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chapter five

BEAU

Today is Monday, and is the day Neville and I will be going on our outing together, or whatever you'd like to call it. It's weird since this is actually my first day off since starting my job and I'm spending it with someone from work. In a way, I feel like it's going to be good for me to develop some new friendships and get out more. Maybe it will help me take my mind off the impending doom that is Draco Malfoy, and the ginger man I just can't stop thinking about. . .

I tidied my unruly brown hair and tried to dress casual but also not like I just rolled out of bed. I wasn't trying to impress Neville by any means but I didn't want him to think I'm a slob outside of work.

I arrived at the designated place that Neville texted me the address to and my eyes opened wide in shock. This is one of the fanciest restaurants in the neighborhood—I am not going to fit in by any means, this is so embarrassing!

"Hello, Beau." I turned around to face the voice that was calling for me. Neville was dressed in a navy blue button up shirt and black slacks that covered his long, long legs. This put my daisy yellow sundress to shame and I would actually love to crawl into a hole and die right now. "You look lovely." He complimented me while taking my hand to kiss the top of it respectfully and I just stood there, uncomfortable.

This reminds me of dating Draco. Everything had to be the best of the best, the most expensive and most luxurious. I could never get it through his thick head that that wasn't the way to impress me and material items meant nothing to me. Thankfully Neville and I aren't pursuing a relationship because I'd have to put a stop to this quickly. I'll make sure to let him know that I'd prefer to go somewhere more lowkey if we hang out again soon, without insulting him somehow.

"If I would have known that we were coming somewhere so. . . You know," I gestured around with my hands "then I would have dressed a little better." Truly I did have some high class things in my closet still hanging around from when Draco was trying to buy my love.

"You're dressed perfectly, really. Ready to go inside?" He questioned and I nodded. Usually I'd stop for a smoke before I went in but that seems so out of character for this place so I'm not even going to bother, even if it would calm me down a little bit more.

Once we got seated in a booth, an anxious feeling started to settle in. This seems. . . A lot like a date. How could I be so dumb? I don't want to sound conceited or anything because I know for sure I'm not all that, but I think Neville may actually be attracted to me.

"So, Beau. Did you grow up around here or did you move here recently?" Neville asked, sipping on his unsweetened iced tea.

"Well," I stumbled over my words a bit "I didn't grow up here, exactly. Just a few towns away, but I came here for sports games and stuff like that. Plus my mother lived in the area. ."

"Oh, so your parents are divorced?" Right to the point, I guess. I nodded and started drinking my Coke to do something else with my mouth than blabber about stupid stuff. I especially didn't want to get into the depth of the loss of my mother and the complicated relationship my parents had. It was truly a sad arrangement until the very bitter end and I don't want to chase a new friend away as soon as they bothered to pay any attention to me.

Neville and I continued to play twenty-one questions for the next hour or so before something happened that I couldn't even believe.