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The sharp North Carolina heat beat down onto the green grasses of the large NC State Campus. Nick was walking to his third class of the day, his first day back for the new school year. His third class was a required credit, Psychology 101, something he definitely meant to get done his freshman year, but he just couldn’t fit everything in.
He ran a hand through his auburn hair, hoping it still looked the same as it did when he fixed it in the mirror that morning. He took a glance to his left, noticing some of his football teammates kicking around a soccer ball in a grassy area nearby. He lifted a hand, waving to some of the guys. He got a couple waves back, along with a few “Hey Nick!”’s.
Nick was so distracted by the interaction that he didn’t notice someone was headed straight towards him on the sidewalk. All of a sudden they knocked into each other, Nick seeing the other boy’s textbook go flying into the grass.
“Shit! Sorry!” The other boy exclaimed, Nick finally looking up to get a good view of him.
He had fluffy curls that seemed to sprout out from every direction on his head. His eyes were blue, and he had long dark eyelashes that framed them. There was a light pink blush dusted over his cheeks, probably due to the slightly embarrassing interaction that just occurred. Overall, the boy was pretty good looking, if Nick could say so.
“Oh no, that was my fault for sure.” Nick said, moving to pick up the other boy’s textbook from where it had landed.
“No I was-“
“Hey there, Psychology 101. That’s my next class too.”
“Are you a freshman too?”
“Nah, I’m a sophomore.” Nick smiled brightly.
The other boy’s blush only seemed to grow the more their conversation went along.
“I do apologize, I didn’t get your name.” Nick said, offering out another smile to the boy in front of him.
“Uh- Charlie.” He blushed harder.
“Well, nice to meet you Charlie, I’m Nick.” He held out his hand, waiting for the younger boy to shake it.
Slowly, Charlie met his handshake with a very nervous and loose grip. Charlie didn’t think any random strangers had ever asked him for a handshake before, especially not ones he’d completely run into on the sidewalk.
“Nice to meet you too.” Charlie said, letting an awkward giggle escape his lips.
“Would you wanna walk to class together? I know this campus is pretty hard to navigate your first year.”
“I’m already a little bit lost, honestly.”
“Well, for starters, you were headed in the opposite direction.”
“Oh.”
“We can walk together. I’ll show you the ropes of how to get around this place.” Nick winked.
Charlie’s heart was beating out of his chest at this point. Between Nick’s thick accent and his overflowing charisma, Charlie immediately felt like he wanted to be wrapped in those big strong arms.
“Uh yeah sure thank you.” Charlie managed to get out.
They began the rest of their walk towards their next class, and of course, Nick wanted to talk some more.
“So, you’re not from here.” Nick said, a big smile shining in Charlie’s direction.
“I am not.” Charlie giggled. “I’m from New York.”
“Woah! Big city boy, huh? What brought you here?”
“Scholarship. Best one I got, and this school has some great academic programs.”
“So you got a big brain on them shoulders, do you?”
“I guess so.” Charlie’s blush made its return.
“I’m okay at the academics and all but I’m here on football scholarship.”
“You play football?”
“Since I could walk. My cousins taught me, we were always out playing in the yard any chance we could get.”
“That’s cute. I never really got into sports. Too small and weak.” Charlie giggled.
“I bet you’d be fast though.” Nick winked again.
“Maybe.”
They walked together just like that the whole way to class, chatting like it was just that easy, and maybe it was. Maybe making friends here would be easier than Charlie thought. Maybe he’d already found his first one, if he could make his heart stop pounding every time Nick spoke a word.
They finally reached their class and they had about five minutes left to spare. Nick took a seat near the middle of the room, and though Charlie normally preferred to sit near the front, he followed. He sat his stuff down at the desk right next to Nick. He just felt comfortable with him.
Class went by slowly, but Dr. Anderson seemed nice enough. As soon as he dismissed the class, Nick was tapping on Charlie’s shoulder.
“I have a hankering for some ice cream right about now.”
“A what?”
“A hankering, you know, when you want something real bad. I’m forgetting you’re not from here.” Nick smiled that bright smile again.
“I’ve never heard that word in my life.” Charlie laughed.
“Bless your heart.” Nick patted him on the back, leaning further into the joke.
“Why do I feel like that one has a hidden meaning?” Charlie raised an eyebrow.
“Anyhow, would you wanna go back to my dorm with me and get my truck so we can go hit up the ice cream parlor?”
“Sounds fun. You paying?” Charlie joked.
“My mama raised me with manners being the number one priority. I wouldn’t have invited you if I didn’t plan on paying.”
“You’re crazy, Nick.”
“Maybe, but ain’t nobody ever gonna tell me I’m not a gentleman.”
“Well I sure wouldn’t think so.” Charlie gave a genuine smile, looking directly into Nick’s eyes.
“Well we better get going. Ms Patty’s closes at five o’clock sharp.”
“It’s only three thirty, Nick.”
“Did I mention it’s a thirty minute drive?”
“Thirty minutes for ice cream?”
“They’ve got the best root beer float you’ve ever tasted in your life, I can guarantee you that one.”
“Well we’ll just have to see about that, won’t we?”
“That we will, Charlie, that we will.” There was that wink again. It was almost like Nick knew exactly what he was doing to Charlie’s head right now.
They made the long walk back to the dorm buildings, talking the whole way there of course. They arrived in the parking lot and Nick stopped in front of a white pickup truck.
“This here’s my girl. Had her since I was 16.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever even ridden in a pickup truck.”
“There’s a first time for everything, then. I’m pleased to be your first time.”
Charlie sputtered and choked on his words. Either Nick had no idea what he just said, or he did that on purpose to taunt him. Charlie had no idea which one it was.
Nick acted like nothing happened, walking around to the passenger side of the truck to open the door for Charlie.
Charlie swooned, yet again. He’d never had a car door opened for him. He’d never met someone who was so determined to be polite. Overall, he’d never met anyone like Nick. Which, yeah sure, he hadn’t really met many people here in North Carolina yet, but he still had a feeling Nick was special.
“You gettin’ in?” Nick smiled from the driver’s seat, reaching his hand down to pat the leather of the seat beside him.
Charlie smiled and hopped in, shutting the door behind him, only for it to pop right back open.
“Yeah, she’s a pretty old truck, you’re gonna have to slam that door.”
Charlie grabbed the door and pulled it with every bit of his strength, the door banging loudly against the truck, but finally shutting.
“There we go. You ready?”
“I’m ready to test those root beer floats.” Charlie smirked.
Nick started the truck and pulled out of his parking space, before immediately stopping.
“Oh! I almost forgot! Grab that CD book under your feet.”
Charlie reached down, grabbing a black cloth CD book with ‘Nick’s Tunes’ written on the front on a piece of masking tape.
“Nick’s tunes?”
“You get to pick the music, go ahead.”
Charlie unzipped the CD book, flipping it open and immediately being met with CD after CD of female country singers. He should’ve guessed that one.
“You have some specific music taste.”
“It’s all my mama listened to when I was growing up. Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, all the classic women in country. I love all of it. So much emotion, so much power.”
Charlie felt weak in the knees. Could this boy get any more charming?
“I love that.”
Charlie flipped through the CD book until he found what looked to be a pretty old Taylor Swift country album. He slid it out of the book and put it into the truck’s CD player.
They drove in silence this time with the windows down, fresh August air blowing through both of their hair as Taylor sang through the speakers.
Eventually they reached a song that captured Charlie’s interest.
I was ridin' shotgun with my hair undone
In the front seat of his car
He's got a one-hand feel on the steering wheel
The other on my heart
I look around, turn the radio down
He says, "Baby, is something wrong?"
I say, "Nothing, I was just thinkin' how we don't have a song"
Charlie looked over at Nick, who was quietly singing along, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. All Charlie could do was smile.
And he says
Our song is the slamming screen door
Sneakin' out late, tapping on your window
When we're on the phone, and you talk real slow
'Cause it's late, and your mama don't know
Our song is the way you laugh
The first date, "Man, I didn't kiss her, and I should have"
And when I got home, 'fore I said, "Amen"
Asking God if he could play it again
Charlie felt himself tapping his own fingers on the side of his door. Nick looked over, catching Charlie’s eyes and giving him one of those big smiles, before turning his eyes back to the road.
He was so focused on watch Nick singing along to the song, that he hadn’t even noticed they were pulling into the parking lot of a small ice cream shop.
“Here we are!” Nick smiled, reaching over to cut off the music.
Nick opened his own door, before practically running to the other side of the truck to open Charlie’s door.
Charlie hopped out, walking next to Nick as they entered the door to the shop, a little bell tinging to signify their entrance.
“Well if it ain’t Nick Nelson in the flesh!” The grey haired lady behind the counter immediately said.
“Hi Patty!” He smiled brightly, waving in her direction.
“Who’s your friend?”
“This is Charlie! We have a class together down at the college.”
“Nice to meet you, Charlie. What can I get y’all today?”
“We’re gonna do two of your finest root beer floats, Patty. I’ve done told Charlie here they’re the best he’ll ever have.” His hand went to Charlie’s shoulder, giving it a little pat.
“Well you’ve given quite the expectations then! I’ll make sure to put my all into these ones for you boys.” She smiled, turning back to the ice cream machines on the wall behind her.
“They make their own pop here too.” Nick said, pointing at the other machines next to Patty.
“Soda?” Charlie raised an eyebrow.
“Pop.” Nick said, poking his finger into Charlie’s cheek dimple.
Charlie couldn’t fight the smile off his face after that one. Nick grabbed his arm again, guiding him over to a booth in the corner. They sat down across from each other, just sitting in silence for a moment.
Soon enough, Patty was walking over with their drinks. She sat down the glasses, full of rootbeer and ice cream, the tops piled high with whipped cream and a cherry. She sat down a pair of pink and blue bendy straws. Nick immediately grabbed the pink one, sticking it down in his drink and taking a sip. He gave a happy sigh as he closed his eyes, taking in the root beer float.
Charlie took his first sip, and his eyes widened.
“Woah, that is good.”
“Told you so.” Nick smiled.
All of a sudden, Charlie was hit with a thought. This felt like a date. Was this supposed to be a date? Instead of keeping the thought in his head, he decided he was going to voice it. One of his goals when moving halfway across the country was to be more direct with his communication. No more dancing around what he wanted to say to people.
“Nick?”
“Yes?” Nick asked, his lips popping off his pink straw.
“Is this a date?”
“Do you want it to be a date?” Nick looked at Charlie seriously, a small smile still stuck on his face.
“Yes.” Charlie said, decidedly.
“Then it’s a date.”
Charlie smiled, his heart jumping at the confirmation.
After they were done with their root beer floats, Nick paid and tipped Patty generously, giving her a hug before they headed out the door.
Nick once again opened the door of the truck for Charlie and he hopped in, Nick walking around to the other side to do the same.
“You know, Charlie, I don’t usually kiss on the first date, but I really want to kiss you right now.”
“So do it.” Charlie said.
Nick leaned over, placing his hands on the back of Charlie’s neck. He pulled Charlie to him as he leaned in, their lips moving closer and closer.
Charlie was the one to break the distance, pressing their lips together. It was a light kiss, Nick was a gentleman. They pulled away after a few seconds and Nick smiled at him.
“Getting to know you would be my pleasure, Charlie.”
“Well lucky for you, I’d say the same.”