Y'ALL! THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER BEFORE THE EPILOGUE! 

honestly I am so excited this is out, but also sad because there is only one more chapter left )-:

im really gonna miss this story <3

+ I know I said I'll be starting stories of my own but I've had no tiiimee. I promise I'll start a new story soon after The Challenge ends. Soon.

Anyways, I love you all. And I love this chapter. And you should start the chapter now, aha. 

xx J

I love beginnings.

Beginnings were always the best part of the experience. They were easy and new and I always broke off the relationship before it got to the middle. The middle would only just screw up the absolutely perfect beginning. While the beginnings were carefree, the middle was stressful. I always ran away from the middles and skipped straight to the end.

It was quick. It was easy. And it was safe.

But with Dara it was different. With Dara I was enjoying the beginning, dreading the end and, well, the middle had the best parts to come.

I hummed under my breath as I walked down the street. I smiled with every step I took as my mind kept flashing back to the night before.

Dara had very firmly and stubbornly declared a do-over. She declared that the entire week we previously "dated" had never happened and we were starting over on a fresh, clean slate.

It was an idea I was all for until she also declared that there would be no "kissy squishy stuff" until after the first date.

Our first date was yesterday, or, properly called, our third first date.

The original plan was lunch and then a movie. Dara said this was symbolic because our first first date was a movie then a lunch and because that one didn't go so well, the opposite was bound to.

We met at a diner on the beach where a blonde waitress- who I had not previously dated- sat us in a booth by the window with lilacs sitting in a vase on top of the table.

We talked about school and music while we waited for our food to get to us. We talked about movies as we took sips from our complementary coffee. When our food came we talked- through mouthfuls of bread and pasta- about the beach and books and our families and that weird scar Dara has under her chin that she swears she doesn't remember getting. We talked through cup after cup of complementary coffee, even after our plates were scraped clean and moved to the side.

Dara and I sat at the booth by the window with the lilacs in the vase until it started to rain. We drew pictures in the foggy glass and raced raindrops down the window.

We had missed our movie a long time ago and Dara kept apologizing but I couldn't care less. Because I didn't even remember what movie we were supposed to see. All I remembered was coffee and lilacs and the rain and the stunningly beautiful Dara.

I drove her home after we ate. The drizzle had turned into a downpour and Dara and I huddled under my jacket as we ran up the steps to her house. We tumbled into her house, a fit of giggles filling the empty room. I looked at Dara with a big stupid smile on my face. Her hair was damp and her nose was red but the only thing I saw was that big stupid smile that was spread across her face too.

We sat on her couch and watched television reruns as we waited for the rain to light up. I put my arm around her and pressed her firmly against my side. I held her close to me even when we both started to sweat and my arm started to fall asleep. I held her close and rested my cheek against her hair. She smelled like the rain and laundry detergent and the blueberry cupcake she bought for lunch.

She smelled like everything nice and everything warm, so I held her close and breathed her in.

It was nearly 11 at night before I finally dragged myself off the couch and to the front door. Dara walked me out and before I got in my car, she stood on her tip toes and kissed my shyly on the cheek.

I grinned the whole way home and even though this day hadn't turned out as we planned, it was still the best date of my life.

The stupid grin was still on my face in the morning as I left my house. My sneakers hit the damp sidewalk as I walked quickly from the coffee shop to where my car was parked across the street. I balanced the two coffee cups on top of each other and put the paper bag carrying two bagels between my teeth as I fished in my pocket for my keys. I juggled the items in my hands as I carefully slid into my car.

I dropped the bag in the car as I put the coffees in the cup holders. I grinned proudly at myself. "All in on piece," I cheered. "Now where did I put those-"

I soft squish could be heard from beneath my foot. I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed for the damage to be minimal. I opened one eye and glanced down at the brown paper bag, crumpled under my shoe.

"Oh man," I whined, bending down to pick up the bag. But apparently my six foot frame didn't do so well in a small car because my elbow went on to knock over every substance on the way down.

I froze, hearing the sloshing of a coffee cup getting knocked over.

"Oh for the love of-"

"Surprise!"

"Jeez!" Dara jumped, the contents of her bag spilling down her porch. She looked at me with wide eyes and a hand clutching her chest. "Jiyong. What. The. Hell."

I winced. "Oops, probably should've gone for a quieter hello."

"Ya think?"

I grinned, walking through her front yard. "I got you coffee and a bagel," I said proudly.

She looked up at me from where she crouched, picking up her books. "What for?" she laughed, coming down the steps to join me.

I shrugged. "Just because."

She took the cup and bag from my hand gratefully. "Well thank you very much." She quickly kissed my cheek. "And good morning to you too."

Dara began to walk past me but I caught her arm in my hand before she could go. I pulled her back to where she stood, a goofy smile on my face and my hand moving to wrap fully around her waist. She blinked up at me with a knowing smirk on her face.

"Okay, so maybe I did have some ulterior motives," I admitted with and exaggerated sigh. I pulled her closer to me, wrapping both arms around her.

Dara's smirk only widened. "I knew it."

Her arms lifted up to my neck and she tilted her head towards me. I smiled before moving my head forward and pressing my lips on hers. My hands moved up and down her back and I felt her smile against my lips. Just as I was about to deepen the kiss she pulled away. I frowned, my eyes still partly closed.

"We're going to be late," she said with a raspy voice.

I groaned. "I really don't care."

I leaned in to kiss her again but before I could, she detached herself from my arms and walked past me.

"Oh come on," I groaned, watching as she turned her head to look at me. She sent me a wink and continued walking ahead as if it never happened.

I shook my head, running to catch up with her. "You'll be the death of me, you know?"

She laughed. "Always so dramatic," she said taking a bite of her bagel. She looked down at my empty hands. "You didn't get yourself any?"

"I did. But there was an...incident."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Here," she offered, ripping the bagel in half.

I took it graciously. "Thank you, madame," I said, bowing my head at her. I ran ahead to open my car door for her.

Dara curtseyed slightly before going in. "And thank you, kind sir."

I laughed, jogging around to the other side. "You ready for this?" I asked once I was inside.

She furrowed her eyebrows, "what do you mean?"

"Well, after what happened last week, people are going to start talking when we walk in school holding hands." I chuckled, keeping my eyes on the road.

"Oh yeah," I heard Dara say quietly from beside me. "I didn't even think about that."

I laughed. "We are going to be what everyone talks about. Everyone is going to think that I've gone crazy. Seunghyun and his friends are for sure going to hate me and try to make my life a living hell."

"Hell?" Dara whispered.

"Yeah. It's going to be a tough time until graduation." I said letting out a low whistle.

"But graduation's a year and a half away," Dara exclaimed.

I laughed. "Yeah. A year and a half of torture," I joked. "Who knows if I'll even make it to graduation, right?"