Lana's arm was still looped through his as they walked, her steps light, her mood still playful.
Joren, on the other hand, was panicking like mad.
*The date!. I forgot about the date!.*
He kept his expression neutral, hoping she wouldn't notice.
"So," Lana said, glancing up at him, "where are you taking me?"
Joren hesitated for half a second, then smiled. "It's a surprise."
Her head tilted in curiosity. "Okay, mysterious. I like it. Then at least tell me the day for the date."
Joren kept walking, trying to buy time. "That's a surprise too."
Lana narrowed her eyes, studying his face like she was trying to read his mind. "You're not going to tell me anything? Anything at all?"
"I'll give you a call," he said quickly, thankful for the idea that popped into his head. "Yes, I'll call you when it's time for the date."
"Or," she countered, "you could just tell me now."
Joren's eyes widened slightly. Her persistence was starting to corner him.
He tried to change the subject. "So, uh… how about we take a detour?"
She didn't budge. Her gaze stayed locked on him.
"You didn't forget the date, did you?" she asked, voice calm but pointed.
"No," he said, a little too fast. "Of course not."
She studied him for a moment longer, then huffed and looked away. "Good. Because if you had forgotten, I'd cancel it entirely."
Joren swallowed, nodding slowly.
He just dodged a bullet.
But he knew he'd have to come up with a plan — and fast.
....
They continued their stroll, walking past the "Bean & Latte" café when Joren heard someone call out from behind.
"Joren!"
He turned and saw Zuri walking towards them, a smoothie in one hand, her tote bag swinging at her side. She looked casual, like she'd just come from the the Bean & Latte café
"Hey," Joren said, slowing down.
Zuri stopped in front of them, her eyes flicking briefly to Lana, whose arm was still looped through his. She gave a polite nod. "Hey."
Joren cleared his throat. "Zuri, this is Lana."
"Nice to meet you," Zuri said, her tone friendly but clipped.
Lana smiled. "You too."
Zuri turned back to Joren. "Just wanted to remind you — the outing's still on for tomorrow."
Joren blinked. "What outing?"
Zuri raised an eyebrow. "The one i told you about on Wednesday. You said you were in."
"Oh. Right. Yeah," he said quickly. "Still good."
"Cool," she said, sipping her smoothie. "It's gonna be a weekend outing so bring some clothes. I'll text you the time and place we'll rendezvous. Don't be late."
She gave a small wave and walked off without lingering.
Joren watched her go, a small knot forming in his chest.
Lana glanced up at him. "Weekend outing?"
"Yeah," he said, trying to sound casual. "Just a little something with friends."
She didn't press, but her eyes lingered on him a little longer than usual.
They walked in silence for a few moments after Zuri left, the air between slightly heavier than before.
Joren's mind was racing.
*Weekend outing. Surprise date. What do I do?*
Then, a lightbulb flickered on in his mind as a ridiculous idea popped into his head.
He cleared his throat. "So… I was thinking."
Lana glanced at him. "Hmm?"
"What if," he said slowly, "our date was part of the outing?"
She stopped walking.
"What?"
Joren turned to face her, trying to look confident. "I mean, it's a weekend thing. There'll be food, music, chill vibes. We could make it our date."
Lana's eyes narrowed. "Why would you even suggest that?"
Joren blinked. "I just thought—"
"Didn't you already have a date planned?" she asked, her voice rising. "Why change it?"
Joren opened his mouth, but suddenly it felt dry. His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. His idea had failed.
Lana's gaze sharpened. "Unless…" Her voice dropped, then shot up again. "You didn't even have a date planned in the first place!"
A few students nearby paused mid-step, heads turned, glancing over towards their direction.
Joren raised his hands gently. "Okay, okay, calm down. I actually did plan the date. I was just making a suggestion. "
Lana crossed her arms, her voice quieter now. "I know you're lying."
"I'm not," he said — though he absolutely was. "I just… I wanted it to be a surprise. Something special."
She studied him for a long moment, her eyes searching his face.
Then she huffed. "Fine. But this is your last chance. If you mess this up, then it's over."
Joren nodded quickly. "I'll call you when it's time."
She didn't say anything at first. Then, with a faint smirk, she gave him a soft punch to the chest.
"Bye, Joren."
"Bye," he said, watching her turn and walk away.
As she disappeared around the corner, Joren exhaled slowly.
*Mission failed successfully! Now I actually have to make this look like a real date.*