short story collab!

Budding winter by Bugg

Snow fell softly on the swaying trees as Mathew walked to her. He had been working up courage for months now and the time had come. "H-Hey Olivia!" He called from behind her. The girl turned to him with a soft smile. Her black hood covered in snow to protect her rich brown hair.

He caught up to her and felt his face turn to a bright pink "I-I was wondering i-if um..." He stammered and tripped over his words from the pure embarrassment.

She giggled a bit to herself and smiled at him, her vibrant blue eyes meeting his dull brown eyes. "Wondering if?..." She asked, knowing full well what his question was.

He ran his hand through his messy black hair "W-well um...schools out for winter break a-and um...I was wondering if..." He kept stuttering as the confidence he had struggled to build up quickly faded into nothingness.

Olivia giggled a bit and took a step closer to him, "Im free tonight, dinner at 8? You pick the place?" She offered as a soft blush formed on her cheeks.

Mathew nodded furiously as he felt his ears burning. "Y-Yeah! I-ill pick you up at eight." He said in almost a shout as she turned and walked away. He sighed as she turned to the school parking lot. "I...I got a date!?" He asked himself as if he had no idea what just happened. He shook his head to refocus. "A date with her...this is too crazy...I gotta pick a good place...a nice fancy restaurant isn't in my budget....but I can't take her to a cheap fast food place..."

He mumbled to himself all the way home as he walked down the snow covered sidewalk all the way back to his rundown apartment. He played with the idea of making something, even though he's never been one to cook. "Ok um...how's about that new pizza place? It's going to snow tonight so why not...wait..."

Reality hit him as he quickly whipped out his phone and opened a weather radar. "It...snows at 8:30..." He walked inside her apartment and took a look at the motorcycle by his front door, regret filling his stomach,

"I can't...take her..." Tears welled in his eyes as he dropped his phone on the kitchen counter. His eyes fading even dimmer. "Forget it...i'll just...ugh!" He rubbed his tears away and picked up his phone, typing out a message to cancel the date with Olivia.

"Damn it...Matt you're chickening out on a date you've been dreaming of since your freshman year...a college kid who's been single all his life...least i'm consistent..." He mumbled as his eyes filled with pain and tears.

He threw his phone onto his couch and checked the time. 6:15, he had time to cancel the date, but hope stopped him. "Maybe the radars are wrong..."

Olivia pulled into her driveway and walked to her small modern home "That dork...Yes!" She almost leaped into her house and threw her keys onto the coffee table.

"What's got you all excited?" Her roommate asked from the kitchen, watching Olivia jump around in excitement.

"Jess, don't worry about dinner for me?~ I've got a date with Matthew~" She cheered as she danced around the living room and kitchen, almost tripping on the kitchen tile.

"About time that guy asked you out, I didn't think he had the guts." Jess teased as she fixed her hair into a loose bun. "But isn't it going to snow tonight? It wouldn't be safe to be out driving in that mess."

Olivia's eyes widened "Crap! No, I didn't think about that!" She looked around frantically as if she was going to find anything to solve the problem, But Jess gently grabbed her shoulders. "Hey hey chill out! The house is clean and I have work in like 20 minutes. "Yall just ride out the storm here ok? Get your little romance on~" She teased with a giggle.

Olivia nodded and smiled as a soft blushed formed on her cheeks. "You are the best thanks! I owe you one! She called as he raced to her room to get changed for the day.

Mathew swallowed hard as he slipped his helmet on "You've been to her house before...just this time it's not to do homework...just to pick her up..." He played with the collar of his dress shirt and slipped a large coat on over it, his thick slacks keeping his legs warm.

He cleared his throat and rode to her house, the drive wasn't long, but for him it felt like centuries passed by before he arrived. As he walked up to her door and knocked he ran his hands through his straightened and freshly washed hair, following the waves that swooped to the side.

Olivia opened the door and his jaw dropped, she was in a large floral dress with a cute pastel blue over coat "Hey! C'mon in." She smiled and stepped to the side to let him in. Her golden hair pulled into a tight bun and her eyes shone as bright as ever.

"O-oh um...ok..." He stepped inside and stood by the door while she walked to the kitchen, she wasn't wearing any shoes, or makeup, but she still looked stunning to Mathew. "Well? Slip off your shoes and come help me make some dinner." She smiled and pulled down a large pot.

"Make dinner?..." He asked as he closed the door and slipped his shoes off and walked to her. "I-I was going to take you-" He was stopped by a soft finger to his lips. "It's going to snow tonight so let's eat her tonight, besides it's a first date, no need to be so formal." She assured him as he started boiling some water in the pot.

He blushed a deep red and nodded as he shakily rolled up his sleeves, angry at himself for being so shaky. "O-ok what can I do to help?" he asked with a small quiver in his voice.

She just took his hand and smiled, their eyes meeting again. "Just relax ok? You don't need to worry about making the perfect date or being the perfect guy ok?" she said in a soft and comforting tone.

He nodded a bit and took a deep breath, his hands relaxing and his eyes brighting from Olivia's calm and reassuring voice.

"Besides, food tastes better when you make it together right?" She asked as she poured some raw spaghetti noodles into the now boiling water.

Mathew nodded and washed his hands beside her, drying them off and taking one last deep breath, feeling a sudden warth as Olivia placed her hand over his. "Just relax, we can take it nice and slow, as long as you're happy then so am I" She told him as she gently rubbed his hand.

A wave of relief and happiness flooded over him "Yeah...but you know I'm still going to take you somewhere nice." He said as he handed her a large wooden spoon. "And just so you know, everywhere is somewhere nice with you around."