I have to say it.

I don’t honestly see Friday as a date. Yeah, Luis paid for my meal/ticket, but I see it as him splitting the bill with Sarkis, which is precisely what he did. I’m not sure if he saw it in a romantic context. And, of course, neither of us explicitly called it a date. That’s Casey’s doing.

I don’t want our first date to be a double. I want it to be just us, free of the awkwardness of Friday. Monday was easy and light; Friday was just awkward enough for me to think it so. But honestly, it was just when it was clearly the four of us. Like, when we were in the theatre and Casey and Sarkis were in their little bubble, it was easy for us to talk. It wasn’t awkward in the least little bit. So I want our first date to be just the two of us. Although, of course, Casey sees the double as our second date.

I want it to be on a day where I don’t have school and he doesn’t have work, like on a Friday. That way, neither of us dying from a lack of sleep. I want us both to call it a date — our label for it is what matters. Not my mom’s, or Casey’s, or anyone else’s, you know? I want it to be in that context where he can hold my hand without it feeling like we’re trying to compare to a well-established couple. I want to spend hours talking to him again.

Arlene asked how my date went, and I told her that it wasn’t a date, that I didn’t want that one to be a date. She asked me, "You don’t like him?" Of course, that’s not the case at all. I do like him. I want to see where this goes. Then she asked the funniest question ever: "Is he too geeky?" I laughed and said yeah, and that that’s absolutely perfect. I mean, come on, it’s me. I’m a self-proclaimed nerd.

I’ll tell him this next time we make plans to hang out. Not that he’s geeky or that Arlene is ridiculous (not exactly in a wonderful way), but that I want us to figure out a real date. Not just a meal/movie with a couple that is very much in love.

The other day, my mom asked Billy why Arlene looked pregnant again. He insisted that she wasn’t.

I’m glad I’m not the only one thinking it. And, dude, I totally called it last time.