"Man, why are we here? We haven't been here in AGES!" Brandon says when we get out of Daniel's car. He looks at me for a second and then turns back to Brandon. "It's nice here." He starts walking into a huge park. Brandon follows along, apparently still feeling the need to discuss the location. Paul walks right next to me. "Where is here exactly?" I ask him. He looks confused. "This?" He gestures around the park. I nod a little. "This is Greenwich Park." Greenwich Park?? Does Daniel know my host parents live in Greenwich? Did I tell him? This... this starts feeling a little weird. "Lauren, you ok? You look like you've seen a ghost?" Paul gently pokes my side with his elbow. "Oh, sorry. I was just distracted by my thoughts. So, what is Brandon's issue with being here?" Paul shrugs his shoulders. "Honestly, I don't know. We used to hang out here a lot a while back but lately we've stayed closer to the school. I guess he's just confused." Mhm... this is really confusing. Why did Daniel choose to come here? Did he do that for me? We walk up the rest of the hill in silence.
Once we reached the top we climb over a little railing and sit down in the grass. I catch my breath... the view is amazing! You have a perfect view over the London skyline. In the corner of my eye I can see Daniel looking at me. He's sitting a few feet away from me. I turn my head slightly to look at him. He seems pleased. "You like it?" I nod a little, still astounded by the beautiful view. I can't believe this is my home for now! "Brandon, let's go meet Alison, Skylar and Patrick." I tilt my head a little. "Those are some friends of ours, they're on their way here. Just wanna make sure they find us." I nod my head... makes sense. Paul jumps up, ready to leave. Brandon, however, doesn't seem happy to have to move. Paul pulls at the sleeve of his shirt. "Come on, man." He says in a weird voice. OH that's why he's leaving! Brandon seems to catch up on Paul's intention too and hesitantly leaves his chilling position. Together they walk back down the hill. Daniel and I sit in silence for a little, both looking at the London skyline.
"So... how do you like London so far?" I look over at Daniel who's no longer sitting. He's lying on his back, his arms folded behind his head, his eyes closed. I can't help but stare at him. After a few seconds I remember that he asked me a question. "So far so good." I respond. He peaks open one eye and raises an eyebrow. "That's all? Usually people are more enthusiastic." I look back at the skyline. "I mean... it's beautiful but... I've only been here for a few days..." I look back at him. His eyes are both closed again. "Daniel... can I ask you something?" Without opening his eyes he nods his head a little. "Why tell everyone you have a girlfriend?" His eyes stay shut when he responds. "It's easier. People... well... mainly Kimberly... leave me alone. At the moment I'm not interested in dating and if people think I'm taken... they accept that." I think about what he said. It makes sense.
I mean, not that I support the fact that he's lying but I can only imagine how many girls would line up to date him. I can't deny that he is obviously pretty... and he seems nice. The fact that he's apparently like the star of the school certainly is a factor too. "But why tell me the truth then?" Now he opens up his eyes and rolls over, propping himself up on his elbow. "I don't know. I don't wanna lie to you I suppose." - "Why?" I can't stop staring into his eyes and he doesn't take his off me for a second either. "You're different." I small laugh leaves my lips. He raises an eyebrow. "What's funny?" I shake my head slightly. "I'm the most ordinary girl you can meet. I'm not different." He looks at me like I've just told him the queen is male. "Lauren... don't sell yourself below your value. You're smart, funny, beautiful... and I'm sure there is a lot more to you that I have not yet to get to know." I can feel myself blush a little. He thinks I'm beautiful? I know I shouldn't care but I do. He looks at me with so much sincerity I just know he's not lying.
"Lauren!" Paul jumps over the railing and lands right behind me. I flinch a little, ripping my eyes off of Daniels. In the corner of my eye I can see him returning to his former position. I look up at Paul and the group of people behind him. Brandon sits back down in his spot across from Daniel. "Hey, I'm Abigail... but just call me Abi." A gorgeous, tall, brunette girl holds out her hand. I take it and return her friendly smile. "Lauren." Behind her a second gorgeous, tall, brunette appears. "Hi, I'm Skylar... but just call me Sky." She has the same friendly smile as Abi. I look at Sky and then at Abi and back to Sky. As if from one mouth they say "Yeah, we're twins." They let out a small giggle which is so contagious I just have to join in. They sit down next to me and make room for another guy. The moment our eyes meet I'm out of breath. There is something about him that makes my heart skip a beat. He's tall, has brown hair, brown eyes and small freckles on his cheeks. His smile is even more contagious than Sky and Abi's. He holds out his hand for me to take it. The moment our fingers touch my whole skin starts to tingle. "Hey, I'm Patrick."
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Between the Lines // Danny Griffin
FanfictionLauren has been begging her parents to let her do a study abroad year for months and finally it's time to move to London to spend a year at an acting school. For Lauren that's a dream come true. That year was meant to be the best experience of her l...
