Turn Us Blue // YuB fanfic

Double date

I walked towards the diner, my hands in my jacket pockets. I looked down at the thin layer of snow on the ground as I trudged through it. The sun had just set right around when I left home. I didn't bother with makeup or dressing up since I wasn't feeling excited or good about this weird double date.

I always feel sad when the winter ends, like the opposite of seasonal depression. The happiest I felt this year was when it was the coldest- I'd just flown back here from England, reconnected with Dylan after the new years party, it was before I knew about Arianne and I felt hopeful about him. Now everything's warming up and everything's worse.

I looked around when I got to the diner, and saw Joe ahead of me. Oh god, I don't even know what to say to him.

"Hi." I said, approaching him, and he looked down at me and smiled. "Cat! I'm surprised you turned up."

I looked at him and raised my eyebrows, and there was a second of awkward silence before he kept talking. "It was quite a challenge to get you to talk to me the other night. I'm really happy you're seeing me again."

I laughed awkwardly. "That's um, that's okay! Do you wanna go inside?". We walked into the diner together, and found a booth at the back to sit in. I hadn't thought about Joe at all since we met, but now I actually looked at him I had no idea why he would be drawn to me. I've always had trouble with meeting guys, and he was pretty conventionally attractive, it was weird he took an interest. I looked at him across the table, and zoned out from whatever he was rambling about. He was really tall, had messy dark hair and slim facial structure.

"Hey guys."

I jumped a little bit and looked up to see Dylan and Arianne standing there. I looked right at Dylan and felt that familiar feeling, as if someone'd grabbed my shoulders and shaken me until I felt nauseous and my heart palpitated. I hated myself for being such a fool for him.

He looked at me and I broke the eye contact by looking down, realising he'd have noticed me staring. They both sat down opposite us in the booth, Dylan sat across from me, and the conversation started.

-------

Arianne doubled over laughing, her and Joe's laughter filling up the booth. I glanced over at Dylan who was faking a laugh, and he took a sharp breath in and raised his eyebrows at me when our eyes met, as if he was communicating a "I didn't really get that joke either" to me.

Arianne laughed loudly, "No, talk about annoying, all Dylan has played is this one fucking coldplay album since the start of the year, it's just like living with a heartbroken teenage girl or something" "That's not true-" Dylan cut her off, laughing awkwardly, I noticed he was avoiding my gaze and then it clicked.

That was the album i'd shown him on the way back from the new years party. I wondered if he'd just liked it, if if he associated it with me...

"Wait, coldplay? That's so embarrassing, they actually suck.." Joe laughed. Yeesh.

"EXACTLY, This isn't a controversial opinion!" Arianne pushed Dylan's shoulder, teasing him. "Cat, you agree they're the worst right?"

"Oh yeah, Just the worst!" I nodded, and Dylan sarcastically made a shocked offended face at me, putting his hand on his chest to show the feelings of betrayal. Joe and Arianne didn't pick up on the sarcasm.

I glanced around and saw that Joe and Arianne hadn't finished their food yet since they'd talked so much, but me and Dylan had. Arianne started to adjust Dylan's hair and tucked a strand behind his ear, telling him he needed a haircut.

I got up and grabbed my bag. "I'm gonna go have a cigarette real quick." I said, walking out of the back door.

I took a deep breath of the fresh cold air, looking around at the light layer of snow, pine trees across the street, and the flies above me in the lamplight. It was a really beautiful scene. I felt a little more at peace, this date hadn't gone as badly or as painfully as i'd thought.

I dug around in my bag to find a cigarette, which I put between my lips as I searched for a lighter. I heard the diner door swing open. "You left your lighter inside" Dylan said, as he approached me, his breath coming out in smoke in the cold air.

He stepped close and flicked on the lighter, lighting the cigarette which was already in my mouth himself.

"Thanks." I said, and he just flashed a smile and stood next to me while I smoked.

"So does Joe think all the music you like sucks or just that one band?" He asked, glancing at me. He said it in such a way that anyone who didn't know him like I did wouldn't even realise he was joking around.

"Me and Joe just don't know each-other yet." I replied, "plus you know there's more to relationships than liking the same fucking bands Dylan."

He replied with an off the cuff comment, "Yeah obviously, otherwise we'd be together."

I looked over at him suddenly when he said that, thinking what a weird comment it was.

He took a breath then looked back at me, and we were both silent for a horrifically awkward moment. He kept eye contact with me, opened his mouth and took a breath in as if he were about to talk again, but was cut off by the sound of the diner door swinging open.

We both looked over to see Joe stepping out, smiling. "Hey Cat I wanted to talk to you" He said, walking up to us.

"Oh do you want some space?" Dylan asked, looking over at him. "No, that's okay." Joe said to him.

I looked up at Joe expectantly, raising my eyebrows.

"Do you wanna be my girlfriend?" he asked.

I felt really taken aback, I hadn't been really asked that before.
I avoided looking at Dylan.

"Uh, yeah sure!" I answer, and Joe pulled me into a hug.

Once he let me go I looked around and Dylan was gone.