Young Writers Society

Thomas glared at her feet. "Would you mind?" He asked.

"Would I? No." she laughed.

He rolled his eyes. They soon arrived at his destination. It was a mini golf course. He had planned this out. He knew that she wouldn't want to go where he normally did. So he thought this might be fun.

"Okay...I know it's a bit clique...but...I thought it could be fun." He flashed her a smile. Hopefully she would enjoy herself. He needed her to. She had to.

Arden's signature cocked eyebrow came back upon her face. She laughed lightly and stepped out of the convertable, stretching. Her back popped and she smiled in satisfaction before joining Thomas in front of vehicle. She stuffed her hands in her pocket and followed him over to the pay booth, where a girl was popping her bubble gum, brunette hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. The second Arden walked in front of the booth her bored look brightened. "Ardie! Whatcha doing here?!" She smiled widely, the braces on her teeth visible now. Her northern accent was extremely thick as her eyes strayed over to Thomas, who was taking out his wallet. "And with Thomas?" The girl smiled coyly. Arden glared and leaned towards the glass, voice lowered.

"It's just one date, Sammy. It's not like I'm going to agree for another one," she was sure to not let Thomas hear her.

"I don't know Ardie. Y'know what they say about him," Arden just laughed lightly as Thomas slid the money through the hole in the glass.

"Doesn't matter. Won't work on me. I'll take the regular," Sammy just nodded and handed her a club, handing Thomas one soon after and each of them a gold ball. She slid a game card to Arden, who laughed lightly once more before following Thomas to the first hole.

Thomas smiled. So...he had guessed right. She had been here before...and she would have fun. He knew people. He grinned. "So...I guess you've played before." He smiled.

She laughed. "Thomas, this pretty boy act isn't working on me?"

"What pretty boy act?" he asked, playing dumb.

"Thomas, stop it. We both know how you opperate."

He held a hand to his heart. "Gah. That hurt." She giggled. He smiled. Good..she was laughing. "Let's just have fun as friends, okay?" Thomas said. "No strings attached."

Arden chewed on her lip and finally sighed, a small smile making its way on her face. "Fine. Just as friends!" Thomas smiled, Arden following suit without a choice. God... his smile's contagious. She thought before shaking her head and slapping herself on the forehead.

By the time they'd got to the ninth hole Arden was jumping up and down as she argued with the stupid, inanimate course. They were at a windmill thing, where every five seconds a panel would pass by the hole. "God, I hate this one!" Arden moaned before tapping the ball for the fifth time on this course. "Yes, yes, yes!" It had made its way right to the hole before... WHAM! "No!" Arden fell to the ground dramatically, pouting slightly. Thomas was laughing his happy ass off. "I'd like to see you do it, pretty boy!" She shouted in mock anger.

Without a word Thomas set up and knocked the ball into the hole perfectly. He just grinned while Arden gaped. "How the... and the... Ugh!" She stomped over to her blue golf ball and snatched it up, a pout on her face. "Let's go to ten..."

Thomas laughed. "Arden, it's not that big of a deal. I'll let you try again."

Arden glared. "Next hole."

He nodded and followed her. She was so cute. Her pouting was adorable...and it made him laugh. His charm was said impossible to resist. Plus he knew people. He always had. He knew what they were like and what they needed. He knew everything about someone. He could tell what type of mood they were in too. He smiled as she stepped up to the next hole. "Just relax, Den," he said, using her childhood nickname he had for her. "It'll be okay."

A surge of emotions suddenly washed through her. She couldn't put a finger on any of them and she didn't know why they'd affected her like they did. Regaining her composure she tossed the golf ball to the ground in front of her, pulling the club back and tapping the ball just hard enough to send it up the slope, through the stone alligator's mouth, out the back, and finally into the hole. She gaped and moved away, Thomas getting the same result. A wide smile that she couldn't force away decorated her face as she jogged around the small course, grabbing her and Thomas' golf balls. She tossed him his and stood up, the smile still on her face. "That was... better than the others," she laughed lightly.

"Yep," Thomas agreed, smiling lightly. Arden laughed and walked towards the next hole.

~~

Once they were done Arden's smile had faded into a small one. Sammy was smiling and shaking her head while they turned in there clubs and such. "Arden you lost to him?" She laughed, pointing to Thomas with a smile as she studied the score card.

"Eh," she shrugged, "I lose to everyone when we come out here. What do you expect?" Sammy just laughed and shook her head, waving Arden and Thomas off. Arden kept her feet off the dashboard as they pulled out.

**Lol**

Thomas smiled as they headed home. to him, it was a complete success. would she go out with him again? He poundered the question all the way to her house. When he pulled up in front of her house, he stopped and looked right in her eyes. "What are you doing next Friday?" He asked. In his head though, he was begging her to say yes to the question he knew she already had suspected he would ask.

Arden bit her lip nervously, trying to think. She wanted to go somewhere with him again, but what would her friends think? Hell, he was her worst enemy not two hours ago. And then... he had the party next weekend. If he canceled and everyone found out it was because of Arden then she'd probably get her scholastic reputation screwed up. One of the hackers would find a way into the school system or something. "F-Friday I've got a science fair to go to at the elementery school until about eight, b-but I'm free Saturday." Yeah! The party wouldn't still be going on the next day!

"Um... okay, I'll pick you up at seven?" Arden smiled lightly and nodded.

"Yeah, sure. I'd like that," she opened her door and slid out of the seat, closing it back behind her and waving slightly before starting for the doors of her house.

Thomas smiled. second date. He slept all day Sunday and then got ready for school. His friends teased him all week until they found out he had gotten a second date.

"Did you really?"

"Yup. No girl can resist the Thomas charm." He smiled and they laughed.

By the time saturday night rolled around again, he didn't know where she would like to go. But he had another fun idea. He drove to her house and knocked on the door. her father sized him up again, and this time Arden almost seemed happy to go. He held her door open for her and smiled.

"Are you ready?" He asked as he "cautiously" drove away from her house.

"Huh? Oh, yeah! Sure! So where are we going?" Arden smiled lightly, thumbing the mark on her lower arm absetmindedly. Thomas just laughed and shook his head, almost if swore to secrecy. Arden ran her tongue over her sharp canine tooth in annoyance. "Please tell me Tom!" She begged kidishly, pouting up at him while he laughed.

"It's a secret," he smiled over at her before turning back to the road. Arden pouted and crossed her arms, legs stretched out before her. Instead of trying to guess what they were going to do she thought more about the things she was going to have to do on the full moon, which was in two weeks. She'd have to make it to Canada in her other form overnight, maybe up in the Coastal Mountain Range, where the hunting was amazing at this time, but the hunting was high as well. She shuddered, running a hand over the exposed scar on her arm from three years ago when her mom died. She'd ran from home for a week and ended up getting shot by some hunter, that luckily had a son that spared her. "Okay we're here..."

Thomas looked over at her worridly. "You okay?"

"Yeah...why?"

"You seem...distracted."

"I'm fine."

he smiled and helped her out of his car. He had choose an amusement park this time thinking that she would enjoy it. He smiled at her and reached out his hand.

Arden slipped her hand into his slowly and cautiously, the lights of the amusement park lighting up the night sky. She smiled lightly before following him into the park. After arguing playfully over who was going to pay for her -which Thomas won- they walked over to the first ride, which happened to be something called Ride of Horrors. Arden's eyes widened slightly at the name and Thomas laughed lightly. "Not scared already are you?" He teased.

"N-no!" Arden snapped, her eyes switching from the name to Thomas, who was laughing down at her. She pouted and followed him towards the coaster.

Thomas smiled. He had hoped she would get scared. It gave him an oppertunity to hold her. They went through a tunnel and she screamed. He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. She burried her head into his chest and he just smiled. He liked the feel of her in his arms. He had never held anyone like this.

Arden blushed and pushed away from him right as a large snake popped out of the side of the tunnel. A shudder ran throughout Arden's body, making all her hair stand on end. If there was one thing that Arden hated more than hunters... it was snakes. She sat in her seat, stiff and unable to move until they had gotten out of the tunnel. "Den? Are you okay? Den?" Thomas tapped her shoulder and she shook her head, turning back to him and smiling nervously.

"Yes, I'm alright. Just a little frightened." She laughed lightly, trying to calm her body down ever so slightly.

Thomas smiled. "I'm sorry." He ran a hand through his hair. He was really liking this girl. Course he and his friends had a hunting trip planned next weekend...so he couldn't ask her out then...but maybe the next week?

The ride ended and he helped her out. They headed towards the faris wheel and he helped her up on it. He sat and watched the site, unconspicuously reaching his hand behind her. He had to make her like him. Maybe by the third date she would want to be his girlfriend and by the fifth or sixtth he could lay her and then collect the reward...but the mroe time he seemed to spend with her, the more memories he had,a nd the more he regretted ever drifting away from her in the first place. He shook his head.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing." he chuckled.

"Thomas." She growled.

He laughed. "I was just thinking about us...about how we used to be...and wondering how we got so far apart. How you and I could turn out completely different in high school. I remember when you were my best friend. What happend, Den?" He laughed.