She smirked back at him, "Well i don't want to get you in trouble..So I guess i'll see you later?" She tried her best to smile, trying to hide how she was feeling. Now she was completely positive that he would never love, or even like, her. Sure, he did say he missed her. But they became pretty close. She would have missed him too, even if she didn't like him.

{ sorreh; I was buying my friend's b-day present and then I went to bed }

Josh smiled at her, eyes more bright and lively than they had been all day. "Definately." he said confidently, starting to walk towards his house again. A gnawing pain developed in his stomach all of a sudden, making him want to turn back and talk some more with her. But he shoved the feeling off and trudged up his driveway with a glance backwards, hoping to see her again. 

Josh stalled at the door, uncertain, and then walked inside and tossed his bag aside. "Pick that up," his aunt snarled at him, waving a wooden spoon threateningly. Apparently she was making dinner...how long had he been talking to Paradise?

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, scooping up his backpack again. He stormed up to his room, pulled out his cell phone, and texted Paradise. "Hope this works," he mumbled. "Unless she gave me a fake number.." 

" Hey there. "

Paradise jumped by a random buzzing on her upper thigh in her pocket. She smiled, hoping it was her mom telling her that she was coming home early, instead it was a Josh. Which still made her smile. She hesitated, not wanting to look eager, and reply a second after he texts her. So she sat for a minute or 2 before replying. Staring at the clock, hoping it would go faster, so she could respond. (IDK If he gave her, his number, so i'm just going to say he did..? Lol)) Finally after 3 to 4 minutes, she couldn't wait any longer, and finally responded.

"Hey"

When she was younger, and had her girl friends with her more often, they would always help her with guys. Make them wait. And have them start conversations. Which was why she only said, 'hey'. They would say it was part of hard to get, but why was she playing hard to get, if she couldn't like him that way now? She shook her head at herself, knowing she was just setting herself up for a heartbreak and, feeling pathetic for staring at her phone, waiting for him to reply.

Josh grinned wider when his cellphone buzzed, and looked at it for a moment. He know he shouldn't have felt overly excited, almost like a kid on christmas, when she texted back. That was just... abnormal for him.

" Whatcha doing? :P " 

He answered quickly, listening for any sign of his adopted family coming to check on him. He set the volume down to 'vibrate' and started to pull his homework out as he waited for her to say something back. 

(( IN a rush, sorry for the smallness!))

Paradise read, and waited a couple mintues. Eager the whole time. THen replyed.

"Sitting on the swing, starving...You?"

Josh felt the smile slip off his face. He texted back eagerly, unhappily, not paying attention to the whereabouts of his aunt and uncle. 

" Starving? :( That's not good. My aunt and uncle are going out tonight... want me to bring you something to eat? "

He pressed enter, stuffing his phone in his pockets as he started to hear footsteps. His uncle hollared from the hall, "We're leaving...don't get into anymore trouble or it'll be the strap for you!"

Wincing, he called a hasty goodbye to them and pulled his phone back out. 

She smiled. He was now officially her favorite person in the whole world. Not that, that was anything knew. He always has been. But she frowned. He was grounded, she didn't want him to get in trouble becuase of her again.

"I wouldn't want to get you in trouble..."

She, like before, was eager for a reply.

" It wouldn't make a difference. ;) I'm always getting in crap from my aunt and uncle. Sides, it'll be fun. :D We can eat, and then go to the park or something. Plus, I heard that the lake is pretty at night. "

He waited a moment, heart thudding, and added on nervously, 

"So is it a date :)?"

He pressed enter, and started doodling on his paper in anticipation.  

She smiled, and almost shrieked when she felt her phone buzz in her hands, and did shriek quietly when she saw "JOSH" On the screen. She took a deep breath and opened it.

She didn't really know how to reply. Of course, she wanted to go. But when he put 'is it a date?' she frowned. She wanted to be excited, but it was more of a forceful frown. Everyone said, 'its a date!' When you make plans. which is what hurt her the most. So she talked around that comment, because if she even thought about how they were just friends. She'd get sick.

"Lets do it, :)"

"I'll be at your house in ten minutes," he typed back, scrambling out of his room as he shoved his phone in his pocket. Yanking open the cupboards and the fridge, he tried to think of something he could make in ten minutes.

~ten minutes later~

Josh walked onto Paradise's porch, smiling, and nodded towards the tray covered in aluminum foil. "I can't cook very well," he said with a laugh, "So I hope you don't mind grilled cheese."