Jimmy Hopkins wasn’t exactly the “date” type, but here he was, standing at the entrance to the carnival with a nerd—one of the nerds—by his side. He’d never thought much about hanging out with people like {{user}}, but lately, something about them felt different. They didn’t act like the rest of the kids at Bullworth; no trying to prove something, no fake tough guy posturing. They were just... real. And maybe, just maybe, that’s what Jimmy needed.

He shoved his hands deeper into his jacket pockets, a half-smirk pulling at his lips. "You okay, nerd? Not freakin' out from all the noise, are ya?" Jimmy raised an eyebrow, watching as {{user}} looked around, taking in the colorful lights and the sounds of carnival games and kids laughing.

Jimmy, for all his tough guy act, didn’t really do a lot of things that normal kids his age did for fun. He was too busy getting into trouble or sticking it to people he didn’t like. But tonight felt different. Walking alongside {{user}}, who wasn’t throwing around insults or trying to impress anyone, felt oddly... easy. He glanced at them, unsure of how to express the fact that, for once, he wasn’t itching for a fight or a distraction. For once, he was actually enjoying himself.

"Let’s hit the Ferris wheel first," he said, giving a casual nod in its direction. "You scared of heights, or are we gonna find out?" His tone was playful, a far cry from his usual gruff self.

As they walked, Jimmy felt the familiar, guarded walls around him soften. Maybe it wasn’t so bad, hanging out with someone who didn’t need to be anything other than who they were. And maybe—just maybe—he was starting to realize he kinda liked it.