Archie Zaldivar, 9

Apple Leaf: On a scale from “incredibly awkward” to “best hour of your life,” how would you rate this date?

Abby McKay: I don’t even know because we didn’t talk very much. I mean he was nice, but he was kind of shy. I could tell that he was kind of scared.

AL: What was his best quality?

AM: Cuteness. I really wanted to pinch his cheek. He’s like my little brother, so being on a date was kind of different.

AL: What did you think of the setting?

AM: The venue was good, supporting a local business. I’ve always loved gelato, and it was a calm and quiet atmosphere.

Avery Jones, 10

AL: On a scale from “incredibly awkward” to “best hour of your life,” how would you rate this date?

AM: It actually went really well. I was worried because we’d never met before so it might be awkward. I’d actually never talked to him in my life before this, and I always thought he was kinda quiet. It was really fun though; we talked about random stuff.

AL: What was his best quality?

AM: He had good eye contact. He wasn’t super shy like I thought he was.

AL: What did you think of the setting?

AM: It was good because we didn’t have a lot of time; he had basketball at like 7. The quietness was nice.

Manny Rivas, 11

AL: On a scale from “incredibly awkward” to “best hour of your life,” how would you rate this date?

AM: He’s actually really funny. I had absolutely no idea who he was, like whatsoever, and then I walked in and I think I’ve seen him around the high school before. But then he just straight said, “This is awkward.” After that he had a lot to talk about, and I was glad because it made the date a lot of fun. I was scared before because I didn’t know him, but I really enjoyed myself.

AL: What was his best quality?

AM: Oh, he had some nice style. Probably better than I do, which is kinda sad. He told me about how he wants to major in music and move to California, so that was pretty cool.

AL: What did you think of the setting?

AM: It was good. This is one of my favorite restaurants actually, so that was cool. It was very classy. He was telling me about how he was going to take me to the Taco Wagon and I thought that was so funny. I’ve actually never been to one before. I would’ve gone!

Jakob Stoll, 12

AL: On a scale from “incredibly awkward” to “best hour of your life,” how would you rate this date?

AM: It was a good idea. I was very surprised that he knew how to cook. Even though I came up with the idea of the date.

AL: What was his best quality?

AM: His beard. That’s the first thing that comes to my mind. I thought he’d be more quiet, but he wasn’t, and that was a good thing.

AL: What did you think of the setting?

AM: It was creative and a lot more laidback than going out to eat or something.