Formidable // Sally Face (2)

S i x

Violet couldn't keep herself from squirming with excitement as she waited for Sal's permission to open her eyes. Was this going to be her first date? Would Sal become her first boyfriend? Would they do couple things like kiss on the lips and talk about their future together? How much like a sappy romance movie would this day be?

It felt like hours before Sal finally opened her door. "Alright, you can open your eyes now."

As soon as she let her hands fall into her lap, she was met with not just a single rose like the girls at school, but an entire bouquet. Their sweet scent filled her nostrils almost immediately as the blue-haired boy held them out to her.

"Sally," Violet breathed, taking the bouquet into her hands, "they're so pretty!"

"I-I didn't know if you liked roses or not," he stammered. 

"I do! They're wonderful!"

Sal let out a silent breath of relief. He'd been worrying all day that he got the wrong kind of flowers. What if she hated roses? What if she was allergic to them? If he managed to screw up something as simple as giving a girl flowers, he'd find a way to throw himself off the face of the Earth. He couldn't live with the level of embarrassment that came with such a mistake.

Now, all he had to do was avoid any screw-ups for the rest of the evening.

He held out a hand to help Violet out of the car. "Wanna go closer to the lake?"

"Yeah!"

As Sal guided her toward the frozen body of water, Violet's heart was beating out of her chest. She could hardly contain her excitement, especially after recieving the most beautiful bouquet of flowers she'd ever seen (and smelled). Her cheeks were already growing sore from smiling so much.

A tree with winding branches stood alone right beside the lake. Beneath it, a sheet was laid out along with 2 pillows resting against its trunk. The young girl recognized these from Sal's bed. Atop the sheet was a small, battery-powered radio, a bag of pretzel sticks, and a package of chocolate chip cookies. 

"You did this for me?" Violet asked with wide eyes. 

"U-Uh, yeah. I couldn't really afford a lot but I thought we could look at the stars together and stuff," Sal replied, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. She didn't like it. In fact, she hated it. He knew he should've asked his dad for money to take her somewhere better.

"I love it, Sally!" She squealed. "Thank you so much!"

The teen girl practically threw herself at him. She squeezed him as tightly as her thin arms could manage while still clutching her roses in her hand. Sal let himself relax, dropping his chin on the top of her head and hugging her back. 

"I'm so glad you like it," he whispered. "I was terrified."

"Why would you be terrifed, Sally?"

"Because I don't wanna screw anything up. You deserve a perfect date."

Violet pulled back, gazing into the boy's azure eyes. He was the first person to worry himself with making things perfect for her in such a long time. Sal often reminded her of her parents before everything changed. Even before they were gone, he was the one person who showed her unconditional love. He cared for her when she could hardly do so for herself, he remembered the little details about her, and he never let her forget that he would always look out for her. 

"I guess it's a good thing that you planned it," she told him with a grin. 

He chuckled. "We'll have to see about that."

The pair made their way to the sheet and sat beside each other. Violet laid her roses across her lap and reached for the bag of pretzel sticks that Sal laid out. She smiled at the memory of them sharing these after Larry's Halloween party.