Squidward Is a F*ucking Mindreader

10. The Field

*Becca's POV*

Walking away from Daniel felt weird. Almost wrong. It was strange. I wanted to run back to him but that would be weird. I mean why would I want to be near him? That made zero sense.

Daniel rushed up to me but stayed quiet. I realised why.

"Daniel, relax. You can start up a conversation I'm not that picky." I said to him. I mean I get he was doing it to make me feel comfortable but it was a bit weird how it wasn't awkward being silent with him. I didn't like that.

"Becca, We both know you aren't ready for someone else to strike up a conversation you just don't want to feel comfortable in the silence with me. Which is fine. I get that you aren't used to liking people so just get comfortable, I'll wait." He said, smiling down at me, showing his perfect rows of pearly teeth.

I smiled back at him. It was nice having someone to be quiet with. Then I realised we were just walking.

"Squidward, where are we even going?" I turned to Daniel, my face depicting perfect confusion. I must've said something right because he grinned at me from ear to ear and his whole demeanour changed to one of high energy. He ran in front of me, turning around and walking backwards with his finger stretched out at the end of his muscular arm. He was pointing towards the far end of the field, right at a very large, tall and bushy tree.

"We, my dear acquaintance, are going to that tree." He grinned. I smiled discreetly. I seemed to be doing that a lot. It was getting weird. He called me an 'acquaintance' meaning he acknowledged the fact that we were not friends. I mean, we hung out but I wouldn't label us friends.

I frowned, thinking about how far away the tree really was. I mean, we would have to walk all the way across the field to get to it. Which seemed horribly inconvenient. I sighed and we began walking at a slow pace. 

"Squiddy?" I said after some time. He said nothing.

"Squidward." Still nothing.

"Squidward." 

"Squidward."

"Squidward."

"SQUIDWARD."

"SQUID- FUCKING- WARD, LOOK AT ME YOU DECEITFUL SEA CREATURE!" I yelled. Becoming annoyed at his lack of acknowledgment.

A moment passed and still, Daniel mad no noise. He simply stared out into the open field, The tall grass covering his legs and waist from view, and the sun baring through the grey clouds.

"Daniel." I said quietly. I thought he wouldn't have heard because of the wind but he stopped moving. He turned to look at me and I almost gasped at what I saw.

Nothing.

He looked at me and everything around us stilled. The trees were calm, the sun was neither blaring, nor were the clouds darkening the sky. The grass was serene and still, and the ever nearing tree stopped swaying in the wind.

But Daniel was the stillest of all. His stillness was different to the others. His stillness was a kind of still I'd only seen once before. When I did it. After the incident I had sat there next to him, just still and lifeless.

And Daniel was still like I was too. He looked half dead just standing there. And despite his rosy cheeks and light freckles dusting his face, he looked like he'd died. Almost like he was stuffed or something. It was eerie. He made no sounds, and moved no muscle. He just stood there, his eyes bearing into mine like he was staring at a wall.

 He was watching me so intently, but you could see it in his eyes, He wasn't seeing me. Sure, he was looking but he couldn't see me.

Then he spoke. A distant, melancholic voice that carried in the stillness of the morning.

"It's sad, isn't it, relying on people." I looked at him but he was still staring into my eyes. He wasn't seeing me. He couldn't see me. But he was seeing something, so what was it?

"I relied on her. I trusted her. I was at her every request. But she didn't love me the same way. And when the time came, when she had to choose, she chose him. She said she'd always choose him. She said she could never love what I'd become." I frowned at this. Who was she? And who was he? And what did he mean by who I'd become?

But just as I was about to ask him he suddenly seemed to snap out of it. He blinked and saw me. I mean, actually saw me. As in he wasn't just looking at me.

I smiled sadly and he tilted his head in confusion. He studied my face for a while, his eyebrows furrowing together, becoming tighter and tighter as he struggled with something.

"Becca. What are you thinking about?" He asked finally. I was shocked.

"You mean, you can't tell?" I asked. He shook his head.

"I mean what I'm getting makes no sense." He said. I shook my head. 

"It doesn't matter."

How strange. If there was anything I knew about Daniel, it was that he always knew what was going on. He couldn't see what I was thinking? He had no idea what was happening. Which meant he wasn't conscious of what he had just said. He wasn't even conscious of himself.

Daniel and I continued along through the tall grass, heading for the huge tree on the other side. I was still thinking about what he had said. The girl and boy who had hurt him. What had it all meant?

Daniel remained silent, the entire walk. It was getting rather warm so I took off a hoodie. I shoved it into my bag and we continued through the grass. The taller than average blades brushed up against my skin and butterflies flew around happily.

Finally, we arrived at the tree. I stood at the base, looking back at Red post, now bustling with tiny figures as everyone hurried to second period. I frowned as a quiet Ow came from above me. I looked up to find Squidward, hanging upside down from a branch in the tree, his arms dangling down, lightly brushing the top of my head.

"Well are you coming?" He called to me, pointing to a wooden ladder hanging off the tree.

Goodness.