Hope was sitting across from Elliot reading a book, she glanced at him watching what he was doing "How are you liking the island so far?" Elliot looked up at her and smiled, "If I said you, would that be cheesy?" He was falling for this girl quickly. Hope bit her lip and looked down "It would be cheezy yeah but Ibmean doesn't hurt to say it" Elliot smiled, "Well, I do. I like you a lot! But to answer your question more, I also like the peacefulness and the freedom." Hope blushed and then looked up at him "That's good, I'm glad you're liking it here" she didn't quite get why he liked her He smiled, "What's your favorite thing here?" "My favorite thing? Well that must be the tent" she joked and then shrugged "I guess the beach and.... umm you" Elliot smiled and blushed a bit, "Then, let's go to the beach!" "Okay! If you want to!" She replied and closed her book standing up "Sure!" He said casually, pretending like he hadn't already set up a spot for them on the beach. "I'm going to grab my jacket" Hope gave him a small smile and took her jacket "alrighty, ready to go when you are" "I'm ready," he said as he held out his arm to her smiling. She smiled back to him and linked her arm to his "let's go then" Elliot smiled as they walked to the beach and saw the picnic he'd set up for them, "Oh, I wonder who did that," he said with a smirk. There was a moment when Hope froze as she saw the picnic he had set up. She looked at him wide eyed, surprised as hell, sure she knew that they were supposed to do something like this but no one had ever made this kind of an effort for her. "Y-you did a-all that?" Elliot smiled, "Yeah, I didn't know you were going to say you liked the beach, but I guess it was just lucky." Then, he took her hand and led her over to the picnic. Hope was awestruck and just nodded letting him lead her to the picnic. "I didn't know what you liked so there are a few different types of sandwiches in there," he told her. He was really nervous, he just hoped he didn't seem it. Hope snapped out of it and looked at him "oh nice, you really out did yourself huh?" She grinned and nudged him playfully. He laughed, "Well, this is my first thing I'm really doing here, so maybe I'm just setting a high standard for myself. Not sure if it's a good move or not since I don't really know how the dating thing works. But hey, you deserve the best." Then, he sat down with her and got out everything he'd prepared. He knew how to cook since his stepdad and stepbrothers either made him cook or ate without him and left him to take care of himself. Hope just blushed, she deserved the best. No one had ever said that to her. "well I think this is a good move" she replied as she sat down next him. She looled at the food "wow did you make all of this?" Elliot smiled and nodded, "Yeah, the guy in the kitchen let me use his stuff, but I made it" "Really?!? So you cook huh?" She smirked "Yeah," he replied. "I did most of the cooking at home. My stepfather and stepbrothers are pretty useless at that kind of thing." "Oh well this is a plus though for any girl you will sweep off your feet" she replied Elliot laughed, "True. But I only know one girl I'd like to sweep off her feet." He was clearly referring to her. "So, do you cook, Hope?" Hope grinned a little bit "I wonder who that could be" she replied looking at the sea "nope! Can't cook for my life. My aunt owns a bakert so she used feed me pretty much" Elliot nodded, "Well maybe on our next date I can teach you how to make something.." "O-our next date?" She looked at him, this was all surprising to her, he actually wanted to go on a date with her. Elliot grinned, "You caught that. ...That's if you would want to go on another date with me?" Hope blushed and looked down and bit her lip and then looked back up "I'd lile that" "Good," he replied with a smile, "so the next ceremony thing should be pretty easy, huh?" Hope bit her lip remembering what Willa told her the other day about the picking thing "uhhhhh no it won't be easy you see, if you pick me or if I pick you on that night, the admin will ask if we want to be a couple since you asked me last time" Elliot was confused, "...What's wrong with that? Is it too soon?" "I-I mean we don't know each other that well a-and I don't know, I have no idea how this works honestly" she looked down feeling like she was ruining everything Elliot placed his hand on her shoulder and then tilted her chin up to look at him, "Hey, it's okay. I want to be with you, but if you think it's too soon to be a couple, we can wait another week. Tell me honestly, what do you think?" Hope looked at him, she was so shocked. There was a very kind, lovely, understanding not to mention a hot guy sitting before her and he wanted to be with her, who was a mess. Truth to be told she did not want to go back to that tent and she liked him, she really did amd se might find it weird on how fast it happened and some might think it's fake because she was crying over Everett more then a week ago but she realized that this was the feeling she was supposed to get, she never really got that feeling for Everett; she just liked the fact that someone picked her. The thing with Elliot was different though, it felt different and she was happy and she hasn't been happy since four years ago. After a long silence she spoke "I-I would like to give us a chance" she didn't look away or tried to not meet his gaze, she just looked right at him meaning every word Elliot smiled at her, "I would too. And the people in charge here can call it whatever they want, but to us, we can just be pursuing something that we want to see where it goes." Hope nodded and smiled back to him and kissed his cheek "So, sandwhiches? We can't let that go to waste" Elliot smiled and nodded, "Let's! There's also some chocolate cookies in there too." "Chocolate cookies? Man you're spoiling me" she replied grabbing a sandwich Elliot smiled, "That's the plan." Hope blushed and took a bite. Elliot smiled and waited for a moment before shyly leaning over and placing a kiss on her cheek. Hope blushed more when she felt his lips on her cheek and she looked at him smiling Elliot smiled back and then helped get the rest of the food out and held out a cookie to her, "Want to test one to make sure they don't suck?" "I'm sure they don't suck but it doesn't hurt to taste them" she replied and took the cookie taking a bit and closed her eyes "Oh my god this is heaven!" Elliot smiled, "Thank you! And I have to confess, I'd never let you taste anything I made that I hadn't made sure was good. I just thought you deserved something sweet to start with." Hope gasped "I can handle eating bad things but I'm sure anything you make can't be bad at all" she smiled to him "You're too kind to me, you know" "Why me though? There are way more prettier and greater girls here then me" "I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit," he told her. "You are beautiful and I think you're amazing. As for anyone else, I haven't even noticed. You are the one I was immediately attracted to." Hope looked down and then at him. He was so amazing to her and she had never in her life felt this way before about anyone "Y-you really mean that?" Elliot smiled, "Absolutely!" He leaned in and kissed her lips sweetly before they finished their first date on the beach.