It All Started With An Apple

Chapter 6

“Hey, what’s your address again?”

I looked up from my book, a scowl at the ready.  I knew I should have gone inside right away.  I should have just gone inside and read at my desk.  But no, I decided to sit outside on the wall until the five minute warning bell rang.  And now I was paying the price for my stupidity.

“Can you go antagonize someone else?”

Dannon grinned, plopping down beside me, apparently not getting the fact that I wanted him to leave me alone.  Though, when did he?  “I would, but I need to know what your address is.”

“And why is that?” I drawled, flipping to the next page of my book.  I began reading, trying my best to ignore that Dannon was sitting right next to me.  It didn’t really work out very well.

“For the barbeque.”

I looked up, my eyebrows rising.  “The barbecue’s tomorrow,” I said stupidly.

Dannon brought a hand through his hair.  He let his hand drop and began playing with a strap of his bag’s backpack, apparently find it incredibly amusing.  I watched him silently, wondering if he was going to sit there all day or answer me.  “I know,” he said finally, looking up at me.  He smiled slightly.  “But apparently you guys have to get a really early start and your mom thought . . . .”

I felt dismay make its way into my voice as I muttered, “She didn’t.”

I looked at Dannon, petrified.  Had my mom invited him to sleep over tonight?  What happened to her morals?  Wasn’t she worried that something might happen between Dannon and I while she and my dad were sleeping?  Sure, I knew nothing would happen, and so did Dannon, but weren’t my mom and dad under the impression that Dannon and I were like . . . together?

But, then again, they hadn’t really talked about Dannon and me all week.  For the most part it was, “How’s Dannon doing?”  or “So what did you and Dannon do at school today?”  It surprised me, to be honest.

Dannon bit his lip.  Whether it was to keep himself from smiling or something else entirely, I didn’t know.  “Uh . . . she kinda did.”

I snapped my book shut and slipped it into my backpack.  There was no point in trying to read it now.  I wouldn’t be able to concentrate.  “I can’t believe her,” I grumbled, shaking my head.  I glanced at him.  “Why didn’t you say no?”

I wished, not for the first time since I woke up this morning, that Kyla was here.  Despite our obvious differences in views about this whole apple-situation, at least she’d make this problem more bearable.  But no, she had a test she didn’t want to deal with today, so she told her mom she felt faint and stayed in bed.

Now, if I tried that, my mom would laugh in my face.  But no, Kyla got away with it because her mom was cool like that.

Dannon shrugged.  “It wouldn’t be fair to your mom to make it harder on her.”

I sighed deeply, glancing toward the school building.  The crew stood there, chatting like they usually did.  It seemed like there was a hole.  Which made sense, since their insufferable little leader was sitting next to me.  “Why don’t you go to your friends?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow in his direction.

Dannon stared at me for a moment before answering.  “I need your address.  For the third time, by the way.”

shot him an I’m-so-not-impressed expression before sighing.  “Twenty-seven Oakhill Avenue.”