to say before he could interject “He’s just late.”
Zeke frowned at her longer than she was used to seeing from him, but ultimately he said nothing as something through the windshield caught his attention.
“Oh damn, looks like my cousins are back already.”
Tina felt her face grow hot, they had allowed them to sit in the car while Tina waited for her boyfriend, but now they’re back and she’s still here waiting? God this was embarrassing.
Zeke glanced at her once more before exiting the car to talk to them but Tina couldn’t bring herself to make eye contact with any of them so she kept her gaze to the floor and fiddled with her fingers. When he returned it was with an apologetic look on his face.
“Sorry T-bird, they need the truck back. Dave’s gonna be late for his daughter's recital otherwise.”
“Oh!” Tina flushed further. “Right, yeah of course. I bet they weren’t expecting me to still be here by the time they got back.” She tried to chuckle at the situation but it fell pretty flat as she climbed out of the car.
Zeke just hummed and looked at her for a moment too long again, but as she turned away she saw him grab the blanket she had left on the passenger seat.
She was surprised that when she uttered a quiet thanks to Zeke’s cousins they didn’t really look at her with pity, but found herself grateful for it all the same. At least they hadn’t commented on the fact that it had been over a half hour and her date still wasn’t here.
She was even more surprised though, to find Zeke still next to her as they drove away. And she turned to face him.
“Why didn’t you go with, weren’t they your ride?”
Zeke simply shrugged, and pulled out the blanket he had been hiding behind his back since they exited the car to hand to her.
“What? I told you earlier I’m not just gonna leave you all alone out here. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you T.”
Tina grabbed the blanket and wrapped it loosely around her shoulders, her eyes felt like watering but she swallowed hard to force it down. God it was so lame to cry over being cared about, and she especially could not do that here.
“Thanks Zeke..uh, for the blanket. As well as the whole staying with me thing.”
She cringed at her own words, really hoping he understood she was being sincere in her thankfulness over the awkward flat tone she couldn’t seem to shake out of her voice. Luckily Zeke is Zeke, so of course he does.
“Anytime Teenie B, just say the word.”
She raised an eyebrow, “Teenie B?”
“What? I gotta switch it up sometimes!”
She nudged him lightly with her elbow, “Feels like it would fit Louise better.”
“Your name sounds the most similar.” He nudged her back.
“Yeah but Louise is the smallest Belcher.”
“Good point. Still gonna call ya it anyway.”
Tina laughed at his stupid smug little grin, he seemed to have a knack for making the atmosphere around her feel lighter. It actually felt like he cared about how she was feeling which she really did appreciate.
“I mean, ok? It’s not the worst nickname I’ve ever had. I think I can live with that.”
They both fell quiet as they leaned against the wall that separated them from the rest of the pier. There weren’t any benches near the entrance so they had to stand, which bothered Zeke more than it did Tina.
“You sure you don’t wanna wait somewhere inside where you can sit? I know we’re waitin’ for J-Ju and all but I don’t want you to be uncomfortable while ya do.”
While she appreciated his concern she shook her head. “I don’t want him to show up only to not see me and leave. I’m fine out here.”
“I’d ask why you couldn’t just text him but this is J-Ju we’re talkin’ about. He doesn’t check his phone much these days.” Zeke sighed.
“Yeah…” she tried to ignore the sludge in her gut at the reminder that she still hasn’t heard anything from him. “But I have the blanket you gave me, and it’s not that cold out, so it shouldn’t be an issue. Probably.”
“If you say so, T-bird.” Zeke muttered, his brow furrowed in a way that made Tina feel like groaning until she passed out from lack of oxygen. If even Zeke didn’t have much faith in Jimmy Jr. showing up then who’s to say he actually would at this point. They were best friends and Zeke never liked to talk badly about Jimmy Jr. he was loyal to a fault just like she was, and was the only person besides her that would stick by the other boy through almost anything. The idea that Zeke also might’ve lost faith in him showing up hurt, A lot.
Tina chewed on her lip to keep her eyes from watering and stared down at her shoes. Her toes were cold and she wiggled them inside her shoe to try and warm them up a little but to no avail.
Jimmy hasn't even read her text yet. Either he saw the notification and was ignoring it or he was so wrapped up in whatever else he was doing he couldn't even be bothered to check. Both options hurt, especially since they were the most likely ones when it came to her boyfriend.
She could see Zeke glancing at her every now and then and struggled to figure out how to start their conversation back up. It was usually so easy to make idle conversation with Zeke that Tina didn't know how to handle this new level of tension that suddenly sprung up. After a while though her confusion started to bleed into frustration. Why was Zeke still here? Why was she? Why is he putting himself through standing awkwardly in the cold with a girl who strongly disliked him for years?
"You don't have to force yourself to stay here if you don't think he's coming." Tina barely registered spitting the words out but immediately regretted it once she did. She was being unfair, It wasn't Zeke's fault Jimmy Jr. wasn't here yet.
"Tina," Zeke sighed, not looking at her. "I know he's not coming. and that's exactly why I'm staying."
A rush of emotions clogged her throat up in seconds and she had to blink very rapidly to keep a strong flood of tears from pouring out of her. She wasn't entirely sure which part of that made her want to cry but surprisingly enough she doesn't think it's the confirmation that Jimmy Jr. wasn't showing up. \
No, what made Tina feel like sobbing was the fact that Zeke just said he wanted to stay anyway.
She pressed the palm of her hands hard on the top of her eyes and took a deep breath as she applied enough pressure to see fuzz and stars.
The ball was in her court now. They both knew they were waiting for someone that wasn't coming, it was just up to her to decide when they would stop waiting.
"I know I should go home," she spoke between deep breaths. "But humor me a little longer, ok?."
She flinched a little when Zeke tentatively placed a hand on her back, but relaxed almost instantly and once she did he began rubbing small circles to sooth her further.
"Course T, take as long as ya need."
They stood there together for a bit, the silent comfort Zeke provided was more than welcome at the moment and Tina almost started to calm down by the time her phone chimed with a new notification
From Jimmy.
Tina scrambled to open her phone as fast as she could but felt her heart sink to the floor when she read his message.
"Sorry, smthing came up. It's late now so let's reschedule k?"
She stared at the message for what felt like hours. It was a typical Jimmy Jr. flake text, quick apology, short excuse, and then a promise of next time to placate her.
Next time..
Tina grit her teeth. 'Next time' she sees him she fears she might slap him in the face.
Or maybe it's less of a fear and more of a hope that she'll have the guts to.
Zeke must've noticed the grip on her phone tightening because soon large careful hands entered her field of vision and wrapped around her own.
"You ok T-bird?"
Tina snapped her head up to meet his eyes, she blinked once, twice, before finally feeling the emotions crumbling inside her. Then before she knew it she was crying, sobbing to be exact, and she pulled her hands out of his hold only so she could bury her face in them.
"He promised!" She cried out between her attempts to breathe, the words muffled by her hands. "He knew this was important to me and I checked with him so many times- "
God she was an absolute wreck, she felt and probably looked like shit right now but the lid she had been holding on her emotions all night had finally boiled over and there was no stopping her when she got to this point.
She felt stupid, she felt humiliated, she was frustrated and heartbroken and so utterly pissed off she didn’t know what to do with herself.
She could only imagine how out of his depth Zeke must be though and she felt horrible. He didn't sign up for this, who has comfort their best friends crying girlfriend because said best friend ditched her in the fucking cold!?
Despite that though, he was still here. Rubbing up and down her arms in an attempt to ground her that she deeply appreciated.
"Shhh, you'll be alright eventually but cry yer heart out if ya need to T its ok to hurt."
Tina's breath hitched before breaking down again and eventually Zeke led them to a quieter area so she could let it out without so many people around. At one point he briefly left to grab some napkins from a nearby shop but he never left her alone for long. Once she calmed down enough to speak clearly again she showed him the text.
"I really thought he'd actually come this time.." She mumbled, "I planned it ages ago to make sure and he even confirmed with me today that he was coming.."
She felt like kicking herself with every word that came out of her mouth. Zeke was Jimmy Jr.'s best friend. He didn't need her putting him in this position just because she felt like garbage and he's the only person around to listen. She should just apologize for even bringing it up and move on.
"What am I doing wrong Zeke?" Is what came out instead.
She felt like she was going to throw up in the few seconds it took Zeke to respond. His face stoney since she showed him the text.
"You're not doing anything wrong T," Tina saw him raise his arm like he was going to wrap it around her, but she supposed he must’ve changed his mind halfway through as he awkwardly changed direction and adjusted the blanket around her shoulders instead. "J-Ju just ain't good at doing certain things right s'all."
That was probably the most blunt Zeke has ever been about their relationship and Tina didn’t quite know how to feel about that.
"Yeah.." She frowned, "Yeah, I guess that's true…"
Deep deep down Tina kind of wishes Zeke would've said something else. What, she's not exactly sure. But that tiny buried part of her kind of wanted him to be harsher, to tell the rest of her what this small part already knows. But he didn't, and that want is still buried too deep, so the hope passed.
Instead, Zeke nudged her with his elbow, but didn't turn to look at her when she did and kept his eyes on the small crowd further towards the entrance.
"Yer Something Right though, I hope ya know that. Boy's an idiot sometimes but dating you? No one in the world could say that's a wrong move."
Tina didn't respond immediately, couldn't actually, because her throat seems to have inexplicably closed tight enough that if she were to try she'd start crying all over again. She wished Jimmy Jr. thought that way, she wished she could believe Zeke's words fully, but even if she couldn't she was still so grateful that he said them anyway.
So she nudged him with her elbow right back and when he finally looked over she took her chance to look away as well. Letting her tears fall again without shame as she replied.
"Thank you Zeke." She hoped he knew how much she meant it.
After that Tina didn't know how much time passed before she felt ok enough to head back home. A big part of her, a part she hates, was still waiting for Jimmy Jr to show up. To apologize for being so late and to kiss her hands and take her out on the date they had planned.
But she knew that wasn't happening. She was once again staring at the message that proved it, but old habits seemed to die hard with her.
Eventually Tina managed to turn off her phone and wipe away the remaining tears gathered on her eyelashes. Her face felt even more cold thanks to all the crying and she suddenly wanted to be home and under a million blankets more than anything.
With a small sniffle she turned to Zeke, "C'mon, let's go back to my place. My parents can give you a ride home."
He brightened up at the mention of her parents and eagerly fell into place next to her as they began walking.
"You don't think I could bribe you for a burger before I go do ya?"
Crying always made her a little giggly once she was done so she wasn't surprised when they began to bubble out of her. "Zeke, once my parents hear about today you'll probably get free burgers for the rest of the school year."
"Not why I did it but damn are the perks nice." He grinned.
Tina smiled back at him, small but genuine, before staring at her boots for the rest of the walk. Zeke also went quiet, as if to give her time to digest everything before they reached her house, a gesture she found herself appreciating while she mulled everything over in her head.
By the time they reached the restaurant she came to the conclusion that after she got her initial feelings out she actually felt a lot less hurt afterwards than she expected to. Don't get her wrong, how unimportant Jimmy Jr. made her feel tonight stabbed through her chest and was gonna linger for a while, but she realized that this is a feeling she's already familiar with when it came to him, so it couldn't cut her as deeply.
She was going to have a talk with him about this though, she couldn't let it time slide, not again. She didn't want to, she was angry, and frankly she felt she deserved to be.
Her family shared that sentiment when she told them what happened. They had been surprised at first to see Tina walk in with Zeke when she was supposed to be on her date, but once they got filled in they were quick to comfort her and usher them both to sit down while they cooked up some food. Louise and Linda were probably the most pissed off, the former offering to put egg yolks in all of Jimmy Jr. 's socks while the latter went off about how no one was allowed to do that to her kids.
Bob, however, directed the topic towards thanking Zeke for staying with her instead. And Tina felt warmer than ever as she ate her burger across from Zeke. Soaking in the liveliness of the restaurant as the topic eventually got diverted off of her relationship and she could finally put thoughts of Jimmy Jr. to rest for the day.