𝐕𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐄, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐫𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫.

012.

the boardwalk was alive with the vibrant energy of summer. the sound of laughter, the scent of saltwater, and the glow of colorful lights filled the air, creating an atmosphere of carefree joy. cindy, walked along the wooden planks, her hand gently touching matt's.

they strolled around, the warm breeze tousling their hair as they weaved through the crowd. the rhythmic crashing of waves provided a soothing backdrop.

as they walked, cindy couldn't help but steal glances at matt. the dim glow of the boardwalk lights illuminated his features, accentuating his smile.

of course she would be attracted to him, he resembled conrad.

they came across a cotton candy stand. cindy's eyes lit up with childlike excitement. "matt, let's get some cotton candy!" she exclaimed, tugging on his hand.

he chuckled, a twinkle in his eyes. "yes ma'am," he replied, following her lead.

as they approached the front of the line, matt's gaze shifted to cindy. "so, tell me," he began, "what's your favorite childhood memory at the boardwalk?"

cindy paused, that story wasn't really appropriate for a date. "that's hard," she mused. "but i think it has to be the time jeremiah won me a giant stuffed animal at the ring toss game. it was bigger than me, and i felt like the luckiest kid in the world."

that wasn't actually her favorite memory but it worked.

as they reached the front of the line, they purchased a fluffy cloud of cotton candy. they found a secluded spot near the shoreline, the crashing waves providing a soothing soundtrack. sitting side by side on a weathered wooden bench.

"this is perfect." cindy smiled looking over at the sea as matt nodded.

she looked over at him again but this time something else caught her attention. conrad, jeremiah and steven were all there staring at the two, laughing.

she was ready to kill them.

"i'm thirsty," cindy stated. "i'll go get us some water."

"oh, i can go you don't need to-" matt offered but was interrupted by the girl.

"no, no i'm really picky about water." cindy shut him down. "i'll be right back."

she made her way over to the boys. jeremiah and steven were making kissing noises while conrad was laughing at the two.

"umm what the hell are you doing here?" she barks.

"we're just making sure you're okay." steven smirked.

"you guys are assholes." she scoffed.

"relax cinderella it's just a joke." jeremiah shrugged and cindy glared at him. "don't get mad at me, i didn't even want to come."

conrad looked over at matt. he really did look similar to him.

"get out of here or i swear i'll make your life a living hell." the girl threatened.

"how?" steven laughed, she could ruin anyones life but he knew she would never do anything to them.

"i have eyes everywhere bitch." cindy threatened. "i'll just send everyone your dramoine fanfic."

"you wouldn't."

"he spent an entire chapter talking about draco's wand." cindy fumed.

"don't worry dude." jeremiah laughed. "draco's hot."

"just leave." she looks over at conrad.

"whatever," conrad sighed. "let's just go."

cindy walked over to the shops, getting two waters. she would just tell matt that there was a line.

cindy returned to the bench where matt was waiting, holding two bottles of water. "sorry about that," she said with a forced smile, handing one to him. "there was a long line, but i got us some water."

"no worries," matt replied, oblivious to the encounter cindy had just faced. "thanks for getting these."

cindy tried to shake off the encounter with the boys, not wanting it to dampen their date.

matt noticed that cindy seemed a bit off. "is everything okay?" he asked, concern in his eyes.

"yeah, everything's fine," she lied. "just some silly stuff, you know."

matt nodded understandingly, not pushing her further. instead, he changed the subject, and they began to talk about their favorite movies and childhood memories. cindy found herself laughing genuinely, her earlier annoyance fading away.

matt suggested they go on one of the boardwalk rides. they hopped on the ferris wheel, the view of the boardwalk and the ocean below became more breathtaking.

at the top, the ferris wheel paused for a moment, and cindy couldn't help but glance over at matt. the way the lights from the rides below reflected in his eyes made her heart flutter. for a moment, it felt like they were the only two people in the world.

"it's beautiful up here," cindy whispered.

"yeah, it is," matt replied, turning to meet her gaze.

cindy felt a magnetic pull toward him, and as they continued to lock eyes, the world seemed to fade away once again. she couldn't resist the urge any longer. in that moment, she leaned in, and matt met her halfway, their lips gently touching in a soft, sweet kiss.

when they finally pulled away, cindy felt a blush rise to her cheeks, but she couldn't stop smiling.