Like Stars At Night

Nineteen - Part Two

I pressed the doorbell and waited.

Looking around I couldn't help but notice that the house was no different from the last few houses I had passed by.

The same boring brown paint, well-manicured lawn, and generic wooden door.

It was definitely not where I expected Daniel to be living and somehow I knew he must hate living here. There was absolutely no character to it.

After waiting for five minutes and with no response, I pressed the doorbell again. Suddenly the fear that I had the wrong house wrapped around my throat.

A quick check with the number stuck beside the door showed it was the same as the one Sylvanus sent.

I pressed the doorbell. There was still no answer.

Maybe no one's at home or that ignoramus got the address wrong.

I was about turn around and leave to go vent all the stress and anger I had built up today at Kenny's house when the door opened and out came the curly-haired, smirk-bearing boy that took annoying to a whole new level but somehow looked good while doing it, in a black sweater that was rolled up to his elbows, showing off his vivid rose tattoo and blue jeans. A pair of headphones sat around his neck.

His entrancing dark brown eyes grew to twice their size.

“Mara?” His disbelief showed in every letter as his face broke into a winning smile that almost made me swoon. But it could've been the fact that I had been under the sun for most of the day, I didn't know.

“Where the hell have you been? I've been here for the past ten minutes!” I exclaimed.

“What are you doing here?”

“I asked first,” I narrowed my eyes and folded my hands, causing the many shopping bags I was carrying to hit my knees.

“I had headphones on,” he gestured to the pair. “And forgive me if I wasn't expecting you.”

“Well, you're not forgiven,” I snapped. Daniel looked taken aback and I instantly regretted my sharp tone.

“I'm sorry,” I buried my face in my hands. “I've been having the worst day and I'm so tired already and it's barely two.”

“Hey,” I felt his hand on my shoulder and the dizzying scent of fresh mint. “It's gonna be ok, I promise.”

With a lungful of mint-tainted air to settle my frustration I raised my head and immediately wrapped my arms around him.

He chuckled and reciprocated the hug.

“Not that I'm not enjoying seeing you, but how the hell are you here?”

“You should've known better than to trust Sylvanus with anything.”

“Damn,” he sighed.

I extracted myself from him.

“Also, I have something for you,” I took off my backpack and brought out the carton-coloured envelope that was inside his end-of-semester pack.

“Oh God, no more schoolwork,” he groaned.

“Yes, more schoolwork. Now can we leave this blistering sun so I can be angry with you for lying to me inside?”

He collected the envelope looking uneasy.

“Is your dad home?” I asked, looking past him into the house through the open front door.

“No, thankfully he isn't.”