A Forced First Date Is Not Usually A Good One

Renee was not impressed, neither by the restaurant nor the reason she was there. She looked bored, even as she thumbed through the menu. She took out a brush and brushed her hair, waiting for the Yang girl to arrive. She planned on telling her off as soon as possible, though it was a bit hard, considering she was deaf. She doubted that delinquent knew sign language. She'd have to write her words, instead. Max had said he'd come, but she told him it was best to stay away from the butch terror. The Lydia girl had already tried to murder him. Renee was small and frail looking, but she could handle herself.

Lydia showed up only a few minutes later. Her spiked hair was somewhat slicked back from wearing her helmet, and she wore her usual leather jacket and boots. The only odd thing about her was her awkward expression and the large bouquet she held as she walked toward the table.

Her palms began to sweat as she looked at Renee. She looked so beautiful and well-mannered, sitting there with her hands folded in her lap. Her small lavender mouth was almost pouting, even, but she still looked like a princess out of a storybook. Lydia's heart was pounding more than it had during her last knife fight.

"Hey," she said nervously, holding out the bouquet of purple carnations and daisies. "I, uh, you always wear lavender, and they had this in the shop, so..."

Renee held up her hand, signaling she wasn't going to accept the flowers. She held up a piece of paper with her immaculate handwriting on it, and handed it to Lydia. It was pre-written and read:

"Lydia Yang, I only accepted this offer so you would leave Max alone. If I must, I will endure this date if only so you never go near him or me again. I do not like you. You will not change my mind about this, I promise you. If you wish to speak with me, please write your responses. I am completely deaf, meaning I cannot hear anything at all, in case you were not aware."

Renne did not so much as blink as she watched Lydia.

Lydia bit her lip, which trembled slightly as she sat down. She asked a waiter for a pen when one came near, and scrawled on the back of Renee's note:

"Can u give me ur nun nunbber #?? Can just text"

She looked up at her hopefully.

Renee took out her iPhone and set it on the table, scribbling down her number next to Lydia's horrendous note. She noticed a few new texts and replied to them, glancing at Lydia from time to time. She didn't trust her, and she hoped Lydia would give up on the ridiculous exchange.

"I bought u the flowers," she texted earnestly, her hands shaking every so slightly. "U always wear purple, so theyr purple. I hope u like them. :)"

She put down her phone and stared at the menu, swallowing. It was worse than she had thought; that blabbing faggot Max had probably ruined her chances. God fucking dammit.

Renee stared at her. At least Lydia had the decency to know what color she liked. It was more than some of her boyfriends had contributed.

"Flowers are impractical and I don't care for them," Renee typed on her phone. She signaled a waiter and pointed to the dish she wanted, and pointed to the drink she wanted. He tried to speak to her, but she shook her head and insisted on just getting what she'd pointed to.

Lydia quietly ordered a burger and a coke, staring at the phone in her hands.

"Sorry, won't get them again. You look nice. :)"

"You don't."

Renee sipped her water, staring at Lydia. She didn't look happy.

Lydia made a quick text, but Renee's phone didn't receive it. After, she texted Renee:

"Ok so I bet Max didnt say why I asked you here but I rly think ur pretty n I want 2 date u. :) If thats ok. :) :) You seem rly nice so I wanted 2 at least talk. Im Lydia tho I guess u no me since u knew my name :) I sit behind u in French"

He hands still shook, so she placed the phone down on the nice white tablecloth. She looked up at Renee and smiled, hoping she didn't look as horrified as she felt.

"Text to me in French, then," she replied, hoping it would end the conversation completely.

"Je pense que tu es vraiment jolie et intelligente :)" she texted back eagerly, glad to talk about something she knew.

"Je pense que vous êtes un délinquant." she replied, glad when her food arrived. The most expensive item on the menu.

"Rly? :(" she texted back, her fingers shaking again. "I swear Im not all bad. I can be nice 2"

She put her phone down and took a large bite of her burger, hoping the food would calm her nerves. She had no idea how to talk to a pretty girl like Renee.

It was then that her Uncle Bao's advice came back to her. She texted furiously, adding, "So, tell me about urself. :)"

"I am profoundly deaf, I am 17 years old, my favorite color is purple, I'm the treasurer of our high school, and I don't like women," she replied simply, eating her raviolis. Renee, despite her better intentions, loved food. So, while she did her best to pretend she didn't, she knew it was obvious.

"Is the ravioli good? :) This burger is, but thats because Im eating next to a lovely person ;)"

She smiled at her, still shaken on the inside, but confident in her Uncle's advice. Uncle Bao got all the ladies.

"It's terrible," she texted back rapidly, stopping eating. If Lydia knew her deepest darkest secret, she'd have to kill her. Renee glowered at her, hoping she got the hint. She didn't want to talk about the food anymore. Deciding to take it upon herself to change the subject, she sent, "why don't you give up on me? It should be obvious this will never work out."

"Cuz I rly like u :) So Im not gonna give up that easy. I want 2 get 2 know u ;)"

She leaned her face against her hands and stared dreamily into Renee's eyes. She wished she could think of a way to properly describe them; they weren't the color of beautiful pools of water, and she couldn't think of anything pretty with a similar hue. Besides, was there really anything she could compare to them? They were a part of the loveliest person she had ever laid eyes on, even lovelier than that one Auntie that Uncle Bao had dated for two weeks.

"I'm 17 years old. I'm Chinese, adopted, a 4.0 GPA student and the treasurer of our high school. I have brown hair and brown eyes. I'm deaf. I'm straight, I like men." She hit send, waiting for Lydia to respond with some retort. She was trying to discourage as much conversation as possible, while, perhaps, still giving Lydia enough that she didn't flip.

"I know :)" she replied, "Ive seen u around school. Thats y I asked u out. X) Im 17 2 and Im a lesbian who likes women. Some people say I look manly tho"

She smiled at her, hoping she'd get the hint. "So, what do u want as a job after school??"

"I want to become an animal trainer," she texted. "I like animals. They respond well to sign language."

"Thats rly cool!! :) :) ;) Do u have any pets??" she texted back, relieved the conversation was finally going somewhere. She took a huge, less than graceful bite of her burger as she grew a little less nervous. Her hands still sweated whenever she picked up her phone, but she no longer felt like vomiting.

Renee frowned. This hadn't been what she'd hoped for.

"I have two Corgis named Froddo and Sam," she replied, though a slight blush crept onto her face at the nerdy names of her pets. "A large white Husky named Ghost, a rat named Peter Pettigrew, a cat named Minerva, and I want a reptile next."

"Wow those r rly cool names LOL :) If u need help with ur reptile I totally can give u tips I have a snake at my Uncle Baos place named Bender!! :) At Mom and Dads house I also have a hamster named Marty McFly but hes not as cool :("

"Did you name Marty?" She wondered, hoping that was a no.